It’s time to add a bit of healthy eating after gorging on Halloween goodies! These fall vegetable stacks fill the bill in a delicious and beautiful way. The farmer’s market last Saturday was overflowing with gorgeous produce. I was thinking of making these vegetable stacks for some vegetarian friends coming to dinner Saturday night. The celeriac I wanted was not to be found (seems it’s not in season) but I found kohlrabi and some giant thick carrots. They are a French variety and reported to be very sweet, even though they were huge. If you are not familiar with kohlrabi, it is a member of the cabbage family and means “cabbage-turnip”. Roasted they taste a bit like a cross between an artichoke and a potato, very mild.

Layers of roast vegetables (I used cauliflower, beets, carrots, kohlrabi, and sweet potatoes) are stacked on top of a bed of lentils cooked with red wine. A horseradish vinaigrette is added to finish with some chopped parsley. You could add a bit of goat cheese or feta to top things off. In my book there isn’t much that can’t be improved with goat cheese! This main dish is vegetarian, gluten free, and vegan without the cheese.

All of the vegetables can be roasted  ahead and reheated in a 300 degree F oven before serving.

Make a double batch of the lentils and freeze them for future pilafs or soups.

 

Start the lentils first.

Lentils with Wine-Glazed Vegetables (serves 4 as a main dish)

Lentils

• 1 1/2 cups Umbrian lentils or lentils du Puy
• salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more
• 2 large shallots, diced
• 1 large carrot, diced
• 1 garlic clove, mashed
• 1 small dried chili
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2/3 cup of dry red wine
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 4 chopped scallions
• 2 tablespoons of butter (optional)

Put the lentils in a saucepan with 3 cups of water, 1 teaspoon salt, the bay leaf, and dried pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a lively simmer and cook until the lentils are tender but hold some texture, about 25 minutes.

While they are cooking, heat the 2 teaspoons of oil in a large skillet. Add the shallots and carrot, season with 1/2 teaspoon salt, and cook over medium-high heat until the vegetables are browned, about 10 minutes. Stir frequently. Add the garlic and tomato paste, cook for 1 minute then add the wine. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, cover, and simmer until the liquid is syrupy and the vegetables tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in the mustard and add the cooked lentils with their broth. If made ahead, stop at this point.

When you are ready to reheat, bring the contents of your pot to a boil, reduce the heat to simmer and cook until the sauce is reduced. Stir in the scallions, and optional butter, taste for salt, add freshly ground pepper.

(Recipe adapted from Debra Madison’s The New Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone and 101 Cookbooks.)

Roast Vegetables

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F

• 4 sprigs of rosemary
• grated rind of 1 lemon
• 6 tablespoons of olive oil

Chop the rosemary and combine with the lemon rind and olive oil. You will brush this over your vegetables

• 2 small fat sweet potatoes, peeled, sliced 1/2 inch thick
• 2 very fat carrots, peeled, sliced 1/2 inch thick
• 2 kohlrabi, peelied, sliced 1/4-1/2 inch thick
• 2 beets, peeled, sliced 1/4-1/2 inch thick
• 1 head of cauliflower, sliced through the core into 1 inch slices

Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit a large baking pan, lay out the slices of beet, brush with the rosemary oil and salt on both sides. Cover tightly with a piece of aluminum foil and roast for 20 minutes. Remove the cover and roast an additional 10-15 minutes.

Lay the slices of kohlrabi on another sheet of parchment paper on a second baking sheet, add the carrots to the other side. Brush with rosemary oil and sprinkle with salt. Roast for 35-40 minutes. Check the kohlrabi at 30 minutes, it might be done. It should be soft and starting to brown in spots.

Roast the slices of sweet potato in the same way, brushing with oil on each side and roasting for 35-40 minutes until they are soft and brown.

Brush the cauliflower slices with the oil on each side and salt well. Roast for about 20-25 minutes until cooked.

If made a few hours ahead, set aside at room temperature until it is time to reheat them. To reheat, place the baking trays in a 300 degree F oven for about 15 minutes.

Horseradish Vinaigrette

• 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 1/2 tablespoon of pure maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons of prepared horseradish
• 1/2 cup of olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Combine all the ingredients in a small jar and shake to combine well. Check the seasoning and set aside.

When you are ready for dinner, prepare each plate as below. I usually warm the plates in my microwave for 1 -2 minutes first. There is nothing worse than a cold plate with warm food!

Put a large scoop of lentils on each plate, cover with a slice of cauliflower, then the other slices, alternating colors. Top with a drizzle of vinaigrette and some roughly chopped parsley.

Just what the Dr. ordered to cure a Halloween sugar overdose!

Submitted to Mouthwatering Mondays, week 72.

Take a look to see what other wonderful dishes are on the menu.