(And your kids may even want to eat them too!)
Several of you have asked if I could share my tips on cooking vegetables, particularly roasting them. I make no bones about it. I am not a veggie person. I particularly dislike them raw. I do like fresh veggies if they are cooked JUST RIGHT (not too crisp, not too mushy), and my very favorite way to eat a fresh veggie is to roast it. In fact, there are some veggies (carrots and brussels sprouts, to name a couple) that I will ONLY eat roasted. Roasting vegetables is great because it retains the vitamins that you often lose when you boil them, and it has a way of bringing out their sweetness.
Roasting is also nice because it’s so simple. All you need is a sheet pan with short sides, olive oil, and salt & pepper. Since there are so few ingredients, it’s important that they are GOOD ingredients. I use Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper, and a good brand of olive oil. I don’t think it’s necessary to use extra virgin olive oil (EVOO, for those Rachel Ray fans out there) since it’s getting cooked, but it’s fine if you do. Just realize you are paying more and losing some of the flavor when it’s heated. Sometimes I throw in some garlic or a fresh herb, but usually I just make them plain.
Here’s what you do:
1) Heat your oven to 400 degrees.
2) Wash and chop your veggies as desired and spread out on a sheet pan.
3) Drizzle the veggies with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
4) Using tongs or clean hands, mix them together so that the oil and salt and pepper are evenly distributed, and spread the veggies out in a single layer. Like this.
5) Then pop them in the oven, and cook to desired doneness, turning once. Cooking time actually varies quite a bit, so experiment (or research online) when trying a new veggie. They’re done when they’re lightly browned, but you don’t want to over cook them either. Ideally, the green vegetables will still have some crispness to them when they’re done.
Variations: Thyme is great with potatoes. (I use the little bitty potatoes and quarter them.) I often grate fresh Parmesan cheese over asparagus when it comes out of the oven. Dill is great on carrots.
You can roast green and yellow squash with onions. You can do things like eggplant (not my favorite, so I can’t speak to that one, but I’ve seen it done.) You can roast just about anything.
Here are some photos I took of roasted brussels sprouts and asparagus last week:
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I do this with carrots and love it! I also add a little dried dill — makes them really yummy. I haven’t ever tried it with asparagus but now I want to!!
oooo those look so good
Hubs disliked zuchini until I roasted them. Now they are one of his favorites!
Thanks for the tips! I too am not a veggie person, so this is great! My mom’s answer when I was growing up on how SHE thought it was best to cook veggies so I’d eat them…overcooked, mushy, and nasty flavor “disguised” with slices of semi-melted American cheese. ICK! I’ve not tried roasting yet, but I definitely will now!
Ahh, you picked two of my favorite veggies, but even that method could not get my husband to eat them. This works well with broccoli, and I recently made roasted cauliflower with bacon, to die for. I love vegetables steamed as well, so sometimes hard to tell what others in family will like. I recently layered squash, lasagne noodles, and sauce, covered it with cheese and I loved it. My son said he liked it, but not the squash part
I love roasted veggies, but you know…I have never roasted Brussel sprouts or asparagus, and I have some sprouts in the fridge right now!
My fav combination is red and yellow peppers, courgettes, red and white onions.
Roasted parsnips are also delicious, especially drizzled with a little honey
Great suggestions, JanMary! I want to try the onions and peppers now.
Nicole, I did cauliflower once, with Gruyere on top. I think there were a couple more ingredients — it was a Barefoot Contessa recipe. DELISH!
I have never tried that but I will have to! Asparagus looks yummy, but Brussel sprouts? I don’t think I could eat them any way you cook ‘em.
Stephanie, I thought so too. Really. You should try them.
Oh, and my husband too! The only reason I tried them was b/c someone else made them that way, and they looked good enough to try. (He also added bacon. Ahem.) But seriously, it’s worth a shot. The brussels sprouts MUST be fresh.
We do this with broccoli. My husband normally hates it but loves it this way.
I LOVE Roasted veggies. Leftover, they are great in tacos or quesadillas.
I add a little garlic with the salt and pepper and mix with the olive oil. I sometimes use the olive oil spray (like Pam) too!
Jennifer is right – leftovers are great in tacos or quesadillas.
Looks delicious! Great idea.
I love Brussels Sprouts and my very favorite way to make them is that way but also tossed with crushed garlic and butter OH MY. (Recipe from Vegan With A Vengeance.)
Steph
THey look great! I often roast a lot of our veggies. I love asparagus that way!
Mmmmm… I might actually eat some veggies now!
Mmmmm those brussel sprouts look tasty. I usually cut mine in half and saute in a pan with EVOO, garlic & a little butter, but I will have to try roasting. I even planted some in the garden this year for the first time, wish me luck!
I do roast asparagus, we like it with EVOO and chopped garlic, basil and sun-dried tomatoes.
I have a fall roasted veggie dish that’s delish – cube red potato, sweet potato, butternut squash, onion, whole garlic cloves and mushrooms together. Drizle with olive oil, salt, pepper and dried thyme. I serve it with a maple-mustard roasted pork tenderloin. Yum!
I have a great garlic infused oil that works great for this too. It’s very strong so I usually mix it with some plain olive oil, but it’s YUMMY!
I love roasted asparagus! It is divine!
Now I know what we’re having with dinner tonight…roasted potaoes with thyme. Great post. I may have to give brussel sprouts a shot.
Would you believe that I have never –not once in my life– eaten a brussel sprout? Seriously. Though I am a huge fan of roasted veggies too. I do them just like you. Or hubby does them on the grill in foil which is even better because then I don’t have dishes!
I love roasted veggies… my husband made me eat roasted brussel sprouts (I hate brussel sprouts) and guess what… I love them… they are one of my favorite veggies roasted… yum, yum, yum — I need to roast some veggies!
I like roasted veggies too. Yum! Although, ever since I got the steamer pot that goes with my RevereWare I am in love. Steamed veggies are so yum. Ever tried honey-glazed carrots? Sooooo good.
the best olive oil I’ve found for roasting and pan frying and salad dressing and bread dipping is so inexpensive. It’s the regular old Trader Joe’s Olive Oil. The big bottle that costs $5 or $6. Don’t bother with the $9 evoo that is always on sale for $5. There is a reason it’s half off. It’s gross. The Spanish one is okay, but nothing beats the regular olive oil.
I go through a bottle in two or three weeks, and have bought at least 20 of them and every single one is as good as the next.
Nicki, yes, I do love honey glazed carrots. I forgot that I can eat them that way. For some reason, I never think to make them. If I don’t roast a veggie, I steam. It’s definitely the next best way. I always steam fresh green beans.
Love, love love roasted veggies. I also use Italian Seasoning on asparagus with the parmesan. Yummy.
I love roasting tomatoes (fresh ones). They are great to add to sauces to serve over fresh pasta. As my garden produces more than we can eat at one time, I roast them and then freeze them in quart size ziploc bags. All winter long I have wonderful roasted tomatoes to add to sauce, chilli, tacos, anything really. Plum and cherry tomatoes work the best, but slicing tomatoes will work if you cut them into smaller wedges.
I’m a vegetarian who actually hates veggies, so this looks like it might work for me! Thank you! I will try this. I just can’t do the boiled veggie thing.
I love roasted veggies but instead of salt + pepper I sprinkle on some (not the entire package) taco seasoning- it’s great on brussel sprouts, sweet potatoes, broccoli, and more. Okay… looks like it’s lunchtime!