Moroccan Tray Bake w Toasted Millet
PREP TIME: 15mins
COOKING TIME: 40mins
Perfect mid-week supper which can be ready in under 1 hour and a good way to have a vegetable clear out.
The real star here is beautiful giant summer pumpkin which I smother in a smoky spice marinade of harissa, paprika and cumin.
I love harissa, a spicy Middle Eastern chilli paste sometimes made with red peppers too. This is where a shop bought jar will come in very handy – look out for Rose Harissa which, well you guessed it, is made using dried rose petals, its a treasure!
Millet is a wonderful gluten-free alternative to couscous (which contains gluten). Its delicate taste is a natural fit for various dishes from tabbouleh to a creamy porridge, the flour is used to make Indian roti. It cooks much in the same way as quinoa does.
Getting Ahead: You can roast your veggies before, leaving the last 20min of roasting when you are ready to serve. Alternatively the whole dish, including the millet, can be made before and eaten as a roasted veg salad (delicious) the next day.
Swaps: Vegetables: Use butternut or sweet potato instead of pumpkin. Beans: Butter or black beans instead of chickpeas will work too. Grains: Use quinoa or couscous instead of millet.
Marinade: The marinade will keep in the fridge for a week and will be amazing as a marinade to anything you want to bbq – I am thinking aubergines!
Serves 6
Serving Suggestion:
Some harissa yogurt works well, simply swirl a teaspoon of harissa paste into thick yogurt of choice. The addition of pomegranate seeds adds a burst of crunch. Toasted flaked almond would work well too.
You can also serve alongside some flatbreads, perfect pink radishes and when served as a salad some hummus would be perfect too. You can add some falafels too to make the dish even more heartier.
What you'll need:
Two large baking trays
Ingredients:
- 1kg pumpkin, seeds removed, skin kept on, cut into thick wedges
- 3 red onions, peeled & quartered
- 350g (1 small) cauliflower, broken into florets, stem sliced
- 300g baby potatoes, cut in half if big
- 1 red chilli, halved, deseeded, sliced (opt)
- 1 red pepper, white membrane & seeds removed, cut thickly into slices
- 200g baby cherry tomatoes (kept whole) or vine tomatoes (which would look stunning)
- 1 can chickpeas, drained
- 15g parsley, leaves only, chopped finely (freeze stalks)
- 3 preserved lemons, flesh removed, skins sliced (opt)
- juice and zest 1/2 lemon
- salt & pepper
Moroccan Marinade
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon harissa (I used rose harissa)
- 2 teaspoons Spanish sweet paprika
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 3 tablespoons ginger, freshly peeled
- 4 garlic cloves, finely sliced
- 2 teaspoons salt
- good grind of pepper
Millet
- 2 cups millet
- 4 cups water
- few mint leaves, finely sliced (opt)
- lemon zest
- salt & pepper
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 190c and line the baking trays with baking paper (opt).
- Divide the pumpkin, peppers, onions, cauliflower and potatoes on the trays. The vegetables need to be able to lie in a single layer, with room for the tomatoes later. Season with salt and pepper.
- In a bowl add the marinade ingredients and stir well
- Divide the marinade between the roasting trays and using your hands, massage the marinade into the veggies, getting into all the nooks and crannies.
- Roast for 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, add your millet to a large frying pan on a medium heat and toast (no oil only a dry pan) until fragrant, about 5 minutes. You will begin to smell a toasty aroma and they’ll make a popping noise.
- Remove the millet and add to a medium saucepan, add the water return to the heat and bring to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook gently for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and let sit for another 5 minutes before you remove the lid. Using a fork, break up the millet and fluff it, add 1/2 teaspoon salt and a tablespoon of olive oil, stir, and set aside to cool completely. Once the millet is cool, add the mint, lemon zest and a drizzle of olive oil. Season well.
- After the veggies have had 20 minutes, stir in the chickpeas and tomatoes and drizzle with some olive oil if the veggies looks dry. Roast for a further 20 minutes or until the veggies are soft and slightly caramelised in places.
- Transfer to a large warmed serving plate. Squeeze over the lemon juice and zest, scatter the chopped parsley and preserved lemon rind. Serve