Moroccan-Spiced Roasted Vegetables & Quinoa

By PineyCook

Moroccan spices, such as cumin, turmeric and cinnamon, help to make this a delicious and aromatic meal. 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.

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 tablespoons (3-ounces/90 ml) olive oil
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 2 cups (16-ounces/500 ml) low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
• 1 cup (8-ounces/250 g) quinoa, rinsed
• 1/4 cup (1 1/2-ounces/45 g) dried apricots, quartered
• 3 tablespoons slivered almonds, toasted
• 2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Details

Servings 6
Preparation time 10mins
Cooking time 50mins
Adapted from williams-sonoma.com

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat an oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a bowl, toss the parsnips and carrots with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, the cumin, turmeric and cinnamon. Spread the vegetables in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet and season well with salt and pepper. Roast, stirring a couple of times, until the vegetables are very tender and caramelized, 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, about 12 minutes.

Transfer the quinoa to a large bowl and add the roasted vegetables, apricots, almonds and parsley. Stir in the remaining 4 tablespoons (2-ounces /60 ml) olive oil, season with salt and pepper and serve.