SPICED PUMPKIN & SWEET POTATO with CREAMY POLENTA

I love to make this roast vegetable dish in winter. As our little 40 plus year-old abode has no insulation whatsoever, I have spent the past few wintery days standing in the kitchen hovering near the warmth of the oven. I love winter as roasted spiced vegetables are one of my favourite things. Add in some hearty polenta and you have a substantial meal to warm your insides. Readers of this blog will know that ground coriander and cumin are some of my choice spices and I adore them with roasted vegetables, especially sweet potato. No need to add salt or cheese of any sort to the cooked polenta, as the flavour of the spiced vegetables is tasty enough. You can add a scant amount of crumbled feta on top of the dish to serve, however. Such a hearty vegetarian meal. 

Ingredients

Spiced Pumpkin & Sweet Potato

• 700g pumpkin, skin & seeds removed and chopped into 2cm even pieces
• 700g sweet potato, peeled & chopped into 2cm even pieces
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 3 heaped teaspoons ground coriander
• 3 heaped teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 tablespoons rice bran oil
• Optional - 40g feta, crumbled

Creamy Polenta 

• 2 cups vegetable stock (gluten free and low salt)
• 1 1/2 cups water 
• 3/4 cup polenta 

Cooking 

1. Preheat a fan force oven to MAX (240 degrees celsius). Line a large baking tray with baking paper. 

2. Toss the chopped pumpkin & sweet potato with the garlic, coriander, cumin, oil and a pinch of sea salt & ground black pepper in a large bowl. Spoon the vegetables onto the prepared tray, trying to form a single layer of vegetables if you can. Roast in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until the pumpkin & sweet potato are tender and golden. 

3. Meanwhile, make the polenta by bringing the stock and water to a gentle boil in a small saucepan. Spoon 1/4 cup of the polenta into the pan at a time, stirring constantly until the polenta has absorbed most of the water, then repeat with the additional two 1/4 cups. Add more water if needed. When all the polenta is cooked, remove from heat. 

4. Spoon 1/2 cup of the cooked polenta into a bowl and top with one quarter of the roasted vegetables. Sprinkle 10g of feta onto each bowl. Serve warm and enjoy. 

Serves / 4

Total Preparation time / 20-25 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 25-30 minutes