The main reason I picked this recipe is because I almost always have these ingredients on hand!  I knew this would be an easy whip it together recipe when I don’t have a change to go grocery shopping or I’m at the end of the week and only have carrots and potatoes left!It turns out that it is amazing!  Granted, this is the first time I made it and I added meat to it.  It looks like the recipe is slated as a side dish, but I wanted it to be the main course.  I added some [amazon_link id=”B0018R9TN8″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]nitrate, nitrite free kielbasa[/amazon_link] to it and WOW we all loved it!  Both boys asked for seconds and finished it down to the last potato!  My boys will usually eat what is on their plate, but they don’t often ask for more, unless it’s cake or ice cream, or something like that!Also, as we are still working on getting our house ready to put on the market, and we have riped up all the flooring on the downstairs this week and the place is in shambles!  Cooking alone was a feat! The vinyl floor has been ripped up, but the glue is still there, so I can’t let the baby crawl around (or try too… she would get stuck) and if any of us stand in one place for too long we walk right out of our shoes.  Trying to pull your shoe off the floor with your foot still in it feels a lot like two fingers stuck together with super glue!

And if any of you haven’t picked up on my Type A personality… I don’t do well with messes, and this place looks like it is undergoing MAJOR construction!  We went to the playground today and spent a lot of time outside because I couldn’t’t deal!  Also poor baby Aisling hardly went downstairs except to go outside today.  I just didn’t want her hands on the concrete sticky floor and in her mouth… YUCK.. .talk about chemicals… and who knows what else is in the air after ripping up carpet and vinyl… best to just get outside in the fresh air!

So, all that to say… this recipe took me about 10 minutes to throw together and then it took about 1.5 hours to cook and we went to the playground while it was in the oven.  Came back home, spread a blanket on the floor and had a picnic dinner since the kitchen table isn’t usable at the moment!  It might have been an inconvenience for us, but the kids saw it as an adventure and LOVED every minute!

So if you are in a time crunch, this is a great recipe.  MUCH quicker than a lot of my recipes and I don’t like spending longer than an hour preparing dinner in the first place!  The only caveat to add is that I did soak the chickpeas in water and a splash of vinegar over night and then simmered on low for much of the afternoon before cooking them with the rest of the veggies.This recipe I found from the Better Homes and Gardens magazine from November 2011 and it’s definitely a keeper!  And another bonus: BHG claims it is only $0.43 a serving if calculated as a side dish for 8.  It was a main dish for us, added meat, and it easily served 2 adults and 2 kids.

I’ll also make my usual disclaimer, that I’ve changed/edited/perfected the recipe to my liking.  The original can be viewed here!

Roasted Vegetables and Chickpeas (I added the meat)

Ingredients:

1 lb kielbasa – nitrate, nitrite free preferably
5 carrots, peeled and cut in 2-inch pieces
1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and cut in chunks
1 large red onion, peeled, halved, and cut in 1-inch wedges
1 pound red or russet potatoes, cut in cubes
12-15 cloves garlic, crushed but still whole
⅔ cup dried chick peas soaked, cooked and drained (equal to about 1-16 oz can)
2 – 3 tablespoons coconut oil
1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
1 TBSP maple syrup or molassas
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Position an oven rack in center of oven. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Place all vegetables, meat, garlic, and chickpeas in a large shallow roasting pan. In a small bowl combine the oil, rosemary, brown sugar, salt, and pepper. Drizzle over vegetables and meat; toss well to coat.
2. Roast, uncovered, about 1 hour to 1.5 hours or until vegetables are lightly browned and tender, stirring twice.

Let me know what you think!  Any changes for you?