One of my children is something of a vegetarian.  He’s not opposed to eating meat, but he likes lots of vegetarian dishes, and in a nod to his preferences, I’ve been cooking “meatless on Monday” for a few years now.  Most of the time, the dishes are simple (bean and cheese burritos and pasta primavera grace the table most of the time).  A few months ago, though, I found myself with a fridge full of vegetables that weren’t going to last much longer.  This dish takes longer than I usually spend on a Monday night meal, but I happened to have a little extra time, so I grabbed my favorite knife and went to work.

The thing about this dish is that it can be pretty much adapted to any vegetable you might want to eat.  Brussels sprouts, bell pepper, and cauliflower would all work well here.  For this method, you simply chop, drizzle with olive oil, season to taste with salt and pepper, and roast.  To add zip, include a cool, creamy dressing and any other seasonings you like.  I used baby carrots because that is what I had on hand, but regular carrots, chopped into pieces, would work great.  I also include garbanzo beans and potatoes to give this dish some “heft” so that diners won’t feel hungry too soon after eating.  Harissa, a spicy chili paste, gives this dish some punch and provides a bit of complexity to the flavor profile, but if you’re not much for spicy food, feel free to omit it.  Finally, I added fresh tomatoes and cucumbers to lighten this dish up and add a little crunch.

I like to divide my pan when I cook this, so that people can build their veggie bowl as they like.  I also think this method allows for the vegetables to really retain their individual flavor profiles, which I think makes for a tastier dish.  Still, all the ingredients are meant to be together in the final product, so if you think creating those divisions is too fussy, feel free to throw caution to the wind and cook everything together.  I recommend par-boiling the russet potatoes before roasting, since they have a longer cook time than everything else, and since boiling them in broth and lemon juice gives them lovely flavor.

Build bowls of these veggies and slather on the dressing.  A piece of warm, crusty bread makes a nice companion to this dish, but it is otherwise a completely satisfying meal all by itself.  Since my first time making this, I have had several requests to make it again – even on days other than Monday.

Roasted Vegetable Feast

Vegetables:

• 2 cups baby carrots
• 1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 teaspoon harissa paste (optional)
• 1/4 cup olive oil, divided
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 medium-sized zucchini, chopped into chunks
• 2 russet potatoes, chopped into chunks
• 3 cups chicken broth
• Juice of half a lemon
• 1 sweet potato, chopped into chunks
• Salt and pepper
  

Sauce:

• ½ cup full-fat Greek yogurt
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• Juice of half a lemon
• Salt and pepper
  
• Chopped fresh tomato and cucumber (optional)

 

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
2. Line a half-sheet pan with foil.  If desired, create sections on the pan with the foil to separate ingredients.  Spray foil with non-stick cooking spray (such as Pam). 
3. Place the zucchini chunks in a bowl with about half a teaspoon of salt, stirring gently to distribute, then allow to rest while you prepare the russet potatoes.
4. Boil the russet potato chunks in the chicken broth and lemon juice for about 10 minutes, until they are somewhat tender, but not fully cooked through.  Drain and set aside.
5. Place the carrots and garbanzo beans in one section of the pan, then drizzle with a quarter of the olive oil and honey, then sprinkle with cinnamon.
6. Drain any accumulated liquid from the zucchini, place in another section of the pan, and drizzle with a quarter of the olive oil.  There is no need to add extra salt here.
7. Place the drained russet potatoes in another section and drizzle with a quarter of the olive oil, then salt and pepper generously.
8. Give the sweet potato chunks the same treatment: a quarter of the olive oil, salt and pepper.
9. Roast the vegetables, stirring gently after about 15 minutes, in the oven until they can be easily pierced with the tip of a knife and at least some pieces are browned.  Typically, this will take about half an hour.
10. While the vegetables roast, stir together the sauce ingredients.  When vegetables are done, drizzle the harissa on the carrots and garbanzo beans, then serve immediately with the sauce, tomato and cucumber.

 

Article and photo by Lisa Crockett