Posted on
7 November 2016
by
Liz Robb
Moroccan Roast Vegetables
Ingredients
1 red pepper
1 yellow pepper
1 large aubergine
1 large courgette
1 large red onion
200g small chestnut mushrooms
4 fat cloves of garlic
3-4 tablespoons of olive oil
2 teaspoons of runny honey
3 teaspoons of ras-el-hanout powder
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
300g couscous
Vegetable stock
1 lemon
Thick Greek yoghurt
Servings
4
Preparation
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Preheat the oven to 200 degrees or 180 degrees fan oven.
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To prepare the vegetables, deseed the peppers and chop them into medium sized pieces. Chop the aubergine into bite sized chunks then halve the courgette and chop into thick pieces. Peel the onion, chop into quarters and separate the layers. Wipe the mushrooms then chop them into halves.
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Grease a large oven tray with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and heat in the oven for a minute or two. Tip the prepared peppers, aubergine and courgette into the tray, with the 4 cloves of garlic
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don’t peel them at this stage. Drizzle another 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil and 2 teaspoons of runny honey over the vegetables, then sprinkle on the ras-el-hanout and season well with salt and black pepper. Give everything a good stir then bake for 15 minutes.
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Add the red onion and the mushrooms to the roasting vegetables, stir well and return to the oven for a further 15-20 minutes, until the vegetables are cooked and lightly caramelised.
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Meanwhile, towards the end of the cooking time, tip the couscous into a bowl. Measure enough hot vegetable stock for 300g of couscous, according to the instructions on the couscous packet, and mix the finely grated zest of a lemon and the juice of half a lemon into the stock. Take the cloves of garlic out of the roasting pan, slip the garlic out of the skins and crush into the stock, stirring it in.
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Add the stock to the couscous, along with a tablespoon of olive oil, mix well together and cover with cling film. After 8-10 minutes, fluff up the couscous well with a fork.
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Serve the roasted vegetables on top of the couscous in dishes, topped with a good spoonful of thick Greek yoghurt.
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<strong>Notes:</strong> Use whatever vegetables you prefer, or have to hand
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try adding tomatoes, butternut squash or sweet potato.
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Fresh herbs, like mint or coriander, can be added to the couscous or used as a garnish and sprinkled on top of the yoghurt.
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If you want to add protein to the dish, it would go well with grilled chicken, haloumi or goats cheese. Or, served cold, with feta cheese.
Cooks Note
The addition of ras-el-honout, an aromatic Moroccan combination of spices, to roasting vegetables, along with a drizzle of honey for sweetness, makes for a simple but really flavoursome meat free dish. Serve with couscous, with added lemon and roasted garlic, and a generous dollop of thick Greek yoghurt, and you have a delicious meal! Serves 4