Roasting vegetables is not so much a recipe, as an idea that's often under-rated or dismissed due to the somewhat longer cooking times. BUT, i believe it's one of best ways of bringing out the natural flavours and is always a crowd pleaser! So if you can afford it, the time spent is well worth it!
Olive oil, salt and pepper are the basics, and my choice of the combination of vegetables is usually just based on a) what's on special, b) what i feel like and c) the colour combination! Recently though i have discovered the fun of eating vegetables in different shapes lol, it is always the simple things in life that amuse us the most.
So here's a few ideas of what i roasted recently and tossed together for a warm salad at my dinner party!
Baby Beets
I rarely see these available, but they were so cute and for only $1 a bunch, i thought i'd see if they are extra sweet (which i think they kind of are!). The size of them also makes me feel better as once my sister and i tried to grow beetroot and i have no idea what happened, but they were basically this size at 6 weeks (when they should have been full-sized), 12 weeks (we left them in for further observation) and maybe like 18 or 24 weeks down the track when we eventually remembered them and dug 'em up, total gardening fail.
Cooking time: 35-50min
Method:1. Cut off the stems and the leaves, then boil the beetroot in boiling water for 15-20 minutes until they are soft enough for you to pierce through.
2. Wear plastic gloves and peel off the skin.
3. Dress in olive oil, salt and pepper (and balsamic vinegar if you want!) and roast for 20-30 minutes.
Baby Zucch's in Ribbons
Again, super cute baby vegetables! Zucchini is rather bland sometimes, but roasting brings out its natural sweetness and is a lovely addition to any salad! It could just be a placebo effect, but i do think the baby zucch's are extra sweet and scrumptious!
Cooking time: 15-20 min
Method:1. Cut the ends off the zucchini and cut into 2-3mm thin slices.
2. Line the tray with foil and spray with spray oil. Place the slices on the tray, then drizzle olive oil and sprinkle salt and pepper on top.
3. Bake in a 180˚C oven for 15-20 minutes.
Eggplant Triangles with Mustard
Eggplant is one of my favourite roasted vegetables, must be because it soaks up a fair bit of oil and then softens to this firm exterior but mushy juicy interior! Have tried out a few things to roast with eggplant in the past, including sesame oil and sesame seeds (!), but this time tried out some seeded mustarded which was a nice twist and in theme with the main!
Cooking time: 40-50 min
Method:1. Cut the eggplant into 6-8 triangles, depending on the size of the eggplant.
2. Dress in olive oil (probably 2-3 T for 1 eggplant!) and 2-3 T seeded mustard, salt and pepper. Toss to coat.
3. Roast in 180˚C oven for 40-50 minutes until soft.
Cauliflower Florets with Thyme
Roasted cauliflower is a treat, i have gone on about this in the past so i won't expand any more but definitely a top vegetable to roast and always a pleasant surprise for guests because people often just dismiss cauliflower as a rather flavourless distant cousin of broccoli, but roasting gives it an extra crunch and i just love the strong but fresh bite the thyme adds!
Cooking time: 20-30 min
Method:1. Cut the cauliflower into florets.
2. Dress in olive oil, salt, pepper and 1 tsp dried thyme.
3. Roast in 180˚C oven for 20-30 minutes, tossing every 10 minutes or so to ensure more even roasting! It's done when the cauliflower is soft and the flowers are a little seared!
Salad Dressing
Personally i find all the vegetables are so wel-seasonsed and have their natural flavours brought out that a dresing isn't really required when serving them as a side, but if it's in a salad i like to dress the salad leaves and sometimes just to tie the flavours together, this is a simple dressing that works well!
1 T apple cider vinegar
Juice of 1/2 lemon
2 tsp mustard
1-2 T parsley, finely chopped (optional)
2 T olive oil
Salt, pepper
Just as an indication of amounts, to serve 8 people, i had 3 bunches baby beets, 6 baby zucchini, 1 large eggplant, 1 large cauliflower and 150g mix lettuce leaves.
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