If you’re a traditional carnivore, you may treat vegetables as an afterthought, throwing some steamed green beans or broccoli on your plate just to add color. But if you have kids, they can turn up their noses at this fare fast enough to give them whiplash.
Even Aeros Lillstrom, who runs Who Cooks for You Farm in Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, with her husband, Chris Brittenburg, is familiar with the scenario. The couple has two kids, and even though they’re exposed to the finest organic vegetables, their children are less than enthusiastic about steamed carrots.
But Lillstrom knows the solution to this common problem: sugar, or more specifically, caramelization. No marshmallow topping necessary.
“For kids, and even adults, the roasting of many roots brings out their sweetness, so it’s really a nice way to introduce people to roots,” she said. “Beets blow people out of the water. It’s just a wonderful flavor.”
You can prepare many kinds of vegetables this way, but fall root vegetables are especially good for roasting, and for roasting together. They have similar densities and therefore similar cooking times. Many contain sugar that comes to the fore after cooking and caramelize beautifully.
They make a flavorful side dish or even a whole meal when scooped over a bowl of fresh greens for a dinner salad — or topped with a dollop of yogurt.
Lillstrom recommends turnips, carrots, beets, potatoes, sweet potatoes, celeriac, parsnips and beets for roasting. (Check out the Who Cooks for You stands at the Bloomfield and Squirrel Hill farmers markets for most of these items.)
You can roast these individually or — as I do — diced and mixed together. I like to do potatoes and sweet potatoes together (with onions, carrots, garlic and herbes de Provence).
I find that regular potatoes have a longer cooking time, so I nuke those in the microwave for a couple minutes to give them a head start. Lillstrom points out that you can blanch vegetables to speed things up before putting them in the oven to caramelize.
Another factor in cooking time is how large you cut the veggies. So if you’re in a rush, cut them smaller.
Make sure to space out the vegetables. Otherwise they will steam in their own vapor and won’t get browned.
I’m sometimes — OK, often — impatient. So if the vegetables are cooked but not browned, I’ll put them under the broiler. But be sure to keep an eye on them if you do this, or they’ll burn.
If you want to throw in, say, some mushrooms or cherry tomatoes, wait until mid-cooking cycle or longer, as these will cook much faster.
For her kids, Lillstrom cuts sweet potatoes into fries, puts them on a lard-covered sheet pan (she says you can also use vegetable shortening) and drizzles them with olive oil. She then sprinkles the fries with salt and pepper, and mixes to make sure the fries are coated before roasting them.
Roasting vegetables is simple — simple enough that you don’t need a recipe. But if you’re like me, you’ll want one anyway, so guidelines are below.
“Good, roasty caramelizing is my favorite,” Lillstrom said. “That’s always a sure win for the kids or really anyone who is like, ‘I don’t like beets.’ and you’re like, ‘Well, have you roasted them yet?’”
Roasted vegetables
2-3 pounds root or dense vegetables, peeled if you like and cut into 1-inch chunks or wedges (carrots, beets, potatoes, sweet potatoes, turnips, radishes, rutabaga, winter squash)
Oil (olive, coconut or grapeseed)
Salt and pepper
Fresh herbs, torn or chopped (rosemary, thyme or parsley)
Heat oven to 425 degrees.
Peel vegetables (optional) and cut them into 1- to 2-inch chunks.
Lay them on a baking pan and toss with oil and a sprinkling of salt and pepper.
Put the vegetables in the oven and roast without stirring for 20 minutes, then check. If they look dry and are sticking to the pan, drizzle with more oil.
Continue roasting, stirring or turning them once, for another 20 minutes or so.
Stir in herbs, then return the pan to the oven for another 20-40 minutes, until crisp.
Remove from the oven and garnish with rosemary or thyme.
Serves 4-6.
— adapted from The New York Times
Other options
Instead of root vegetables, you can use 2 pounds of high-moisture vegetables (eggplant, peppers, zucchini, fennel, onions, Brussels sprouts). Slice and cut into chunks or wedges. Roast at 450 degrees until golden brown all over, 10-40 minutes depending on variety and the size of the pieces.
Or use 1 or 2 pounds of hardy green vegetables (broccoli rabe, snow peas, green beans, kale, collard greens, chard) or cherry tomatoes, trimmed.
Roast at 450 degrees for 7-15 minutes. If you are using vegetables of different densities, you will have to stagger their cooking times.
Roasted Vegetable Tostadas
The joy of this recipe is that you can pick whatever ingredients make you happy. I stacked the tostadas in two layers for a heartier meal, but it can be made with just one layer.
For roasted veggies
3 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 red bell peppers, seeded and sliced
1 red onion, sliced thin
2 teaspoons chili powder
Kosher salt
1 tablespoon oil
For bean layer
1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 teaspoon cumin, or more to taste
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 cup minced white onion
Generous pinch of salt
For pico de gallo
1 cup diced fresh tomato
1 jalapeno, seeded and finely diced
1/4 small red onion, diced
1 garlic clove, finely diced
Juice of 1/2 lime
Chopped cilantro, to taste
Salt, to taste
For tostadas
8 packaged tostadas
Shredded iceberg lettuce
1/2 cup crumbled queso fresco, or finely shredded Monterey jack cheese
Diced avocado, optional
Chopped cilantro, optional
Lime crema, optional
Prepare vegetables: Place sweet potatoes, peppers and red onion in a large bowl. Season with chili powder and a generous pinch of salt, then toss with oil.
Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet and roast in a preheated 450-degree oven until tender, tossing halfway through, about 25-30 minutes.
While veggies are roasting, prepare beans. Combine drained pinto beans, cumin, chili powder and onion in a small saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat for about 10 minutes, until beans and onions soften. Mash with a fork and keep warm.
Prepare pico de gallo: In a medium bowl, combine diced tomato, jalapeño, onion, garlic, lime juice, cilantro and a generous pinch of salt. Stir to combine, adding more salt if necessary.
Let rest for 15 minutes before serving so flavors can mingle.
Assemble tostadas: Spread a tostada shell with mashed beans. Top with shredded lettuce, roasted vegetables, pico de gallo, crumbled or shredded cheese, diced avocado and chopped cilantro if using. Drizzle lime crema on top, and repeat with a second layer. Serve immediately.
Serves 4.
— Gretchen McKay, Post-Gazette