Vegetable Ragout with Spiced Quinoa

Serves 8

Part 1 (cook in a pot):
¼ cup Olive oil
1 tbsp fennel seeds
350gm carrots, peeled and diced 1cm
5 sprigs thyme
3 small sprigs rosemary or sage
1 700ml jar tomato passata
400ml water
100gm semi-dried tomatoes, chopped
¼ cup raw sugar/coconut sugar/panela

 

Part 2 (firstly bake in the oven):
500gm JAP pumpkin, peeled and diced 1-2cm
2 medium sized zucchini/about 300gm 1cm diced
1 cup walnuts
½ cup pepitas
1 bunch broccolini
Dash of the semi-dried tomato oil
Sprinkle of salt

 

Quinoa:
2 cups tri-colour quinoa
2 bayleaves
1 cinnamon stick
2 cloves
1 tsp sumac

 

Optional:
250 gm diced mushrooms (can add to part 2)
Feta, roasted capsicum and olives to top
Fresh Italian parsley/lemon thyme for garnish

 

Method:

Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees celsius fan-forced and prepare all of your ingredients.

Take a large baking tray and add the ingredients from part 2, toss together well, add a very light sprinkling of salt, and bake in the oven for around 20-30 minutes or until the pumpkin is just tender.

Whilst Part 2 ingredients are baking, put a large pot on medium to high heat. Move to Part 1 ingredients, add olive oil, fennel seeds, diced carrots, herbs (thyme/rosemary/sage), fry for a few minutes, stirring.

Add tomato passata, water, semi-dried tomatoes and sugar to the pot, bring to a simmer and leave on a low heat. Simmer for around 10 minutes.

To cook the Quinoa – take another pot (that has a suitable lid) or a rice cooker to cook your quinoa. If it is a rice cooker, add all ingredients and 3 cups of water, set the cooker to ‘cook’ this will cook just as rice would. For a pot add all of the ingredients to the pot, bring to the boil, then turn the heat down to simmer with the lid on for a few minutes. Turn the heat off, leaving the lid on for 10 minutes.

Once your Part 2 ingredients are baked and pumpkin is tender, add all of these ingredients to the pot with Part 1 ingredients and bring to a simmer. Adjust seasoning by adding salt if necessary, keeping in mind the notes below.

Garnish with olives, feta and fresh herbs if you are choosing to do so.

 

Notes:

Be mindful with how much salt you add as the semi-dried tomatoes have salt in them already. Adjust seasoning as necessary at the end. Also if you are adding olives and feta, these are also salted.

I prefer tri-colour quinoa over a single colour, as some are softer and some are firmer, so this combination seems to have a nice balance of textures. You can add a couple of black cardamom pods to the quinoa during the winter months.

 

By Louise
@prasadam_eats on Instagram