Roast Veg Salad

Roast Veg Salad

I’ve used cauliflower and chickpeas in the picture. Two of my all time favourite things!

per person:
handful veg, chopped into bight sized pieces
1 teaspoon spices, optional
1/4 – 1/2 can chickpeas, drained, optional
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2-3 tablespoons ground almonds

1. Preheat oven to 180C (350F). Place veg in a roasting tray. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with the spices, if using.

2. Roast for 20-30 minutes or until veg are well browned and tender. Add chickpeas, if using, and return to the oven for a few minutes until chickpeas are warm.

3. Combine mayonnaise, almonds and 1 tablespoon water. Taste and season. Add more water if the cream looks too thick.

Variations

veg – cauliflower, pumpkin, sweet potato, carrots, celeriac (celery root), beets (may take longer to cook), zucchini, eggplant (aubergine).

spices – smoked paprika, cumin, coriander seed, fennel seeds or a combination of any of these. Curry powder.

nut-free – skip the almond meal and just serve the salad with mayonnaise instead. OR make a dressing of 1 tablespoon lemon juice and 2 tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle this over the salad instead of the almond cream.

chickpea alternatives – any canned or cooked beans or lentils, torn chunks of sourdough bread or try whole nuts such as almonds, pine nuts or cashews. For a lighter side salad skip the chickpeas.

vegan / no almond cream – make a dressing of 1 tablespoon lemon juice and 2 tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle this over the salad instead of the almond cream.

almond cream alternatives – serve on a bed of hummus. OR make a tahini sauce by combining equal amounts of tahini, lemon juice and water. Or serve scattered with crumbled soft cheese such as goats cheese or ricotta.

leafy – scatter over parsley or mint leaves.

Leftover Potential?

Good as far as salads go. Will keep in the fridge for a week or so, sepending on how fresh your mayo was to begin with.

Problem Solving Guide

burning – reduce the heat and turn the veg more freequently. A splash of water can retard the burning process.

hard / dry veg – not cooked for long enough OR cooked at too high a temperature.

almond cream gritty – it’s all about the almond meal, coarse almond meal = gritty almond cream unfortunately.

almond cream bland – remember to season with salt. You may have too much water which can be fixed by a little more almond meal. A spash of lemon juie may help. Try a different brand of mayo net time.

Serving Suggestions

Either smear a big puddle of almond cream over the base of your plate and top with the roast veg mixture. OR pop roast veg on the plate and drizzle over the almond cream.

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