RECIPE: Spicy carrot & quinoa stew

A superfood in its own right, the humble carrot is a source of vitamin A, vitamin K, fibre and antioxidants.

This stew is packed full of them and is combined with other nutritious ingredients to make up a quick and easy weeknight meal to fill up hungry tummies.

Quinoa is one of the best sources of plant-based protein due it’s complete array of essential amino acids. It takes the guess work out of protein combining which is required when eating most other sources of plant-based protein such as rice and legumes. It’s also rich in fibre making it good for gut health however, if you have a sensitive stomach make sure you rinse your quinoa well before cooking it to make it easier on your digestion.

The warming spices are grounding and aid the digestive process by bringing heat to the stomach and digestive tract. This helps your body break down your food so you can get more nutrients out of it.

Miso paste is a fermented food from Japan and can be found in most supermarkets or specialty stores. It brings a sweetness to the stew as well as provides other nutritional benefits including assisting in the absorption of vitamin K.

vegetarian, gluten free

Serves 4

Ingredients

Baked carrots

• 1 bunch Dutch carrots, trimmed and rinsed
• 1 tbsp ghee or coconut oil
• 1 tbsp honey
• Salt and pepper

Quinoa stew

• 1 onion, roughly sliced
• 1 tbsp ghee or coconut oil
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tbsp fresh coriander stalks, roughly chopped
• 1 small red chilli, thinly sliced
• 1 tsp curry powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1kg carrots, cut into half lengthways and then cut into 1cm thick slices
• 1 can whole tomatoes
• 5 cups vegetable stock or broth
• ½ cup white quinoa
• 1 tbsp white miso paste
• Salt and pepper

To serve

• 4 tbsp goat’s cheese or feta
• Coriander leaves, roughly torn
• Pine nuts or pumpkin seeds or slivered almonds
• Rye bread or preferred bread, thinly sliced and toasted (optional)

How to make

• Heat your oven to 180°C, line a baking tray with baking paper, toss your Dutch carrots in the ghee/oil, honey, salt and pepper, place them on the baking tray and place the tray into the oven to roast for 20 minutes. Remove the carrots when golden and set aside
• While they are roasting, place the onion and ghee/oil in a large lidded pot on the stove over a medium heat and sauté for 4 minutes until they soft and slightly browning, add the garlic, coriander stalks, red chilli, curry powder and cumin and stir again for another minute until everything smells fragrant. Add the carrot slices, canned tomatoes and vegetable stock then bring the pot to the boil before placing on the lid and turning the heat down to a gentle simmer. Leave to cook for 20 minutes or until the carrots are tender
• Once the carrots are cooked through, transfer the mixture to a blender or food processor and blitz everything until almost smooth. You might need to do it in two batches. Return your smooth stew back to the pot and stir in the uncooked quinoa and miso paste. Turn on the stove to low, place on the lid again and leave the quinoa to cook into the stew for about 10 minutes, stirring every now and again. Taste and season accordingly
• Once done, serve the stew into four bowls and top with the roasted Dutch carrots, a tablespoon of goat’s cheese, coriander, your preferred nut or seed and a slice of crusty rye bread, is using.

Roberta's tips

• Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days or freeze for up to one month
• To make it snappy, get the carrots roasting first and the stew will be ready by the time they are done