YIELDS:
4 servings
PREP TIME:
0 hours 15 mins
COOK TIME:
0 hours 40 mins
TOTAL TIME:
1 hours 5 mins
ingredients
4 Mini naan bread
1 1/2 Cups of vandouvan butternut & carrot puree (see below)
4 Oz. Goat Cheese
2 Tbsp. Pomegranate Seeds
2 Cups Frisee Lettuce
2 Tbsp. Olive oil
2 Tbsp. Balsamic vinegar
Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
VANDOUVAN VEGETABLE PUREE
15 Oz. Butternut Squash, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 Cup Baby Carrots, cut in half
1/2 Sweet onion, cut into quarters
1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1 Tbsp. Vadovan spice
3 Oz. Goat Cheese
2 Tbsp. Heavy Cream
3/4 – 1 Cup Chicken stock or vegetable stock
DIRECTIONS
1) Make the roasted butternut, carrot and goat cheese puree. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2) Put the squash, carrots, onion, tablespoon of olive oil, vadouvan, salt and pepper in a large bowl and toss to coat all the veggies. Place on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper or tin foil. Roast for 35 – 40 minutes until veggies are soft and fragrant.
3) Remove the veggies from the oven and let cool for about 5 minutes. Add them to a food processor or blender, and process for one minute. Add the goat cheese and 3/4 cup of chicken stock, heavy cream and process until smooth. If it is too thick, add some chicken stock. You want the mixture smooth and creamy. Taste, taste, taste. Adjust seasoning if needed and add more salt and pepper accordingly.
4) Brush the naan bread with olive oil on one side, sprinkle with salt and pepper and place oil side down on an indoor or outdoor grill until grill marks show. Brush the other side with oil and season with salt and pepper. Flip and grill the other side.
5) Top each naan with heaping 1/4 cup of the vegetable puree and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top each with one ounce of sliced or crumbled goat cheese. Place under the broiler for 2 – 3 minutes until the cheese is lightly browned and the puree is heated through. You will have extra puree. Use it to make more flatbreads (I promise, you will be hooked.) or try the Vadouvan Stuffed Rigatoni.
6) Meanwhile, whisk one tablespoon of olive oil and balsamic vinegar with a pinch of salt and some ground pepper. Add the frisee lettuce to a bowl and drizzle with the vinaigrette. Toss to coat. Taste. If it needs more salt, add.
7) Remove flatbreads from under the broiler. Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds and top with some dressed friscee salad. Add a few more pomegranate seeds. Enjoy.
NOTES: This recipe came about after I had left over vegetable puree from my Vandouvan Stuffed Rigatoni. I thought it might be good on a pizza or flatbread and I was right. Since there was goat cheese in the puree, I stuck with that as the cheese on top. The pomegrantes add the right amount of brightness to the sweetness of the puree. The salad really is perfect on this and the sharpness of the balsamic brings this whole dish together. This was the best “bonus” recipe ever.
I used mini naan in this recipe but this would be great on pita or pizza dough too. Dare I say, English Muffins would work too? I think YES.
Once you have the puree made this comes together really fast so I’d make a batch on the weekend and have it ready for fast lunches during the week.
Are you wondering what is Vandouvan? Well. I was!!! I hadn’t heard of this spice until a few weeks ago and now I’m hooked. It is a French curry… lots of the spice flavors found in curry plus garlic and onion. But, guess what? None of the heat. This spice has a smokey almost sweet taste that is emphasized in the sweetness of the vegetables. I was so excited to find this that I’ve been playing with it for a week. I’ve never been able to say I “like curry”. It has always been to hot or had such a strong smell that I just couldn’t enjoy it. I was told repeatedly that curry was not a dish but a spice and I just needed to find the right spice blend. Since I don’t like heat that much, this was the most amazing find. Leave it to the French to create a curry spice I now love!
Grab a bottle here than try this recipe and my Stuffed Rigatoni dish. Better yet, sprinkle on veggies and roast them up in the oven and serve as a side dish… delicious! Hope you give this a try. Enjoy.
