Moroccan Root Vegetable Salad

 I have begun noticing a trend. In the winter, there is a point at which it seems there is very little variety in seasonal foods and I start to feel like I am "culinarily"  stuck. 

At this point the only way to get unstuck is to dress up what is available in different ways to stretch my patience until the spring produce comes in. And what is more warm, inviting and exotic than the word "Moroccan"? 

(I'm half Moroccan, so I may be biased.)

So we take the bold beet, the humble potato and the common carrot and transform this trio into  an earthy salad that will warm and comfort in the dead of winter!

I give you, the Moroccan Root Vegetable Salad, also know as Moroccan Potato Salad....

Moroccan Root Vegetable Salad
Ingredients:
3 Medium Sized Beets
5 Medium-large carrots
7 Small Potatoes (if using russet potatoes use 3 large
1 Small Onion
1 Lemon (the juice of it)
Salt (to taste)
Pepper (to taste)
3 Tbs Olive Oil

Method:

1. PREHEAT oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit
2. Wash veggies, especially the beets thoroughly, making sure to scrub all traces of dirt away.
3. Peel vegetables (if you'd like, I personally don't), cut Beets, Carrots and Potatoes into large pieces, roughly the same size (as pictured)
4. Place veggies on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil.
5. Cover the vegetables with aluminum foil and place in the middle rack of the oven. Set timer for 40 minutes
6. Meanwhile, peel and dice the onion.
7. Check the vegetables by pricking them with a fork to see if they are done. When just soft, remove from oven and allow to cool uncovered.
8. When the vegetables have cooled, cut into equal sized pieces and place in bowl. Add onions.
9. Soften lemon by rolling firmly on counter. Cut in half and deseed the lemon. Squeeze juice of whole lemon into bowl.
10. Add about 2 tsp of salt (or less to taste) and ½ tsp black pepper.
11. Stir salad.
12. Add 3 TBS Olive Oil, and Stir salad once more.
13. Serve warm or chilled.   

Preheat your oven to 400 Degrees Farenheit. Wash the root vegetables thoroughly and cut all of to roughly equal size, leaving skin on.

Drizzle with Olive Oil.

Cover with aluminium foil. Place in oven for about 45 minutes. 

About 30 minutes into cooking, uncover the vegetables and stick a fork in each vegetable to check for softness. The potatoes may cook a little more quickly than the others. To avoid overcooking, remove potatoes if they have finished cooking before the carrots and beets. ​

When the veggies are done cooking, peel the beets, carrots and potatoes. (I just peel the beets and the leave the skins on the potatoes and carrots because I like the added flavor of the skins). Cut the vegetable to roughly the same medium-grade size and add half of a chopped yellow onion.

Soften your lemon by pressing down on it while rolling it on the counter (this breaks down the inside pulp so you can get more juice from it!). Cut it in half, then squeeze the lemon onto your vegetables.Make sure to avoid having the seeds slip into the salad (they will be bitter).  Also, add salt and pepper directly onto the salad (to taste). Then mix it up!

Finally, add about 3 Tablespoons of good olive oil. Then mix it up again!

Serve warm or put in the fridge for later to let the flavors develop and deepen, then served chilled! Say Bismillah and enjoy!