Why I love roasted veggies

Roasted vegetables: Potatoes, mushrooms, carrots

For dinner last night, I was trying out a new way to bake chicken breasts that I had seen on a tv commercial for Hellman's mayonnaise (very good, by the way, and you can get the recipe at parmesan crusted chicken). I was thinking about a suitable side. I decided on roasting some vegetables.

I love roasted vegetables for a variety of reasons.

• I can mix and match whatever fresh veggies I have on hand. Yesterday, I used 2 pounds of mini-potatoes, a handful of whole mushrooms, a couple of carrots and, as always, a few teaspoons of minced garlic.
• Preparation is easy. Aside from giving the veggies a good wash (which you would do anyway),  cutting up a few of the larger, denser vegetables, throwing them in a baking dish with some oil and seasoning, and giving the whole thing a stir now and then while they're in the oven, there is nothing fancy about it.
• You can vary the seasonings. Oil and spices are great on their own. Or try a little maple syrup or balsamic vinegar or whatever suits your tastes and your menu.
• Roasted veggies stand alone as a delicious side or play well with others in salad, pasta and grain dishes. 

Roasting vegetables is a kitchen basic. Here's how I do it.

1. Use a baking sheet or large casserole dish. For easy clean-up, you can cover the bottom with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Spread or spray a good coating of olive oil over the bottom and sides of the dish.
2. Clean your vegetables. You can leave the skins on the vegetables as they will be delicious.
3. Think about which vegetables will take longer to cook (for example dense veggies like potatoes, turnips and yams). Cut those into smaller pieces. The idea is to have all the vegetables evenly cooked through at serving time.
4. Place the vegetables in the cooking dish. Be sure they aren't crowded. They need room to brown and get crispy on the outside.
5. Add olive oil and your favourite spices (salt and pepper are a good start; rosemary is always nice) and toss the vegetables until they are nicely coated with the oil and seasonings.
6. Roast the vegetables for 50 to 60 minutes at 400 degrees F. You can lower the oven temp to 375 and cook the veg a bit longer. I like to do this if I am cooking something else at the same time - like the chicken breasts. It is a good idea to stir or turn the vegetables a few times while they are cooking.
7. Eat your vegetables.