I recently read an article in the latest issue of Cooking Light that talked about the trend in restaurants to put out more vegetable focused meals. While a good steak or grilled piece of chicken can taste delicious, vegetables really highlight the beauty and freshness of the season. Is there really anything better than biting into a juicy summer peach as it drips down your arm? Or taking a bite of the season’s first tomatoes?
One of my favourite ways to bring out flavour in vegetables is to roast them in the oven. And wouldn’t you know, this also is one of the simplest and hands-free methods…a double bonus!
A big sheet pan of vegetables, roasted until they are browned and crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, is something you can do on your lazy Sundays. This large batch of vegetables can then be used to help add that something special to your weekday meals. Throw a couple roasted peppers or zucchinis into a salad, add some roasted eggplant and onions to whole wheat pasta, or toss the roasted cauilflower and broccoli with some leftover cooked rice or quinoa for an instant grain salad.
Roasted Vegetables
Prep time | 10 minutes |
Cook time | 20 minutes |
Total time | 30 minutes |
Ingredients
- 2lb Any vegetables of your choice (Any solid vegetable can be roasted - zucchini, onion, eggplant, peppers mushrooms...etc. Try to choose similar texture vegetables so they cook at the same time (ie. don't roast harder root vegetables with softer summer veggies))
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- salt and pepper (to taste)
Note
Roasting vegetables concentrates their flavour and brings out their natural sugars and makes them taste just so darn delicious!
This is less of a recipe and more of a guide. Use any vegetables your little heart desires! And you can shake things up with different seasonings - try adding some cumin and chili powder for a Mexican themed batch, or some dried rosemary, oregano, and basil for your next Italian feast.
Directions
1. | Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prep your vegetables by washing, cutting the ends off, or peeling any outer skin. |
2. | Cut vegetables into uniform chunks. Try to get them all about the same size so they cook in the same time. |
3. | Toss vegetables with oil, salt and pepper and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Make sure they are evenly spaced out. If the pan is too crowded, your vegetable won't brown so use as many pans as you need. |
4. | Roast vegetables for 20 minutes for softer ones and 30 minutes for firmer ones. |
Roasted vegetables…perfect for your meatless Monday!
Dara
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Joanne says
I am a HUGE proponent of veggie-centered meals! You just can’t go wrong with roasting!