roasted vegetables – Laurie’s Healthy Cooking

One of my favorite ways to prepare vegetables is to roast them. It doesn’t take very long, only about 15 minutes after the oven is preheated, and you don’t have to wash any pans if you use parchment paper.

The best reason is the intense flavor that roasting provides. The beans remain slightly crisp, but become lightly charred in spots, creating a delicious, caramelized, salty and spicy treat.

All you need to add is a bit of olive oil, salt and LOTS of freshly ground black pepper. The pepper is the key to giving them that spicy kick. It’s so simple, you can pop them in the oven while you prepare other foods.

You can roast pretty much any vegetables: broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, onions, eggplant, mushrooms, peppers, tomatoes, etc. Experiment with your favorites and hopefully you and your family will end up eating more vegetables, which is always a good thing.

Roasted Green Beans

Servings: 4

1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Add parchment paper to a large sheet pan, and toss the green beans with the oil, salt and pepper, spreading them evenly over the pan.

Roast for 10 minutes, and stir the beans to prevent browning too much on one side. Continue roasting for another 5 minutes. Remove from the oven, stir and let cool for a couple of minutes. Taste to adjust seasonings.

Sweet potatoes are high in fiber, vitamin C, potassium, B vitamins, manganese, magnesium and copper. They get their orange color from beta-carotene, an antioxidant. Not only are they nutritious, but they are delicious!

My favorite way to cook them is to simply slice and roast them in the oven for about 15 minutes. They cook much faster than white potatoes.

My husband doesn’t care for sweet potatoes (which means more for me!), but I will make some white potatoes for him at the same time, and it doesn’t require much more effort.

Feel free to add any other spices to your potatoes. In this case, I just used salt, pepper and rosemary, but you could add thyme, oregano, basil, or even cinnamon.

Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Servings: 4

2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1-inch rounds
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Add parchment paper to a large sheet pan and add the potatoes in a single layer, not overlapping. Mix the oil and spices in a small bowl and brush it evenly on top of the potatoes. Turn them over and brush the oil on the other side.

Roast for 10 minutes, and using tongs or a spatula, turn the potatoes over. Continue roasting for another 5 minutes, or until tender. Remove from the oven, and let cool for a couple of minutes. Taste to adjust seasonings.

Tag Archives: roasted vegetables

Roasted Green Beans

Roasted Sweet Potatoes