Roasted Vegetables

  I just started roasting vegetables rather than boiling, or frying them.  I keep seeing articles on how great it is to roast them because it helps the sweetness of the vegetables come out and the flavor over all is more intense. 

I tried it the other night with broccoli stems, sweet potatoes, potatoes, and beets.  I cut the veggies up into quarters, placed them on my flat cast iron skillet, drizzled some avocado oil on top, threw on some Italian herbs and baked.

While the veggies were cooking, I caught up on some reading but the great smell teased me and my stomach started begging for dinner before they were ready.  As soon as they were soft, I pulled them out and served.

Ohhh my, talk about heaven.  The beets were the same deep red they'd been before they started instead of losing color due to being boiled.  They were sweet, juicy and just right. I've decided I much prefer them roasted over boiled.

The sweet potatoes just melted in my mouth.  I cooked those dark red skinned ones with the white flesh.  They came out soooo wonderfully that I didn't need anything extra added to them.  I didn't even need butter.

Of course the potatoes had that almost cooked outdoors flavor to them. They tasted like they'd been cooked in a pit but without the burned crusty outside.  I loved the taste.  Yum.  On the other hand, broccoli stems ended up too tough.  I might have cooked them too long or they just aren't good to roast.

Last night, I cooked more beets, sweet potatoes, potatoes and tried carrots this time. The carrots were so sweet and delicious with just a hint of the outdoors.  I've been wanting to try roasted eggplant but I haven't managed it.  Maybe tonight I'll throw some  eggplant in with other veggies in the oven to roast.  I think I have a recipe for something Indian that uses roasted eggplant and sounded so delicious.

Try it sometime.  Veggies that are cut up, sprinkled with oil and baked at around 400 to 425 degrees.  Have fun.

I know that greens, stems and such do not roast as well and end up dried out.