Today's tip
Roasting vegetables brings out the sweetness and intensifies flavor.
Hearty vegetables, such as winter root vegetables, squashes, peppers, tomatoes, eggplants, and many more, roast very well on their own, without the help of a roasted meat to add flavor. Roasting vegetables brings out the sweetness and intensifies flavor. Seasoned roasted vegetables can be mixed with pasta, added to sandwiches, eggs, potatoes, and rice, or tossed into a salad. They are especially delicious as a pizza or focaccia topping, or served by themselves.
Roasting vegetables is simple: preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Slice the vegetables into halves or quarters, depending on what you prefer. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and place the vegetables on the sheet. Season them with salt and pepper, oil, and any spices or herbs you choose. Sage goes great with onion, rosemary with potatoes, and thyme with parsnips; sweet potatoes and winter squashes are great with brown sugar or honey. Toss the vegetables, and spread them apart on the parchment paper so they will brown quickly. Roast in the oven until the vegetables are soft, somewhat shriveled, and nicely caramelized on all sides.
Here are some of my favorite recipes with roasted vegetables:
Roasted Beet and Beet Greens Salad with Apple and Goat Cheese
Roasted Pepper Rolls Stuffed with Tuna
Roasted Eggplant and Tomato Salad