How to Make Healthy Roasted Vegetables

Vegetables are often times difficult to flavor or cook, without heavy sauces and cheeses, so that kids will eat them. Here is a recipe that even includes fresh Brussels sprouts.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• 10-15 Brussels sprouts, fresh, quartered
• 4-5 red potatoes, washed and cubed
• 1-2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1 large parsnip, peeled and cubed
• 1 red bell pepper, washed and cut into slices
• (optional)1 green bell pepper, washed and cut into slices
• 1 large summer squash, washed and cut into small cubes, such as zucchini
• 3-4 carrots, peeled and sliced
• 2 shallots, chopped
• oregano, dry
• thyme, dry
• rosemary, dry
• basil, dry
• salt
• black pepper
• extra virgin olive oil

1. 

   Preheat your oven to 400°F.

2. 

   Wash brussels sprouts in a strainer with cool water. Cut each sprout in half or in quarters. Place in a large bowl.

3. 

   Scrub the red potatoes with a vegetable scrubber under cool water. Cut potatoes into cubes. Add them to the bowl with the Brussels sprouts.

4. 

   Peel the skin from the sweet potatoes with a vegetable peeler. Cut the sweet potatoes into cubes and add to the bowl with the other prepared vegetables. Sweet potatoes are harder to cut so be careful when cutting them.

5. 

   Peel the parsnips with a vegetable peeler, and cut into 1/4 inch slices or small cubes. Add them to the bowl of prepared vegetables.

6. 

   Rinse the green and red bell peppers under cool water. Clean the inside (stem and seeds) from your peppers and slice into thin strips. Add them to your bowl of prepared vegetables.

7. 

   Rinse your zucchini with cool water to clean. Do not peel. Remove any large seeds. Cut in half, and then cut 1/4 inch slices. Place your zucchini in the bowl of prepared vegetables.

8. 

   Peel and cut carrots into sections that same size as the other vegetables. Add them to the bowl of prepared vegetables.

9. 

   Peel the shallots, and dice them with a knife or chopper.

10. 

    Add the oregano, thyme, rosemary, basil, salt and pepper to the bowl of prepared vegetables. Stir everything until well coated.

11. 

    Put all vegetables (washed, chopped, sliced etc) into a large roasting pan, sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Any large oven-safe baking dish will work if you stir the vegetables every 15 minutes or so.

12. 

    Add about 1/2 cup or more (more veggies, more oil)olive oil to your vegetables, add about 1 Tablespoon of Oregano, Thyme, and Rosemary,and about 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons of basil. Add salt to taste, and 1 to 2 Tablespoons of black pepper (two Tablespoons of black pepper makes a very spicy vegetable). Reduce your pepper to 1 Tablespoon for a less peppery flavor.

13. Stir and cook in oven for 30-40 minutes, stirring vegetables about every 15 minutes. This vegetable dish incorporates many vegetables kids refuse to eat if cooked separately.

Tips & Warnings

• Add less black pepper if your kids don't like hot spicy foods.
• Add just about any vegetable to this for variety.
• Visit your Farmer's Market for home grown veggies and herbs.
• Use caution when using a sharp cooking knife.

Resources

• How to Find a Farmer's Market in your Area
• Health benefits of olive oil

[youcan2]

on 8/19/2009 YUM! I'll try this!

[fen527]

on 8/19/2009 I love vegetables, except brussel sprouts. Maybe I'll eat them if I try this recipe!

[lee-lee]

on 7/26/2009 Sounds wonderful! Will try! Thanks ... 5*****

[Merriment]

on 7/18/2009 That's the way I eat some of my vegetables as well. If they are combined with other vegetables, it makes the taste of them better to deal with. Besides I love the different colors, textures and flavors all in one dish! Great article and recipe!

[SunnyStars]

on 2/2/2009 Roasted vegetables are so yummy! Thank you for this article, its full of great tips! 5*Stars!