Another meat version of the roasted vegetables

My husband is also a meat lover so I decided to add some beef stripes to the veggies. I also use non skinned cherry tomatoes. It was already a lot of cutting so not to have to peel the tomatoes was a big plus.


Instead of adding the cilantro & parsley to the couscous I added it directly to the vegetables. It would have been too green for my hubby and so it mixed with all the other colors.

I loved all the spices. My kitchen smelled so good. Especially I really enjoyed the saffron. To bad that this spice is so expensive, I really like the taste.

Roasted Vegetables with Couscous & a twist

This recipe required an impressive pile of veggies. I decided to mix it up a bit and substituted one of the zucchinis for a yellow squash and added a red bell pepper to the veggie mix. I also decided to leave the skins on the cherry tomatoes -- I like that subtle smoky flavor of a roasted tomato. I couldn't get cardamom or saffron, so the saffron got left out & I substituted 1/2tsp clove + 1/2tsp nutmeg for the cardamom.

All in all this recipe took about an hour, I chopped the root vegetables first & got them sauteeing while I finished chopping up everything else that came later in the recipe. I didn't have a roasting pan, so I did the sauteeing in a large pan on the stove & then tranferred to a baking dish to go in the oven.

I thought it was strange that the recipe said to sautee the cilantro & parsley in butter -- I did as the recipe said but in hindsight I think it would have been better to just mix it in fresh with the couscous. I also added some lemon juice to the couscous to give it some extra flavor.

It was beautiful going into the oven. I went ahead and added 1/2C water before going in the oven so that it wouldn't get too dry.

It worked well to make the couscous & chop the cilantro and parsley while it was baking.

As my husband is an avid meat-eater I made some spicy Italian sausage to go with the dish too.

All in all it turned out well & was quite tasty. I was a little disappointed in the blandness of the couscous but having such flavorful veggies helped balance the meal.

Roasted Vegetables with Couscous: Review

Wow, this was worth the work.

It took about 40 minutes to get everything chopped by myself. For the first step it says to use the roasting pan to brown the vegetables, but I think it would be easier to use a large saute pan and then transfer to the roasting pan.

Also, instead of a hot red pepper I used a jalapeño (without the seeds) and that seemed to work well- although not hot at all.

I enjoyed the flavors of this dish, the aromas filled the house. The cinnamon and cardamom flavors were surprisingly present.

Realized as I was writing this that I forgot the balsamic vinegar. Oops. It was really good without it, but will try to remember it next time. 

Roasted Vegetables with Couscous

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients

4 tbsp Olive Oil
2 Onion, cut into wedges
3 Carrots, Cut into chunks
2 Parsnips, cut into chunks
2 Shallots, peeled
3 Garlic Cloves, chopped
1 Red Chile (hot), seeded and finely sliced
1 tsp Paprika
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Coriander Seeds, crushed
4 pods Cardamom, crushed
1 pound Plum Tomatoes, peeled
2 Zucchini, thickly sliced
Saffron, large pinch
To Taste Sea Salt
To Taste Freshly Ground Pepper
14 oz Couscous
Bunch Flat Leaf Parsley, chopped
Bunch Cilantro, chopped
Dash Balsamic Vinegar

Notes / Directions

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed roasting pan directly over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, parsnips, and shallots and cook for about 10 minutes or until golden, stirring frequently. Add the garlic, chile, paprika, cinnamon, coriander, cumin and cardamom and stir well, coating the vegetables with all the spices. Cook for a further 4 minutes, then remove from heat and stir in the tomatoes, zucchini, saffron, salt and pepper. Transfer to the oven to roast for 40 minutes. Check after 30 minutes, adding a little water if needed.

Place the couscous in a large bowl and cover with boiling water to a level of 1 inch above the grains. Mix well and leave to stand for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a saucepan, add the chopped parsley and cilantro, and cook for 1 minute. Pour over the couscous, mix well and season it.

Take the vegetables out of the oven, drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and serve them on top of the couscous.