Roast veggies with white beans, coriander and mustard

This week I accidentally created the most excellent of meals. It began simply, just roasted vegetables with a little kick of cumin. Then random odds and ends that I had on hand started making their way onto the plate and … voilà! A surprising culinary success.

The subtle cumin and coriander flavours lend a slight Middle Eastern feel to the dish while the seeded mustard is a refreshing punch to the palate. And with plenty of beans and seeds, this one’s packed full of protein and perfect for those eating sans-meat.

What goes in:

Your favourite vegetables for roasting – I used baby potatoes, butternut pumpkin, zucchini, onion and garlic
Canned white beans, such as cannellini beans or chickpeas, washed and drained
Fresh greens, such as oak leaf lettuce or baby spinach
Sunflower kernels
Seeded mustard
Fresh coriander
Ground cumin
Salt and pepper
Olive oil

How you do it:

Cut the veggies into chunks and season with olive oil, salt, pepper and a little cumin. A little note on the pumpkin – leave the skins on and eat them too. They’re delicious and nutritious, truly. And set aside the seeds for baking a little later because they’re edible and tasty, too.

Throw everything except the garlic cloves and pumpkin seeds into a piping hot oven and roast until the veggies are cooked through and browning, maybe 30 to 40 minutes.

Pop the garlic (still in their skins) and the pumpkin seeds in for the last 10 minutes or so, seasoning both with olive oil, salt and pepper.

Arrange everything on a plate. Greens first, then a handful of beans, then veggies. Sprinkle sunflower seeds and roasted pumpkin seeds over the top, add some generous dollops of seeded mustard and a garnish of coriander. Eat.