One-Tray Pesto Roasted Rainbow Veg
A lot of New Year’s resolutions revolve around eating less of something. Eat less sugar. Eat less carbs. Eat less meat. Eat less processed food. Eat less junk food. Eat less salt. Eat less unhealthy fat. Eat less full stop. None of these are necessarily bad things. In fact, they are probably all very good things to do. I have certainly done all these things over time and they have been really helpful in transforming my life and health for the better.
But sometimes we need a more positive resolution. And one I keep coming back to again and again is very simple: eat more veg (and eat it first). More veg is a great thing in and of itself, but a great benefit I have found with eating more vegetables is that filling up on the good stuff means less space for the not-so-great stuff. By heaping half my plate with vegetables, I can’t pile it with meat and carbohydrates and only give myself space for a spoonful of peas.
Eating more veg doesn’t always seem like the most enjoyable of prospects, but I’ve found that it’s all about how you prepare them. Plain boiled or steamed veg that has little colour and is served dry is not exactly something I desperately want to eat. An array of rainbow-coloured vegetables roasted to perfection and smothered in a delicious sauce, on the other hand, can be incredibly appetising.
This is just that. An appetising tray of vegetables that is easy to make, covered in a sweet tangy dressing and just as delicious for snacktime as it is served for lunch or alongside dinner. Yummy on its own, but equally lovely served with some cooked sausages or grilled salmon, a crumbling of feta cheese or a tin of cooked green lentils.
A delicious tray of perfectly roasted rainbow veggies drizzled in a yummy 30-second parsley pesto. Perfect for batch-cooking at the weekend to reach for in the week as a snack, side, starter, lunchbox addition or even dinner when bulked out with a few extras. Vegan, gluten free, sugar free, paleo.
- 1 large baking potato (or 2 medium white potatoes), roughly chopped
- 2 medium carrots, sliced (on the diagonal/slight angle is best)
- 1 cup green beans (fresh or frozen)
- 2 cups broccoli florets (fresh or frozen)
- 1 red onion, chopped into eighths
- 1 bell pepper (capsicum), roughly chopped
- olive oil
- salt & pepper
- parsley pesto* (or use homemade basil pesto or a really good-quality store-bought pesto if you prefer)
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Preheat the oven to gas 7. Bring a large pan of water to the boil, add a pinch of salt and simmer the chopped potato and carrots for 5 minutes, then add to a large roasting dish along with all the other veggies. Drizzle generously with olive oil, season to taste and toss to coat. Roast for 30-40 minutes, until the veg is roasted, slightly caught in places and soft. Drizzle with plenty of parsley pesto and serve hot as a snack, side, starter or lunch. Add cooked meat, fish, beans or pulses or some crumbled cheese, if you like.
*find the parsley pesto recipe here - the classic one is best here, but all of them work beautifully with it!
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