Wednesday, December 29, 2010

How Easy is That?

When it comes to eating healthy, you've got to keep it simple.

A few veggies here, a dash of olive oil there, a sprinkling of seasonings and....voila! Dinner is done.


In the words of Ina Garten, "How easy is that?"

Tonight we invited our friend Alli over for an evening of vegan-style feasting:
Quinoa Burgers, roasted veggies, and Peanut Butter Blondies (straight from Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar). This menu alone provided reason #347 why you shouldn't be afraid to prepare vegetarian meals for your meat-lovin' pals.

They'll love the food just as much as you do. Promise.

Allow tonight's recipe to serve as motivation for anyone who has set a 2011 "healthy living" resolution. This roasted veggie dish is colorful, flavorful, and heavy in the vitamin department (Please step away from that bottle of Flintstone Chewables. Who needs a pill when you can enjoy your vitamins roasted and peppered?).

You can serve your roasted veggies as a filling side dish, as a hearty salad mix-in, or on a toasted hoagie bun with cheese. Bottom line: Cut 'em, Roast 'em, Eat 'em and...Keep it simple :)

Roasted Veggies (for your New Year's Resolution)
(adapted from a recipe given to me by Mike G., my former boss and veggie-loving buddy)

Feel free to mix it up with the veggies. The original recipe calls for brussel sprouts, pears, and beets, which I didn't have on hand tonight. So, I just improvised with the bell pepper and apple. Turned out lovely just the same!

Ingredients:
  • 4 sweet potatoes, or 1 butternut squash, peeled and cubed
  • 2 bell peppers, sliced
  • 1 large onion, sliced
  • a drizzle of olive oil
  • a drizzle of pure maple syrup
  • a sprinkling of dried rosemary
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • Pecans, toasted and chopped for garnish
Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray a large baking sheet with cooking spray.

2) Toss veggies together in a large bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and maple syrup and toss to coat. Sprinkle with rosemary, salt and pepper; toss to coat. Arrange veggies in a single layer on the baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven, toss veggies, and return to oven to bake for another 15 - 20 minutes, or until thoroughly roasted. Top each serving with toasted pecans.

13 comments:

  1. Lol...I always say, "How easy is that?" in my Ina voice to my husband, but he never gets the joke :-) These DO look easy and delicious!

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  2. Roasted vegetables are God's way of showing us he wants us to be happy, in my opinion.

    Every time Ina says "How easy is that?" on the treadmill, I basically almost fall off laughing. It's marvelous.

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  3. I love roast veggies- and I know this combo of veggies is great together because I used it last night in chili! (The original version sounds pretty good too.) Those quinoa burgers are also going on my "try this" list. :)

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  4. easy and delicious meals that that are a perfect go-to for busy night =) hooray veggies!

    xoXOxo
    Jenn @ Peas & Crayons

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  5. Simple, healthy and delicious...perfect for me :) Wishing you a great 2011!

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  6. I LOVE roasted veggies. Mmmm. The addition of maple syrup sounds sooooo good. I am so trying that! Your dinner sounds amazing, I wish I could have been there! I saw your quinoa burger post and I still need to comment on that one. I know I would just love those. :)

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  7. I have definitely used my Ina voice by myself in my kitchen before...

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  8. Hi sweet girl...healthy, simple and delicious...these roasted veggies are sure to please. I love vegetables, and I love them even more when they've spent some time in the oven. Thank you for sharing this easy recipe with me. I wish you and yours a blessed weekend and new year!

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  9. Can I come over for dinner? This sounds like a great meal!

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  10. Nothing beats roasted veggies! I love pureeing them into soup. And you're right...the simpler the better. Have a happy new year! :)

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  11. I love having roasted veggies around the house. They're great to top on salads, omelets, pasta... you name it! Great choice for the New Year.

    Have a great 2011, Kylie!

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  12. I love roasted veggies in the oven!!! Spray on some olive oil, and you are all set, even no need for dressing.

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  13. I roast so many deferent veggies all winter ling. Thanks for sharing this recipe.

    My resolution for this year is to develop my food photography skills which are now pretty much nil. Your photography is amazing. Do you mind my asking if you have any tips to share with me? what kind of camera and lens do you use? I have a good Dslr camera (canon) but my lenses and skills are better suited for outdoor pix of my kids and scenery. Food photography is just a whole new thing for me. Any tips or recommended reading? Thanks so much and have a great year. Hope you accomplish everything you set out to do!

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