What We Ate Wednesday--Savoury Lentils and Roasted Sweet Vegetables

Hello Lovelies! It's recently been Easter which means our favourite discount supermarket Lidl had carrots and parsnips on sale at holiday prices.A 1kg bag of carrots and a 500g bag of parsnips were on sale for 19p each. 19p, people! So of course we stocked up. The sale lasts for a week, so we bought some at the start and then went back the last day of the sale and picked up some for the next week's meals. Needless to say, we've had a lot of roasted parsnips and carrots. But I don't mind. They are healthy and nutritious. I have written about my love for the humble parsnip here. A 500g bag  contains 4-5 parsnips so I cook half for one meal and half for another.

Because the vegetables are sweet, it is nice to have a slightly savoury contrast with the lentils. This is really not so much of a recipe, as just throwing stuff together. But I'll do my best to explain it. Also, the lentils cooks a HUGE amount so we had some the day before mixed with sun dried tomatoes and kale over brown rice. I just heated up the lentils the next day for this meal, but am including the cooking directions below. The lentil recipe s based on one from Dreena Burton's fabulous cookbook Eat, Drink and Be Vegan. 

Savoury Lentils and Roasted Sweet Vegetables
To cook the lentils:
1 cup puy lentils, rinsed and picked over for stones
2.5 cups strong broth (I used 3 tsp broth powder and 1 tsp marmite)
1 tsp rosemary
1 tsp mixed herbs
1 tsp liquid smoke
3-4 cloves or crushed garlic

Bring it to the boil, simmer until the lentils are as soft as you like.

To make the sweet vegetables;
1.Heat your oven to 220C/425F and preheat your pan. 
Slice your parsnips and carrots into baton shapes and place them in a large bowl. 
3. Then add 1 Tablespoon of oil, salt and pepper to taste.
4. When the oven is hot, remove the pan and pour pour veg into the hot pan (hear that sizzle!) and roast in a hot oven until brown and caramelised (30 minutes stirring half way) and then drizzle on a tablespoon of maple syrup or other liquid sweetener and cook for 2 minutes longer. Don’t overcrowd the pan or they’ll steam and not brown. I use 2-3 parsnips and 2 carrots. 

Meanwhile, while your sweet veg is cooking, saute the following in another pan:
1 diced onion
6-7 diced button mushrooms
1 green pepper, diced
When that is cooked, then add your lentils and their cooking liquid.
Serve the savoury lentils, sweet roasted vegetables over brown rice.

That's it. it goes pretty quickly if you cooked your lentils the day before.

Next week, what else you can eat with roasted parsnips and carrots.