Meatless Monday: Roasted Root Vegetables with Barley & Avocado Cilantro Pepita Sauce
We tend to eat plenty of meatless or vegetarian meals without really thinking about it, but when I started this blog, I definitely got on a Meatless Monday kick. Whether or not you make this on a Monday, or any other day/night of the week, you'll be doing yourself a fibrous, filling favor.
The inspiration for this recipe came from this lovely site. I decided to up the root vegetables, though, and make more of an entree out of it than a salad. It was pefect on a bone-chilling February evening. The sauce is delightful and is pretty multi-purpose in my opinion. Slather it on chicken or turkey burgers, use as a refreshing spread, dip vegetables or even torilla chips in it, have it with a fried egg on toast... I might need to make more after all the salivating I just did while writing this.
Another change I made to the original recipe is the use of pepitas (instead of pistachios). Don't get me wrong, I LOVE pistachios. But man, they're expensive. Pepitas are pretty cheap and can usually be found in the bulk section at grocery stores and co-ops, and likely your average Latin market. I picked these up from Lakewinds Co-op for less than $1.
It seems like there are a lot of steps in this recipe, but it's really quite simple when you think of it this way: Roast some veggies, cook some barley, make a quick and easy sauce in the food processor, throw it all together. Yay!
Roasted Root Vegetables with Barley & Avocado Cilantro Pepita Sauce
Serves: 2-4
Preparation Time: 45-60 minutes
Ingredients:
4 small beets, cut in a large dice
4 small turnips, cute in a large dice
2 parsnips, peeled & cut into a large dice
cooking spray or olive oil
1 medium red onion, sliced into 1/4-in. slices
1-2 tbsp. olive oil or butter
splash of balsamic vinegar
1 c. barley
2.25 c. water
pinch of salt
For the sauce:
1 large avocado, diced (it doesn't have to be pretty, it's just going into the food processor)
1 c. cilantro, coarsley chopped
1/4 c. pepitas (pumpkin seeds), toasted
1 clove garlic
juice of 1/2 a small lemon
just a touch of honey (optional, but I think it balances out the flavors nicely)
3-4 tbsp. olive oil
salt/pepper to taste
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Lightly coat a baking sheet with cooking spray or olive oil. Place diced beets, turnips and parnips on baking sheet and roast for about 30 minutes. Check on them every once in while to ensure they're not burning and to rotate on the pan. Sprinkle vegetables with salt after roasting, if desired.
2. While the vegetables are roasting, start cooking the barley. Place barley, water and a punch of salt in a sauce pan that has a lid. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to just a simmer and cover. Cook until most of the water has been absorbed and the barley is tender but somewhat firm. This will also take about 30 minutes. If there is a lot of excess water, you can drain it from the pan when finished cooking.
3. Caramelize the onions by heating 1-2 tbsp. of butter or oil in a saute pan large enough to fit the onion slices. Add onion once hot and let caramelize over medium heat. Stir the onions occasionally to avoid burning. Lower the heat if necessary. When the onions become soft and golden, deglaze the pan with a splash of balsamic vinegar, stir and then remove the pan from heat.
4.Next, make the sauce. In a small saute pan, pour pepitas and bring to medium-high heat to toast, shaking the pan or stirring the whole time. It'll only take a few minutes to toast and you don't want them to burn. Once toasted, set aside to cool. Place all sauce ingredients except olive oil and salt/pepper in a small food procsssor. Process until smooth, adding the oilve oil in through the spout while the processor is running. Add salt/pepper to taste and adjust any other flavors as desired. If it's too thick, add a little more olive oil, or even a few teaspoons of water.
5. Now, to assemble: Top a plate or bowl of barley with roasted vegetables and caramelized onions and pour sauce over the top. Take a pretty picture and then mix it all together!
