Roasted Roots Tray Bake
Ingredients
3 carrots
2 sweet potatoes
2 beetroot
100g uncooked quinoa
2 tbsp olive oil (or any cold-pressed oil)
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp jaggery syrup
1 handful of a soft leafy herb like mint, coriander or basil
2 handfuls palak, methi leaves or swiss chard- chopped
Serves
1-2
“Whether it’s meal-prep Sunday or you’re having friends over, this is going to be your go-to dish as the days get cooler. Roasting the vegetables until they are sweet and caramelised at the edges but retain that bite in the middle is what makes this dish. Topping the traybake with greens at the end adds a freshness, while the quinoa, which soak up all the delicious roasting juices from the vegetables, makes this a one-tray meal in itself.”
What to do:
Preheat the oven to 180C for 10 minutes.
Scrub (but don’t peel) the roots, cut off the top and tail, and then cut into even sized chunks about 2 inches by 1 inch.
Place the root vegetables into an ovenproof tray, drizzle them with jaggery syrup, olive oil, salt and pepper and mix them well. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes in the oven. After 20 minutes are up, remove the foil and roast for a further 15 minutes uncovered.
In the meantime, prepare the quinoa. You can cook quinoa similar to rice. Cover the quinoa with plenty of salted, cold water and bring to the boil on a medium flame. Turn down the flame and simmer for 8-10 minutes- until the quinoa is cooked, fluffy and still has a bite (if you overcook it will become waterlogged and paste-like).
Take the oven tray out of the oven, add in the green leaves that you are using, and a handful of fresh herbs (we used mint and basil), give everything a good stir, and bake for another 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes, remove from the oven, and add the quinoa directly into the tray. Stir it well so the quinoa coats everything and absorbs the roasting juices.
Garnish with fresh herbs and add seasoning, to taste 😊
This makes a meal in itself- especially if you sprinkle over toasted nuts or add some dollops of vegan cheese at the end. It packs well in a dabba that you can take to work or to a picnic! You could serve alongside dips and sourdough as part of a big sharing feast as well.
