Super Easy Roasted Veg Recipe

If you hadn’t sussed it out yet, I really love food that’s easy to prepare and doesn’t require babysitting from me. I don’t always have something else I’m trying to complete whilst preparing a dish but I typically like having the flexibility of being able to do it if I need to.

For some people this may be interpreted as not injecting all the love in the world into the dish, as to them, more time and effort spent means more love and care…

But as much as I understand the sentiment, I think there are so many reasons a dish becomes special to each of us, from who we learnt the recipe from, to the colours, and even how it makes us feel.

For me, this roasted root veg medley of sorts encapsulates all three of the factors above in terms of what makes it special for me. I learnt how to make this from my Aunt who is often able to combine the simplest ingredients with the right spices for the perfect result. Somehow I end up enjoying vegetables I typically wouldn’t when she presents it in a particular way – even Brussels Sprouts! (p.s. did anyone else realise it was Brussels with an ‘s’? Because I didn’t until today. Just me? Ok.)

It’s also a great winter dish for me because of the bright colours which help me feel less moody within a period that’s often grey and cloudy. I love ‘eating in colour’ as some would put it as it’s a great mood booster for me.

The spices used are one of the reasons why I love this dish so much – incredibly warm and earthy which is just what the doctor ordered for cold weather. Smoked Paprika and Ground Mixed Spice are essential for this – trust me, you’ll appreciate it!

This dish doesn’t require much prep time and here are a few top tips to remember when trying it out:

• You can save further time by buying the Butternut Squash pre-chopped. If you can find the Sweet Potatoes in this form too, then go ahead!
• Pre-heat the oven before you start cooking as this helps speed up the cooking process.
• Always remember, different vegetables have varying cooking times. To maintain the crunch in most of these, start with those which take the longest to cook like the butternut squash and the sweet potatoes. Then you can add the rest after some time.

I hope you enjoy this dish as much as I do and it serves as a staple for you too alongside some of your favourite meats or even on its own instead. (p.s. if you’d like, you can omit the broccoli and cauliflower and enjoy this medley blended up with some water added for the perfect dairy free soup.)

Super Easy Roasted Veg

A perfect winter warmer full of nutritious goodness and bursting with flavour. Also incredibly easy to make!

• 1 Whole Butternut Squash (or a pack already chopped & peeled )
• 2-3 Large Sweet Potatoes
• 2 Red Onions
• 1 Head of Broccoli (chopped into large chunks)
• 1 Head of Cauliflower (chopped into large chunks)
• 2 Braeburn or Gala Apples (chopped into large chunks)
• 1/2 Orange
• 1/2 Lemon
• 1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Handful Fresh Thyme
• 1 tbsp Smoked Paprika
• 1 tbsp Ground Mixed Spice
• 1 tbsp Sea Salt
• 1 tbsp Cinnamon ((optional))

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees celsius.

2. Peel the whole butternut squash and then chop into equal sizes. Alternatively you can use a pack of pre-chopped and peeled squash.

3. Peel then chop two sweet potatoes into large chunks.

4. Combine in a bowl and add the mixed spice, smoked paprika, cinnamon and sea salt.

5. Drizzle 1/4 cup olive oil and stir.

6. Place on a roasting tray and roast in the preheated oven for 15 minutes.

7. In the same bowl as before, add quartered onions, chopped apples, chunks of broccoli and cauliflower, fresh thyme and combine to coat with the spice rub in the bowl.

8. Squeeze the juice of half a lemon and orange and then stir.

9. Add to the vegetables in the oven and roast for 15-20 minutes until done.

10. Serve with Sage or fresh Parsley to garnish and enjoy!