Cajun Spiced Roasted Vegetable Salad
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I ENTERED THIS RECIPE IN THE RECIPE WRITING COMPETITION AT
EAT DRINK BLOG, THE CONFERENCE FOR FOOD BLOGGERS THAT I ATTENDED IN CANBERRA OCT 16TH – 18TH 2015.
MY RECIPE AND I WON SECOND PRIZE
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I had a grand total of two followers when I first posted this recipe, my husband and my daughter. It was my very first post and it received zero attention. A staple cool weather dinner in our household, we recently welcomed a grey autumn day as a chance to enjoy a bowl of warm spiced roasted veg salad.
Embarrassed by the quality of the images on that very first post, I deleted the entire thing. I republished my Cajun Spice Mix recipe last year, then advocating it’s use as coating for pan fried chicken breast fillets, but to be honest I much prefer it with oven baked vegetables.
It’s rare for me to make a roast dinner in the traditional manner of my Mum’s generation, but we still love the intensity of flavour that oven cooked potato, pumpkin, carrot, sweet potato and parsnip develop. The spice mix intensifies that flavour deliciously.
You can use any vegetables in the salad though. I like a combination of root vegetables, then I add whatever other seasonal veg I have to hand. Today I included zucchini, red pepper, cherry tomatoes and thick slices of corn on the cob. Cauliflower, brussels sprouts, mushrooms and asparagus are all delicious too.
Crunchy cashews or pine nuts are my choice of protein here, the perfect textural counterpoint to the soft roasted veg while fresh baby spinach leaves or blanched beans tossed through the roasted vegies at the end of the cooking time add a fresh contrast. Finish with a slosh of balsamic vinegar to sharpen the flavour and dinner is ready to serve.
I group the veggies according to the amount of time they need to cook. Equal weights of carrots, potatoes, pumpkin, sweet potatoes and parsnips go in one pile, then sweet corn, cherry tomatoes, zucchini and red pepper in another. Once prepared and in the oven, basically, dinner cooks itself!
This quantity will serve 4 as a main meal
Cajun Spiced Roast Vegie Salad
3 medium sized potatoes, scrubbed ( I chose Nicola)
3 parsnips,
3 carrots,
1/2 large sweet potato (kumara)
small wedge of Jap pumpkin
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons of my Cajun Spice Mix (recipe below)
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1 red pepper
1 cob of corn
1 medium zucchini
150g cherry tomatoes
1/4 cup pine nuts or cashews
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180g green beans, topped and tailed
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
method:
Pre heat the oven to 180C fan forced. Lightly oil 2 oven trays.
Scrub the potatoes. Peel the pumpkin, sweet potato, carrots and parsnips Cut the vegetables into even bite sized chunks.
In a large bowl toss the root vegetables with the olive oil and the cajun spice.
Spread the vegetables in a single layer across the oiled oven trays and roast for 40 minutes.
While the root vegetables are roasting, remove the husk from the corn cob and chop into 3cm thick slices.
Cut the red pepper into 3cm squares.
Halve the zucchini lengthwise and cut into 3cm thick slices.
Toss the corn, zucchini, red pepper and cherry tomatoes together in the spicy oil residual in the bowl.
After the root vegetables have baked for 40 minutes, carefully turn them over then add the remaining vegetables.
Sprinkle the nuts on top.
Return to the trays of vegetables to the oven for another 20 minutes.
Steam the green beans for 6 minutes.
Tip the trays of roasted vegetables and nuts into a large bowl. Add the beans and balsamic vinegar and lightly toss.
Serve immediately.
Leftover roasted root vegetable salad makes a delicious frittata. Chop the kernels from the cobs of corn and cut the beans into short lengths then mix all the veggies together with eggs. Either cook on the stovetop or in the oven
Sandra’s Cajun Spice
2 tablespoons sweet Hungarian paprika
1 tablespoon ground cumin seed
1 tablespoon dried Greek oregano
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
1 teaspoon hing (or granulated garlic)
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
1 teaspoon sea salt
Pound everything together in a mortar, or process until the peppercorns and sesame are crushed.
If you are interested in exploring spices in depth, my favourite reference is Spice Notes by Ian “Herbie” Hemphill
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37 comments on “Cajun Spiced Roasted Vegetable Salad”
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Lovely Sandra, and well done on the win! I’ll have to give this a try as Cajun is one of the few ‘spicy’ cuisines I haven’t really tried though I might have to add some chicken for my young Mr fussy who isn’t keen on cooked veg 😦
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Thanks Beck. We love this salad, sometimes with chicken, or lamb, but usually cashews. Enjoy…
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A fabulous recipe, Sandra, well written and most delicious! Congratulations on your win at EDB! Well deserved.
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This has got to happen!! Thanks for a great recipe… I’m waiting for the first opportunity to do this veg mix! 😉
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You’re most welcome, enjoy….
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You’ve got a new fan! I’m Singaporean & hubby is Aussie so we eat all kinds & at times run out of ideas, especially when shopping in US supermarkets. We’re trying to grow most of our veggies but still need ideas as to what to cook or toss them with. I love your ‘fusion’ style.
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Welcome to PPTR Pekebun. Melbourne is a cultural melting pot, my cooking style merely a reflection. I hope I can inspire you…😀
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I’m doing the same thing with my blogposts, gradually. Such horrible photos, or lack of photos in the beginning! love this salad!!!
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Thanks Mimi, It’s worth reinvigorating or reposting some of the original recipes from the beginning, especially as now you have a large and appreciative audience
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Isn’t that always the way with early posts? I sometimes cringe when I look back. Good idea to re-do photos. Love your cajun mix and have used it several times now, but never on veg. Another good idea! Oh, and this photo is lovely.
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Thanks Deb, the photo is a vast improvement!! I’m tickled pink that you’ve made my spice mix, I think you’ll love it as a coating for veg
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Yes, those early photos! If it can be of any consolation, I think it happens to any blogger. Practice makes perfect and, looking back, we think we could have done a better job! 🙂
Roasted veggies are the perfect way to welcome fall. I love the addition of nuts. I think the combination is simply super. The vibrant color of your photo are so in season! 🙂
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Aw thanks Francesca, it’s a great way to enjoy an autumn salad when you need a dinner of veg. Finding the right balance between the quality of the graphic and written content of each post certainly takes time to develop…
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How lovely… another spiced-up vegetable dish to tempt the whole family! This warm vegetable salad looks wonderful Sandra.
Isn’t it funny, those early posts often have the worst photos attached to them and were written when the blogging learning curve was at it’s steepest, but are so often the recipes closest to our hearts that we first wanted to share with the world. I’m in 2 minds whether to take new photos in an attempt to justify the dishes, or to just leave them there to show how far I’ve (hopefully…) come. 🙂
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Yes it is a steep learning curve, but because I love photography is
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Oops sorry, just wanted to say my photographers pride got in the way….we love this spice mix..
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I go right around the world in my cooking adventures: Cajun has not been at the top of the list for some reason! But love your Cajun mix and shall make it over Easter – don’t have asafoetida at home at present so it will be garlic until . . . what a glorious meal . . . .
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The spice should probably called Cajun “style”, but whatever name you give it, vegetables taste delicious with a generous coating. Enjoy…
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Roasting vegetables is my favorite way to cook them. I love your salad and really like your Cajun spice blend. You are entering my favorite time of year…autumn. What a beautiful photograph Sandra.
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Thanks Seana. I love autumn too and Melbourne is at it’s best right now, warm clear days, cool nights. The shorter days are taking hold though….
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I am sure it taste amazing! I think it’s a bit too bad you deleted your first post though. I do appreciate to see the learning curve on all blog that I visit and see the skills develop as we go along. That said that picture is stunning 😉
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Thanks Raphaelle, i don’t feel any sentiment towards my early posts, they were pretty trashy……
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You deleted your first post? That’s a bit harsh. I get a laugh out of my early ones. The spice mix looks great. Must try this soon- as we eat roast veggies all the time and a little pizazz is needed.
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It was pretty bad, besides, I thought it was worth reposting the recipe. It was simpler to push the delete button rather than mess around editing. Enjoy the spiced veg when you get to it…
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Got to make this spice mix up, stat. Early photos, kind of hilarious, mortifying yet part of our blogging history. (On saying that there are one or two I may just have to ‘do over’.)
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I hope you like this spice mix, it’s so useful, and really was just a happy accident many moons ago. I’m all for trashing the ugliness..
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Aaah, early photos! I wish I could switch all of mine for better ones but it would be a task …
Roasted vegetables are the best and your spice mix looks like a nice way to pep them up a bit. Very delicious 🙂
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I’m sure all bloggers make a tentative start. I have replaced a few photos as I’ve remade dishes, but there are some recipes that deserve to be reposted too…..
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It looks delicious!
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Gee thanks, we really like the flavours too!
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I forget to make this mix, it’s some yummy and at its best on vegetables. Xxx
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Thanks, It was a scrumptious vegie catch up after a month of restaurant food.
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