Happy Wednesday night dinner! This scrumptious dish could easily become my go-to meal all winter long. Not only is it pretty on a plate, it’s so healthy and gratifying. A bowl of protein-packed quinoa is topped with a colorful combination of seasonal root vegetables which have been roasted until they’re tender and caramelized. Making it even more attractive, this dish is totally customizable. Use whatever produce is available in the market or what’s on hand in your kitchen. Just be sure to mix veggies with lots of texture and color: remember, we eat with our eyes as well as our mouths. So simple and so satisfying–I’m doing my happy, healthy dance right now….
Roasted Vegetable Mélange with Quinoa
Key here is to chop all the vegetables roughly the same size so they’ll cook evenly. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Begin by peeling and chopping the carrots and turnip into 2 inch chunks.
Slice the acorn squash in half lengthwise and remove the seeds. Using a peeler, remove the skin and chop.
Core the center of the fennel and chop.
Using a sharp knife, remove the outer layer of the celery root. Chop into 2 inch pieces.
Toss the vegetables with extra virgin olive oil until coated. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Spread the veggies out on a baking sheet and tuck in sprigs of woody herbs like thyme, rosemary or marjoram.
Asparagus take much less time to roast, so they get added in to roast towards the end. Remove their woody stems and cut into 2 inch pieces. Toss with olive oil and season. Set aside.
Place the baking sheet into the oven to roast, tossing the vegetables midway, for about 35 minutes.
Add the asparagus pieces and continue roasting for 10 more minutes, or until veggies are all tender and beginning to caramelize.
Prepare the quinoa. I’m using a mixture of regular and black quinoa, just because that’s what I have on hand. But it looks pretty, too.
Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a 2 quart saucepan over medium heat. Add a large shallot that’s been minced and sauté until translucent. Add the quinoa to the pan and stir to coat with the oil.
Add chicken broth (I’m using my homemade), or if you want to keep it strictly vegetarian, you can use vegetable broth or water. Bring the mixture to a boil and reduce the heat.
Cover and let simmer for 15 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed and the quinoa is cooked. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Serve a generous helping of quinoa in the bottom of a shallow bowl. Top with the roasted vegetables and garnish with minced rosemary leaves, fleur de sel, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, or if you’re feeling really decadent, truffle oil. A perfect side to this meal is a simple mixed green salad with a Lemon Vinaigrette. Dig in and delight.
Serves 4:
2 large carrots
1 large turnip
1 acorn squash
1 small fennel, tops removed
1 celery root
1/2 pound asparagus
extra virgin olive oil
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
several sprigs of thyme, rosemary, and/or marjoram
minced rosemary for garnish
fleur de sel for garnish
extra virgin olive oil or truffle oil for garnish
Quinoa:
1 large shallot
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup quinoa
2 cups chicken, vegetable broth or water
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Gorgeous dish! Love all the different root vegetables and all the colors. A great healthy go-to comfort food!