Roasted Vegetables Recipe

Directions:

1. General Directions:.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Use a rimmed sheet pan.
3. Lay out the vegetable in a single layer. No heaping. Drizzle with the olive oil and season with the salt and pepper.
4. With clean hands, toss the vegetables to be sure each one is coated with oil and seasonings.
5. Place in preheated oven and roast for specified time.
6. ASPARAGUS: For 4 servings, you'll need 1-1/2 pounds. Snap off the woody ends at their natural breaking point. Lay out on pan and follow General Directions. Roast for 15 minutes until tips are browned and starting to crisp, shaking the pan halfway. Sandra Lee tops her asparagus with 1/3 cup kalamata olives (pitted) bbefore placing in oven. Robin Miller tops hers with slivered almonds 5 minutes before cooking time is up. Michael Chaiarello makes bundles of 4-5 asparagus spears and wraps them in a slice of proscuitto and roasts as directed. You may also top the roasted asparagus with grated or shredded Parmesan cheese.
7. BEETS: According to Ina Garten, do not peel beets but scrub them well. Quarter them and roast following general directions. When they are done, they will be tender on the inside and crisp on the outside.
8. BROCCOLI: You'll need 2 bunches of broccoli for 4 servings. This recipe for Roasted Broccoli with Cherry Tomatoes is from The Neelys. Cut the broccoli into 2-1/2 inch long florets. Place in large bowl. Add a chopped shallot, 1 pint cherry tomatoes, whole, 3 cloves garlic, chopped, and 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes. Drizzle with 4 tablespoons olive oil, salt and pepper as directed. Toss to coat and spread out onto a large rimmed baking sheet. Roast until stems are tender-crisp and lightly golden brown, about 18 minutes. Grate 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese over the broccoli while it's hot.
9. BRUSSELS SPROUTS: Here is Claire Robinson's recipe for Crispy Brussels Sprouts. For 4 serving you'll need 2 pounds of sprouts. Trim them by cutting off the stem end and pulling off any yellow outer leaves, and halve them. Lay 8 ounces of thick slab applewood smoked bacon, cut in 1/1/4 pieces. Lay the pieces out on a rimmed sheet pan and bake 10 minutes in preheated oven. Remove bacon with slotted spoon and transfer to paper towels to drain. Carefullly toss sprouts in the hot pan and season with salt and pepper. Return pan to oven and roast, turning once, until golden brown, about 20 minutes. remove from oven, and add a granny smith apple, peeled and chopped and 1/4 cup toasted chopped walnuts. Toss to combine. Transfer to serving platter, top with bacon and serve warm. Ina Garten roasts her sprouts whole following the General Directions and roasting for 35-40 minutes and shaking the pan several times.
10. BUTTERNUT SQUASH PUREE: You'll need 2 squash (about 2 pounds) for 4 servings. Halve the squash lengthwise and remove seeds and strings (see Spicy Roasted Butternut Seeds / Pumpkin Seeds for what to do with the seeds). Rub the insides with 2 tablespoons softened butter. Season with salt and pepper. Place on roasting pan, skin side down. Bake in preheated 350 degree F. oven (different temperature) for 30-40 minutes or until fork tender. Remove squash from oven, scoop out the flesh and place in a food processor. Add zest of 1 orange, 3 tablespoons orange blossom honey and 2 tablespoons butter. Puree until smooth. Add a pinch of salt and of ground cinnammon. Pulse a few more times to incorporate.
11. BABY CARROTS: You'll need 1-1/2 pounds of baby carrots for 4 servings. Toss together the carrots, 1 red onion cut into 8 wedges, and 1 tablespoon fresh chopped rosemary (or 1 teaspoon dried) with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Sprinkle with garlic powder, salt and pepper. Roast 30-40 minutes until well browned.
12. CAULIFLOWER: You'll need 1 head (about 1-1/2 pounds) for 4 servings. Cut off the florets and slice them vertically into 1/4-inch slices which will cook llike fans. In the rimmed roasting pan, drizzle the florets with 2 tablespoons olive oil and salt and pepper as in General Directions; toss. Place in a preheated 425 degree F. oven (note the different temperature) and roast for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Sprinkle with salt to taste. Recipe from Southern Living.
13. CHERRY TOMATOES; You'll need 3 pints for 4 servings. Follow General Directions and roast anywhere from 2 to 20 minutes, depending on how soft you lilke them (they will collapse). Ina Garten roasts them 10-20 minutes, Tyler Florence roasts them 10 minutes and Mission Foods suggests 2 minutes. When roasted, sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley, or 20 fresh basil leaves, chopped or julienned. Claire Robinson adds 3 garlic cloves to the pan before roasting for flavor. Tyler Florence roasts his tomatoes on the stems for presentation. Instead of olive oil, he uses Orange Chili Oil (make by adding 5 strips orange peel, 1-1/2 teaspoon chili flakes, 2 sprigs rosemary, and 4 sprigs thyme to 1-1/2 cups olive oil.) Emeril Lagasse tosses his tomatoes, before roasting, with the olive oil, salt and pepper as in the General Directions as well as red pepper flakes. Afterward he sprinkles with chopped parsley or basil.
14. CORN ON THE COB: You'll need 4 ears of corn for 4 servings. Do NOT husk the corn. Corn is roasted completely differently from the General Directions. Lay the corn in its husks directly on the oven rack and roast until the corn is soft when you press on it, 30-40 minutes. Tyler Florence combines 1/4 pound butter, 2 teaspoons chili powder and zest of 1 lime and uses this to butter his cooked corn. To eat roasted corn. Peel down the husks and tie in a knot to use as a handle while eating. Rub the corn with the soft butter mixture. Tyler says that this roasting method produced the sweetest corn he has ever tasted.
15. FENNEL: You'll need 3 fennel bulbs for 4 servings. Remove the stems and slice the bulbs in half lengthwise. With the cut side down, slice the bulb vertically into 1/2-inch slices, cutting right through the core. Roast them following the General Directions. Roast them for about an hour, turning them once after 30 minutes. Sprinkle them with 2-3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese and roast 5 more minutes.
16. GREEN BEANS: You will need a pound of green beans for 4 servings. Here is Mills and Ross recipe for cooking. Rinse and drain beans and trim off and discard the stem ends. Place beans in rimmed baking sheet. Peel a small onion and cuts into slices 1/4-inch wide. Separate rings and scatter them over the green beans. Peel 4 cloves of garlic, cut in half, and scatter them over the onions. Then proceed according to the General Directions with oil and seasonings. Roast for 30 minutes, stirring twice. When done, remove from oven and drizzle with 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar.
17. ROASTED BABY PUMPKINS: You'll need 4 pumpkins for 4 servings. Directions are different than the General Directions. Cut off and reserve the tops of each pumpkin by cutting around the stem in a circle. Scoop out the seeds with a small spoon and liberally sprinkle the insides with salt and pepper. Place pumpkins of greased baking sheet and fill each one with applesauce. Place tops back on and roast them for 45 minutes to 1 hour in a preheated 350 degree oven (note different temperature), until tender but not mushy.