Whole grains with roasted vegetables

Whole grains with roasted vegetables

Whole grains with roast vegetables is wholesome, satisfying and full of irrestible flavours and textures. The roast vegetables add a caramel sweetness while the lemon and spices liven it up. The rocket and spinach add freshness and the tamarind and mint dressing takes your tastebuds to new heights of zing-heaven.

Why we need to eat whole grains

We have all probably heard that we need to include more whole grains in our diets to achieve optimum health, but why?

Whole grains are unrefined grains that have not had the bran and germ removed. The bran contains important anti-oxidants, B vitamins and fibre. The germ contains B vitamins, proteins, minerals and healthy fats. Including whole grains into our regular meal-plan can help to improve our overall health as well as being a delicious and healthy addition to meals.

Versatile and healthy whole grains recipe

With the recipe below, the whole grains I have used are Emmer wheat, Kamut Kharosan wheat and Orzo pasta (which looks very similar to a grain). They all take around 10 minutes to cook so are ideal to combine in a dish for a variety of flavours and textures.

I like to add the grains to part-roasted vegetables so they can complete the roasting process together. By roasting the grains for a few minutes, it gives them a more pronounced texture.

As a vegetarian option this recipe is delicious served with a tamarind, mint and yoghurt dressing which adds a lively and refreshing element to the meal.

For a vegan alternative, substitute greek yoghurt with an unflavoured vegan yoghurt such as coconut yoghurt, almond yoghurt or soy yoghurt.

whole grains recipe, roasted vegetables, mint yoghurt dressing

Whole grains and roasted vegetables

Serves 4

1 tbsp coconut oil

2 red onions, peeled and quartered

4 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped chunkily

2 leeks, thickly sliced

2 peppers (red, yellow or orange), thickly sliced and chopped into 2 cm pieces

4 carrots, chunked

2 courgettes, thickly sliced

1 tsp chilli flakes

4 large handfuls of cherry tomatoes

4 large handfuls fresh rocket

4 large handfuls fresh spinach

2 avocados, peeled and chopped into large chunks

2 tsp turmeric

2 tsp ground coriander

Juice and zest of 1 lemon

250g Orzo pasta

250g Emmer wheat

250g Kamut wheat

Salt and pepper to taste.

For dressing

4 tbsp greek yoghurt

1 tsp tamarind paste

2 tsp mint sauce

Cooking instructions

Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/Gas 4. Melt the coconut oil in a large, ovenproof baking tin or dish.

Add all the vegetables except for the cherry tomatoes. Sprinkle the turmeric, coriander and chilli flakes over the top and stir through. Cover with foil.

Bake in the oven for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove the pan, add the cherry tomatoes and stir all the vegetables to ensure they are cooking well. Ensure the coconut oil and spices have come into contact with all vegetables. Return pan to the oven and cook for a further 10 minutes.

After adding the cherry tomatoes to the vegetables, bring a pan of water to the boil and add the whole grains that you are using for this recipe. I use Orzo, Emmer and Kamut, but you could add lentils, quinoa, bulgar wheat, brown rice – whichever takes your fancy. The grains that I use have a firmish consistency and nutty flavour which I prefer.

Once the whole grains have cooked, drain and add to the roasted vegetables. Bake with the foil off the pan/tin for a further 10 minutes.

Remove the pan from the oven, add the lemon zest and juice and stir in the spinach and rocket leaves. Fill 4 plates or large bowls with the roasted vegetables, whole grains and greens, scatter chopped avocado over the top and serve.

For the dressing, combine all three ingredients and add a dollop to the top of each serving.