Totally Satisfying Roasted Winter Vegetables

Roasted Winter Vegetables Over Wild Rice

Maybe this one isn't mind-blowing but it sure is satisfying, delicious, and easy!

Stuff you need

• 1 cup uncooked wild rice
• olive oil
• salt
• pepper

A selection of root vegetables and gourds. I used:

• 3 large beets
• since the beet greens were fresh I used them too
• 3 potatoes
• 3 carrots
• 1 large quartered onion, peeled
• 8 whole cloves of garlic, peeled
• about 2 cups cubed fresh pumpkin
• a handful of cherry tomatoes

Other stuff you can add

• yams
• butternut squash
• parsnips
• red or green peppers
• your choice

How to make it

Wild Rice: many people undercook wild rice. It needs to cook until the grains split open and many of them curl back on themselves, exposing the white inside. This way it is soft and soaks up sauce. Undercooked wild rice, as it is often served in restaurants, is like eating sticks.

• Rinse the rice, put in a pot with 2 cups water and, if desired, about 1/2 tsp of salt. 
• Bring to a boil, then put a lid on the pot and simmer for at least 50 minutes. 
• Visually check the rice to determine when it is done. Sometimes I have to cook it for an hour to  get it to the right stage of doneness. 
• The rice is happy to sit in the pot with the lid on and the heat off while it waits for the vegetables if it gets done first. The longer it steams the softer it gets.

Vegetable Roast:

• While the rice is cooking, chop the vegetables, put into a roasting pan (I use a clay cooker but any roaster will do), pour about 1/4 cup of olive oil over them, add salt and pepper, and then toss with your hands to coat. 
• If you have nice fresh beet greens, lay them over the vegetables. They will get a little crispy and are a lovely addition to the final meal. 
• Put the lid on the roaster and put in the oven at 400F for about an hour. Some roasting pots are quicker than the clay cookers, so check the vegetables with a fork at about 50 minutes. 

The beets will take the longest, so when they are fork-soft, the roast is ready.

There's a lot left over, even after I've already had two servings!

Eat it!

• Serve the vegetables over the rice... with a generous scoop of the delicious sauce that has accumulated in the bottom of the roasting pan. 
• If you have beet greens, you can lay them over the rice and use them as a bed for the vegetables. They will soak up the sauce and add a beautiful crunchy texture to the meal.

Beautiful, hearty, and simple dinner, and there will be lots left over. The beets make everything a lovely colour.

My original name for this blog was "Bad photos of Mind-blowing Food"

What can I do with the Leftovers?

The leftover vegetables can be blended into a delicious cream soup the next day with a little non-sweetened, non dairy milk (I use Almond milk), and served with Vegan Sour Cream for a fantastic lunch!