Roasted Broccoli and Squash with a Basil and Tahini Sauce
Written by Rachel, Posted in Condiments, Dairy-Free, Dinner, Gluten Free, Herbs, Main Dishes, Pasta, Quick and Easy, Rice, Roasting, Sauces, Sides, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian
As I type this, I’m practicing my songs for the Christmas concert in December. This seems wrong because the weather doesn’t match the feel of the songs. I don’t know if it will ever not be weird to me to have 90 degree weather in October, but I’m coping. I try to avoid using the oven too much when it’s hot. But, today I made an exception. It just has to be done earlier in the day when it’s still cool out. And, even though it warms up the house a lot, it’s worth it to be rewarded with roasted veggies.
Roasted broccoli is one of my favorite things. Sure, it can make the house smell like toots, but it tastes so good that it doesn’t really bother me. And roasted summer squash, I can eat the entire pan by myself. Easy.
I tossed them with some olive oil, salt, pepper, and cayenne. Simple.
While they roasted I blended together some sauce (which could be a dip, just make it a little thicker). It contained things like garlic, ginger, basil, tahini paste, and homemade yogurt. I’m totally on a homemade yogurt kick right now. It’s the best, and it’s not too difficult to make. When I make it, I feel like I’m winning at life. Same with homemade bread. I guess we all have our things that make us feel like we’ve accomplished something great. Those are two of mine.
This sauce might be another. It’s a bit Asian-inspired, with the soy sauce (liquid aminos if you’re gluten-free) and the tahini. If you have leftovers, you might use it on an Asian Chicken Salad or a Napa Cabbage Slaw. If you don’t have tahini paste (which is ground up sesame seeds), you could use almond or peanut butter.
I served the veggies drizzled with the sauce, over some brown rice. Other options would be to serve it over pasta, spaghetti squash, chicken, tofu, or just dip the veggies in the sauce. They’re great that way too.
I see cooler weather in the forecast. It’s almost the season for all the roasted veggies, soups, and stews.
Happy Eating!
Ingredients
- 1 head broccoli, cut into bite sized pieces (stems too, just peel the tough outer skin)
- 1 medium or 2 small summer squash, cut into sticks
- 1 t olive oil
- to taste salt
- to taste pepper
- pinch cayenne
- sauce: 1 T tahini paste
- 1 t soy sauce or liquid aminos
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/2" cube fresh ginger (or good pinch dried)
- pinch cayenne
- 2-3 T plain yogurt (Greek or coconut) or silken tofu
- 1/4 t dried thyme or 1 t fresh
- 2-3 T fresh basil
- to taste olive oil
- cooked rice, rice noodles, spaghetti squash, chicken, tofu, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 400F.
- Toss broccoli and squash with oil, salt, pepper, and cayenne. Roast for 10 minutes, flip, and roast for 10 minutes more (or until a bit crispy outside).
- Blend tahini through olive oil. Taste and adjust seasoning if desired.
- Serve veggies drizzled with sauce (over rice, rice noodles, spaghetti squash, chicken, or tofu, if desired).