I make versions of this rice one tray bake over the course of the year. It's comforting and is an easy way to use up what we are growing at the moment. Parsnips are next on the list and are made to throw into soups and curries….or, this!

Ingredients

Vegan / GF
Serves 4

420g squash, peeled/chopped into 1cm thick pieces
1 parsnip, sliced into thin sticks
130g chestnut mushrooms, sliced
1 medium leek, thinly sliced
420g cauliflower, cut into small florets (including the leaves)
2 tomatoes, halved (I used san Marzano )
1 chilli, halved

Veg marinade:
1/2-1 tsp smoked harissa paste (depending on the heat you like)
1 tsp garlic powder
60ml olive oil
1 tbsp za'atar
salt and pepper

For the rice:
300g basmati rice (rinsed properly in cold water and drained)
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp za'atar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
600ml veg stock (hot)
60ml white wine
4 tbsp sesame oil
juice of half a lemon

Preheat oven to 190 C degrees and grease a 25cm by 30cm baking dish. Add the drained rice to dish and spread out evenly.

In a small bowl mix together all the marinade ingredients. In a large bowl add all the chopped veg and pour over the marinade. Toss everything together and season generously with salt and pepper. Top the rice with one single layer of the veg and add the remaining veg to a baking tray. Do not over crowd the dish!

Add all the leftover ingredients for the rice to a bowl except the wine, sesame oil and lemon juice. Mix together! Then gently pour this over the rice dish. Place in the middle of the hot oven along with the veg tray. Bake for 25 mins and then pour the wine over the rice and bake for another 15 mins.

On the last 5 mins drizzle a little sesame oil over the rice and veg tray. Rice cooks for 40/45mins and veg tray is roughly 30 mins. Serve straight away with a squeeze of lemon and the last of the sesame oil.

Za'atar Rice Tray

Ingredients