December Recipe

(Each month, I include a recipe in the monthly newsletter for the kitchen where I work. These recipes need to complement the entrees on our menu that particular month, and are targeted towards our average customer. That means it needs to be simple, require little active prep work, and use only the most basic ingredients. Here is what we published in December.)

Roasting vegetables has been trendy for the past several years. Any root vegetable (carrots, parsnips, beets, turnips, yams, etc.) as well other firm veggies (my favorite is brussel sprouts!) work great. Roasting adds very little fat, requires little prep work, and brings out the sweetness in any vegetable.

Many of our entrees bake at 350-400° for around 45 minutes, which is perfect for roasting vegetables. Simply toss bite-sized pieces of your chosen veggie, or a combination of veggies, with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper. If you want to get fancy, add some fresh rosemary or other dried herbs, but your veggies will have enough flavor on their own. Place them in a single layer on a pan and put them in the oven at the same time as your entree.

For entrees with a shorter cooking time, you can either start roasting the veggies before putting your entree in the oven or simply cut the vegetables into smaller pieces. Stir once or twice and roast until you can see the vegetables starting to get crisp and caramelize.