Hi friends :)
Remember a few weeks ago when I was ranting and raving about coconut oil? Yup, still on a total kick. My latest obsession is to roast vegetables with it vs. olive oil. I know, it’s some kind of sin to not use olive oil as an Italian, but I can’t help myself. Coconut has that subtle sweetness and cozy flavor to it. It roasts so well!
This is a really simple recipe, and it has become a staple in our house. Basically, freekeh in general is now a staple. I can’t stop eating it to save my life. If you show up at any given moment, I probably have leftovers in my fridge. I love making a huge batch and having it on hand all throughout the week. I especially love eating it for breakfast. Weird, right? It’s totally cool.
So, here’s a typical recipe… but it’s far from typical. It’s actually magical.
I chose to roast cabbage (my favorite – remember?), carrots, onion, and celery. You do you, and roast whatever you have on hand.
The Recipe
OVEN: 400 F
ROASTING TIME: 30-45 minutes
You will need:
- 1 cup dried freekeh, cooked according to package (instructions below, too)
- 2 1/2 cups water or veggie broth (I used about 1 tsp of Better Than Bouillion in water)
- 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
- 1/2 vidalia onion, diced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 1 small head cabbage, chopped up small
- Himilayan salt, to taste
- Pepper, to taste
To make:
- Bring 2 1/2 cups of water or veggie broth to a boil and add 1 cup freekeh. Cover and reduce heat to simmer for about 20-25 minutes, or until tender.
- While freekeh is cooking, add all chopped veggies to a large bowl, coat with coconut oil and toss with salt and pepper. Add to a foil-lined baking sheet.
- Add veggies to your 400 F oven and let roast for about 30-45 minutes, or until brown on the edges
- Once veggies are done, add veggies to a large bowl with freekeh – stir well until everything is combined.
- Serve warm – or eat cold for breakfast the next morning ;)
The flaaaaavor in this dish, though. I urge you to give it a try… even if you don’t have freekeh. Sub in quinoa, rice, couscous, millet, farro, barley… whatever the heck you prefer. It’ll work!
Okay, off to enjoy the sun. It’s beaming brightly, and I need some vitamin d. Soak up the day! xx bianca
I find coconut oil best for roasting too!! I’ve cooked potato slices many times on the grill (it’s too hot here to oven roast in summer) ad they were always good but we’ve finally found the secret to that nice crispy crust and fluffy potato inside! Boil them whole until tender but not soft, then slice, season and toss with COCONUT OIL and grill on high until nice and crispy on the outside. No other oil this far has given that nice texture- it really is a miracle worker haha
Hi Rosemary! That is SUCH a great idea. I am sooo excited to try this! I always use olive oil for fries, but this is going to be a game changer… thank you for the recipe :-D xx bianca