I just read a post elsewhere that claimed to reveal the secrets of ‘roasting veggies perfectly’… The author was so far off base, I felt I should set the record straight in my own forum. So here are my tried and true tips for roasting the Veggies we should all be eating more of…
A full head of Cauliflower Roasted to Perfection:
The Brussels Sprouts came out perfect, too!
(The stuff on the bottom is Broccolini…)
What you can/should roast…
The easy answer is, ‘everything’. But it’s a little more complicated than that.
- I consider all firm Root Veggies (Potatoes, Carrots, Parsnips, Turnips, Beets, etc.) eminently roastable. Roasing cooks them through to a perfect fork-tender doneness inside while applying a wonderful coating of delicious Brown Flavour outside.
- Another popular Veggie (popular with me, anyway) is Brussels Sprouts.I never prepare them any other way, now.
- Winter Squashes (Acorn, Butternut, Pumpkin, Spaghetti, Hubbard, etc.) are most easily cooked via roasting, which, among other things, makes it unnecessary to peel them first.
- Cabbage is also great roasted. I serve Roasted Cabbage to family and friends who claimed – before trying mine – that didn’t like Cabbage.
- I like to road whole heads of Cauliflower and Broccoli (you can also do half-heads with the flat side down, or even quarter heads depending on how many diners you are serving).
- Leeks, Garlic, and Onions are also fair game but require some special treatment (see below). Fennel Root also falls in this category.
- Tomatoes and Peppers take on a whole new glow when Roasted, but they cook in minutes and you’ll need to watch them closely to ensure they don’t over-cook.
- Asparagus and Eggplant are also great Roasted, but like Tomatoes and Peppers, you have to watch them closely.
What you shouldn’t/can’t roast…
- Beans are a big no-no, even if you’ve pre-soaked them. Likewise their close cousins, Peas and Lentils. It just don’t work, mate! Yes, you can Fry and even Grill Green Peas, Snow Peas and Edamame in their shells, but Roasting is a bad idea.
- You should avoid Roasting Leafy Greens such as Lettuces at all costs. Stick with Grilling or Pan Frying (a popular treatment for Radicchio and its brethren) if you want to tenderize through to the core and add Brown Flavour.
- Summer Squashes (Zucchini, etc.) are best Fried if you want that great Brown Flavour. It’s too easy to over-cook them on a Roasting pan.
Preparation…
- Root Veggies should be Roasted skin-on. Just rinse them off and go over them with a Veggie Brush.
- Sprouts should have their bases trimmed off close to the leaves and any loose or tough outer leaves should be removed. For best results, cut them in half vertically so they can lay flat on the Roasting Pan.
- Cut Winter Squashes in half vertically and clean out the seeds with a spoon.
- Cabbage is best Roasted in quarters (cut vertically). Leave the core in so the Cabbage doesn’t fall apart whole cooking.
- The stem ends of Cauliflower and Broccoli should be trimmed close to where the florets start Remove any remaining leaves or leaf stalks. The heads should sit flat and stable on the Roasting pan
- Leeks can be roasted, but you have to remove the green tops and the root end, and disassemble the white leaved rinsing under cold Water to remove all sand or dirt.
- Onions should be cut in half vertically, peeled and laid flat on the pan.
- Garlic should be left in the whole head, with the papery skins on. Just trim off the top of the head enough to reveal the tops of the individual cloves inside. The head should sit flat on the pan. (SOme folks like to roast off a head or two of Garlic in the same pan as other food is being cooked. In this case, wrap the prepared head(s) of Garlic in foil after drizzling the exposed ends of the cloves with Olive Oil.)
- Tomatoes can be Roasted whole, halved or cut horizontally in thick slices.
- Peppers should be cut in half vertically and their seeds and ribs removed.
- Just cut off the tough bottom parts of the stems from Asparagus spears and lay the tip ends flat on the pan.
- Slice Eggplants vertically or horizontally, depending on how you want to present them to your guests. Lay cut side down on the Roasting pan.
For all Veggies…
- Preheat the oven to 400 F for most Veggies. Roast at 350 F – 375 F when cooking large items such as whole heads of Cauliflower, Broccoli and Cabbage.
- Drizzle or brush foods with Olive Oil or another good Oil, or Butter. Go easy on the Oil so you don’t end up Poaching your veggies. You want them brown and tender, not pale and mushy.
- Season with Salt and Pepper and any other herbs 0r spices you wish only after applying the oil, so the Seasonings will stick to the food.
- Cover Cauliflower, Broccoli and Cabbage with foil so they don’t burn. They’ll take quite a time to Roast compared to other Veggies. Remove foil for the last 1/4 – 1/3 of the cooking time.
A tip for convection oven or Breville Air users…
If you have an oven that lets you ‘air fry’ or ‘dehydrate’, you can take advantage of all-round roasting by placing your fully-prepped Veggies on a wire rack on a sheet pan or cookie sheet. That way the air can circulate to all surfaces of the food. I’ve also tried making Roasted Potatoes on the Air Fry grille pan that came with my Breville Air Countertop Oven, with and without a layer of parchment paper under the food. If you want ‘roasted’, use the paper. If you want ‘Fries’, leave the paper off.
And that’s the straight-up low-down on Roasting Veggies!
Go forth and deploy this ancient and venerable Dry Heat cooking method. in your kitchen. And enjoy the simplicity and minimum prep it entails…
~ Maggie J.