Many of us are familiar with the cooking advice to make a big pot roast on Sunday, and then creatively rework the meat into meals throughout the rest of the week. This is great advice, but Zach and I rarely eat meat. So what is the vegetarian equivalent of this advice?
Enter roast vegetables. Although they serve as a different part of the meal than meat (the starch/veggie rather than the protein), they have a similar function to the pot roast: make once, eat all week. Plus, I am convinced that roasting is the #1 way to cook almost all hearty vegetables (sweet potatoes, beets, broccoli, potatoes, onions, Brussels sprouts, radishes, cauliflower, butternut squash, carrots, etc.). I've often had people exclaim, "I didn't think I liked sweet potatoes, but these are delicious!" This is because a nice hot roast brings out the sugary starches in the vegetables and caramelizes them, creating a delicious taste unachievable by boiling or even frying.
How can you eat roasted vegetables? Let me count the ways…
• Mixed with a protein such as fried eggs, tofu, black beans, lentil loaf (like meatloaf but with lentils), or refried beans
• In a stir-fry with rice
• On a tortilla with cheese and refried beans
• As a side dish to fish or other main dish
• On top of pizza
• In a wrap with hummus and lettuce
• In an egg scramble or quiche
• With toasted bread cubes in a broth to create savory stuffing/dressing
• Warmed up and topping a green salad
• With any grain, such as barley, quinoa, or couscous
• Tossed with pasta, especially when white sauce is involved
• Blended with broth into a creamy soup
• Straight off the pan, because they're so tasty
• And more that I'm probably forgetting!
So without further ado, here is the basic method:
Roasted Vegetables
Supplies:
Rimmed sheet pans
Spatula
Good knife and cutting board
Large bowl
Ingredients:
Hearty vegetables (sweet potatoes, beets, broccoli, potatoes, onions, Brussels sprouts, radishes, cauliflower, butternut squash, carrots, etc.).
Oil (I use olive oil)
Salt
Pepper
Place the sheet pans in the oven and preheat it to 425ºF. (Having the pans nice and hot will help sear the veggies and make them not stick.)
If you are roasting multiple kinds of vegetables, cut them up one kind at a time, since you'll want to place them on separate parts of the pan because they will roast at different speeds.
Chop up one kind of vegetables into whatever size you like. I tend to err on the side of cubes the size of board game dice, but any size will work.
Pour the veggies into the bowl and drizzle oil over them. Add a generous sprinkle or two of salt and a few pinches/grinds of pepper. Grab the bowl by the sides and shake/toss the vegetables until they are completely coated in oil, adding more oil if necessary.
If using other kinds of vegetables, repeat with different bowls.
When the oven is preheated, use oven mitts to remove one pan at a time, and pour the vegetables onto the pan. Give the pan a good shake to evenly distribute the veggies— they can touch, but they shouldn't be piled up on top of each other. You have to give them room to sear.
Place the pans back in the oven. Check the vegetables after 15 minutes by removing a pan and poking the veggie with a knife to see if the blade slides in easily (done) or if you meet resistance (still needs to cook). Flip the pieces over with a spatula and return to the oven.
Cooking times will widely vary depending on what kind of veggie it is. Cubed potatoes can take 40 minutes, while radishes might be done in 15. If the knife easily slides into a few of the veggie pieces, they're ready to pull out.
Use immediately, or let cool and put in the fridge to enjoy all week!
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