Roasted Vegetables

You know you should eat your veggies. But do you ever look at a head of cauliflower and feel… uninspired? Well, I’ve got a method for cooking vegetables that really brings out the excitement, plus some unexpected and amazing flavors. It’s roasting, and it’s how I do most of my veggies these days. Roasting is quick, it’s easy, and it creates veggies that are crispy, chewy, caramelized, delicious. Pick a vegetable you don’t normally like – brussels sprouts? Broccoli? Carrots? Now stick ’em in the roaster, and I pretty much guarantee you’ll be craving them the next time you’re looking for a nutritious and tasty side dish.

Here’s the scoop on how to roast a perfect batch of veggies:

Roasted Vegetables

• Chop vegetables of your choice into large chunks. Good roasting vegetables include brussels sprouts, artichokes, cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, potatoes, and rutabegas.
• Spread veggies on a cookie sheet or in the bottom of a roasting pan.
• Drizzle olive oil generously over vegetables.
• Sprinkle on garlic salt, onion salt, kosher salt, and fresh ground pepper. (You can modify the seasonings to your own tastes – try red pepper flakes for a bit of a kick. Or, if you’re doing a winter meal, seasonings like rosemary and thyme add some nice comfort-food flavors.)
• Toss vegetables to coat them in the oil and seasonings.
• Sprinkle on grated parmesan cheese. (This is optional, but I love how it adds another layer of rich flavor.)
• Place in a 450-degree oven for a half-hour. You can roast them longer if you like more of a chewy, caramelized texture and flavor, shorter if you like your veggies more raw.
• Serve with barbecued meats, roasts, etc. You can even let the veggies cool, then toss them in a summer salad – roasted bell peppers and asparagus are especially good for this purpose.