Related Posts with Thumbnails

Saturday, November 8, 2014

Roasting veggies...best practices

I love roasted veggies. Nowadays, people roast just about anything. Whether it's broccoli, cauliflower, potatoes or squashes, roasting brings out the sweetness of vegetables and perfects them for soups, salads or on their own. 

Today, I had radishes, purple potatoes and some leftover butternut squash. So that's what went into my mix. 



Roasted vegetable best practices...

  • Preheat your oven to 400. 
  • I spray or oil my pan...that's just me. Maybe with enough of an olive oil drizzle on your veggies, they won't stick. 
  • Cut your veggies into roughly the same size or thickness, to allow for even cooking. 
  • I always include something in the onion family because they sweeten and give the mix a great flavor. I have used garlic cloves, onions, radishes, and leeks. 
  • I try to mix colors. Try orange yams or purple potatoes or red peppers or purple eggplant. 
  • Think about a sprinkling of curry powder...it adds such a great flavor.
  • I put everything to be roasted in a big bowl and mix before I add my drizzle of olive oil, salt, and pepper. 
  • Try to keep your veggies in a single layer to allow for caramelizing and avoid steam cooking.
  • If you're doing a squash mix, consider adding an apple and a maple syrup drizzle.
  • Turn veggies over on the cookie sheet (or whatever you're using) after about 20-30 minutes. If you're only roasting sliced radishes, you don't need as much time...turn after 6-7 minutes.
  • You can roast for about 30-40 minutes (depending on how much you're cooking) and shut off the oven. They will continue to cook and soften. 


  • Roasted veggie soup is so easy from here...put everything in a blender or use an immersion blender in a stock pot with enough veggie, chicken or beef stock and some cream to turn it into soup.

Do you roast vegetables? What are you favorite combinations?

20 comments:

  1. Yum! I love roasting veges, especially red onion as it goes so soft and sweet in the oven. One of my best ways to eat veges :) x

    Jasmin Charlotte | UK Lifestyle Blog

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Jasmin,
      You're correct. Onions, garlic...most things sweeten nicely when roasted. The natural sugars in the veggies seem to caramelize. Delicious! Thank you for stopping by!

      Delete
  2. My husband is the cook in our family. I just microwave or boil everything. So boring, I know.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Not boring...sometimes a microwave is a port in a storm. Thank you for stopping by!

      Delete
  3. I just made roasted eggplant last night. So good. And I especially like it when the oven is on during the cold weather

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I do too, Judi. The oven warms the kitchen nicely...like a hearth. Roasted eggplant is delicious. I include it in my roasting mixes quite often. Thank you for stopping by!

      Delete
  4. The best part of roasting veggies is that you can throw together whatever you have so they don't go bad and it will still taste great.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I agree, Dawn. The veggies are probably at their ripest, allowing for the most delicious caramelizing. Thank you for stopping by!

      Delete
  5. We roast everything. Our favorite is cauliflower, garlic and onion. www.eatallovertheworld.weebly.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's my go-to method in the fall and winter. Delicious! Thank you for stopping by, Emily.

      Delete
  6. I love roast my veggies this way. And the spices yum! thanks much for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  7. I could probably eat roasted potatoes daily. So good! I especially like them with carrots.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. They are delicious, aren't they? I love how sweet potatoes caramelize. Yum! Thank you for stopping by, Jessica.

      Delete
  8. That's one thing I really like about fall -- cool enough to be willing to have the oven on again. ;-) I love roasting broccoli and asparagus. And I started making ratatouille (with zucchini, mushrooms, onions, red peppers, and eggplant) in the oven rather than a skillet, too. Adds a whole other dimension. Cherry tomatoes sliced in half and slow-roasted (like in a 200° oven for several hours) are SO good -- mix into cooked pasta or "zoodles" (spiralized zucchini) and they're divine!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I love roasted asparagus too, Arden. Roasted tomatoes are one of my favorite recipe add-ins. Such depth of flavor. I have seen those veggie-noodle gadgets...worth it, I'm guessing. Intriguing, for sure. Thank you for stopping by!

      Delete
  9. They look great! I love roasting most veggies.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I do too. Roasted veggies are an almost weekly staple in our house.

      Delete
  10. Replies
    1. It's perfect for when you have made too much or you just want something different. Delicious!

      Delete