Ingredients
- 8 medium carrots, peeled and left whole
- 100g soft butter
- 2 tbsp tandoori or medium curry powder
- 1 lime
- 120g quinoa
- 700ml vegetable or chicken stock
- 50ml white wine
- 4 tbsp flaked almonds
- For the salsa verde:
- Handful flat leaf parsley
- Handful mint
- Handful basil
- 3 tbsp capers
- 1 garlic clove, peeled
- 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 120ml olive oil
- Juice of half a lime
- Sea salt
- Start by making the butter (which can also be made in a bulk and stored in the fridge). Leave the butter in a bowl at room temperature until soft. Add the tandoori/curry powder and mix well with a fork until evenly combined. Spoon the mixture on to a piece of parchment paper and roll into a log shape. Twist the ends of the paper and place in the fridge to set.
- Preheat the oven to 190 degrees. Peel the carrots and heat a heavy-based ovenproof pan. Add a drizzle of vegetable oil to the pan along with half the butter. When the butter has melted, add the carrots and fry for two minutes until golden brown all over. Place the carrots on to a baking tray, and pour the butter from the pan over them.
- For the quinoa: Return the same pan to a high heat. Add the remaining butter and allow it to melt, season with salt. Add the quinoa and cook for 30 seconds before adding the wine and stock. Bring to the boil, cover with a lid and place the pan in the oven along with the tray of carrots. Cook for 30 minutes until the carrots are soft and the quinoa is soft and fluffy. If you don’t have a pan with a lid you can use an ovenproof pot.
- While the carrots and quinoa are cooking in the oven, make the salsa verde. Roughly chop the herbs, stalks and all, and add to a blender along with the red wine vinegar, capers, garlic cloves, olive oil, lime juice, and a pinch of salt. Blend to a rough paste.
- Toast the almonds by placing on a tray in the oven for the final five minutes of the 30.
- To serve, spoon the quinoa on to a plate. Place the carrots on top along with any juices from the tray. Drizzle the salsa verde and garnish with a sprinkle of toasted almonds.
