Roast Carrots and Turkish Eggplant with Poached Chicken

Deep into the the lazy days of August - hoping this highly spiced dish gives me just the kick I need.  School supplies lady! Get it together.  Just giving the recipe for veg as honestly you could serve this dish with whatever you want - cold leftover steak, hard boiled eggs or grilled salmon. Hummus?  Dress any of those ideas up with a bit of lemon zest, cilantro and a cooling spoonful of thick plain yogurt. 

Roast Carrots and Baby Eggplant with Poached Chicken 

• 2 tablespoons cumin seeds, toasted and cracked
• 1 teaspoon Spanish paprika
• 1 clove garlic, minced to paste
• 1 teaspoon sea salt, plus more for vegetables
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, less if you dislike heat
• 1/2 cup olive oil, plus more for vegetables
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 large bunch carrots, trimmed, peeled and thinly sliced if thick
• 6 Turkish eggplant, halved
• Cold Poached chicken,  for serving - see above
• Thick plain yogurt, for serving

Mix together cumin, paprika, garlic, 1 teaspoon sea salt, cayenne, 1/2 cup olive oil and lemon juice in a small bowl or jar - a pint mason jar ideal as you will have leftovers and this allows for easy storage.  Let stand about 1 hour for flavors to mingle and mellow. 

Heat oven to 425.  Combine vegetables in a large bowl.  Stir or shake spice mix well and spoon about 1 tablespoon of mixture over vegetables.  Add about 2 tablespoons more olive oil to vegetables and season with a pinch or two more salt.  Arrange vegetables - in a more or less single layer - on a sheet pan or roasting tray.  Roast until vegetables are very tender, take on lots of color and start to caramelize, about 30 minutes.  The eggplant may lag behind - if so remove carrots for pan and continue roasting eggplant until done.  Serve with poached chicken - dressed in lemon and cilantro - with a large spoonful of cooling yogurt.  The remaining spice mix should be kept refrigerated until needed.  Spoon it onto and into anything - sliced avocado, cucumber soup - you name it.