Roasted beets, carrots and onions

I found this recipe (and picture) on the Meatless Monday blog, tried it and loved it. I have been eating the leftovers for lunch. I added the *spices and also put in some slivered fresh ginger. I cooked it for over an hour to get the vegetables very tender and the onions were starting to carmelize. Yum! I have cut and pasted this recipe and my changes are in italics.

Beets, carrots and red onions are seasoned with middle-eastern spices and oven-roasted in this terrific veggie medley. The Ras el Hanout spice blend can be constructed by mixing many everyday spices, so you can enjoy this veggie side dish without leaving the comfort of your own kitchen. This recipe comes to us from our friends at Foodista.

Serves 4

• 1 lb carrots, peeled and cut in half vertically
• 5 medium-sized beets, peeled and cut into quarters
• 2 large red onions, peeled and cut into quarters
• 3 teaspoons Ras el Hanout*
• 4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

* Ras el Hanout is a spice blend which can be found in the spice section of many grocery stores and Middle-Eastern specialty shops. To make your own, mix together equal parts of cardamom, ginger* (fresh), allspice, cinnamon*, paprika, coriander*, cumin*, nutmeg and turmeric*. Add a pinch of cloves and black pepper at the end. This spice blend is flexible, so don’t worry if you’re missing a few spices.

Preheat the oven to 400°F. (375F)

Place carrots, onion wedges and beet quarters in a roasting pan in one layer. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Sprinkle the Ras el Hanout spice blend evenly over the vegetables. Drizzle the extra-virgin olive-oil over the seasoned vegetables.

Roast in oven for 25-30 (60) minutes, or until vegetables are cooked through. Let vegetables cool for 5 minutes before serving.