Recipe: Moroccan-Spiced Roasted Vegetables and Quinoa

Recipe: Moroccan-Spiced Roasted Vegetables and Quinoa

Credit: Flickr Patsy

Moroccan spiced roasted vegetables and quinoa is loaded with seasonings and packed with nutrients, this healthy recipe is anything but boring.

Roasting vegetables is almost always my favorite way to cook them as I love the concentrated flavors that roasting produces. This fresh Moroccan quinoa salad recipe features parsnips, carrots, almonds, and parsley, it is a perfect cold-weather comfort food packed with vitamins & nutrients Parsnips & Carrots are high in antioxidants and contains nutrient and phytochemicals which are good at fighting cancer and heart disease.

Adding Moroccan spice such as cumin, turmeric, and cinnamon to this dish not only makes it a delicious and aromatic meal but is also packed with vitamins and has immense health benefits such as to fight cancer & boost immunity. Quinoa is a great gluten-free protein source and has a light and fluffy texture that’s a nice counterpoint to tender root vegetables. Dried fruit and nuts are common in Moroccan-style dishes, and lend sweetness and crunch.

It’s light, healthy and delicious and makes for great leftovers, so feel free to double the recipe and add any vegetables you like!


Ingredients

 3 parsnips, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch (12-cm) pieces
 2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch (12-cm) pieces
 6 Tablespoon (3 fl. oz./90 ml) olive oil
 1 Tablespoon. ground cumin
 2 teaspoon. ground turmeric
 1 teaspoon. ground cinnamon
 Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
 2 cups (16 fl. oz./500 ml) low-sodium organic vegetable or chicken broth
 1 cup (8 oz./250 g) quinoa, rinsed
 3 Tablespoon slivered almonds, toasted
 2 Tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

 

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a bowl, toss the parsnips and carrots with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, cumin, turmeric, and cinnamon.
Spread the vegetables in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet and season well with salt and pepper to taste.
Roast, stirring a couple of times, until the vegetables are very tender and caramelized for 35 to 40 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a saucepan over high heat, bring the broth to a boil.
Add the quinoa, cover and reduce the heat to medium-low.
Cook until all the broth is absorbed for about 12 minutes.
Transfer the quinoa to a large bowl and add the roasted vegetables, almonds and parsley.
Stir in the remaining 4 tablespoons (2 fl. oz./60 ml) of olive oil.
Season with salt and pepper and serve. 


It’s best served warm, but quite good at room temperature too. Enjoy!

Serves 4 to 6.

Recipe Inspiration: Williams-Sonoma