Wednesday, 27 June 2012

Roasted Veg Salad

For total nostalgia I don't think you can beat a roast dinner, but... If it's a bit sunny outside or the you're a bit tight on time or money, this is a great alternative. Just roast off whatever root veg you fancy, toast off some walnuts and pumpkin seeds, crumble on some feta, add some fresh salad leaves and drizzle with balsamic vinegar and a little extra virgin olive oil. Although, if you really can't cope without chicken, just cook a thigh, leg or breast piece (just wrapped in foil in the oven is fine) and split into strips to add to the salad.

So what's in the picture you may ask...

I roasted 1 sweet potato, 4 beetroot and 4 carrots with a spray/light brushing of olive oil. I cooked them for about 45mins at 190 degrees c (adding the carrots after the first 20 minutes), then added some fresh rosemary and oregano and cooked until the veg were starting to go a bit caramelised (about another 15 mins, but judge by eye and adjust the heat if necessary). I toasted off a small handful of pumpkin seeds and walnuts in an un-oiled frying pan. To assemble: I arranged a few fresh salad leaves on a plate and topped with the mixed veg, seeds, about 3 finger lengths of feta (about 1cm wide) - crumbled, then finally drizzled on a mixture of balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil. This served 2 people plus 2 lunch boxes - I added some couscous to the lunch boxes to bulk it up.

These times are only a rough guide so judge by eye and adjust times and temperature if things are cooking too slowly/quickly.


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