Baby Baby: Roasted Veg Recipes

I adore roasted veg, although I have to admit it's a little tedious chopping these

into this

When I roast veg I usually use both my roasting tins and make loads and loads and loads.

Did I mention that I adore roasted veg? Aside from the fact that it tastes amazing, it is also good for you. It's vegetables. Depending on your portion size, I'm guessing you could get your five-a-day on your plate quite easily.

My choice of vegetables (chopped into 1cm cubes):

Butternut squash (peeled)
Sweet potato (peeled)
Courgette
Aubergine
Red pepper (deseeded)
Yellow pepper (deseeded)
Green pepper (deseeded)
Onion (peeled)

I season with salt and pepper and add fresh or dried basil.

I then drizzle generously with olive oil and mix well.

I always add a whole bulb of garlic to each tin, as individual, unpeeled cloves. These roast along with the veg and give the most amazing flavour. Roasted garlic tastes different from normal cooked garlic.

I roast my veg at 200 degrees for 40 minutes to an hour, until it's soft.

When the veg is cooked take out the garlic cloves. It is helpful to count them in and out again. Squeeze the soft roasted garlic out of each clove and either simply serve with your roasted veg or use in a sauce.

Here are a few recipe ideas that make the most of all that lovely roasted veg.

Roasted Veg and Pinenut Lasagne

Ingredients:
Roasted veg (as above)
Roasted garlic (as above, mashed)
45g Pinenuts
Lasagne sheets
400g Passata
250g Mascarpone cheese
50g Cheddar cheese (grated)
50g Italian hard cheese (grated)
125g Mozzarella (sliced)

Method:
Heat the mascarpone, stirring until it becomes liquid. Stir in the roasted garlic and the passata

Layer the lasagne in a dish. Start with 1/3 of the roasted veg, sprinkle this with 1/3 of the pinenuts, followed by 1/3 of the lasagne sheets, then 1/3 of the tomato and mascarpone sauce. Repeat this process two more times.

Top with the grated and sliced cheeses

Place in the oven (pre-heated to 200 degrees) for 40 minutes

Serve with salad

Pasta Bake

This uses the same ingredients as the lasagne, but with pasta shapes instead of lasagne sheets.

Method:

Make the tomato and mascarpone sauce (as above)

Stir in cooked pasta (75g per person - dried weight) and the roasted veg

Pour into an oven-proof dish

Top with the grated and sliced cheeses

Place in the oven (pre-heated to 200 degrees) for 30 minutes

In this version the roasted veg will break up as you stir it into the sauce. Perfect for any veg-shy children!

Roasted Veg, Halloumi and Minted Couscous

50g Couscous per person (dried weight)

Chopped fresh mint or a tablespoon of prepared mint sauce

Large knob of butter

Roasted veg

Roasted garlic

75g Halloumi per person

Method:

Prepare the couscous as instructed, then stir in the butter and the mint

Top with hot roasted veg, roasted garlic and roasted Halloumi (chop into 1cm cubes and add to the tin of roasted veg for the last 5 minutes of cooking)

Puff Pastry Tarts

Roll out ready-made puff pastry. Cut into 4 squares (to serve 4). Top with roasted veg, pinenuts and cheese, leaving a 2cm border around the edge. Cook in the oven as per the pastry instructions.

Filo Parcels

Prepare large squares of ready-made filo pastry (a couple of layers should be enough). Fill with roasted veg and cubed feta cheese. Gather up the edges of the pastry and scrunch at the top to seal. Cook in the oven as per the pastry instructions.

Wraps

Roasted veg works really well in wraps. You can also add left-over roast chicken or cheese or couscous or all of the above.

With Salmon and Rice

Bake salmon fillets in the oven for 30 minutes in a tin foil parcel containing lemons, olive oil, butter, a little white wine or water, seasoning and basil. Serve with rice and roasted veg. This works best with peppers, onion, courgette and aubergine.