Next time you’re rolling out a meat and three vegetables dinner, why doon’t you up your vegetable game with these easy twists on the usual suspects? Consider the quick recipes here as a starting guide. Play around substituting with other vegetables and try adding chopped fresh herbs, garlic, chilli or spices to suit your taste.

Potato & Pumpkin Mash

1kg sebago potatoes, peeled, cut into 4cm chunks (see tip)

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, or 30g butter

¼ cup milk or cream

400g pumpkin, cut into 3 cm chunks, steamed until tender  (see note)

Place the potato in a large saucepan and cover with water, over a high heat. Add salt and bring to the boil and cook for 20 minutes until tender when pierced with a knife. Drain well. Return the potatoes to the saucepan, add the butter and roughly mash with a potato masher. Add the pumpkin and milk, or cream, and continue mashing until combined and forms a smooth consistency. Stir in herbs, if using, or other flavourings and season with salt. 

Note: Steaming or roasting the pumpkin results is more flavoursome than boiling and prevents the flesh becoming water logged.

Tip: Save the potato peelings for roasted chips.  Toss in olive oil. Bake in 180°C oven until golden and crisp.

Grated Broccoli with Lemon & Herbs

2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

450g broccoli head and stem, coarsely grated

1 lemon, finely zest and juice

1/3 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley or mint

Heat oil in a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Add the broccoli, stirring occasionally to cook evenly for 5 minutes, until just cooked tender. Stir in the lemon zest and juice and cook for 30 seconds. Stir through the herbs. Serve straight away.

Pan Fried Pumpkin

2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

450g pumpkin peeled, coarsely grated

1 lemon, finely zest and juice

½ teaspoonground cinnamon or cumin

Heat oil in a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Add the pumpkin and spices, stirring occasionally to cook evenly for 5 minutes, until just cooked tender. Stir in the lemon zest and juice and cook for 30 seconds. Serve straight away.

© Fiona Hammond June 2020