Oven Roasted Vegetables.

Roasting vegetables brings out the best in the vegetables. Roasting them makes them more flavorful and increases the depth of the simple yet crisp taste of the vegetable.

I find that almost all vegetables can be roasted to create quick, simple yet tasty sides that can be served warm as is seasoned with salt, pepper, paprika, herbs de Provence or just a sprinkling of Italian seasoning! Roasted vegetables also make a wonderful addition to salads to create warm salads on cold wintry nights. They can also be added to pastas to make roasted vegetable pasta, lasagnas or even to cooked quinoa or rice to make a quick and tasty pilaf! It is always handy to have an assortment of oven roasted vegetables in the refrigerator to whip up quick and delicious week day meals.

Oven roasted Red Bell Peppers

Bell Peppers date back to around 5000Bc and originated in South America. They were spread to the rest of the world by the Spanish explorers. They are highly nutritious, versatile and tasty! They come in a variety of colors – green, orange, yellow and red depending n the stage of ripeness. The red bell peppers tend to be easiest to digest and also have the most amount of sweetness. Roasting the red bell peppers intensifies their sweetness and in fact my older son calls it the perfect’ vegetable candy!’

Roasting vegetables is the oven is the simplest of all methods of cooking and helps retain a lot of the nutrition as well. Preheat the oven to 375F, slice the peppers into long and slightly thick strips. Layer them on a sheet pan covered with aluminum foil and coat them with a generous coating of cooking spray. Season lightly with salt, pepper, paprika or any other seasoning of choice and bake in oven for about 25 min till the peppers look slightly charred and roasted. Remove from oven, cool them and store in a glass jar in the refrigerator.

Oven roasted Fennel   

Fennel is very refreshing in taste; it is crunchy, slightly sweet. It is very versatile and can be used in Mediterranean, Italian and Spanish dishes. Add it to your list of must have vegetables from the months of Oct through Apr when it is available in abundance and at its best!  Roasting the Fennel bulb brings out the sweetness of the vegetable.To roast preheat oven to 375 or 400 F, wash, slice and coat the sliced fennel with cooking spray or olive oil and add a dash of balsamic vinegar to intensify the flavor. Roast in oven for 30 min till tender and store them in a glass jar till ready to use.

Oven roasted asparagus

Asparagus is a member of the Lily family and is a very nutritious vegetable. It is in high in Folic Acid and is also a good source of fiber, potassium, vitamins B6, A and C, and thiamin. Roasting the Asparagus stalks after trimming the chewy and thick bottoms brings out the best flavor of the vegetable. The stalks cab be coated with olive oil, lemon juice and seasoned with salt and pepper before roasting. Roasted asparagus makes a great side dish to pasta!