Roasted Potatoes and Fennel with Onion Jam and Pumpkin Leek Sauce

I don't detox, I don't fast (both rituals that I don't believe in) but since last summer I have my own ritual of finding balance: cutting off animal products every now and then. I can affirm all the positive effects that my favorite writer (and one of the craziest food experimenter in general) at serious eats noticed during his part-time-vegan experience.
Above all you get much more creative when imposing some strict restrictions to oneself, so I fully recommend to give it a go!

My belief is that all produce have their justification and their own nutritional value, so going completely vegan wouldn't be an option for me (although I respect those folks because at least they reflect on how our food is produced and conduct upon their beliefs...).

But whenever I can break the routine, namely the prevalence and all-time accessibility of ridiculously cheap animal products, I happily opt to do it now.



Roasted potato and fennel with onion jam and pumpkin leeksauce

Prep time 40 min.

1. Toss potato wedges and fennel cuts in olive oil together with spices (I took Raz el Hanout), orange zest, salt and pepper and roast them in the oven. Meanwhile

2. sauté leek slices (only the white part) together with a chopped onion. Deglaze with white wine and add chunks of a pumpkin (for the sake of convenience I use potatoes, pumpkins or chestnuts as binder). Let everything cook with the lid closed until the pumpkin chunks fall apart. Puree the sauce and add salt.

3. Serve together with pre-made onion jam and sprinkle chopped herbs on top.