Baked celeriac fries with mayo, tzatziki and roasted tomato dip {vegan + gluten free + grain free}

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Happy Monday everyone! After 3 sweet recipes I think it’s high time for a break (kidding, of course next week I’ll be back with another dessert). Today I want to share with you a very simple idea to honor a pretty ugly but yummy winter vegetable: celeriac! I don’t eat it as often as I should/would like to because I always forget about it. It’s similar to celery in taste and to potatoes in texture. It’s also very versatile and I’ve decided to shape it into fries and bake it, with three delicious dips on the side. Not much else to say except: try it! 🙂

BAKED CELERIAC FRIES WITH MAYO, TZATZIKI AND ROASTED TOMATO DIP {vegan + gluten free + grain free}
by Marta Giaccone

Recipe
Serves 3-4

Baked Celeriac Fries
1 celeriac
few sprigs of fresh rosemary
1 tbsp evo oil
pinch salt

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F.
2. Bring a big pot of salted water to a boil.
3. Peel celeriac and cut into wedges of the same thickness.
4. When the water is boiling, add celeriac and cook for only 1-2 minutes.
5. Drain, empty pot, put celeriac back into the pot, add oil, pinch of salt (if needed), chopped up rosemary and stir to coat.
6. Transfer everything onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper (they should bake on one layer without touching so you may need to make a few batches).
7. Bake for about 20-25 mins, turning fries over halfway through.
8. Keep the oven on.

Roasted tomato dip
1 cup / 200 gr cherry tomatoes
¼ cup / 35 gr almonds
a few leaves of fresh basil
evo oil
pinch salt

Method

1. Keep oven at 200°C/400°F.
2. Cut tomatoes in halves and place on baking tray lined with parchment paper (I don’t know if it’s better to put them cut side facing up- or downwards. Maybe it’s the same?).
3. Add oil and salt, stir and bake for about 10-15 minutes or until tender and slightly browned.
4. Transfer to a blender together with almonds and a few basil leaves, blend until creamy. Add more oil and salt to taste.
5. Store in an air-tight container in the fridge for a few days.

Mayo
80 gr light oil (I used organic sunflower oil)
40 gr soy or almond milk
2 tbsp lemon juice
pinch salt
pinch turmeric (optional)

Method

1. Put all ingredients in an immersion blender glass and blend, from the bottom up, for a few seconds. The mayo will be smooth and silky.
2. Cover with plastic wrap and transfer to fridge to firm up while you prepare the other ingredients.
3. Store in an air-tight container in the fridge for a few days.

Tzatziki
½ cup / 125 ml plant-based yoghurt (I used plain soy)
½ cup / 100 gr / 1 medium cucumber, peeled, grated and strained
1 tbsp lemon juice
½ garlic clove
pinch salt

Method

1. Optional: strain yoghurt by letting it sit in the fridge in a cheese cloth/nut bag and drip into a bowl for a few hours or until it reaches desired consistency, covered by plastic wrap. I used it as is and it was quite liquid. Depends on what you need it for.
2. Add to a blender along with all other ingredients.
3. Store in an air-tight container in the fridge for a few days.