SPICE-ROASTED VEGETABLES WITH CHICKPEAS + CHERMOULA

I started a post about my place in the work/life/momming balance and I realized I just don't have much to share on figuring through that yet. I understand you don't ever get it "just right," but I am trying to get close enough to where I feel happy with what I was able to give at the end of the day. I want to check all my boxes and still feel like me at the end of the day, but I don't think I get to have that yet. I am trying to be patient and gracious with myself that I still have an infant that wakes up multiple times through the night, but I can't help but feel like I should be able to keep all the balls in the air. We've made these huge strides with women in the workplace but I think we still feel the pressure to do all the home and childcare tasks as well. Blame the internet if you wish, but it's tough trying to be the everywoman. My juggling skills don't look natural quite yet, and I cry too easily when a ball falls, but I'll check back if I figure something out. 

I've been stuck on vegetarian main ideas that satisfy all three of us and I loved this spice combination on the vegetables from Emma Galloways book. Never mind that Hugh added a grilled sausage to his, making this ever the flexible omnivorous meal, but I liked it just as it was. Warm with cinnamon and honey, spiced with garlic and interesting with paprika and coriander. I repurposed the chilled leftovers over greens the next day with a little feta cheese to make a salad of the dish. Don't skip over this if you don't stock cumin seeds, half a teaspoon of dried cumin is fine. Or I didn't have quite enough coriander and it still turned out great. Again, pretty flexible. 

SPICE-ROASTED VEGETABLES WITH CHICKPEAS + CHERMOULA

Recipe adapted from My Darling Lemon Thyme by Emma Galloway

1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas, freshly cooked or one 14 oz. can, rinsed well
3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp. finely chopped cilantro stems
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tsp. ground coriander
2 tsp. cumin seeds
1 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. honey
1 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. fresh ground pepper
1 lemon
1 bunch baby beets
1 bunch baby carrots or about 4 larger ones
2 small parsnips, cut into quarters
2 baby potatoes
mint leaves, to serve

2 cups cooked whole grains such as quinoa, millet, brown rice etc.

/chermoula/

1 small bunch cilantro
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
juice of one lemon
1 garlic clove
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
sea salt

Drain the chickpeas well. 
Preheat the oven to 375'. Place olive oil, cilantro stems, garlic, spices, honey, salt, pepper and lemon zest in a large bowl and mix well. Cut the beets and potatoes in half so they are about the same thickness as the carrots and parsnips. Add the chickpeas, carrots, parsnips and potatoes to the bowl and toss to coat. Transfer to a baking sheet in a single layer. Toss the beets in the remaining marinade and tuck them to one side of the baking sheet (beets stain and will turn everything pink so this is for aesthetics, if you don't mind all pink vegetables, by all means toss everything at once). Roast for 35-45 minutes, stirring everything once, until golden and tender.
Meanwhile, cook your grains and keep them warm. 
To make the chermoula, put all the ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until a rough sauce is formed. Season to taste with salt. 
Serve the grains topped with the roasted vegetables and chickpeas, scraping up all the spices left on the tray. Drizzle with chermoula and sprinkle with mint leaves. 

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