Warm Pumpkin & Chickpea Salad with Tahini, and Quick Flatbread

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We're having a non-meat weekend and, inspired by my new Casa Moro cookbook, I decided the Warm Pumpkin & Chickpea Salad with Tahini would make a nice light meal. As I felt a homemade bread of some kind would be a good accompaniment, I also took the opportunity to try out the Quick Flatbread from the same book.

The salad was wonderful and very easy to make too. I did, in fact sprinkle it with sumac, which I felt was a good addition. If there wasn't the time or inclination to make the flatbreads, shop bought pita breads would serve very well here too - they could be warmed through in the oven after baking the squash. The flatbreads were easy to make but they did need a lot of flour when rolling them out, the dough was quite sticky, and I found it impossible to keep them in a neat circular shape. Obviously I need more practice! All in all a very satisfying meal and surprisingly filling. I shall definitely be making the salad again, and the flatbreads too if it's not for a busy workday meal.

Warm Pumpkin & Chickpea Salad with Tahini - serves 2.

• 500g pumpkin or squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 3cm cubes
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1/2 tsp ground allspice
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 250g jar cooked chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp roughtly chopped fresh coriander
• sea salt and black pepper

Tahini Sauce

• 1 garlic clove, crushed to a paste with salt
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp tahini paste
• 1 tbsp water, to taste
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Preheat the oven to 220ºC/425ºF/Gas 7.

Toss the pumpkin with the garlic, allspice, olive oil and some salt and pepper. Place on a tray in the oven for about 15-25 minutes or until soft. Remove and let cool.

To make the tahini sauce, mix the crushed garlic with the lemon juice and add the tahini. Now thin with the water and olive oil and check for seasoning. You should taste a balance between the nutty tahini and lemon.

To assemble the salad, place the pumpkin, chickpeas, red onion and coriander in a salad bowl. Pour on the tahini sauce, drizzle with a little more oil, and toss carefully. Season with salt and pepper.

Quick Flatbread -makes 4 thin breads, enough for 2 people.

• 100ml warm water
• 1/4 tsp dried yeast
• 130g strong white bread flour
• 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
• 1 tbsp olive oil

Measure the water precisely and stir in the yeast. Put the flour into a medium bowl along with the salt. Give the yeast and water a stir and begin adding it to the flour. Start at the side of the bowl, pouring in a little water, incorporating some flour, and so on, all the time working out the lumps with your fingertips and kneading with a slapping motion. When all the flour and water have been incorporated, beat in the olive oil (with your fingertips). Let the dough sit for 20 minutes. Give it another quick beat to make it more elastic. Clean and dry your hands. Now flour your hands and the dough and lift out of the bowl on to a floured surface. Make into a rough sausage shape and slice into four equal pieces.

Heat up a large frying pan (minimum 25cm in diameter) over a medium to high heat. With floured hands, shape one piece of dough into a circle. To make it fit your frying pan, roll it a little bit with a rolling pin. It should be pretty thin and circular. Supporting the dough with spread-out hands, place in the pan. When the bread starts to bubble, turn it over with a spatula. Cook until the underside has brown spots. The bread should be cooked but still pliable. Keep warm, covered with a tea-towel. Now do the same with the other three pieces of dough.