Roasted Root Vegetables I might have posted this recipe before, but I could not locate with search engine. For vegetables I use a mix of beets, carrots, potatoes, onions, parsnips, purple top turnips and yams. I let the season and price decide on what I will use. Tonight I am using carrots, beets, potatoes, and yams. Sometimes I will also roast green vegetables in same oven, but that’s another recipe. 1. Heat oven to 425 F and lay tin foil on baking sheet. 2. Prepare an oil and spice mixture. I use about two teaspoons olive oil per serving. For spices I use a combination of cayenne, garlic (minced), rosemary, sage, thyme, etc. 3. Peel and dice vegetables. Place in pan, add oil/spice mixture. 4. Put onto baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes. Turn at 15 minute intervals to avoid sticking and to get even cooking. Cook long enough to get amount of caramelization that you want. This is a low sodium way to prepare vegetables.
Joe - this looks wonderful!!! I'll bet it smells yummy in the oven, too..... Do you ever put the leftovers in salads? Mmmmmmmm!!
Thanks for comments! I normally do not have leftovers, except of the deliberate kind. I will cook extra beets for future use. I skin the beets that I will eat that night while I may or may not peel the beets that I will use in future. The "futures" could be used in salad, no doubts there. Joe
Great Idea! I like to cut some large pieces of leeks, a head of sweet anise, and some jicama chunks with my root veggies.
Sounds good! I'll try this. Since I turn every 15 minutes, it is easy for me to accommodate vegetables with different cooking times. Joe
Beets bake beautifully. Remember to peel before hand if you are going to use right away. It is not difficult to do. Sometimes I will bake with skins on, but only if I am not going to be using right away. I always put some sort of marinade on the vegetables even if it is as simple as oil and garlic. Joe
Besides wearing gloves, etc., do you have a trick for how to handle beets without the red staining your hands or the cutting board?
First, I have noticed that my homegrown beets seem to stain less than those I buy in stores. In summer I grow Detroit Dark Red and in the fall I grow Red Acers. I am always more careful with store bought beets because there is more variability in taste and staining properties. If I bake beets with skins on (I still marinate them in oil-herb mixture), I will let them cool until safe to handle with bare hands. I use three implements: sharp knife, a flat “cutting board” (ancient plate no longer used for serving food) and ancient bowl to store beets temporarily. I turn on tap water in kitchen sink and do all my work in the flow of water inside the sink. I snip the root (I always think of it as the mouse’s tail; that’s the devil in me.), slice stem off, pull skin off (very easy to do) and place in bowl. Next I look at my hands and make a judgment as to whether I will proceed with or without gloves. I might even take nearby dish soap to make sure I can clean hands. 95% of the time, I will not use gloves. I proceed with skinning and cutting. Of course, I keep an eye on my hands as I work. If I am peeling beets before baking, I do something very similar, except I do not need to keep hands under so much water. Surprisingly, uncooked beets do not stain nearly as much as cooked beets. When I cut these beets down to size, I make them somewhat smaller than any other vegetable that I might be baking at the same time. This is because beets tend to cook more slowly. No matter which way I go, I clean up immediately … everything. I’ve done this so often that I no longer think about it or let it deter me from eating beets. They are a great vegetable with a neat, earthy taste. Joe
Thanks, Joe! I love the taste of beets, but was always put off by the threat of staining. Will give 'em another try.
