Roast Vegetable Platter

On Monday mornings I like to prepare some dishes that can be assembled during the week for those busy days.  One such dish is a roast vegetable platter. Besides being delicious, you can be very thrifty and use up those vegetables that are lurking in the fridge or starting to go soft in your vegetable store. 

My favourite vegetables to use are pumpkin, kumara, potato, carrot, parsnip, cauliflower, broccoli and my latest favourite, brussel sprouts. A tip here for cauliflower and broccoli if it is starting to go limp, just cut it up into smallish florets and put in a bowl of cold water to refresh, after 20 minutes to is just like new.  The trick is to make sure that the cut on the stem is fresh, so they can soak of some of that water.  I also like to make toppings for the vegetables to give some protein to the meal. Mini Frittatas.are a great addition and can be cooked ar the same time.

The amounts in the following are flexible, it depends on how many mouths you have to feed!

The Vegetables

An assortment of root vegetables cut up int mouth sized chunks.

Brussel sprouts

Cauliflower and/or broccoli

Any other greens that need using ie kale, asparagus cabbage

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 or 2 tbsp olive oil

Salt and pepper

 Mixed herbs (optional)

Lay the root vegetables in a tray sprinkle some of the olive oil over them and half the smoked paprika.  Using your hand make sure that the surfaces are covered with oil and the herbs and spices.  Put in a hot oven and roast for 10 minutes, take out flip them and then add the green vegetables which have had some spice and herbs sprinkled over them and return to oven cook till they are soft usually about another 10 - 15 minutes.

The toppings

Handful of walnuts

100 grams of firm tofu

Grapes (optional)

Smoked paprika

Garlic powder

Salt

Lemon juice.

Squeeze the tofu to get surplus water out, them crumble. Putin dish and sprinkle the garlic powder, salt and paprika over. Squeeze some lemon juice over sparingly, then add the walnuts to the dish along with the grapes if using (they give a lovely burst of honey sweetness to the meal). Sprinkle some olive oil over sparingly again.  Put in oven during the last 10 minutes of the other vegetables, but keep an eye on the walnuts you may need to fish them out if they start ti char.

Tahini Lemon Dressing

1/3 cup tahini

1 medium lemon juiced (3 tbsp)

1-2 tbsp maple syrup or honey

1 pinch sea salt (optional)

1 clove garlic (minced or some garlic powder)

Water to thin 3-6 tbsp 

In a medium mixing bowl, add tahini, lemon juice, and maple syrup. Add salt and garlic. Whisk, then slowly add water until creamy and pourable. Taste and adjust flavour as needed, adding more lemon juice for acidity, salt for saltiness, or maple syrup for sweetness. This will keep in fridge for 5 days and is also great on salads etc

Mini Frittatas

These are great added to the platter or along with a salad or just to snack on when hungry (I think they are nicer when cold.)

½ cup chickpea flour (besan)

¾ cup water

1 tbsp nutritional yeast

2 tsp mixed herbs

6 sundried tomato halves

1 chopped spring onion

¼ tsp garlic powder (optional)

Salt and pepper

In a bowl mix all ingredients except the tomatoes. Grease muffin tin with oil, I use some of the oil from the sundried tomatoes, pout the mix into the tin (I find that this mix makes 6. Cut the sundried tomatoes into pieces and ad equally to each tin. Bake at 200 degrees Celsius for 15 minutes or till golden and firm.

By the time you have made these you will feel virtuous and have a meal ready and some ready meals for the week.  Enjoy.