Spiced Vegetable Feast Recipe

I cooked this for lunch today and just had to write it down, because this is too good to forget.  This blend of deliciously spiced roast vegetables is so good that you might just fall off your chair.  If ever you feel that vegetables just aren’t tasty enough, try this and your mind will open to a whole new world of foogasmic taste sensations.

OK, it isn’t the healthiest way to eat vegetables since it is pretty oily, but you aren’t going to eat this for every meal.

The best way that I can describe this is that is has all the delicious savouriness and juiciness that people love about a traditional roast dinner, but more moist and with more flavour explosions.  Sound too good to be true?  Well I wouldn’t have believed it either until I made it for lunch today and I am still salivating 6 hours later.

It really isn’t difficult to make so you don’t need any great skill as a chef, but there are several elements so allow a bit of time to get yourself organised the first time you make it.

This recipe serves 2 generously, or 4 people as starters.

Ingredients:

• 1 medium sweet potato
• 1/2 small round pumpkin
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp soy sauce (try Shoyu or Tamari)
• 2 tbsp water
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 very large tomato (or two large tomatoes)
• 2 red onions
• 4 baby courgettes (or a larger one cut into smaller pieces)
• 6-8 asparagus spears
• Chermoula (use half the amount in the linked recipe)
• Basil Pesto (use half the amount in the linked recipe)

Method:

Cut the sweet potato into 1cm slices and the pumpkin into 1cm wedges, then lightly score the surface of the slices with your knife to help them absorb the marinade.  Then get a bowl and mix together the oil, soy sauce, water and cider vinegar.  Then marinade the sweet potato and pumpkin for 10-15 minutes.

Now spread it all out on a baking tray, spoon over a little more marinade and pop into a pre-heated oven at 180C for 30 minutes, turning over half way.

Meanwhile, cut the tomato and onions into wedges and spread on a separate baking tray together with the courgettes.  Baste them generously with the Chermoula and then pop in the oven for 30 minutes.  Don’t turn this, just leave it in their until it is ready.

After the vegetables have been in the oven for about 15 minutes, heat a large flat pan and lay the asparagus spears in the bottom with about 1cm of water.  Boil gently for about 7-8 minutes and then drain.  Put the asparagus back in the pan and pour over your remaining soy marinade and fry it up for another 3 minutes or so.

If your vegetables in the oven and sizzling nicely and look ready, get them out and layer them up on a plate or bowl.  Lay the asparagus on top and then pour over a generous helping of Pesto.

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Posted by Tom Greenwood on 28 September 2013