Roast Vegetable Tagine with Salsify and Almonds

This warming roast vegetable tagine makes a delicious and filling meal, especially served alongside tasty salsify chips and golden toasted almonds!

Finding a way to ensure you get plenty of vegetables into your diet can lead to some repetitive meal choices. I have found myself in danger of sapping the fun out of the rainbow of colourful and tasty options that the vegetable drawer offers by sticking to the same standby options time and again. However, by combining different regular choices with something a bit different I find even my most familiar vegetable friends can get a new lease of life. 

I've served the tagine with roasted 'chips' of tasty salsify, but you could replace this with butternut squash or carrot sticks if you can't find it in the shops, as it is often only available in season. The toasted almond flakes add some additional nutrition here, as well as a contrasting texture to the soft tagine. Other steamed veg, such as the julienne veg and brussel sprouts I've gone for here, work very well alongside this dish. 

As with all recipes and meal plans on the blog I have highlighted the protein sources (P foods) in red, the speed (S) foods in green, healthy extra allowances in blue and syns, with syn values in brackets in orange. 

Roast Vegetable Tagine with Salsify and Almonds

Serves 3 - 3 syns per portion or 1/2 of 1 HEB allowance

1 butternut squash, peeled and chopped into cubes

150g plain quorn pieces (could be omitted for a vegan option)

1 red onion, finely sliced

1 courgette, cubed

1 green pepper chopped into large chunks 

100g frozen peas 

1 tin of chopped tomatoes 

2 tsp vegetable boullion powder

3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp chilli flakes

1/2 tsp cinnamon powder

2 strips lemon peel 

Spray oil 

3 sticks of salsify, peeled and chopped into 'chips'

3 tbsp quark (could be omitted for a vegan option) 

1 tbsp water

30g flaked almonds (3 syns per portion / 1/2 of 1 x HEB)

Spray an oven-proof tray with spray oil and pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees fan / 200 degrees electric / Gas Mark 6.

Spread all prepared squash, courgette and pepper on to the baking tray and spray with spray oil. Put into the oven to roast for 25 minutes, checking to ensure the pepper isn't burning (remove and put aside whilst the rest of the veg roasts, if so!)

Whilst they are roasting, spray a non-stick pan and heat over a warm flame, adding the onions and Quorn pieces once hot. Toss in the pan until the onion has softened and the Quorn is browned, then add the garlic for a few moments to heat through. 

Add the cumin, paprika, cinnamon and chilli flakes and stir on the heat, coating all the pans ingredients with the spices. Stir continuously for around 2 minutes, adding a splash of water, if it seems to catch. 

Tip in the tinned tomatoes, including their juice, the boullion powder and the peas and stir thoroughly. 

Bring to a bubbling boil, then turn down to simmer. Add the lemon peel strips now and leave to simmer for 25 minutes-  checking and stirring regularly to ensure that is doesn't burn. 

Tip in the roasted vegetables to the simmering sauce after their time in the oven. 

Place the salsify chips on to an oven tray sprayed with spray oil and then spray them too. Place in the heated oven (requires the same setting as the other veg) about 30 minutes before you plan to serve the meal and leave to roast for this time.  

Heat a dry non-stick pan and tip in the flaked almonds. Toast the nuts for about 3 minutes, until you see the edges start to brown. You can take these darker for a nuttier flavour but watch them carefully as they burn quite easily! 

Mix the quark with the water in a small bowl to bring it to a spoon-able but smooth consistency. 

On serving the dish, serve out the tagine into large bowls, sppon the quark mixture carefully onto the side of the dish and scatter with the toasted almonds. Lay the salsify chips alongside and sprinkle with cracked black pepper.