The oven changes food in pleasant ways, somewhere between smoking and caramelising. Take for example onion, eggplant and red capsicum. They taste so different fried on the stovetop compared to roasted in the oven.
This meal makes it onto our regular rotation. After chopping up, it\’s pretty hands-free, but it does require a long lead-in time (like 20 minutes to chop and one hour to roast).
One kid will only eat red (capsicum). The other will only eat brown (eggplant). Both eat purple under sufferance (red onion) and neither will eat green (zucchini). I know that fellow parents will feel my pain – and I know that they could well be amazed that my (young) kids eat any of this at all!
We serve it over pearled couscous but if there is leftover small pasta (like farfalle or penne), then we serve it with that instead. If there is leftover veg, it goes well in savoury muffins or simple salads.
- olive oil, salt, large mixing bowl
- 2 large eggplants, diced
- 2 or 3 red capsicums, diced
- 2 large or 3 medium red onions, diced
- 2 zucchinis, sliced
- baking paper for 2 large baking trays.
- optional: rosemary
- 250g pearled couscous (fry in hot olive oil to partly toast before adding the water. This helps it not get gluggy. Otherwise cook as per packet instructions.)
- optional: garlic cloves to roast (skin on, only for 30 minutes max, then mince and stir through the couscous)
- optional: 1 tbs soft goat\’s cheese like chevre.
Method:
- Preheat oven to 180C fan forced.
- Put the salt and rosemary into the olive oil in a large mixing bowl.
- Take turns tossing the different vegetables in the oil and laying onto the tray.
- Roast all for 1 hour except the eggplant, which will be 45 minutes. Check after 30 minutes and turn them around a bit if some already look more done than others. Check on the garlic (if using) at 20 minutes. Actual cooking time varies greatly according to the efficiency of the particular oven.
- Meanwhile, cook the pearled couscous on the stovetop, then mix through the crushed roast garlic (if using).
- When the veg is done, mix it through the couscous, as well as 1 tbs of fresh chevre (soft goat\’s cheese) if you wish.