Lemon & Ginger Roast Vegetables with Couscous
Suddenly it's Spring, and I'm trying to think of something less wintery to do with my root veg. I came up with this.
Serving 2
12 baby onions, peeled
olive oil
½ inch lump fresh ginger, finely chopped
fresh coriander or flat leaf parsley *
freshly ground black pepper
half a tin of chickpeas
2 large carrots, sliced diagonally ½ inch thick
2 tsp brown sugar
Half a mug or so couscous
1 parsnip, sliced in ½ inch rounds
Juice of half a lemon + two lemon slices
1 tsp ground coriander
Roast the vegetables in olive oil in a high oven (gas mark 6-7) for 30 mins, or until almost cooked.
Meanwhile mix together the finely chopped ginger, lemon juice, sugar and coriander. Pour over the vegetables and stir. Add the two lemon slices. Return the roasting tin to the oven for 15 mins or so, until everything is sticky and brown and caramelly.
Place couscous and chickpeas in a bowl and pour on boiling water to just cover. Leave to stand for a few mins until all the water is absorbed. Add a little more if it still looks dry, but you don't want any spare liquid in the bowl.
Spoon some of the couscous and chickpeas mixture onto each plate, and heap on the roast vegetables and all the sticky juice. Garnish with fresh herbs.
Btw, you don't necesarily want to eat the lemon slices. They just look good!
* Normally I hate in recipes when it says 'fresh coriander or flat leaf parsley', as though the two were entirely interchangable. Of course they have very different flavours, but as it happens, both work well with this dish.
Good with some fresh greens, warm ciabatta & a robust red