‘Roast’ seasonal produce – healt...
Year round you can find tasty, budget-friendly produce that is ‘in season’ even in the winter months. A great crowd pleaser is roasted root vegetables. Roasting draws out the natural sugars in vegetables while creating a crunchy, browned outside and a tender inside. In an baking pan (foil lined and sprayed with non-stick cooking spray) or an aluminum oven-ready pan, combine a variety of sliced or cubed seasonal root/winter veggies, such as parsnips (peel them first), sweet or baby new potatoes, carrots, onions (sweet work well) and Brussels sprouts (halved). Be generous with your ‘mound’ of veggies. Since they are mostly water, roasting dries and shrinks them.
Drizzle the veggies generously with olive oil and add a sprinkle of your favorite dried herbs, such as rosemary, basil, oregano and thyme (fresh herbs will ‘burn’ in the hot 400-degree oven). Toss to coat all of the veggies – add a pinch of sea salt and pepper. ‘Roast’ in a 400-degree oven for about 40 minutes. Pair with roasted chicken, pork tenderloin or any main meat.
