Moroccan Roasted Vegetable with a South African seasonal twist

Moroccan Roasted Vegetable with a South African seasonal twist

I developed this recipe a while ago originally using oranges together with autumnal/ wintery spices that lead towards a Moroccan style veggie dish that is perfect as a main served with cous cous or as a side served with a braai, roasted chicken or anything else that may sound appealing.

It has a bit of spice in the form of cayenne pepper, however, it is suggested you add to taste and can leave it out completely if you are cooking for family that does not like chilli. I find it makes the dish, even if one just uses a tiny pinch. It balances out the sweetness of the honey and the citrusy tanginess. I have recently used naartjies instead of oranges for a South African twist and worked really well. However, oranges work just as well.

What I enjoy about this dish is one can use any gourd (pumpkin/butternut) one has in the veggie rack together with any other root veg that is available, the same goes with either using oranges or naarties.

If you don’t have any of the vegetables mentioned just substitute it with any other vegetable mentioned, or a bit extra of each. It is the dressing, or roasting liquid that binds it all together and really any veg goes.

Ingredients

For the dressing:

½ cup olive oil, I use Rio Largo

3-4 Tbsp Honey (depending on the sweetness of your chosen citrus)

5 tsp smoked praprika, although normal will work just as well.

3 level teaspoons cinnamon

2 tsp ground coriander

¼-1/2 teaspoon Cayenne pepper, or chopped chillies to taste

2 Tbsp salt + extra to taste

Vegetables

3 onions, skin taken off and roughly chopped

1 whole bulb garlic broken apart and each clove ‘smacked’ with a jar/ side of a knife to break it up and expose some of the inside of the clove. The skin serves to protect the garlic while roasting ending with a sticky morish interior.

1 medium butternut, skin removed and cubed (2-3cm pieces)

4 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed (2-3cm pieces)

3 potatoes, peeled and cubed (2-3cm pieces)

5 naartjies or oranges, halved, and juice squeezed into the dressing and the skins added into the veg.

Optional: we did not have carrots but they work extremely well, just be sure to cut them into 2cm pieces to cook at the same time as everything else. Cauliflower also works well, but add in the last 30 minutes of cooking. Green beans would also work, but once again add later into the cooking process as they take quicker to cook.

Fresh Coriander and Greek yoghurt to serve

Method

1. Pre-heat an oven to 180 degrees C

2. Mix all the dressing ingredients, including the naartijie juice that is from the list in the vegetable section.

3. In a large baking dish toss together the vegetables and dressing before placing in the preheated oven fter, if needed turn up the temperature of the oven to 200

degrees and place back into the oven for 15 minute intervals until gnarly brown and the vegetables are cooked.

4. Serve with freshly chopped coriander and Greek yoghurt