You are invited to a Roast! No, not that kind of Roast!

So it started with a simple question on my Facebook page from my friend and colleague, Carol Plotkin, RD. (no relation) Her status stated:" I'm looking for creative and yummy ways to increase vegggie consumption daily." Carol even posted the first suggestion by saying something to the effect of taking larger helpings.

Enter Wendy Jo Peterson, RD, another foodie buddy of mine who posts: "Toss a handful of spinach or carrot juice to your smoothie." Both good ideas. But, I had to throw in my 2 cents-not surprising-which was, of course, to ROAST veggies. Odds are that you eat veggies the same way you grew up eating them-boiled, microwaved, baked perhaps or even grilled at times. I'm telling you that the sweet flavor, aroma and taste that comes from a roasted veggie is like no other. Let me just tell you of the onslaught of comments Carol got on her FB post after my roast suggestions.

How does one roast veggies? Simple.

1. Heat oven to 450.
2. Chunk your favorite veggies-whatever you have (potatoes, carrots, sweet potatoes, asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, squashes, onions, tomatoes, eggplant, turnips, rutabaga, garlic, peppers, etc. It's a great way to clean out the produce box in the fridge). Try to make them about the same size and thickness
3. Toss with a few teaspoons of olive oil-nice to do in a plastic baggie, or just toss with your hands
4. Season generously with salt and pepper OR add a favorite herb such as rosemary.
5. Place on baking tray and roast for 20-30 minutes depending on the thickness of the vegetable. (i.e. root veggies will take longer than non root veggies). Give it a stir once in a while and be sure to check on the doneness--if you like it more al dente, take it out earlier.

Now, there are a million and one websites out there that will teach you, encourage you, provide recipes for you and basically do everything but make the veggies and toss them down your throat. We all know that more veggies are better for us-its the old adage of having to either create a new habit or breaking an old one. Take a look at some of these sites below for recipe ideas, growing ideas, storage and seasonality, kids games and more. One last thing to remember, many of these sites offer competitions for recipes-cash prizes and more! So if you've got a winning recipe, check out the potential for the prize.

If you find more websites, please let me know. I'm always looking for more.

www.greengiant.com
www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org
www.dole.com
www.fortheloveoffood.org
www.freshcaliforniagrapes.com
www.loveyourraisins.com
www.mango.org
www.potatogoodness.com
www.freidas.com
www.ncsweetpotato.com
www.craveatwork.com
www.calsprouts.com
www.eurofresh.com
www.365daysofkale

Open Faced Roasted Vegetable Sammy with Smoked Gouda

Remember those roasted veggies from the post below?

Here is one example of their multitude of uses!

Crusty, grainy, wheaty-whatever kind of bread. Add roasted veggies in one layer. Top with smoked gouda-happens to be what I had left over from the weekend. Feel free to use whatever you'd like. Toast and then broil until bubbly. Don't be afraid of the broil button on your oven/toaster oven! Just be sure to watch it carefully to avoid over-browning. (Read=burning)

Excellent, easy and tasty! I'm off to enjoy my snack!

Pictures to the left do not do this recipe justice-believe me.

Veggies Turning? Roast Away!

I looked at my once beautiful bowl of red and yellow peppers, zucchini, eggplant and carrots and sighed. These veggies were fresh from the farmer's market this week! They were already starting to turn and I knew there was no way I could possibly eat them fast enough before they moved on to greener (sorry for the pun) pastures. What to do? Roast!

Roasting is great way to create a new and different flavor for tired old vegetables. All you need is a hot oven, your favorite vegetables, a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper and you've got several side dishes for the week! Remember, if you fail to plan, plan to fail. This is a full-proof way to ensure that veggies are on the menu all week.


Ingredients:

• Your favorite veggies, washed and chopped into the same size for even roasting-I used all of the above-can also use onions, mushrooms, asparagus, squash, potatoes, etc.

• Garlic Cloves-I used 3 large, smashed-I love the roasted garlic flavor

• Olive Oil-just enough to coat lightly

• Salt and Pepper to taste

• Herbs-optional

Preheat oven to 450. Place all veggies in a roasting pan. Pour olive oil over veggies and season with salt and pepper. Using your hands, toss lightly to coat. Place in oven for 20-25 minutes, checking once to turn veggies. Remove veggies from oven once they are evenly browned or to desired doneness.

I like to sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and a few red pepper flakes for a kick for a side dish. Or, mix in with pasta for a primavera. Use on top of pizzas or throw into soups. The possibilities are endless.

Enjoy!