I love to cook. I love everything about it - finding the best ingredients, searching out new recipes, experimenting with my own recipes … and, most importantly, sharing the final product with the people I love.
Fall, by far, is my favorite season for cooking. The temperatures have finally dropped enough that I can run the oven or stand in front of the stove without being miserable. It’s also the perfect time to take advantage of local farmers markets for things like root vegetables and squashes. Not a fan? I challenge you to try one of my family’s favorite recipes: roasted roots.
I love this recipe because it is so simple yet the finished product is wonderful - full of flavor and nutrition. It’s also incredibly versatile. Don’t have parsnips? Don’t like butternut squash? Love garlic? You can add and subtract ingredients based on tastes and well as availability without any problems. And yes, I know butternut squash isn’t a root vegetable, but it’s delicious when roasted so I toss it in all the time.
Also, a word of warning here, I’m the type of cook who rarely measures when cooking. As such, amounts are estimates (albeit close estimates). Thankfully, as I said before, this recipe is extremely forgiving so you can substitute in spices and herbs just as easily as you can the vegetables themselves.
And as far as serving sizes go … your guess is as good as mine. You may find that you have to adjust the amounts of each veggie for your family. As a general rule, I would plan for 1 1/2 cups of veggies per adult (for my family, it’s probably closer to 2 cups per adult but we love this stuff).
Roasted Roots
Prep Time: 10 - 30 minutes
Cook Time: 50 - 65 minutes at 375 degrees
Ingredients:
Select any combination of following veggies (or add other root veggies that you like) until you have cut approximately 1 1/2 cups of veggies per adult. We recommend starting with the sweet potato, onion, garlic, carrots, and red potatoes for your first try as these are the easiest to prepare.
1 medium yellow onion, cut into 8 pieces (you want big chunks rather than thin slices)
5 - 10 garlic bulbs, peeled but left whole
1 - 2 sweet potatoes, medium size, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/2 butternut squash, cut into 1/2 cubes
3 medium carrots, cut into 1/2 inch sections
2 medium parsnips, cut into 1/2 inch sections
2 russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
3 - 5 red potatoes, peels left on, cut into 1/2 cubes
2 beets, peeled, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 - 2 yams, medium sized, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
Olive Oil (approximately 1 tablespoon per cup of veggies)
Salt, to taste (I recommend a coarse grain salt rather than table, but either will work)
Pepper, to taste
Any additional seasonings (thyme works well, as does oregano, smoked paprika, and even cayenne pepper or chili powder) Go light on additional seasonings so as not to overpower the natural flavors brought out by roasting. I usually just stick to salt and pepper.
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Wash, peel and cut all of the vegetables into bite-sized pieces. The size isn’t as important as consistency to ensure more even cooking. If you’re looking to save time, check your local market for pre-cut and packaged vegetables (especially the butternut squash which can be difficult to peel and cut).
Note: Garlic and onion can be power houses in the flavor department, but don’t be afraid to add large amounts to this recipe. Keeping them whole (for garlic) and in large chunks (for onion) actually helps to keep the flavor mild and roasting them will mellow the flavor even more.
Add veggies to a large mixing bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Then sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Add in any additional seasonings you may want. Stir a few times to mix.
Spread parchment paper or foil over a jelly roll pan (for easy clean-up) and then pour veggies onto the pan. Spread evenly. Place in the oven and cook for 50 - 65 minutes. Stir the veggies about half way through. Completed cooking time varies a lot with the size of the veggies and the amount on the tray. Start checking veggies at 45 minutes. Veggies are done when they can be pierced with a fork with little resistance.
If you are worried that they won’t soften fast enough, cover with foil for the first 30 minutes of cooking, remove the foil, stir, and roast as directed for the remaining time.
Roasting the roots brings out many of their more subtle flavors and really lets them shine. This dish is great on its own or paired with a roasted meat (we love it with pork tenderloin). If you want more color in the dish, consider using purple carrots or beets. Brussel sprouts, although not a root veggie, will also work in this dish. Squashes work well in this recipe too, but stick to firmer, autumn squashes like butternut or acorn. Zucchini or yellow (summer) squash will get too soft during the roasting process.