…with carrot anise puree, balsamic roasted onions, goats cheese and walnuts

As such a beautiful season, Autumn is a time we notice and appreciate the beauty of nature around us and start to nurture that little pot belly that promises to keep us warm for the next six to eight months. Warming recipes and cosy evenings in - what’s not to like?

Enough for one pizza:

Ingredients:

      Purée:

• 250g carrots, peeled and roughly chopped into small chunks
• 15g vegan butter
• 1 star anise
• 100ml vegetable stock
• 50ml coconut milk

• Juice of 1/4 lemon

• 1 Luna & Fennel cauliflower crust pizza base
• 1 red onion 
• Olive oil
• 1/4 c balsamic vinegar
• Goats cheese
• Walnuts
• Rocket 

Preheat the oven to 200°C.

Gently melt the butter in a shallow pan, add the carrots and star anise and stir until coated. Cook on a medium heat for 10 mins, stirring often until the carrots are glazed and starting to soften. Pour the vegetable stock over the carrots, bring to a boil and simmer for 20 mins. Add the coconut milk, bring back to the boil and simmer for a further minute. Remove pan from the heat, discard the star anise and stir in the lemon juice. Season well and using a hand blender, blitz in to a smooth puree. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed and set aside to cool.

Now for the onions. Cut the top and tail of the onion and discard. Peel away the outer layer and cut the onion width ways, about 1cm thick. Prepare a roasting tray lined with baking paper and lay the onion rounds flat. Season with salt and massage with a little oil and balsamic vinegar. Don’t go crazy here, you don’t want the onions to be swimming in Modena’s finest, but be generous all the same. Roast for 40 mins or until the onions are slightly charred. 

Once all the toppings have cooled, take your pre-prepared pizza base and top with the carrot puree, onions and goats cheese. Pop in the oven for 5 minutes at 180°C until the middle of the pizza is hot and goats cheese starts to melt. Remove from the oven and finish with some fresh rocket, walnuts and a squeeze of lemon juice.