My favorite way to eat more vegetables is to roast them. It's easy and roasting brings out so much flavor! Roast More Veggies = Eat More Veggies
Recently a patient whom I have known since childhood and is now a young woman, told me that she is still a picky eater and so has difficulty finding enough healthy food to eat. I suggested that it was time for her to develop her "adult palate.” She chuckled at my wording, but I could see by her expression that it actually made her stop and think. Sometimes we have to decide to learn to like healthy foods. And so whether you love veggies or you don’t, try them roasted, it takes them to a whole new level of flavor and will definitely make palates of any age happy! Use any/all vegetables you can, but these root vegetable tend to take more time, so in the fall/winter when I used more of these, I tend to put them on a separate pan.
Carrots, baby, or whole carrots peeled and cut into sticks or slices
Baby potatoes, halved or quartered
Butternut squash, peeled and cubed
Parsnips, peeled and cubed
Beets, peeled and cubed
Acorn squash, peeled and cubed
Sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
Here are my year round favorites:
Zucchini, diced or sliced
Yellow squash, diced or sliced
Mushrooms, sliced, quartered, or whole (if small)
Red or yellow onion, or shallot, large dice
Bell peppers, seeded and sliced or large dice
Sweet peppers, seeded and sliced or large dice
Cherry tomatoes
Green beans
Brussels sprouts, quartered
Broccoli (cut into small florets)
Cauliflower (cut into small florets)
Hot peppers, seeded and sliced or chopped (optional)
coconut or olive oil cooking spray (optional) 1 Tbsp Herbes de Provence (or dried herbs of choice) Freshly ground pepper
Salt (just a touch, optional)
Fresh herbs are also fabulous - thyme, rosemary, etc.
METHOD
Preheat oven to 425. Cut up fresh vegetables, can be any combination you have available. You can roast them in batches of mixed vegetables or individually, it doesn't matter except that some will cook more quickly than others. Spread cut vegetables on a nonstick sheet pan or a sheet pan lined with parchment paper (or sprayed with cooking spray). Sprinkle with dried herbs. I don't actually measure the dried herbs, just pour some in the palm of my cupped hand, and then with the fingers of my other hand crush it a little finer and then sprinkle it right from my hand. Sprinkle with pepper. I don't add salt, but you can if desired. Gently toss the veggies or lightly shake them on the pan to coat, and spread into an even layer. Roast at 425 for about 20-30 min. Cooking time will vary based the vegetables used and the size of pieces, so after 15 min, just check for doneness every few minutes. For root vegetables, roast until fork tender. Serve immediately, or let cool and use for other recipes.
Once cooked, the roasted veggies are a great side dish alone, or can be added to salads, soups, skillets, wraps, or combined with seasoned cooked quinoa or brown rice or other whole grain. If I'm roasting veggies, I always make tons, eat some immediately and store the rest for leftovers and other recipes. Enjoy and please comment with your creative ways of using your roasted vegetables!
You can also use this same recipe for seasonal grilled vegetables. I cut/mix/season the same way and cook in a grill basket in the summer, just tossing a few times while they're grilling, takes about 10-15 min on high heat.