This is a use-up-the-vegetables recipe. No meat, plenty of cheese, and whatever is in the fridge. The list of vegetables below is what happened to be available on a November day at Casa Adora — next time it will be different, and that is entirely the point.
One note on the cucumber: in Spain the pepino you find at the market is often a different beast to the watery salad cucumber of British supermarkets. Firmer, milder, and considerably better behaved in a hot oven. If you are cooking this in Britain, use a courgette instead.
The dish is built in layers — potato, vegetable mixture, potato, vegetable mixture, potato — with Emmental between the layers and Parmesan on top. It looks impressive when it comes out of the oven and tastes considerably better than anything involving leftover vegetables has any right to.
Layered vegetable bake with Emmental and Parmesan at Casa Adora.
It serves one generously, with excellent leftovers. The layers reheat well the next day — cover with foil and warm through at 180°C for 15 minutes or eat at room temperature if you prefer.
Ingredients for Layered Vegetable Bake with Cheese
(serves 1, with leftovers)
- 3 large potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
- ½ butternut squash
- 1 leek, sliced
- 1 red pepper, deseeded and diced
- 1 green pepper, deseeded and diced
- 2 carrots, peeled and diced
- 1 pepino (or courgette in the UK), thickly sliced
- A handful of frozen green beans
- A large bag of fresh spinach
- 100g Emmental, grated
- 50g Parmesan, grated
- 1 small tub Greek yoghurt
- Butter for the dish and for brushing
- Olive oil for sautéing
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped (plus extra for the spinach)
- A pinch of dried red chilli
- ¼ tsp turmeric
- A few cardamom seeds
- 1 bay leaf
- Dried herbs of choice
- Black pepper — generously throughout
Method
Score the flesh of the butternut squash half, drizzle with olive oil and black pepper and bake at 200°C for 20 minutes. Scoop the flesh into a large mixing bowl and set aside. Wrap the remaining half in cling film and refrigerate for another day.
Parboil the sliced potatoes in salted water until just beginning to soften. Drain and set aside.
Sauté the vegetables in batches in olive oil and butter – leek first with the turmeric, cardamom seeds and bay leaf, then the peppers, carrots, pepino and green beans. Add garlic, a pinch of dried chilli, dried herbs and plenty of black pepper to each batch. When soft and beginning to colour, add to the mixing bowl with the squash.
Wilt the spinach in a separate pan, drain well, then sauté briefly with a little garlic and black pepper. Add to the mixing bowl.
Once the mixture has cooled, sprinkle with half the Emmental, add the Greek yoghurt and mix gently.
Butter an ovenproof deep dish. Layer the base with one third of the potato slices and sprinkle with Emmental and black pepper. Add half the vegetable mixture evenly. Add another layer of potatoes, brush with melted butter and season. Add the remaining vegetable mixture, then finish with the final layer of potatoes. Brush generously with melted butter, scatter over the Parmesan and grind over plenty of black pepper.
Bake at 200°C for 25 minutes until the top is golden and the potatoes are crisp at the edges.
Leftovers reheat well — cover with foil and warm through at 180°C for 15 minutes. Equally good at room temperature the next day.
If you're after more ways to use up whatever's sitting in the crisper drawer, my Creative Ways to Use Up Leftover Vegetables has plenty more ideas.
This layered vegetable bake with cheese is part of my Veg, Fruit & Pulses collection. Wonky photos, proper produce, genuine adventures – The Flexible Chef
