Oven Roasted Winter Vegetables with Chickpeas and Harissa

I heard a quote yesterday, supposedly by Picasso, saying if you don’t have green, then paint the tree red. And that was very much in my mind today while cooking lunch. Enticed by the photo, I had decided to make Ottolenghi’s roasted vegetable couscous.  The substitutions started right away when I switched parsnips for potatoes and star anise for Chinese Five Spice Powder and pumpkin for squash – although that last one is not a big deal. But it was a slightly bigger deal when I realised I didn’t even have any couscous. Not to be deterred, I carried on reinventing as I went, and the result – delicious! A keeper.

So this is a combination of about three different recipes that I have made in the past – not least Ottolenghi’s – and I do recommend you try it. The flavour from the spices is lovely.

Oven Roasted Winter Vegetables with Chickpeas and Harissa

(serves 2-3 people as a main dish)

3-4 waxy potatoes – cut into  chunks

3-4 carrots – cut into 1″chunks

medium onion or about 5 shallots

3 cups cubed squash

I finely chopped hot red chilli (optional)

1 stick cinnamon

2 star anise or 3/4 tsp Chinese five spice powder

salt

Black pepper

olive oil

chickpeas 1/2 jar or can (or other beans if you don’t have chickpeas)

handful of raisins or chopped apricots

1/2 medium/large preserved lemon peel cut into strips

2 tbs homemade harissa  (Not shop bought – see below)

Handful of chopped cilantro leaves

Optional : Greek yoghurt to serve

Method

• Pre-heat your oven to 200 C. Put the potatoes, carrots and onion into a baking dish. Add the spices, salt and some glugs of olive oil and mix.
• Cook for 15 mins then add the squash. Allow to cook for another 40 mins or until the vegetables are well cooked and tinged at the edges.
• Add the chickpeas and raisins (or apricots).
• Cook for a further 10 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and stir in the harissa, the preserved lemon and half the cilantro. Sprinkle the remaining cilantro on top to serve.
• Serve with some Greek yoghurt and extra harissa as required
  

This is the kind of recipe that lends itself to adaptation – it actually IS an adaptation. However, one thing I wouldn’t substitute is the harissa. The recipe here on the blog is so good. I get asked for it all the time. You can reduce its heat if you want, by adding a bit of fresh red pepper and more olive oil, but the combination of flavours is really excellent. It’s quick and easy and it keeps in the fridge.

And the preserved lemons? I can’t go on about them anymore…but everything tastes betters with the these lemons!