This hug in a bowl dish is full of seasonal veggies, delicious spices and is a cinch to make – you can substitute the quinoa with rice, couscous or even pasta, depending on what you have in your cupboard. Or, leave it out altogether and add extra sweet potato to make up your low GI carb component of the meal. While there’s plenty of protein in the form of chickpeas, add chopped chicken breast halfway through baking time or serve alongside roast lamb racks to keep meat lovers happy.

Ingredients:

• 1 Fennel
• 2 Shallots or 1 red onion
• 1 zucchini
• 1 large sweet potato
• 1 parsnip
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 2-star anise
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp hot paprika
• 100g dried apricot
• 1 400g can of chickpeas
• 1 cup mixed quinoa
• 1/4 bunch parsley/coriander
• olive oil
• salt pepper

 

What you will need:

Chopping board and chefs knife

Colander

Large baking dish

Small saucepan

 

Instructions:

Prepare veggies

Preheat the oven to 190C.

Rinse the sweet potato well then cut into 1-2cm pieces, wash the parsnip well. Leaving the skin on, cut into 12cm pieces

Dice the zucchini

Cut the fennel into quarters then into 2-3cm pieces, keep the stems for the garnish.

Cut the leek in half lengthways, rinse then thinly slice.

Roast Veggies

Place the parsnip, zucchini, fennel, sweet potato and leek into the large baking dish.

Add cinnamon sticks, star anise, ground ginger, and hot paprika along with 4 tablespoons of olive oil and a generous pinch of salt.

Mix well to coat the vegetables and spices.

Place in oven and cook for 2o minutes.

Cook Quinoa

Rinse your quinoa using a fine sieve colander

Bring 2 cups of water to boil

Place the quinoa and water in a small saucepan over medium heat.

Bring back to the boil and simmer on low-med heat for 15 minutes then leave to stand with the lid on.

Add Apricots and Chickpeas

While you’re waiting for your quinoa to cook – roughly chop the dried apricots and parsley and set aside for garnish.

Once Veggies are cooked – remove the dish from the oven, add apricots, chickpeas, and top with chickpea liquid.

Give everything a stir and return to the oven to cook for a further 10 -15 minutes.

 

Ready to Serve

To serve. spoon quinoa into a bowl

Mix with the roasted vegetables and pour any excess liquid over the dish.

Garnish with parsley and leftover fennel.

 

 

Article by Tucker Street  

W:  www.tuckerstreet.com.au

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