[Recipe] Roasted Fall Vegetables | I’ve Got You Covered

“Unbelievable as it may seem, one-third of all vegetables consumed in the United States come from just three sources: French fries, potato chips, and iceberg lettuce.”

— Marion Nestle, What to Eat

For many people, my kids—and husband—included, vegetables can sometimes be a hard sell. And it’s no wonder many of us don’t always embrace vegetables with the same gusto as, say, a gooey grilled-cheese sandwich or a slice of chocolate cake: I’m sure we can all recall being served a side of canned green beans that looked more gray than green, or some seriously wilted broccoli boiled to within an inch of its life. I think a lot of vegetable-haters are created by being served vegetables that are poorly prepared or cooked much too long. Even I, a lover of vegetables, did not come around to enjoying certain vegetables—beets, for one—until I ate them roasted. Roasting vegetables until they are caramelized and golden on the outside and meltingly sweet and tender on the inside can convert almost any vegetable-hater into a vegetable-lover, or at least a vegetable-liker. My kids (and my husband) have gradually grown to love (or at least not despise) cauliflower and brussels sprouts since I started roasting these “tough-sell” vegetables in the oven. And when I include more “easy-sell” vegetables like carrots and squash in the mix, I can improve the odds of the four of us having an enjoyable family dinner with a minimum of complaints.

In the fall and winter, I like to roast a pan or two of vegetables early in the week to enjoy all week long: as a side dish, tossed with pasta or grains as a main dish, or—as the week goes on and the vegetables start to lose some of their visual appeal—puréed into soup. For the past several years, I’ve also been making a supersized batch of roasted vegetables as a side dish for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners, and they are always a crowd-pleaser.

Do you have some especially vegetable-averse people in your family? Don’t worry; I’ve got you covered: First, keep in mind that simply roasting the vegetables at a high temperature in the oven will bring out the vegetables’ natural sweetness and help make them more palatable to reluctant eaters. However, if you need a little extra help marketing these vegetables to your family, try drizzling the vegetables with a little maple syrup (either halfway through roasting or just before serving), or adding another sweet element, such as dried cranberries (after roasting) or a sprinkle of cinnamon (before roasting).

In addition to adding a sweet ingredient, there are many other ways to jazz up a simple pan of roasted vegetables and tailor them to your family’s preferences. Before roasting, you can add fresh or dried herbs (sage and thyme work particularly well with fall vegetables) or spices (ginger, nutmeg, cumin, smoked paprika, or even a pinch of cayenne if you’d like a little heat). After roasting, you can add some crunch with toasted nuts, such as walnuts or pecans, or toasted pumpkin seeds. You can brighten up the vegetables with a squeeze of lemon juice or a splash of balsamic vinegar. You can even sprinkle some cheese over the top, if that helps. (Cheese almost always helps, at least in my house.)

Most of the time, I prepare the roasted vegetables simply—just olive oil, salt, and pepper—so that I can use them in a variety of dishes throughout the week. Here are a few ideas:

• Add the roasted vegetables to a pasta dish.
• Toss the vegetables into a green salad. A hearty kale salad with roasted vegetables, chickpeas, some goat cheese or feta cheese, and a sprinkle of walnuts can be a healthful, satisfying lunch.
• Use them as a base for a pot pie: Add chicken or turkey, or keep it vegetarian with just the vegetables.
• Purée them into a creamy soup.
• Enjoy them in a savory breakfast: Add them to scrambled eggs, an omelet, or a frittata.
• Use them in a “grain bowl” for dinner. I’m a big fan of grain bowls (also known as “nourish bowls” or “Buddha bowls” or a dozen other labels) for simple weeknight dinners: a whole grain (farro, brown rice, or quinoa) + a protein (fish, chicken, beans, or a fried egg) + assorted vegetables + (usually) cheese + some sort of simple sauce, all served in a bowl. It’s a great way to appease finicky eaters, as they can customize their bowls to suit their preferences. The only grain-bowl rule in our house: Your bowl must include a visible portion of vegetables! I have a whole Pinterest board dedicated to healthful “bowl foods,” and I try to post ideas for these bowls on Instagram too, so be sure to follow along if you need some dinner inspiration. I’ve got you covered.

Roasted Fall Vegetables: Butternut Squash, Brussels Sprouts, Cauliflower, and Carrots

 

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This recipe makes a supersized batch of roasted vegetables, perfect for feeding a holiday crowd (about 10 to 12 people as a side dish), or feeding your family throughout the week. However, you can certainly halve the recipe if you don’t think you’ll consume all of the veggies in a reasonable amount of time. I think they taste best on the day they’re roasted, but they will keep for 2 to 3 days in the refrigerator, tightly covered; days later, I will still happily eat them. You can reheat them on a baking sheet in the oven at 350 degrees F for 10 to 15 minutes, or, if you’re pressed for time, in the microwave for just a few minutes.

Conventional kitchen wisdom would tell you to chop all the vegetables about the same size, so that they cook at the same rate. However, if you like your butternut squash more on the “firm” side, you might want to chop the squash slightly larger than the other vegetables, because it tends to cook a little more quickly (and thus can start to lose some of its structure) than the rest of the vegetables in this dish. As you’re chopping the vegetables, divide them equally between two large bowls so you have about the same amount of each vegetable in each bowl, and subsequently on each baking sheet. (Alternatively, you can roast each vegetable on a separate pan—or in its own section of a pan—if you want to serve, for example, brussels sprouts with dinner tonight and butternut squash in another dish tomorrow night.)

If it helps to make your life a little easier, you can chop all the vegetables ahead of time and refrigerate them (even overnight) until you’re ready to roast them.

Author: Wholesome Family Kitchen

Serves: 10 to 12 as a side dish.

Ingredients

• -- 1 small butternut squash (about 2 pounds), peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch chunks
• -- 1 pound brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved lengthwise (quartered if very large)
• -- 1 medium head cauliflower (about 2 pounds), cut into 1-inch florets
• -- 7 or 8 medium carrots (about 1 pound), peeled and sliced about ¼- to ½-inch thick on the diagonal
• -- 5 to 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• -- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Divide the squash, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and carrots evenly between 2 large bowls. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of olive oil to each bowl and toss the vegetables so they are well coated with the oil. (I start with about 2 tablespoons of oil per bowl, then I add more if the vegetables don’t look coated enough, which happens sometimes if I end up with a larger squash or a bigger head of cauliflower than usual.) Season each bowl generously with salt and pepper and toss again.
3. Spread the vegetables in a single layer onto 2 large rimmed baking sheets. (Make sure the vegetables aren’t too crowded on the pans, or they will steam rather than roast and you won’t get that crisp caramelization that makes this dish so delectable.)
4. Roast the vegetables for 30 minutes, then remove the pans from the oven and toss and stir the vegetables around to help them brown evenly. Return the pans to the oven, rotating them top to bottom, and continue to roast the vegetables for another 15 to 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are nicely browned and caramelized on the outside and tender on the inside. Scrape the vegetables into a bowl, taste and adjust seasonings, and serve hot or at room temperature.

Notes

Recipe adapted from Food & Wine magazine, November 2009.

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