Honey Roasted Vegetables with Red Pepper Houmous

Honey Roasted Vegetables with Red Pepper Houmous. I was very lucky to be given some locally grown vegetables a couple of weeks ago. A colleague was going away and gave me amongst other things beetroot and fennel. We are so lucky to have a wealth of fruit, vegetables, herbs and salads produced on island. Eating seasonal, locally sourced food is good news for several important reasons. It is more flavourful and nutritious due to the short time between harvest and you buying it. This is because there is less time for the nutrients to break down.

There is a big reduction in transport costs by buying local. Buying local helps drastically lower the carbon footprint especially if you use your own packaging. Finally, buying from growers and producers close to home helps support the local economy providing vital income and jobs. Most importantly fresh food tastes absolutely fantastic.

This lovely haul of produce got me thinking. What could I make? I had a few items in my fridge and the usual store cupboard staples. One of my favourite healthy snacks is creamy Houmous and crunchy vegetable crudités. Just dipping in carrot sticks, celery, and peppers, yum. So, today’s recipe was born a Red Pepper Houmous with a kick of Cayenne and some sweet honey roasted, thyme infused vegetables.

Why Roast Vegetables?

Roasting vegetables like fennel, beetroot, and carrots brings out the natural sweetness. The secret is to set your oven to a pretty high temperature. This temperature will cook the vegetables and caramelise some of the natural sugars. Just think of a roast parsnip! A slight charring will also add a subtle smokiness to the roasted peppers for the houmous. In my recipe a spoon of honey just adds to the natural sweetness.

For the perfect roasted vegetables cut into pieces. Root vegetables need to be smaller than say peppers or courgettes. Toss in a little olive oil and generously season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Spread out into baking trays but don’t overcrowd them. If you put too many vegetables in you will end up steaming and not roasting your vegetables. You can add whole, peeled cloves of garlic and sprigs of rosemary and thyme for flavour before putting in the oven.

What to drink?

My wine choices to pair with the Houmous and Roasted Vegetables are a lightly chilled, refreshing Rosé from Provence or a fruity Beaujolais. For a beer to drink I would recommend a crisp, hop forward Pilsner lager.

Honey Roasted Vegetables with Red Pepper Houmous

Christian Gott – An Island Chef

You can use tinned red peppers and substitute a jar of artichoke hearts for the fennel if you prepare. I used two really large fennel bulbs this time but use more if they are smaller. I use dill as a garnish as it complements the flavour of the fennel, you can use chives or parsley if you prefer.

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Prep Time 45 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

For the red pepper houmous

• 4 large Red Bell Peppers cut into quarters and de-seeded
• 400 gr tin Chickpeas drained and rinsed
• 1 Lemon
• 5 tablespoons Tahini Paste
• Olive Oil
• 6 cloves Garlic peeled
• 1 level teaspoon Smoked Paprika
• ½ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
• Sea Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper

For the roasted vegetables

• 500 gr Carrots peeled and cut into wedges
• 500 gr Beetroot peeled and cut into wedges
• 2 to 4 Fennel Bulbs trimmed and cut into wedges
• 150 ml Olive Oil
• 2 tablespoons Honey
• A small sprig fresh Thyme
• Sea Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper

To finish

• 100 gr Olives
• Caper Berries
• Good Quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Fresh Dill washed, dried and picked

Course Appetiser, Appetizer

Cuisine Middle Eastern

Servings 4 people

Instructions

 

For the houmous

• Preheat your oven to 425 F / 220 C / Gas Mark 6 degrees. Place the pepper quarters and garlic on to a small baking tray. Drizzle with a little of the olive oil, season and place into the oven.
• After ten minutes carefully remove and turn the pieces over, then return to the oven for another ten to fifteen minutes until the pieces are softened and slightly charred. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
• When cool remove as much of the skin as possible then place two thirds of the peppers into a food processor with the cooked garlic cloves. Reserve the remaining peppers for plating. Add the drained chickpeas, the Cayenne and Paprika and the freshly squeezed juice of the lemon.
• Pour in a good glug of olive oil and blitz. Add enough olive oil to achieve a creamy texture. Correct the seasoning, transfer to a plastic container with a tight-fitting lid and chill in the fridge.

For the roasted vegetables

• Preheat your oven to 425 F / 220 C / Gas Mark 6 degrees. Place the vegetables on to a baking tray keeping them slightly separated so that the beetroot does not stain the other vegetables.
• Drizzle with the oil and thyme and season generously. Cover with aluminium foil and place in the oven for thirty roast for forty minutes.
• Carefully take out of the oven and remove the foil and pour over the honey. Place back into the oven and cook for another ten minutes
• Take out of the oven and allow to cool, season if required and serve whilst still warm.

To serve

• Spoon the houmous onto suitable plates. Add the warm roasted vegetables and olives. Drizzle with the extra virgin olive oil, a few caper berries and dill fronds.

Notes

Allergens in this recipe are;

   Sesame seeds in the Tahini

Please see the allergens page

Keyword Houmous, Roasted Vegetables

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