A couple of weeks ago, someone said, “I need to eat more vegetables.” Awesome. Everyone should eat more vegetables, but HOW? I contend that food prep and planning are the keys to consuming more vegetables! I’m going to share a recipe so you too can increase your veggie intake!
ROASTED VEGETABLES
I roast vegetables once a week and store them so that I can reheat and add to any meal. My go-to vegetables are cauliflower, tri-color carrots, carrots, parsnips, brussels sprouts and broccoli. Remember, browned food tastes GOOD! You can blame the Maillard reaction!*
Here's how:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Get out several cookie sheets.
Rinse and pat dry your veggies (this prevents them from steaming and giving you a veggie facial when you open the oven door)
Cut into manageable pieces: Brussels Sprouts are halved Parsnips are cut to the same size as the mini-carrots/tri-color carrots Cauliflower and broccoli are cut into bite sized pieces (if you want to save time, you can buy these already pre-cut, but I don’t think the end products tastes as good)
Put each type of vegetable into a large bowl and use enough oil (I use avocado oil) to lightly coat the vegetables
Add salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste
Mix again
Pour the bowl onto the cookie sheet and arrange in one layer so they cook evenly
I typically roast one type of vegetable at a time but if I have smaller batches, I can cook a couple vegetables together. Here are the roasting times:
Cauliflower: 30-40 minutes
Brussels Sprouts: 30-40 minutes
Tri-color Carrots, Carrots & Parsnips: 30 minutes
Broccoli: 20 minutes
I stir the vegetables every 10 minutes to check their doneness. Keep a close eye on the broccoli – it can burn in a hurry!
Allow the vegetables to cool completely and store in airtight containers. They’ll last at least a week in the fridge.
Happy Healthy Eating!
*”The Maillard Reaction typically occurs when surface temperature of food is more than 300 degrees Fahrenheit) and caramelization (which kicks in at about 320 F). These chemical reactions not only bring about a color change, they also produce hundreds of flavor compounds that create the rich, savory notes and appetizing aromas we associate with roasted, grilled, and seared dishes—notes and aromas that are noticeably absent from foods cooked by wet methods like steaming, boiling, and poaching.” (www.slate.com)