Fall treat…roasted veggies

Roasted vegetables are something that I can’t get enough of in the fall.  I love salads in the summer, but as it starts getting cooler out, there is something so comforting and delicious about roasted vegetables.  Oh, and healthy, easy, time saving…there are so many reasons to love them!

I’ve already warned you…I’m not big on recipes, measuring, or anything that is going to slow me down in the kitchen.  Making roasted vegetables is a very forgiving process.  My current favorite combo is brussels sprouts and mini bell peppers, but you can use any hearty vegetable…broccoli or cauliflower florets, chunks of onion, mushrooms, chunks of sweet potato…use your imagination.

Roasting really intensifies the flavor of the vegetables, and brings out their natural sweetness.  I also love it because I can make a few pans at one time and then store them in pyrex in the fridge and use them for a couple of days.  How do I use them?  Well, they are a great side dish to any meal.  I also use them in the morning with my eggs…just put some warmed roasted veggies in a bowl, and top them with my over easy pastured eggs.

So here’s what I do…again, no real recipe..just dumping some stuff together and throwing it in the oven!

I’ll use the brussels sprout and peppers as my example.  I washed fresh brussels sprouts and mini bell peppers.  Since the bell peppers were pretty small, I just cut off the stem end.  Brussels sprouts can take a bit longer to cook, so I cut them in half.  The smaller the pieces the faster they cook.

I dumped them all on my assorted hodge podge of pans…one is a jelly roll pan from Williams Sonoma, the other a sheet cake pan that I’ve had forever.  I drizzled them with some healthy oils…in this case, olive and avocado.  Avocado oil has an awesome, buttery flavor and stands up well to heat.  If you don’t have some in your pantry yet, I highly recommend it!  Then I used my hands to make sure the oil was distributed well.  I sprinkled everything with some Himalayan salt and freshly ground organic pepper and popped the pans in a preheated 350 degree oven.

You can really use any oven temp.  The higher, the faster they will cook, but the greater possibility of burning.  At 350 they really won’t burn…they’ll just shrivel up the longer you cook them.  I kept these pans in for a little over half an hour, and they were perfect.  You want to make sure that you can easily pierce them with a fork.  The peppers cooked faster than the brussels sprouts, but I was too lazy to take them out first.

And there you have it…it’s really that easy!  And a great way to add more vegetables to your diet.  Does eating roasted vegetables help you feel happy, healthy and hot?  Of course it does!  You’ll be soooooo happy that you have some delicious food waiting for you in the fridge.  You will be healthy because you are consuming a healthy dose of antioxidants and fiber.  Brussels sprouts also contain sulphur compounds that help your body detoxify, and may even help lower your risk of certain cancers.  And hot?  Well, the vitamin C you are consuming is great for your skin.  It helps support the production of collagen, which keeps our skin firm.  And the sulphur compounds are awesome for your hair and nails.

So there you have it…now put your device down, turn on the oven, and roast yourself some fall veggies!