The light autumn oven-gratin vegetables are a tasty and healthy seasonal side dish.
My mixed gratin vegetables: cauliflower, fennel, cremini mushrooms and pumpkin.
Easy and quick to prepare, gratinated with whole-wheat breadcrumbs and without béchamel.
Remember to account for the breading when calculating the total carbohydrates of your meal.
You can vary the seasonal oven vegetables according to your tastes.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Budget-friendly
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 2People
- Cooking methods: Electric oven, Air fryer
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 1/2 head cauliflower (white)
- 1 fennel (bulb)
- 4 cremini mushrooms
- 2 slices pumpkin
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch mixed peppercorns (for grinder)
- to taste breadcrumbs (or whole-wheat breadcrumbs)
- to taste cheese (grated: caciocavallo or grana or parmesan)
- to taste chopped parsley
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (to finish (raw))
Quantities are variable.
Suggested tools
- Knife
- Cutting board
- Baking tray 9 7/8 x 11 3/8 in
- Parchment paper
Preparation
Cut the cauliflower into florets and lightly score the stems of the florets with a knife.
Place the florets in a colander and wash them thoroughly under running water.
* for a more thorough cleaning, soak the florets in water with a little baking soda for at least 20 minutes.
Drain the florets and, depending on their size, leave them whole, cut them in half or into several pieces.Clean the fennel: trim the green stalks and the base and remove any outer leaves that are damaged.
Cut each fennel bulb into four wedges.
Loosen the leaves and wash them thoroughly.
Slice into pieces not too thin.I chose cremini mushrooms.
Regarding cleaning: despite differing opinions, mushrooms should always be washed and dried carefully before use.
Personally I decide based on the variety and how clean they are: I usually buy them in a tray and they are fairly clean; if needed I rinse them under running water paying particular attention to the space between the gills under the cap and the stem, which is often earthy, then let them drain in a colander.Cut them in half lengthwise.
Wash the pumpkin.
Cut the pumpkin into slices.
Remove the skin and seeds.
Sometimes, for convenience, I buy pre-cleaned pumpkin flesh in a tray.
Cut the flesh into strips or pieces.Line a baking tray with a sheet of parchment paper.
Arrange the vegetables on the tray in a single layer.
Season with a pinch of salt and a pinch of pepper.
Sprinkle with breadcrumbs or whole-wheat breadcrumbs and the grated cheese, then grind a little more pepper.
Preheat the oven.
Bake in a convection oven at 356°F (180°C) for 20 minutes or until golden.
Add chopped parsley and drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil (to finish).
Plate.
Your light autumn oven-gratin vegetables are ready.
Enjoy your meal!
You can serve them as the vegetable and fiber component at the start of the meal or as a side dish.
Remember to account for the breading when calculating the total carbohydrates of your meal.
Storage, tips and variations
You can use other varieties of cauliflower or broccoli.
You can use other types of mushrooms.
You can use Swiss chard, radicchio and leeks.
Arrange the vegetables on the tray without overlapping, for even browning, but without leaving gaps: they lose volume as they cool.
You can omit the cheese.
With simple substitutions, this recipe easily adapts to:
– a lactose-free version;
– a gluten-free version;
– a vegan version.
Gratin vegetables keep in the refrigerator for one day in an airtight container.
You can reheat them in the oven.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
How many calories do gratin vegetables have?
Of course it depends on the ingredients and quantities.
For light gratin vegetables:
– I do not add béchamel;
– I sprinkle with a couple of tablespoons of whole-wheat breadcrumbs;
– I sprinkle with a couple of tablespoons of grated cheese;
– no oil during cooking, I add a drizzle of oil at the end.Pumpkin and diabetes
glycemic index for pumpkin of any type GI 75.
Besides the glycemic index it is important to consider the glycemic load, which is determined by the amount of food consumed.
Pumpkin has a high glycemic index but a low glycemic load.
Can I eat pumpkin? That’s a question you should ask your diabetologist.
People with diabetes can eat pumpkin? Follow your dietary plan; ours includes it.
That said, here are my personal notes on the subject.
Generally, in cases of hyperglycemia, prediabetes and type 2 diabetes, pumpkin can be eaten without exceeding portion sizes.Can I use frozen vegetables?
Better not: they release water and compromise the gratin.
Can I cook the gratin vegetables in the air fryer?
Yes.
Follow the instructions — program, temperature and times — indicated in your appliance manual.
Check the degree of cooking from time to time.
In general, air fryer cooking times are reduced:
– in a convection oven at 356°F (180°C) for 20 minutes;
– in an air fryer at 320°F (160°C) for 16 minutes.
