Roasted Vegetables

Everyone knows they need 5 serving of fruits and vegetables a day.  At least it used to be 5.  Maybe it's more now.  It probably depends on who you talk to.  It's tough to keep up with everything in the dietary world that changes all the time.

Eat margarine, it's lower in calories.  No!  Eat butter now, it's not made of fake ingredients like margarine. I'm definitely an advocate of this...you'll never, never, never see me make anything with margarine.

Grill your food so the fat burns off.  No!  Charred meat can give you cancer. Nowadays, it seems like everything gives you cancer.  I do grill meat though. 

It does seem like most things that would be considered diet foods such as diet soda, margarine, and Sweet and Lo, are actually not that good for you because of the chemicals in them.  This makes it difficult to make good choices for some folks.  Everyone has a different opinion and different things that work for them.

But, you know what's always a good choice?  Vegetables.  God given vegetables.

Now, I'll not profess to liking all vegetables, but there are quite a few of them that I love.  Broccoli, asparagus, cauliflower, onions, garlic, carrots, celery, cabbage, avocado, artichoke, mushrooms, beans, peas, corn...the list continues.  On the 'not my favorite' list are zucchini, squash, eggplant, and cucumbers.  Although I'm almost there on the cucumber category.  I do keep trying these veggies in the hopes I will someday like them.  I had a victory in New Orleans with cantaloupe and honeydew melons, however, which sadly fall on the 'not my favorite' list.  I had them every day for breakfast and hallelujah I loved them.  Maybe it's a regional thing. 

Speaking of New Orleans and vegetables, it was our last night on vacation and I realized that we hadn't eaten a single vegetable the entire trip except for the batter fried ones we had one night.  Fortunately, my dinner that last night came with a serving of vegetables.  Unfortunately, they were zucchini and yellow squash.  I ate them anyway. 

Here's one way to make your favorite vegetables.  Roast 'em!  Place a heavy roasting pan in the oven and preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Once the oven is heated, remove the pan and add 2 tablespoons olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter and melt them together. Add the vegetables that will take longest too cook, such as carrots, cauliflower, and onion and stir them to coat in the oil/butter mixture.  Return the pan to the oven and cook for about ten minutes.

Add in the rest of your vegetables.  In this case I did red pepper and sugar snap peas.  Also add a few cloves of crushed garlic, about 1/2 teaspoon of paprika, as well as plenty of salt and pepper.  Stir them around and return them to the oven for another 7-10 minutes or until all the vegetables are tender, but not overdone. 

I know I tried to cook too many vegetables in too small of a pan.  If I hadn't there would be better roasting marks on these beauties.  The good news is they were delicious!  Always remember to try a bite before serving it and adjust seasonings if necessary. 

Trust me, just like going to the gym, you won't regret eating more vegetables.  They're always a good idea!!