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It has been said that the food you eat can be either the best form of medicine or the slowest form of poison. Too bad so much of the good-tasting stuff falls into the latter category! But take heart — you probably had no idea how easy it is to turn simple, healthy vegetables into an irresistible dish. And you don’t have to be the next Julia Child in order to whip it up, either.
There’s a foolproof way to make flavorful, perfect veggies every time: Roast ’em!
Not only is roasting super simple, it also requires very little prep and even less clean-up. Heck, if you throw a piece of foil or parchment paper down on your baking sheet, you’re looking at less than 30 seconds of clean-up.
Autumn and winter are the perfect time to improve your roasted veggie game, because seasonal produce like acorn and butternut squash, sweet potatoes, turnips, beets and carrots are just begging to be roasted.
Before you go chucking your veggies straight into the oven, though, you need to know that there is a trick to roasting veggies just right. According to The Kitchn, the best temperature for roasting vegetables is 425 degrees. Cooking time can take anywhere from 25 minutes to an hour, depending on what type of vegetable you are cooking, how small you have cut the pieces and your own particular oven.
Armed with a little bit of this knowledge, you don’t even need a recipe. You’re in charge here! Just remember to season with salt, pepper and perhaps other spices such as cinnamon or brown sugar (for sweet potatoes), a little honey (for carrots), garlic and onion (Brussels sprouts) or fresh herbs (everything).
Most importantly, don’t forget the fat! Olive oil is a favorite for a reason, but you also can’t go wrong with coconut oil. A dash of balsamic vinegar will have your guests singing your praises. So go ahead. Roast some veggies. Eat well. Feel well. Simple as that.
If you don’t believe it really is that easy (it is, we promise!), or you just prefer to follow a recipe, you can’t go wrong with these Roasted Rosemary Root Vegetables from the Pioneer Woman, these roasted Brussels sprouts from A Cup of Jo or these Spiced Roasted Root Vegetables from Oh My Veggies.
Happy roasting!
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