Even in the coldest weeks of winter, you can make a bold statement with food. For my “Orange & Green Vegetable Bowl with Grains and Miso-Carrot-Ginger Dressing” dish, there are a multitude of ingredients ripe for roasting, and keeping the colors paired down to orange and green is simplistic and sophisticated. A bottom layer of quinoa, chickpeas and orange and green lentils is topped off with roasted Delicata squash, sweet potatoes, carrots, orange peppers, asparagus, snow peas and a beautifully bright orange dressing of carrot, miso and ginger. For a cold bowl, I add sliced romaine lettuce, Lacinato kale and lentil sprouts. Other green vegetables to roast: halved Brussels sprouts, broccolini, peppers and poblanos, zucchini, snap peas—there’s a wealth of what’s in season, so the possibilities are plentiful. Try the combinations in my recipe below for the full experience or improvise with your own favorites.  azestforlife.com

Orange & Green Grain Vegetable Bowls with Miso-Carrot-Ginger Dressing

Serve these satisfying bowls warm with the grains and roasted vegetables, or cold with the addition of lettuce, kale and sprouts.

Serving Size: 6

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked quinoa, see note
1/2 cup orange lentils, cooked
1/2 cup green lentils, cooked
3/4 cup cooked chick peas, see note
1 large carrot, peeled, sliced lenghwise
1 medium delicatta squash, scrubbed, cut 1/2″ halfmoons
1 medium sweet potato*, peeled, 1″ cubes
1 small orange pepper, cleaned, sliced 1/2 thick
6 medium asparagus spears
1/2  cup snow peas, cleaned and strung
1 recipe Miso-Carrot-Ginger Dressing*
2 tablespoons pistachio nuts, shelled, chopped
1 cup romaine lettuce leaves, cleaned, sliced
1/2 cup sliced kale leaves, lacinato, cleaned- thinly sliced, ribs discarded
1/4 cup lentil sprouts

Directions:

Make the Miso-Carrot-Ginger Dressing (recipe below). Refrigerate (can be made a few days in advance).

Cook the quinoa as package directs with the addition of 1/4 t. of tumeric and 2t. tomato paste dissolved in the water or broth.

Soak the garbanzo beans (try organic) over night. Drain and cook in water with 1/4 t. tumeric and 2t. tomato paste dissolved in the liquid. Cook the orange and green lentils separately until tender, do not over cook. Green lentils may cook until tender in 30 minutes, orange ones may cook
in 15 minutes. Do not overcook.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place the four cut orange vegetables on a heavy rimmed baking sheet. Rub with 1T. of neutral oil. Sprinkle with sea salt and pepper.

Roast, turning once until very golden and cooked through. The orange peppers will be done first, remove them to a platter. Add all roasted veggies to the platter when done. Raise heat to 400 degrees. Add the asparagus and snow peas and cook until roasted and slightly browned, less than 5 minutes—add to platter with vegetables. Sprinkle with green pistachio nuts and enjoy!

* Can substitute 1 medium golden beet for the sweet potato. Scrub and coat the beet with a little oil. Bake in a covered pan for 45 minutes
until tender. Cool, peel, cut into 1/3″dice.

(Tip: Cook a little extra of the grain and legumes, and use as a healthy addition in many meals for the week.)

Miso-Carrot-Ginger Dressing

Serving Size: about 2 cups

Ingredients:

1/2 cup roobois brewed tea, or water
1/2 cup rice vinegar, seasoned type
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
1/3 cup sugar
1/ 8 teaspoon whole dried chili pepper, seeds removed, crushed (up to 1/4 t. for spicy)
3/4 cup carrots, peeled & grated
1 teaspoons fresh ginger, peeled & chopped
3 teaspoons miso, yellow, mild
2 large garlic cloves, peeled & chopped
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 cup peanut oil, or neutral oil (expeller pressed)
1 1/2 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted in a skillet

Directions:

Toast the sesame seeds on a dry skillet until golden, set aside. Simmer the first 6 ingredients (tea or water through carrots) in a small pot until slightly reduced and carrots are crisp-tender, about 5 minutes.  Let cool 5 minutes. Add this mixture to a blender. Add the ginger, miso, garlic cloves, sesame oil and blend until smooth, one minute. Measure the peanut oil, and stream it into the dressing on medium speed until emulsified. Add the sesame seeds and blend another 30 seconds. Pour the dressing into a glass jar and refrigerate.

How to Serve the Bowls

Warm:
Heat the quinoa, chickpeas and both lentils. Place a serving in each of six bowls. Heat the orange and green roasted vegetables and top each bowl with them. Serve warm with Miso-Carrot-Ginger Dressing drizzled on top of each.

Cool:
Refrigerate quinoa, chickpeas and both lentils. Place a serving in each of six bowls. Refrigerate the orange and green roasted vegetables and top each bowl with them. Serve cool with the addition of sliced romaine leaves, kale and sprouts. Drizzle Miso-Carrot-Ginger Dressing drizzled on top of each.

Photos by Gus Cantavero
Table top by Simon Pearce (all items in photos except: glass bowl with salad dressing serving fork)