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Monday, November 11, 2013

Roasting Vegetables – So Easy – So Delicious!



Are you looking for a dinner side dish that is simple, tasty, and takes advantage of seasonal vegetables? Well, the Four State Food Critic has the perfect solution for you.

Roasted vegetables.

                      (Image credit – nutritionalkitchen.wordpress.com)

It’s easy to create a satisfying and delicious side dish by taking advantage of the power of heat + time on a batch of your favorite veggies.  After much trial and error, the FSFC has zeroed in on a fool-proof way to get perfect results every time:


  • Grab your favorite root vegetables and cut them up into uniform pieces (1/2 – 3/4 inch works best).   
  •  Toss them in some olive oil or vegetable oil with a generous amount of salt and pepper (or your favorite seasoning blend). 
  •  Place the veggies in a single layer on a cookie sheet covered with a blast of non-stick cooking spray (I also line the cookie sheet in a layer of aluminum foil for super easy clean-up). 
  •  Pop the cookie sheet into a pre-heated 400 degree oven for 60 minutes (stirring the mixture at about the 30 minute mark).

That’s it. 
 
Really.

The vegetables come out golden brown, with the oil creating those caramelized, crispy edges that will have you risking a burned finger to sample the goods straight out of the oven - perfect comfort food.  Even the pickiest of eaters may be swayed into trying some.

You can experiment with a variety of vegetables, depending on the season.  In colder weather, try different combinations of potatoes, carrots, onions, or sweet potatoes.  Try something new and unexpected, like parsnips or even butternut squash (yum!) 
  
One of my family’s personal favorites?  Cauliflower.  Seriously - its “smack your momma” good.  I asked my ten year old daughter what she wanted for a birthday meal, and she enthusiastically requested a whole head of roasted cauliflower – and that’s all she wanted.  How many kids say that about vegetables?
 

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