sweet potato | The Tofu Diaries

A medley of cauliflower, sweet potato, Jersey Royal new potatoes, and shallots oven roasted with whole garlic cloves and olive oil, then tossed in lemon juice and fresh parsley. Perfect as a side dish or as a light meal in itself. Makes around 6 servings.

Ingredients:

1 medium-sized cauliflower, cut into small florets

1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes

450g new potatoes, cut into halves

3 shallots, each cut into six

6 cloves garlic, peeled and left whole

4tbsp olive oil

1tsp paprika

1/2tsp ground cumin

Pinch of sea salt

Juice and rind of one lemon

1 bunch of fresh parsley, roughly chopped

Generous amount of black pepper.

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180C / gas mark 6. Pour the olive oil into a large oven-proof dish and place in the oven for a few minutes for the oil to heat up.

2. Add the cauliflower, sweet potato, new potatoes, shallots and garlic into the dish, being careful not to splash the oil. Sprinkle over the paprika, cumin, sea salt and black pepper. Stir well until the veg is coated with the oil and spices.

3. Place in the oven and roast for around 45 minutes tossing occasionally, until the vegetables are lightly browned and cooked through.

4. Remove from the oven and pour over the lemon juice, lemon rind and chopped parsley. Toss, season with some extra black pepper, and serve (adding some of the extra liquid from the bottom of the dish) either as a side dish to your meal or on its own.What would be your perfect meal to serve this side dish with?

I mentioned briefly in my last slow cooker recipe that my relationship with this new piece of equipment has blossomed quickly. Indeed, it has immediately become a mainstay in my kitchen. Preparing the ingredients the night before, popping it on when I leave for work in the morning, then coming home to freshly cooked, piping hot meal at the end of the day is just too good for words. Not only that but I have several meals worth leftover, saving me time for the rest of the week or allowing me to stock up my freezer hassle-free. How have I gone without it for so long?

As an added bonus, mine is a ‘sear and stew’ model meaning I can fry onions or give any other ingredients a kick-start where necessary by putting the slow cooker insert itself onto the hob, saving the hassle of using another pan or anything beforehand.

Another benefit of the slow cooker, not to be sniffed at, is how cheap it makes creating nutritious meals. I picked up the bag of parsnips for this recipe reduced to just 34p and the rest of the ingredients can’t cost more than a couple of pounds all together.Slow cooking really brings out the sweetness of the ingredients in this soup, with the hint of spice gently balancing it. I kept mine thick and chunky with whole butterbeans but it would also be delicious blended. Ingredients

1tbsp olive oil

6-7 parsnips, cut into thick rounds

2 large sweet potatoes, cut into 2cm cubes

3-4 shallots, chopped

1 tin butterbeans, drained

400ml vegetable stock

4 garlic cloves, crushed

2 tsp curry powder

1 tsp cumin powder

Generous amount of black pepper

Sprinkle of chilli flakes and black pepper to serve

Begin by softening the shallots in the olive oil over a medium heat on the hob. Add the garlic and spices, stirring well. Add the parsnips and sweet potato. Cook for a further five minutes before adding to the slow cooker along with the beans and stock. Stir well to distribute the spices. Cook on high for 2-3 hours or on low for 6-8 hours.