Roasted Vegetables: Part I

Current obsession: roasted veggies. can’t stop, won’t stop.

It could be worse; I could be craving carbs (like last week) or cookies (the week month before)! So, you’re welcome.

Last weekend, my mom and I spent Sunday in its entirety roasting every vegetable we had in the house. I kid you not – every.last.vegetable. Broccoli, grape tomatoes, butternut squash, cauliflower – if it was classified as a vegetable and we had it in the house, we roasted it. In fact, I’m pretty sure we dirtied every cookie sheet we owned… and subsequently ran out of hot water after washing them all [twice].

Alright, so I realize that I’m talking about roasting veggies like it’s a difficult process, and I promise you – it’s not. I take a full day to roast veggies because, well… I enjoy it. That, and because I get distracted. Like, reallyyy easily…“Oh, look at these yummy crackers my dad just bought at Costco! It says here that they go well with hummus. Do we have any hummus in the fridge? No? Okay, let me just make some really quick!”

“Ugh, I’ve been sampling roasted veggies all day, I’m suuuuuuper full. Actually, I lied – I want a beer… MOM! Let’s do a quick pilates workout so we can have beer afterward!”

“Crap, I should [insert domestic task here] before I forget to do it later.”

…you get the point.

Anyway, back to business: the moral of my story is that I find roasted vegetables to be the perfect way to get myself out of a late winter “all I want are cookies and beer” funk. Because that’s currently where I find myself 24/7. It’s not yet warm enough to be craving fruit, but I’m reaching my breaking point with heavy comfort food (and, uh, so is my scale). Asparagus, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli – there are so many delicious vegetables in season right now that it’s hard to ignore them calling to me at the grocery store. In season + on sale + super delicious = the best combination.

So let’s roast! First up, broccoli – aka my gateway drug. This is where it all started, friends – I discovered how amazing roasted broccoli was (/is) and fell down that slippery slope, never to return again…

Roasted Broccoli

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F and pull out a few cookie sheets (no need to grease them). Chop your broccoli to whatever size you desire, keeping in mind that the larger the chunks, the longer you’ll need to roast. I like my broccoli crispy, practically burnt, so I chop it small.

Toss the chopped broccoli pieces onto your cookie sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Using your hands, massage the oil into each piece (just don’t get too frisky). In terms of how much olive oil is needed – eyeball it. You don’t want it dripping with oil, but your broccoli won’t roast as well if it’s bone dry. I typically roast three or four crowns of broccoli at a time and use two or three tablespoons of olive oil.

Sprinkle with sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste; again, you can just eyeball the amounts. Using your hands, toss to ensure the salt and pepper is as evenly distributed as possible. Another option: add a little bit of minced garlic or crushed red pepper and mix again.

Roast for about 20 minutes, or until the broccoli is starting to brown at the edges – longer, if you want it super crispy! I typically flip/toss the broccoli about halfway through baking, so that it’s evenly roasted.

Ta da!

Roasted Asparagus

Next up: asparagus! Yup, the veggie that makes your pee smell. If you’re one of the many out there who refuse to eat asparagus because of the stink it causes, I have a few words of advice for you: get over it (I say that with love, I promise).

Asparagus is incredibly good for you; it’s full of vitamins and antioxidants, and aids in maintaining a healthy digestive tract (prebiotics galore!). It’s even known to help protect against certain types of cancer (bone, lung, breast, etc). I won’t be offended if you don’t believe me (or care), but you can read about the health benefits of asparagus and why it makes your pee smell here and feel free to form (and share! I love sharing) your own opinion of this interesting story.

Meanwhile, back in my kitchen..

Keep that oven on 400 degrees F and get ready to prepare your asparagus. Rinse in a colander and pat dry. The tough ends need to be removed, which you can do simply by chopping them off with a sharp knife or by using this cool trick that my mom showed me a few months ago. Then, follow the same procedure as the broccoli: drizzle with olive oil, toss to coat, then sprinkle with sea salt and fresh ground pepper.

Roast for about 20 minutes, flipping at just about the halfway point. Your asparagus should be lightly browned and tender to the touch. Option: squeeze fresh lemon juice while still warm and sprinkle with a little Parmesan cheese.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Last item on today’s menu: brussels sprouts. The magical veggie that I missed out on for the first twenty-five years of my life. I finally tried them while out one night at 62 Restaurant – simply seasoned and roasted to perfection… and we lived happily ever after, woman and vegetable.

I think that, when it comes to brussels sprouts, you either love ’em or you hate ’em. And haters gonna hate, I always say! Actually, I don’t ever say that. But you catch my drift. You can take it or leave it — and if you leave it, it just means more brussels sprouts for me!

You know the drill – oven on 400 degrees F. Rinse your brussels sprouts and pat dry; slice off the brown ends and pull off any outer leaves that are yellowing. Toss with olive oil on the cookie sheet and sprinkle sea salt and fresh ground pepper. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes or until slightly browned (or, if you’re anything like me, burnt and crispy!).

Honestly, I can’t stress enough just how easy this is. Stupid easy. And stupid delicious. Again, you’re welcome.

Part II coming to a blog near you soon!