Roasted Veggies

As temperatures fall, I find myself craving more and more hearty, warming foods. Things like slow-cooked stews, hot pasta dishes, and plenty of roasted veggies. There are seemingly endless options for cooking veggies, but oven roasting is one of my favorite methods. The oven helps transform almost any vegetable, imbuing them with irresistible caramelized flavour: moist and tender on the inside, with a delicious golden brown exterior. When cooked this way, the texture of oven roasted veggies can turn even the pickiest eaters into big fans.

This roasted veggies recipe features a delicious combination of carrots, beets, sweet potatoes, fennel and onion. The colors are beautiful, thanks to the vibrant orange and red tones. Dishes like this are an easy way to “eat the rainbow” without needing to prepare each vegetable differently. It’s as easy as chopping all your veggies up and then throwing them on the pan to bake!

It’s pretty hard to mess up roasted veggies, but over the years, I’ve learned a few tricks to help them turn out beautifully every time. First of all, try to cut your veggies into similarly sized pieces. Items that cook quickly (like fennel and onion) can be larger, and items that take a little bit longer to soften (like beets and sweet potatoes) can be little smaller. This helps all of your veggies cook evenly, so that you don’t need to remove some from the oven earlier than others. Second, you should use some oil in the baking process to bring out richer flavors and to develop that golden brown exterior we all love. And, the third trick is to use a large baking sheet. You want your veggies to have a bit of breathing room – so that their sides bake up nice and crisp. If your veggies are piled on top of each other, they’ll steam rather than roast. If you don’t have a large enough baking sheet, you can always separate them into two smaller pans. The oil helps prevent the veggies from sticking, but for even easier cleanup, you can use a piece of parchment paper or aluminum foil to line the pan.

Roasted Veggies

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

45 mins

Total time

55 mins

These jewel-toned roasted veggies are imbued with irresistible caramelized flavor: moist and tender on the inside, with a delicious golden brown exterior.

Recipe type: Lunch/Dinner

Serves: 4 servings, about ½ cup each

Ingredients

• 8 oz. carrots, cut into half lengthwise, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 8 oz. beets, cut into 1¼-inch pieces
• 1 lb. sweet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1¼-inch pieces
• 1 medium fennel bulb, stalks trimmed, bulb cut in half lengthwise, cut into
• 1¼-inch slices
• 1 medium onion, cut in half, cut into thin wedges
• 4 tsp. olive oil
• ½ tsp. sea salt (or Himalayan salt)
• ½ tsp. ground black pepper
• 2 Tbsp. finely chopped parsley

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 450° F.
2. Place carrots, beets, sweet potatoes, fennel, and onion in large oven-proof roasting pan (or baking sheet).
3. Drizzle with oil. Season with salt and pepper; mix well. Spread vegetables in a single layer.
4. Bake, turning twice, for 40 to 45 minutes, or until vegetables are brown and tender-crisp.
5. Sprinkle vegetables with parley; toss gently to blend.

Nutritional Information (per serving):
Calories: 216
Total Fat: 5 g
Saturated Fat: 1 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 463 mg
Carbohydrates: 41 g
Fiber: 9 g
Sugars: 15 g
Protein: 4 gRoasted Veggies