Recipes
Cheesy Hummus Potato Bake
This recipe was brought to you by Dr. Anthony Hadj.
Dr. Hadj was inspired to go plant-based by the likes of Doctors John McDougall and Caldwell
Esselstyn and he now incorporates this healthy way of eating into the management plans of his patients both young and old.
Anthony focuses particularly on the mental health effects of living with a chronic disease and finds great pleasure in seeing his patients become happier, healthier, lighter, and free of medication.
Ingredients
- 8 medium-sized white potatoes
- 1 onion, sliced
- 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
- 90 g (3 oz/1 cup) sliced closed cup mushrooms
- 75 g (23/4 oz/½ cup) sundried tomatoes
- 50 g (13/4 oz/1 cup) baby spinach
- 30 g (1 oz/1/2 cup) nutritional yeast (optional)
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Cheesy topping:
- 60 g (2 oz/1/2 cup) diced cauliflower
- 40 g (11/2 oz/1/4 cup) diced raw cashew nuts
- 1 teaspoon onion salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 tablespoon chopped rosemary leaves
Hummus
- 3 x 400 g (14 oz) tins chickpeas, drained
- 1 x 400 g (14 oz) tin cannellini beans (these have a slightly nuttier taste than other beans)
- 3 tablespoons hulled tahini
- 125 ml (4 fl oz/1/2 cup) lemon juice
- 3 garlic cloves
Instructions
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Step 1
Peel and cut the potatoes into 1cm (1/2 in) slices. Place them in a large saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil and cook until they are just starting to soften but are still holding their shape. Drain, reserving 500–750 ml (17– 251/2 fl oz/2–3 cups) of the cooking water.
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Step 2
For the cheesy topping, place the cauliflower and cashew nuts in a bowl and add the onion salt and turmeric. The turmeric will provide some colour as well as bringing a unique flavour to the dish. Add the rosemary leaves, if using.
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Step 3
To prepare the hummus, combine the tinned chickpeas and cannellini beans in a blender. Add the tahini, lemon juice and garlic. Blend to mix, then add enough of the reserved potato cooking water to blend the hummus to a smooth paste.
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Step 4
Heat a frying pan over medium heat and gently sauté the sliced onions in a little water and the balsamic vinegar. The vinegar will add a lovely caramelised sweetness. As the onion softens, add the mushrooms, sundried tomatoes and spinach. Mix well and simmer until reduced slightly.
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Step 5
Add the hummus to the pan with the onions and gradually add 250 ml (81/2 fl oz/1 cup) of the potato cooking water to prevent the sauce from thickening too much (it will thicken as it cools).
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Step 6
Stir in the nutritional yeast, if using, then stir over a low heat for another couple of minutes.
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Step 7
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
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Step 8
Lay the sliced potatoes in the base of a large baking dish, leaving as few gaps as possible. Add a layer of hummus, then continue layering potatoes and hummus until both have been used. Sprinkle a generous amount of the cheesy topping on top. Bake for 20 minutes, switching to the grill setting of your oven for the last 5 minutes to brown the top.
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Step 9
Although you will be very tempted to eat it straight away, try to let it settle for 10 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken. Of course, if you are like me and it’s just too delicious to wait, dig in!
