Healthy Vegetable Recipes – Roasts for the Chilly Months

The days are getting shorter and the weather’s getting cooler, which can only mean one thing: it’s time to start using the oven again (and not just for frozen pizza!)

Roast chicken, beef, and pork are excellent staples to know how to cook to ensure that you are eating healthy food with minimal investment of time and money. Throwing some roots, tubers, and squash in along with the meat is a great way to incorporate more tasty veggies into your diet.

Why Roasting?

Roasting works best for the starchy vegetables that can withstand heat and require a bit of cooking in order to tenderize. These veggies tend to be in season during the fall and winter, making them cheaper and easier to get ahold of. These starches are particularly beneficial for the days when you do your short, intense workouts in order to restore leptin levels so you don’t overeat.

The Best Vegetables for Roasting

The thing I like about roasting vegetables is the same thing that I like about grilling shish kebabs and making salads – you don’t need a specific recipe and can make do with whatever you have lying around. Just head out to the grocery store and grab a bunch of roots and tubers, butter, salt, and pepper.

Here are some of the best candidates for roasting vegetables:

• Potatoes
• Carrots
• Onions
• Squashes
• Sweet Potatoes
• Yams
• Garlic
• Turnips
• Parsnips

There are many other vegetables that are good for roasting as well, including burdock root and celeriac. These are somewhat obscure, but easier to find than you might realize. If you are adventurous, you can try branching out and trying these other starches.

Roast Veggies Recipe

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Peel and chop all vegetables (except garlic) into 1 inch cubes and place in a baking dish.
2. Add several tablespoons of fat to the pan. Go for those with high amounts of saturated fat to avoid oxidation: butter, coconut oil, or lard, for example. Add salt and pepper to taste, as well as some chopped fresh or dried herbs such as rosemary (0ptional).
3. Place the baking dish in the oven. Stir every 10 – 15 minutes.
4. After a half hour, add garlic cloves. Continue to stir occasionally until a total roasting time of 45 – 60 minutes has elapsed.

Roast Squash Recipe

Squash can be a bit of a pain to peel and cube, that’s why I usually make it by itself, which only requires you to slice it in half and scoop out the seeds.

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Slice the squash in half lengthwise and remove the seeds on both sides.
3. Put a tablespoon of butter on either side and cover with salt and pepper. You could also add a bit of honey or maple syrup (optional).
4. Place the squash in the oven and roast for about 45 minutes, until the inside is soft enough to scoop out with a fork.

Tagged as: roasting, roots, squash, tubers, vegetables