Baked vegetables are a very easy side dish to prepare that goes well with chicken, beef, lamb, frittata, grilled cheese, and much more. Chose, when possible, vegetables that are in season. You will find a very summery combination in this recipe, using sweet peppers, cauliflower, courgettes and potatoes, of course.
Tahini sauce, a nutty paste made of sesame seeds, and feta bring everything together, making this side dish delightful. And if you like to explore different flavours, try to add spices like cumin, paprika, curry and turmeric, which pair very well with this dish
Ingredients
For 4 people, preparation time 10 minutes, cooking time 30-35 minutes:
- 300gr cauliflower
- 2 long sweet peppers
- 200g new potatoes
- 2 courgettes
- ½ leek
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 tsp coriander seeds
- Salt and pepper
- 300g feta cheese Extra virgin olive oil
To serve
- Kale or spinach
- lemon
For the tahini sauce
- 150g tahini sauce
- ½ lemon juice only
- Water – just enough
- pepper
Method
1 – Wash the vegetables, slice the peppers, and remove the seeds inside. Cut the courgettes into pieces about 10cm long and finally divide the cauliflower into sections about 4cm large.
2 – Combine the vegetables in a large bowl, add the sliced leek and potatoes cut in halves or quarters, depending on their size. Add the coriander seeds, salt, pepper and mix well. Leave the vegetables to one side.
3 – In the meantime, prepare the tahini sauce. In a small bowl, put the tahini sauce with the pepper, lemon juice and a few tablespoons of water, mix until you get a smooth and homogeneous sauce. It should have a soft, fluffy consistency, like Greek yoghurt.
4 – Arrange the vegetables in a baking dish, add a drizzle of oil and bake at 180° C for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then, check the potatoes are well cooked. If so, add a little tahini sauce and the crumbled feta and continue cooking for another 10 minutes at 200° C, 5 minutes under the grill to give a chargrilled colour and texture. Serve with cooked kale or fresh spinach and lemon wedges.
Tips
– If you think that the potatoes will take longer to cook, you can blanch them lightly before mixing them with the rest of the vegetables.
– Try to stir the vegetables from time to time, to ensure homogeneous cooking.
