Slow-roasted winter vegetables

Serves 4

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Boiled vegetables might remind you of school dinners, but this recipe demonstrates how different types of vegetables can provide delicious flavours and textures. What's more, using a variety of colours helps you to get a range of nutrients - beta-carotene from sweet potatoes, vitamin C from the peppers and fibre from the courgettes. The good news is that, once you've prepared the ingredients, you can just forget about it as it cooks slowly - the only reminder is the aroma of garlic and onion oozing from the oven door.

 

Ingredients

1 medium-sized (300g) sweet potato, thinly sliced
3 bay leaves
2tbsp olive oil
3 courgettes, halved lengthways and then thickly sliced
3-4 carrots (200g), halved lengthways and then thinly sliced
4 parsnips (200g)
1 red onion. sliced
8 (200g) baby aubergines, cut in half lengthways then split almost to the stem
1 yellow pepper, sliced into rings
3 tbsp lemon juice

 

Method

Preheat the oven to 200C°/400°F or Gas Mark 6.

Lightly grease a shallow ovenproof dish with oil and layer the sweet potato slices on the bottom. Add the bay leaves. Season with some of the flavourings (salt and pepper, basil, garlic, dried herbs) and drizzle 1-2 tsp of olive oil over the layer.

Repeat the process with all the other vegetables and finish with a layer of baby aubergines and yellow pepper. Season the top layer well and drizzle on some lemon juice.

Cover with foil and cook in the oven for 30 minutes. Turn down the heat a little and then cook for a further hour until the vegetables are soft. (Cook for less time if you prefer them crunchy.)

Serve hot with the bulgur wheat.