The peppery fresh flavour of watercress is a delicious complement to the spice of the vegetables in this recipe. Its vibrant colour livens up any dish.
Moroccan Spiced Roasted Vegetables with Watercress, Chickpea and Red Onion Salad
For the roasted vegetables:
350g cauliflower
3 carrots, peeled
3 baby courgettes
2 leeks
For the spice mix:
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp coarse ground pepper
20g pack fresh mint, roughly chopped
20g pack fresh coriander, chopped
3 tbsp olive oil
finely grated zest and juice of 2 lemons
For the watercress salad:
85g bag watercress
½ red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
1 tbsp salt
400g can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
salt and freshly ground black pepper
To serve:
200g tub Greek yoghurt
Preheat the oven to 200°c, 400°F, gas mark 6.
For the roasted vegetables, break the cauliflower into florets. Halve the carrots and courgettes lengthwise and cut each half lengthwise into 5 or 6. Cut the leeks in half lengthwise, wash well and cut each half diagonally into 10.
For the spice mix, dry the roast the cumin and coriander seeds in a small frying pan for 2-3 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally, until they begin to pop. Remove from the heat and tip into a food processor with the paprika and pepper, half the mint, half the coriander, the olive oil, lemon zest and half the lemon juice, and blend.
Place the vegetables in a large, shallow roasting tin and spoon over the spice mix, ensuring all the vegetables are well coated. Pour 1cm water into the base of the tin. Cover tightly with foil and roast for 30 minutes. Remove foil and cook for a further 30-45 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
For the watercress salad, place the red onion in a small bowl, sprinkle over the salt and add enough water to just cover the onion. Set aside for 30 minutes. Drain the onion and rinse under cold running water, then put into a bowl with the chickpeas and the remaining lemon juice and herbs, the watercress and seasoning. Mix well.
To serve, divide the vegetables between serving plates and top with the watercress salad. Serve with a spoonful of Greek yoghurt and garnish with watercress.
Sesame pitta breads make an ideal accompaniment to this meal.
www.watercress.co.uk