Roasted Vegetables with Moroccan Spices
I recently made a beautiful Moroccan-inspired dish, chicken with preserved lemons and olives, for my family. However, for my vegan family member, chicken was not going to cut it.
A Moroccan-themed vegan side dish was eminently needed. As was an opportunity to clear out the produce bin in my refrigerator.
This recipe is a simple mix of a variety of sliced vegetables tossed with good olive oil and a blend of spices. It can be topped with your choice of toasted sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, chopped parsley or mint, labneh or greek yogurt, za’atar, or a sprinkle of sweet paprika.
I served these Moroccan veggies alongside a dish of cooked chickpeas tossed with lemon juice, olive oil, sea salt and a sprinkle of sweet paprika. (The oil can certainly be omitted!) The veggies would also be nice served with a side of couscous or fresh pita bread, or alongside some simply grilled meat.
Have fun with this one, and feel free to play with different colors!
Roasted Vegetables with Moroccan Spices
Adapted from 101 Cookbooks blog
Ingredients
~1.5 lb mixed vegetables such as wax potatoes, sliced cauliflower or broccoli, quartered radishes, chopped green cabbage, asparagus pieces, sweet potatoes, quartered frozen artichoke hearts, zucchini rounds, carrot slices, golden beets, and eggplants, cut into bite-size pieces (choose 3-5)
1 -1/2 tsp dried mint
1/2-1 tsp red chile pepper flakes
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 lemon, zested and juiced, zest reserved
toppings: lemon zest, fresh mint, toasted sesame and/or pumpkin seeds, za’atar, plain yogurt (seasoned with a bit of salt)
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. In a large bowl, mix spices, oil, and lemon juice. Add veggies and toss to coat.
3. Arrange veggies single-layer on 2-3 sheet pans. Roast until vegetables begin to wilt and turn golden brown.
4. Pour roasted veggies into a serving bowl. Top with desired toppings and serve hot.
