Roasting Vegetables

As I am trying to eat more healthy,  I love trying new veggies and roasting them is one of my favorite ways to cook them.  Clean up is easy and the oven chars them a bit giving them great flavor.  Tonight I tried eggplant and beets.  The eggplants were smaller than what I usually see in the grocery store.  I purchased a four pack at Costco thinking they may be different than the larger ones.  They were not because the skin was still a bit thick.  They were edible and they got better the more I ate and even better when I mixed the roasted veggies in pesto sauce.  Eggplants are not my favorite roasted vegetable because of the thick skin.  Next time I'm going to try the Chinese eggplant because at 3 Brothers Chinese restaurant in San Ramon I love them and the skin isn't thick.  Normally I roast the whole eggplant and only use the guts, tossing out the skin.  This adds hidden extra vitamin's to a red sauce pasta dish.  To roast an eggplant it takes 40-45 minutes on 400 degrees.  As for the beets I didn't care for them at first, not much flavor but I think I'll give them a few more tries.  They are good for you and in a salad the next day they were not as bad.  Here are others I've tried or want to try.

ROASTED VEGETABLES

400°F for 15-20 minutes:

Asparagus
Artichoke hearts, baby

Baby Bok Choy
Bell Peppers, cut in strips
Broccoli
Carrots, baby
Cherry tomatoes
Grape tomatoes (5-10 min)
Green beans
Zucchini cut in bite size pieces
Kalamata olives, ¼ C.
Onions, (Red or Vadilla) cut in wedges
Summer squash cut in bite size pieces
14.5 oz. can artichoke bottoms
400°F for 20-25 minutes:
Sugar Snap Peas
Leeks (sliced in half and then in thin slices)
Brussels Sprouts

400° for 40-60 min:

Butternut squash, cut in 1” cubes
Corn cob
Eggplant
Garlic bulb
Potatoes (Russet, Red, Sweet) cut in 1” cubes
Beets

SPICES (choose to your liking):

• Drizzle with olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic powder.
• Add Thyme or Rosemary
• Drizzle with olive oil, onion salt, lemon pepper
• Drizzle with 2 T. balsamic, 4 t. garlic, 1 T. honey, 1 t. black pepper

Cover cookie sheet with foil. Place veggies on cookie sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and spices. Toss to coat. Bake according to vegetable type. Top with a sauce if desired.

VEGGIE SPECIFICS:

Asparagus: Wrap with bacon or prosciutto.
Beets: Scrub, rub with EVOO, wrap in foil. Cool slightly, peel and slice.
Brussels Sprouts: Cut off bottom and peal apart leaves.
Broccoli: Cut in spears (cut side down) or in floret's.
Corn: wrap in foil and roast on 400°F for 1 hour.
Eggplant - whole: place 4-5 slits on one side of eggplant, roast slit side up. Cook 40 minutes or until eggplant deflates. Cut in half and scoop out insides, toss skin
Eggplant: Eggplants have a thick skin. It gets better as you keep eating or if you put a sauce on it like pesto.
Garlic Bulb: Peal away some of the dry out layers of skin. Slice top off garlic bulb, just exposing the tops of the cloves inside.. Drizzle with olive oil. Replace top if possible. Wrap in a foil pouch and roast with other veggies. Discard top, scoop out garlic with the tip of a knife or by squeezing. Can store in refrigerator for up to 1 week or freeze.
Garlic cloves: Clean garlic (trim and remove skin). Add 12 cloves, 1 T. oil, 1/2 t. red pepper flakes to an oven proof dish. Bake 375 for 15-20 minutes. Better option if serving company or if you want the cloves to remain whole.
Garlic Olive Oil: Add garlic to a 1 pint bottle of high quality olive oil. Cap and shake bottle and refrigerate for 3-4 days. Bring to room temperature, remove the garlic, and bottle the oil for sauces, dressing and cooking..
Whole Red Peppers: Under a broiler or an outdoor grill, turn frequently until skin is blackened all over. Place immediately in a paper bag while hot. Close bag. Let sit 15 minutes, peel core and seed