Spiced Sides for a Sunday Roast
All my favourite spiced up versions of some Sunday classics
Welcome to Issue 5 of Weekend Wonders: One Meal, Endless Flavours. There are 4 recipes here: Curried Leek & Cauliflower Cheese, Masala Roast Potatoes, Spiced Rum Baked Carrots, Garlic & Lemon Greens.
There are of course times when only a traditional roast will do, but equally there are times when we crave something a bit different. I hope that this selection of recipes inspires you to spice things up a little! I like to have these with a traditional plain roasted joint of meat or nut roast, but if you wanted to spice things up further you could use the tandoori marinade recipe from the Butter Salmon Recipe on lamb or chicken and make a gravy with the rich juices.
I realise typing this up that is is remiss of me to have not yet shared a curry powder recipe with you all - this will be rectified in part two of Spice: Toasting & Grinding that I will publish later this month. Also - more recipe photos to follow after we enjoy these sides on Sunday! A final note - there are no substitute, Simplify or Economise notes with these recipes as they aren’t always warranted.
A note on garlic granules…I used to be such a snob about these, but I wouldn’t be without them now…more on this in the future but if you’ve never used them I urge you to make the Garlic & Lemon Greens recipe here with them & be inspired!
Do let me know in the comments if there is any recipe in particular that you would like me to share. Happy cooking.
Chloe x
Peel & parboil your potatoes, you can do this a day ahead if you like.
Cut all the vegetables as directed in the individual recipes and wash them well.
Make the curried leek sauce.
Get your oven hot and ready for your roast potatoes (this of course will be influenced by what you are having them with).
Roast your carrots.
Brown your cauliflower cheese, pop it in the oven at the same time as the carrots.
Stir fry your greens.
Masala Roast Potatoes
Serves 4
Ingredients
1kg potatoes - I like to use Maris Piper
Avocado oil, olive oil, coconut oil - a mixture or one or the other
1 teaspoon each coarsely ground cumin & coriander - this is best done in a pestle & mortar
1 teaspoon chilli powder - or more according to taste
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 tablespoon curry powder - I like to use my Roast Sri Lankan Curry Powder for this recipe, but any that you have to hand will do
Salt & pepper
Juice of half a lime
Fresh chopped coriander leaves - a generous handful
Equipment
Chopping board & sharp knife
Colander
Large saucepan with a lid
Large roasting tray
Small bowl & spoon
Metal spoon for turning & basting the potatoes
Pre heat your oven to 220c (200c fan)
Peel your potatoes & cut them into large evenly sized pieces - I like to cut them at an angle so that you have nice thin edges for crisping up.
Pop the potatoes in the pan and cover with water, add a good pinch of salt & bring to the boil, once boiling cook for 6 minutes until they are still firm but starting to soften round the edges. Drain them well, leave them in the colander to steam and get completely dry.
Meanwhile once your oven is hot put enough oil into your roasting tray to cover the bottom with a thin layer - you don’t want your potatoes sitting & steaming in a great puddle of oil, but you want enough there to crisp them up as they cook. Put the tray in the oven for 5 minutes until the oil is hot, not quite smoking.
While the fat is heating, put the dry potatoes back in the dry saucepan, put on the lid and bash the potatoes around vigorously until the edges have started to break down & fluff up. You may have a variety of potatoes that have cooked quickly & look quite crumbly without doing this , in which case skip this step.
When the oil is hot, carefully remove the tray from the oven & put it safely on a secure spot on the kitchen counter or table. Gently pour the potatoes into the oil, careful not to splash any of the fat out of the pan & onto yourself. Once all the potatoes are in, turn them with a metal spoon to coat them well in the hot oil. Season well with salt & pepper & pop back in the top of your hot oven.
In a small bowl mix together all of the spices.
After the potatoes have been cooking for 20 minutes, take them out of the oven and turn them, return them to the oven for a further 10 minutes. After this time they should be getting good & crispy all over all over. Remove from the oven again & sprinkle over the spices, stirring the potatoes carefully but thoroughly to spread the spices evenly. Return to the oven for a last 10-15 minutes until beautifully golden & crisp.
Transfer into a serving dish, add the fresh coriander leaf & squeeze over the lime.
Curried Leek & Cauliflower Cheese
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 cauliflower, broken into even sized florets. Use the paler softer leaves too
1 large leek, cut down the middle and sliced into 2cm pieces
50g of butter or vegan alternative
1teaspoon turmeric
1 tablespoon curry powder - I like to use my Madras Curry Powder for this recipe, but any that you have to hand will do
4 tablespoons plain flour
500ml milk - dairy or non dairy
100g robust cheddar cheese like Davidstow, grated
Salt & pepper
Equipment
Chopping board & sharp knife
Colander
Large saucepan with a lid
Small saucepan
Wooden spoon
Oven proof dish that will accommodate the cauliflower & sauce
Preheat your oven to 200c (180c fan)
Bring the large saucepan filled with water to the boil, add the cut & washed cauliflower to the boiling water, return to a simmer & cook for 5 minutes until the flesh is easy to cut into with a sharp knife. Drain in a colander & leave to one side.
In the smaller saucepan, melt the butter over a medium heat & add the leeks, cook gently for 5-8 minutes until they have softened & are beginning to take on a little colour. Add the turmeric & curry powder, stir in well. Add the flour, stir in well & cook, stirring all the time for 2 minutes.
Gradually add the milk, beating to a smooth paste after each addition. Once all of the milk is added, cook the sauce gently until it has thickened and is coating the back of the wooden spoon.
Add two thirds of the grated cheese, stir in well & continue to cook until the cheese has melted.
Lay the cauliflower out evenly in the oven proof dish, season well with salt & pepper.
Cover evenly with the curried sauce, top with the remaining cheese & bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes until the top is catching in places & getting crisp & brown.
Spiced Rum Baked Carrots
Serves 4
Ingredients
500g carrots - I like to use the long heirloom variety that are different colours when I can
1 teaspoon each cumin seeds & caraway seeds
2 tablespoons of rum - you can skip this or use brandy or whiskey if you have no rum to hand
1 tablespoon light soft brown sugar
30g butter
Salt & pepper
Equipment
Chopping board & sharp knife
Oven proof dish that will accommodate all the carrots in a single layer
Sheet of foil to cover the oven proof dish
Preheat your oven to 200c (180c fan)
Wash the carrots & cut them in half down their length, keep cutting the pieces of carrot in half until each baton is about 1cm thick. Pop them into the roasting dish.
Add the cumin, caraway, sugar & rum & season well with the salt & pepper. Mix them together with your hands ensuring the carrots are well coated.
Dot the butter over the top of the carrots. Cover the tray with foil & pop in the hot oven. Cook covered for 10-12 minutes & remove the foil, stir them around & return to the oven for a further 8-10 minutes. You want the carrots to have coloured but also retained a little bite.
Garlic & Lemon Greens
Serves 4
Ingredients
500g greens - spring greens, chard, kale, savoy or other leafy cabbage will do - use a mixture!
250g frozen peas
Olive or avocado oil
1 teaspoon garlic granules
Zest & juice of a lemon
Salt & pepper
Equipment
Chopping board & sharp knife
Colander
Wok or a large heavy bottomed frying pan with a lid
Wooden spoon
Shred the greens finely before washing them - don’t be too scrupulous when drying them as you want some of the water to help with the cooking.
Heat the oil in the wok gently, when hot but not smoking, add the greens & quickly stir fry to coat in the oil.
Add the garlic granules & season well with salt & pepper, add the peas & mix all the ingredients well together.
Turn down the heat, cover with the lid & leave to cook for 2-3 minutes, then stir, re cover & leave for another few minutes until the peas are cooked & the greens are lightly charred.
Add the lemon zest & juice before serving.
