Grounded Roasted Root Vegetable Bowl Recipe (Vegan)

Melissa says: "I'm a huge fan of root vegetables such as beetroot/beet and sweet potato because you can make them delicious with very little effort. Simply pop them in the oven with a light coating of coconut oil and roast them until tender. They can be the hero of the dish or the perfect accompaniment to any creation."

Serves:

Ingredients

6 baby beetroots/beets, unpeeled and quartered
1 handful baby carrots, washed and halved
2 red onions, quartered
2 medium-sized sweet potatoes, sliced into discs
1 small butternut squash, sliced into discs and seeds removed
Coconut oil
2-3 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves salt and pepper
200g (7oz/1 cup) uncooked brown rice
2 corn on the cobs
2 generous handfuls baby spinach
30g (1oz) pine nuts
Olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
Juice of 1 lemon

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4.

2. Place the beetroots/beets, carrots, red onions, sweet potatoes, and butternut squash in a roasting pan.

3. Mix in 1 tablespoon of coconut oil and the thyme and season to taste. Toss together until all the vegetables are evenly coated.

4. Pop the pan into the oven for 45-55 minutes, tossing halfway.

5. Cook the rice as per the packet instructions.

6. While the rice is cooking, ready a griddle/grill pan for the sweetcorn.

7. Lightly brush the corn with coconut oil and grill until charred, turning regularly. If you do not have a griddle, you can steam or boil the corn.

8. Now to assemble the bowl. Add the cooked rice and roasted vegetables to a large salad bowl.

9. Slice the corn from the cob and add to the bowl. Top with the spinach and pine nuts. Drizzle with a good glug of olive oil, balsamic vinegar and the lemon juice.

10. Toss well and season to taste.

Health tip:
Root vegetables are very grounding foods. When you are feeling a bit spacy or stressed, these are the guys to turn to. They have mood-enhancing qualities and are very satisfying.

Extracted from Wholesome Bowls by Melissa Delport (£20, Watkins Publishing). Copyright © Watkins Media Limited 2023. Typography and design copyright © Penguin Random House South Africa (Pty) Ltd 2018, 2023. Text and photography copyright © Melissa Delport 2018, 2023.

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