Roasting Vegetables

An easy way to add veggies into your family’s diet is to try roasting them.  It is amazing how different they taste than when fixed any other way.  This is also a great way to use up small amounts of raw vegetables by combining several at a time.  One of my favorite vegetables to roast is brussel sprouts. They completely lose the bitterness and actually taste almost nutty.  About a year ago, one of my grandsons, who absolutely will not eat any kind of vegetable, was at my house at lunchtime one day and for some reason helped himself to a roasted brussel sprout.  His eyes got big and he said, “That’s really good!”. I knew he was sincere when he asked me to bring roasted brussel sprouts to Thanksgiving dinner.  (Yes, Kyle, I’m talking about you.)

Ready for some good eating!
source: Sean Dreilinger

Just about any kind of veggie can be roasted, although the time may need to be adjusted.  The most important thing is to be sure everything is cut into bite-sized pieces that are all roughly the same size. Unless the brussel sprouts are really small, I cut them in half.  This is also a great time to experiment with different flavors - use coconut oil and cinnamon for carrots or sweet potatoes, add some rosemary with regular potatoes, try out any other favorite seasonings with appropriate veggies.

Ingredients:

• Raw vegetables - brussel sprouts, potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes - let your imagination be your guide!   
• 3 Tablespoons olive oil (or melted coconut oil, depending on what you are roasting)
• 1 teaspoon chopped garlic (optional)
• Salt (to taste)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  (A lower temperature can be used, just adjust the time accordingly.)
2. Cut your vegetables into bite-sized pieces (important to keep the sizes roughly the same).  Put oil, garlic and cut veggies into a plastic bag and shake to coat all the pieces.  I like a mixture, so I start off with the things that take the longest - brussel sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, potatoes, etc.- and put them in to roast about 10-15 minutes before adding the quicker-cooking items - mushrooms (cut in half), cherry tomatoes, onion wedges, etc.  
3. Pour onto a heavy cookie sheet or oven-proof pan large enough to let everything spread out in a single layer without being crowded.  Roast for 15-20 minutes, take out and turn to other side, then return to oven for another 15-20 minutes or until tender and browned.  
4. Sprinkle with a little salt and dig in!