Try it yourself for a Christmas dinner with a twist

“This is one of the favourite recipes I did at Tullyglass Hotel for the WI Christmas cracker event. Roasting vegetables like parsnips and sweet potatoes always tastes great but adding a caper vinaigrette just adds an extra wow factor to the dish. It’s definitely one I’m doing for Christmas dinner this year,” said Arlene.

Did you know? Capers are actually the flower bud of a mediterranean plant, which have been sun-dried and then pickled in brine. They add a lovely, lemony piquancy to many sauces, vegetables and meat recipes and are also especially good with lamb.

Roasted parsnips and sweet potatoes with caper vinaigrette

Serves 6-8

4-5 parsnips (700g)

4 medium red onioins

150ml olive oil

4 thyme sprigs

2 rosemary sprigs

1 head garlic, halved horizontally

2 sweet potatoes (600g)

1x 335g pack cherry tomatoes, halved

1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

For the caper vinaigrette:

2 tablespoons lemon juice

4 tablespoons small capers, roughly chopped

½ tablespoon maple syrup

½ teaspoon Dijon mustard

1. Preheat the oven to 190C, fan 170C, gas 5. Peel and trim the parsnips, then cut them into wedges approximately 5cm long and 1.5 cm wide. Peel the red onions and cut each into 6 wedges through the root.

2. Place the parsnips and onion into a large roasting tin, and add 120ml of the olive oil, the thyme, rosemary, garlic, salt and black pepper. Mix well and spread out evenly over the tin. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes.

3. While the parsnips and onions are cooking top and tail the sweet potatoes. Leaving the skins on cut each potato into 10-12 wedges. After the parsnips have been roasting for 20 minutes add the sweet potatoes and return to the oven to roast for a further 30 minutes.

4. Once all the veg are cooked stir in the halved tomatoes and roast for 5 -10 more minutes.

Meanwhile make the vinaigrette by mixing together the lemon juice, capers, maple syrup, mustard and remaining olive oil and season with salt and black pepper. Pour the vinaigrette over the roasted vegetables as soon as they come out of the oven. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds and serve.