Roasted Carrots and Sweet Potatoes with Quinoa, Brown. and Red Rice

 
Roasted Carrots and Sweet Potatoes with Quinoa, Brown, and Red Rice Cook's Notes: A healthy vegetarian dish packed with tons of flavor. A shortage at the store propelled this dish into the making. I started out wanting plain quinoa (the store did not have😕 ) but did find this package of Seeds of Change.

It turned out to be quite the game-changer for the recipe. Seeds of Change has a great nutritional count making it a really healthy choice. The package was easy to prepare with two choices; microwavable or skillet preparation. I chose the skillet preparation so I could add in the homemade dressing and roasted veggie mixture. It was a filling dish perfect for lunch or supper. The recipe is an Ever Ready Special and serves 3-4. 
Optional adding in 1 drained can of chickpeas, rinsed. 

Cooking Tip: Best to keep carrots and sweet potatoes diced about the same so they roast equally. 
Dressing Ingredients: 

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 tablespoons orange juice
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger 
• 1/4 teaspoon each of cinnamon, nutmeg, thyme, parsley 

Dressing Directions:

• Add all ingredients to blender, and mix well.
• Reserve half the dressing for the rice dish and the other half will be used for roasting veggies. 

Ingredients: 

• 1 package quinoa, brown and red rice e.g. Seeds of Change or a similar product 
• 1-1/2 cups each of carrots and sweet potatoes
• 1/4 cup each of dried cranberries and chopped pecans

Veggie Directions: 

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. 
• Line a rimmed baking sheet with a silicone pad or parchment paper. 
• In a large bowl add uncooked veggies and 1/2 of the dressing. Mix well. 
• Spread evenly out on the baking sheet. Roast veggies for 18 minutes or until al dente. 
• Last few minutes of roasting time sprinkle in cranberries and pecans with veggies. 

Quinoa, Red and Brown Rice Directions:

• Follow the skillet directions on the package but add in the rest of the homemade dressing rather than using the suggested water. 
• Lastly, add in roasted veggies to the rice mixture, top with pecans, and serve immediately.