BosGuy roasts vegetables

I can’t grill vegetables because I don’t have any outdoor space, but a nice alternative to grilling is roasting veggies.  It is quick, easy and requires minimal clean up. I often roast vegetables on the weekend and leave them in the refrigerator to add to a dinner I’ll cook later in the week.

1 cup of vegetables contains approximately 250 calories

Roasting is a delicious and healthy way to consume the 2-2.5 cups of vegetables you should eat each day. The process of roasting brings out the natural sweetness, intensifies flavors and caramelizes the veggies making them really scrumptious.

The good news with roasting vegetables is that it is very easy; taking about 30-minutes from start to finish. The first step is to select vegetables you would like to roast.  I typically use red onions, garlic, sweet bell peppers, carrots and mushrooms but you can use whatever you like.

Start by preheating your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and chopping your vegetables into roughly equal parts / sizes.  For more delicate vegetables like the mushrooms, keep them a bit larger because they will shrink as they roast.  HINT: chopping veggies into bite sized pieces will allow them to roast more quickly.

Once you have chopped the vegetables put them in a large bowl and add oil, salt and pepper plus any herbs you like (I add a dash or two of Italian seasonings).  The amount of oil and salt depends on how many vegetables you have but I try to make sure they are all coated evenly before putting them on a tray for roasting.

Before you put them in the oven to roast make sure the oven is preheated and the vegetables are spread out on a baking sheet.  Put them in the oven and let them roast for approximately 25 minutes (the longer you leave them in the oven more they will caramelize and char).  When their color has deepened and you can see they have cooked, take them out and let them cool. The vegetables can be refrigerated and warmed up through out the week as a great side dish.

I hope you’ll give this a try – especially if you’re not a fan of eating steamed or raw vegetables. I think you’ll be surprised by how cheap it is to buy these ingredients; how easy it is too prep and cook them; and certainly how quick the clean up is.