Roasting Vegetables

This is a great recipe for roasting vegetables in the oven. You can use all sorts of vegetables, but keep in mind that different veggies require different cooking times. I like to cook this dish with 3-4 vegetables. If you want to cook vegetables that have different densities in the same dish, try putting the high-density vegetables in the oven by themselves first and add the others a little later.

Vegetable Categories:
*lighter-density veg. such as tomatoes, summer squash, green beans, and eggplant take the least amount of time
*medium-density veg. such as onions, peppers, cauliflower, broccoli, and turnips take a little bit longer
*high-density veg. such as potatoes, carrots, beets, parsnips, and sweet potatoes take the longest to cook

Directions:

- Preheat oven to 425º and cut vegetables into fairly large chunks. Toss with olive oil.
-Spread out vegetables in heavy jelly roll pan or roasting pan that is lined with foil and sprayed with nonstick spray. (Heavier pans are designed to withstand high heat; they help keep veggies from burning.)
-About halfway through (25-30 min.), turn veggies over with spatula and continue to cook until tender and browned on edges (about 20 min. longer).
- add salt, pepper and choice of seasonings

Tips (Here are a few suggestions to try, just don't try them all at once):
*try adding nuts and seeds (toasted pecans, almonds, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, pine nuts, and sunflower kernels)
*try adding cheeses (goat cheese, blue cheese, feta cheese)
*try adding butter with herbs and spices
*try adding juices like fresh lemon, lime, OJ, or grapefruit
*try adding sauces or dressings (vinaigrettes, curry)