How to eat any vegetable

I challenge you to find a vegetable that doesn’t taste better tossed in olive oil and roasted in a hot oven. If you find one, let me know. I think the brassica veggies (broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts etc) shine really well cooked this way.

This is a simple way to prepare vegetables and one of our favorites. Toss your vegetable of choice with a little olive oil to coat, spread evenly on a baking sheet, and roast in the oven at 400 or 450˚F until slightly browned. For some veggies you may have to turn with a spatula to keep them cooking evenly. That’s all you need, really, but you could season with salt, pepper, lemon juice, garlic, soy sauce, shredded cheese, bacon bits…

Try some of these:

• Cauliflower
• Brussels sprouts (may want to slice in half and steam a couple of minutes before roasting)
• Kale (to make your own kale chips, we like to roast in a convection oven at a lower temperature, say 300˚F, to let them dry out a bit better and crisp without burning)
• Asparagus
• Carrots
• Parsnips
• Radishes
• Or a medley with bell peppers, or onions, or celery
• Cabbage (slice the head into rounds about 1″ thick – like steaks – then drizzle with a little apple cider vinegar after roasting)
• Fennel bulbs, sliced (works great with parmesan cheese and onion)
• Zucchini (sliced lengthwise, with a garlic aioli for dipping)
• Green beans
• Beets (will need to be thinly sliced or they will take too long to cook. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and top with feta or goat cheese)

A broiler pan, or a cookie sheet lined with foil can work, but we especially like a silicone baking sheet for no waste and easy cleanup.

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