illdothedisheslater

Guys, I would be the world’s worst vegetarian.  As much as I try, I just plain don’t like most vegetables.  I wish I could be one of those people who are satisfied with salad, or can’t wait for Brussels sprouts to come into season.  I’d love to be able to fill up on broccoli or carrots, leaving no room for pasta or meat.  But alas!  My taste buds won’t let me.  I would be one of the few vegetarians in history who actually gained weight, because I’d just eat pasta, potatoes, and bread.  Reason #2?  I really like to cook and eat meat a lot.  Just love it.

I’m only doing this because the accompanying meal (Braised Short Ribs) is not particularly healthy or colorful.  And man cannot live by bread alone.  Is ketchup a vegetable?  Discuss.

Here we have yellow onion, baby carrots, Yukon Gold potatoes (thank you local grocery store for finally stocking more than two kinds of potatoes), zucchini, Roma tomatoes, and a Red Delicious apple.

So since I skipped a few steps with the short ribs (such as putting forth effort), I’m going to make up for the missing depth of flavor (bullshit) with some perfectly oven roasted vegetables.  I will also feel smug and virtuous all day about doing one healthy thing.  Just one.  Yesterday I changed the sheets, which can be quite the aerobic workout, and felt like a saint.

Line gross-looking baking sheets with foil and spray lightly with cooking spray.

The first tip I read is that, since vegetable roast at different speeds, the best thing to do is roast them all separately.  I say bullocks to that.  I’m not washing six pans.  The only reason I’m doing two is because they wouldn’t all fit on one.  Cut up your vegetables (I know, I know – apple is a fruit and let’s not get into that tomato debate) into roughly equal-sized pieces (for even roasting).  Toss them in a bowl with three tablespoons of olive oil and a little salt.  Spread them into your pans, trying not to crowd them.

I put the potatoes and apples in one pan, since they’re slower roasters.  Then I made little fences out of carrots(!), because I’m adorable.  Also by dividing them up by vegetable, I can easily scoop out whatever cooks the fastest and put the rest back in.

Put them in the oven at 425.  Now keep an eye on them.  You want browned and caramelized – not black and bitter.   Check them after around 10 minutes.  You may discover that, despite your assumptions, apples actually roast pretty darn fast, and you have to scramble to get them out before they burn.  Give all the veggies a stir and try to turn them.  In this step, you may accidentally flip half the onions onto the floor, as I did.  Let them roast another 10 minutes.  Check this out – the potatoes are perfect!

The rest have roasted with varied degrees of success.

I put them all together in a large bowl and set aside for later.   Before serving, I’ll put them all into a small roasting pan, cover with foil, and heat them for 10 more minutes in the oven.  Since they aren’t seasoned (except for the salt), they can be added to any dish or covered with any sauce without overpowering or ruining them.  And they’re pretty!