Baked Vegetables with Garlic Tahini Sauce

During winter, when your fingers become popsicles and you're frozen down to your bones, it can be hard to motivate yourself into eating that daily salad with all the leafy greens that keep your insides happy and healthy.

But as far as I'm concerned, there are two fool proof ways of make sure you're getting a decent amount of veggies into your system in the cooler months - bake them, or soup them. That's not to say that cooking your vegetables is as good as having them raw in a salad, but it's a great place to start for those who are inclined to giving them a total miss.

One of my favourite ways to eat veggies (raw or baked) is smothered in tahini sauce, atop good crusty bread. Below is a recipe that makes a delicious, filling and wholesome lunch, or perfect side to a lamb dish. As the recipe stands, it's perfect for both vegetarians and vegans. There are no rules with what you can and can't throw into the baking dish, in fact, this is the sort of thing I make for my weekly 'clean out the fridge' dish on a Thursday night - which is perfect because Kevin gets home from Basketball at about 9pm and he's usually too ravenous to ask too many questions about what he's eating.

Baked Vegetables with Garlic Tahini Sauce

You will need 2 large chopped potatoes 2 heaped cups of mushrooms 5 truss tomatoes 1 heaped cup of chopped pumpkin or sweet potato Half of one red capsicum, chopped 2 tablespoons of rice bran oil 2 heaped cups of baby spinach

(Any winter root veggie will work for this dish! Remember - if you can bake it, the garlic tahini sauce will be perfect with it! Think cauliflower, broccoli, zucchini, squash...)

Garlic tahini sauce 3 tablespoons tahini 3 cloves garlic Juice of one lemon Half to one cup of water Generous pinch of salt

1/4 cup of fresh pomegranate to garnish Good crusty bread to serve

Place the vegetables (all except for the spinach) into a large baking dish. Add a generous pinch of salt and toss through with the oil.

Bake in an oven heated to 160C until potatoes are soft and well cooked. (Approx. 30 mins)

Garlic Tahini Sauce In a food processor on medium speed, whiz the garlic, salt and tahini until combined. With the processor still on medium speed, add the lemon juice in a thin stream. You will notice the tahini coagulate and thicken. Add water to the tahini and garlic in a thin stream. Keep adding until the tahini begins to appear whiter in colour and starts to take on the consistency of a creamy salad dressing.

Once the veggies are well cooked, remove from the oven. Toss through the baby spinach and dress with the garlic tahini sauce.

Garnish with pomegranate (for awesome pops of sweet tang) and serve with toasted crusty bread.