Eat your greens.... : Slightly Off Kilter

I am blessed with boys who are NOT picky eaters. Seriously, they will eat just about ANYTHING I put in front of them.

I am equally cursed with boys who are not picky eaters and will eat EVERYTHING I put in front of them.

In fact, there is only one boy who dislikes one veggie – Mini really does not like mushrooms… and I know many of you are in agreement with him on this one. I still cook with mushrooms of course, but he simply picks his out and passes them to the Giant. Or Me. Or mi Madre. whoever is closest really…

Other than that, there is not a single veggie I’ve made that the boys dislike and I don’t have to try to get them to eat their greens… but to get them to ASK for veggies? Ahhh yes… in my house, I’ve discovered a trick that has them asking for seconds.

We roast.

We roast ALL the veggies… usually with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese on top.

My Favorite seasoning for roasted veggies is something my dad discovered…

And while it’s perfect for oh so many things, it’s really funny to hear my kids struggle with what to call it.

Roasting your veggies brings out so much more depth of flavor than other cooking methods… except of course grilling your veggies but it’s been rainy and gray for so long now that I’m not about to fire up the grill so roasted fits the bill.

The best part is that there’s really no limit to the types of veg that you can roast.

Some of our favorites include:
Zucchini, Carrot and Onion
Brussells Sprouts & Asparagus
Broccoli & Cauliflower

To roast your veggies is simple. So simple, there’s not really a recipe I follow.

Preheat oven to 400*
Cut, slice, or dice your veggies.
Add about 2 Tbs of olive oil to a foil covered sheet pan or actual roasting pan.
Spread your veggies in a single layer and shake a bit to coat with the olive oil. You may need two pans if your family is like mine.
Season your veggies – Follow your instinct here. You can use whatever seasonings you and yours enjoy – Cumin, Seasoning Salt, Garlic, Lemon Pepper, WHATEVER!
Roast for 30-45 minutes, stirring every 15 or so to keep them from getting stuck to the bottom
Sprinkle with Parm in the last 10 minutes of cooking if you so desire

That’s it. Even people who don’t traditionally like veggies have told me that roasting them made them edible. I wouldn’t know about that as a veggie lover from birth (I mean what kid like Brussels sprouts?) but I do know that roasted veggies are DELICIOUS.