Chicago Home and Lifestyles – Easy Roasted Vegetables
With the cooler temperatures of fall coming in, it’s time to heat up the stove and let the oven do a good share of the work for your meals! Roasting is one of the easiest ways to cook vegetables. It brings out the best in them, adding flavor and highlighting their sweetness.
If cutting is needed (it’s not always!), cut so you have as much surface area as possible to have contact with the sheet pan. Then toss it with some extra virgin olive oil and sea salt. You can do this right on the sheet pan to reduce dishes, but consider preheating the sheet pan in the oven first. Just toss the vegetables in a bowl and place on the preheated sheet to give them a head start on getting crisp. Just make sure to roast directly on the pan to get the best browning. Using parchment or a Silpat may make for easy cleanup, but it does nothing for browning and flavor. Don’t worry about those pans. That eventual worn-in patina will enhance browning and prevent sticking!
Salt of course is not your only choice for seasoning. Virtually any powdered or crushed spices along with freshly cracked black pepper are welcome to join the party. You don’t even need to toast the spices beforehand as they will toast enough as they roast. Fresh herbs go well too, but try to stick to the heartier ones like rosemary, oregano and thyme. You don’t need to prep these either. Just toss whole sprigs on the pan and they will infuse with the oil and flavor the entire pan. When it’s time to serve, just toss them. Same with garlic. Throw a couple, or 3 or 4, into the pan then toss. This works especially well with garlic that tends to burn in small dice.
Most vegetables do well in a 400-degree Fahrenheit oven. More watery vegetables like eggplant or celery can go a bit higher, maybe 450. It is also a good idea to salt watery vegetables ahead of time and let them drain in a colander for 30 minutes or so. This will pull out much of the moisture that keeps browning at bay. Actual cooking times will vary depending on your oven. That’s why it’s always good to have an oven thermometer to keep track of your temps. You can always check online for a chart for roasting times, but it’s just good practice to check on your vegetables early and often. Don’t let the size of your vegetables determine the time either. If the pieces are larger or smaller don’t adjust temperature. Just check accordingly. Roasting vegetables can vary depending on moisture in the vegetables, ovens or even the temperature in the room.
Do you have any good recipes or tips to roast vegetables?
Kathleen Weaver-Zech and Dean’s Team Chicago