What We Ate Wednesday--Roasted Parsnips and Carrots with Moroccan Style Kale

Hello lovelies! Last week I was flipping through my D-Ring binder looking at photocopied recipes and I came across one I had copied ages ago from a library book and had never tried. I can't recall the title of the book, but it was something like Cooking For The Menopause. (I took it out of the library some time after the "horrible hysterectomy.")

I was craving roasted parsnips and carrots and was looking for a side dish featuring kale to go with it. You know how much I love parsnips--I even composed a SONG IN THEIR HONOUR.

I found this recipe which was for Moroccan Style Spring Greens, but figured i could substitute my other favourite leafy green kale for the spring greens. I haven't composed a song in honour of kale, but I totally should. If I weren't already married...I would marry kale. FACT.

I thought the bitterness of the greens and spices would contrast beautifully with the sweetness of the roasted vegetables. I was right. This was gorgeous.

If I were doing this without the roasted vegetables and serving over rice, I would add some chickpeas and a chopped red pepper to make it more of a meal. But it really was the perfect match with the carrots and parsnips, so it may never happen over rice.

Roasted Parsnips and Carrots with Moroccan Style Kale
Preheat your oven to 220C/425F. Put your biggest roasting tin in the oven to heat up.

Prepare the vegetables: (Use 2 if they are regular sized, 3 if they are a bit small)

2-3 parsnips, scrubbed and sliced into skinny batons
2-3 carrots, scrubbed and sliced into skinny batons
1 TB oil
salt and pepper
a drizzle of something sweet like agave, maple syrup golden syrup etc (not yet)

Mix up the veg with the oil and salt and pepper in another bowl. When the oven is hot, carefully take out the hot pan and add the veg (hear them sizzle!) and roast for 20 minutes. When you take them out after 20 minutes, give them a stir then add your drizzle of sweet and put them back in the oven. Now is the time to cook the greens. Continue to roast until the greens are done (about 10-12 minutes)

The greens:
While the first 20 minutes are going on, get all your stuff prepped for the greens, but don't start cooking them until you have taken the veg out and given it a stir and a drizzle. Make sense?

1 onion, finely chopped
2 or more cloves crushed garlic
1 TB peeled and chopped gingerroot
1 tsp ground coriander (could sub cumin if coriander tastes soapy to you)
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp turmeric
12 dried apricots cut in half lengthways
1/2 cup hot strong (double strength)  vegetable stock
100 g curly kale de-stemmed and torn into bits (4 to 5 cups?) 
a drizzle of something sweet like agave, maple syrup golden syrup etc
sesame seeds to sprinkle on top

1. In a large pot, cook the onion, garlic and gingerroot in a little oil or water until soft and fragrant.
2. Add the spices and the apricots and stir to coat everything.
3.Add the kale and the hot stock and cook, stirring constantly, until the kale has softened and reduced and turned bright green.
4. Taste and if it seems too bitter, keep adding a drizzle of something sweet until the right balance is achieved.
5. Sprinkle with sesame seeds before serving.
6. Take your roasted veg out of the oven and serve with the spicy greens.

It was really easy to make and delicious. It made two hefty servings.