Recipe Post: Roast Winter Veggies

I can't remember the last time I actually cooked something decent.  My life is so hectic at the moment that unfortunately, I'm just stuffing my face with microwaveable meals and just plain old junk.  I know I'm doing a major disservice to my body and my health in general and I do realise that I need to get back on the right track.

Hopefully, yesterday's little cooking indulgence was one small step in the right direction!  I took a couple of much deserved hours off in the afternoon and managed to be home early enough to actually cook.  I stopped at the green grocer next door who had just brought in all the fresh goodies and got myself some of my favourite winter root veggies and made myself a huge dish of roasted veggies - one of my most favourite winter warmer recipes which is just so easy to make!

Here's how it goes:

Pick up some root veggies - I bought butternut squash, parsnips, sweet potatoes and fennel.  I found a lonely carrot lurking in the fridge and added that to the mix, together with the obligatory onion. You could also add a leek or use it instead of the onion.

I just love the smell of freshly chopped fennel

despite the smiley face, this butternut squash was still a b*tch to chop and peel!

Peel and chop all veggies in thick wedges.  If you prefer the fennel or onion to be less chunky, you can cut them in slices just like I do!

Place all veggies in a dish (I like using Pyrex or earthenware ones) and just about cover with water. Drizzle a tablespoon of honey and a tablespoon of BBQ sauce.  You can swap the BBQ sauce for Worcestershire sauce - as long as the sweetness of the honey and some of the vegetables is set off with that moorish, rich flavour of either one of these brown sauces, you're good to go.

Place in a heated oven (regular oven at 250degC) and slow cook for about an hour, folding the vegetables every so often so that they cook evenly.  The cooking length is quite dependent on your oven, really, and how crispy you like your veggies! An hour will give you nice caramelised edges with an al dente consistency.

As I said, the recipe is quite easy, though it does take some time in terms of preparation ... and the butternut squash is a b*tch to chop and peel! So if you can get your green grocer to chop it up at least, it'll help. But on the whole, it's so easy and delish! You can use it as a main vegetarian dish, topped with some goats cheese or as a side to your Sunday roast ... a change from the regular roast potatoes!

Let me know if you give this a try and whether you like it or not! Bon appétit xx