Roasted Veggies 101

Daily, I'm asked about how I roast my vegetables, so I decided to make a master blog post to direct everyone to - it'll make life easier for us all!

First up, when roasting veggies, you'll want to pick vegetables that aren't super water rich like cucumber or even zucchini. They won't hold up as well to roasting and storage (especially if you're meal prepping). Root and cruciferous vegetables work best: parsnips, potatoes of all kinds, carrots, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, cauliflower, green beans, asparagus, mushrooms, peppers, onions, turnips, rutabaga, jicama, kohlrabi, and any winter squash.

Second, you'll want to buy parchment paper for easy clean up, as well as large cookie sheets so you can spread your veggies out in an even layer. If the vegetables overlap too much, they'll steam rather than roast.

Third, don't be afraid of a hot oven! I'll use anywhere from 400-450 degrees, depending on the oven. Newer ovens, I'll go a little lower in temperature, while with older ovens (like the one in my apartment), I'll crank the heat up. Also, if you have two cookie sheets in the oven at once, you can use a higher temperature as well.

Next, use a heat-stable oil on top of the vegetables. Melted coconut oil, butter, lard, or ghee are my favorites, or if I have leftover bacon grease, I'll use that as well! Just stay far away from the vegetable oils (canola, corn, soybean, vegetable, etc).

The spices/herbs you use on the vegetables are up to you. I only ever use salt, but you can use pepper, garlic, red pepper, or any other spices that you like.

Lastly, if you are mixing vegetables, make sure they are cut in similar sizes. Larger pieces will take longer to cook than smaller pieces obviously, and root vegetables will take longer than cruciferous vegetables too.

Now it's time to put it all together!

Ingredients:

• Vegetables of choice (1-3lbs), cut into similar sizes

• 1 Tbsp Sea Salt

• 1-2 Tbsp Cooking fat of choice, melted (lard, butter, coconut oil, etc)

• 1 Tbsp Spices/Herbs of choice (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400-450 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

2. Lay out your vegetables in a single layer on the cookie sheet. Drizzle the oil over top and sprinkle with sea salt and spices (if using).

3. Cook in the oven for 25-45 minutes, depending on the size of the pieces, number of pans in the over, and amount of vegetables you're cooking. The vegetables are done when they are tender when poked with a fork and crispy on the edges.

4. Eat immediately or cool and store in the fridge for up to a week!

Once you roast vegetables once, you'll never look back. It's super easy! My favorites are Brussel sprouts and potatoes, but honestly, I'll eat any roasted vegetable. The flavors are just that amazing!

Let me know which vegetable you decide to try first!

xoxo Olivia