Foodie Friday | Roasted...Well...Anything

OK--so I have to say I have never met a vegetable or any other savory food item that doesn't taste better roasted. Some people are grillers, I'm a roaster. I have a double oven in my kitchen and they get used aaaaaa lot.

Most of us have been raised to think of dinner as 3 items: protein, carb, veggie, which ususally translates into meat, potatoes and some kind of vegetable hopefully prepared healthfully but usually swimming in butter (mmmmmm....not gonna lie here...veggies in butter = yum but let's be realistic...not healthy). Well I'm here to say that you can re-think your dinner to not always include the trinity above. Yes, we need protein and no, we don't eat like this every night but this is one of my most favorite meals.

So what you see here is a full head of cauliflower (we actually most times will roast 2 because roasted cauliflower is absolutely scrumptious), 2 sweet potatoes (skin left on...really adds to the flavor), and a big red onion. You put just enough oil on to coat and then massage it in a bit and let it sit. This process will really bring out the flavor of the veggies. Don't overdo the oil...it will keep them from getting all brown and carmely (yes...I said it...carmely...it's my word and you can't have it). Add a sprinkle of salt and pepper and you're good to go. We roast them on 400 to make sure we get those little burnt bits. Mmmmmm......

And have you ever considered roasting your corn in the husks? We learned this from a friend of ours and it has changed the whole game on corn on the cob. Not only is it easy (just toss them on the grill rack in the oven) but the taste is so incredibly fresh. The corn will steam inside the husks and the flavor is just out of this world. Again--400 for about 30 minutes. Or you can even do 350 for about 40 minutes. Once the husks are a bit brown you're good.

And yes. This is it. This was our dinner last night. All veggies and there's nothing wrong with that. Most times we will pair it with some kind of in-season fruit, which as you can see for us last night was a plate of strawberries and blueberries drizzled with balsamic vinegar and sprinkled with cinnamon sugar (you can eat it right away like that or, for a more intense flavor, dress it and put it in a container in the fridge from 3 hours to overnight. This will really condense the flavor and it also brings out the juices, which is really fantastic mixed in with oatmeal, by the way). And if I feel I need a little something extra I might toss in a slice of Ezekial bread toasted with a little Earth Balance Buttery Spread and a teensy sprinkle of garlic powder.

That's dinner folks!