One of my all-time favorite thing to do with an abundance of veggies in my fridge is to roast 'em up.I loosely followed my Roasted Veggie Feast recipe from TEV for these, though I didn't have any eggplant or mushrooms so I substituted zucchini and extra fennel in their place. That works for me, because I'm not always in the mood for eggplant, but I can pretty much always be in the mood for roasted (or grilled) veggies.
Why? Because the flavors intensify - enhance - caramelize. Simply put, the flavors are magnificent. It's too bad the colors aren't retained in the process, but I'll accept that in exchange for the flavor in this case! Plus, you can always garnish with some fresh herbs to please the eyes as well as the palate.
Why else? Because they are E-A-S-Y to prepare. Chop, toss in some seasonings and olive oil, and let the oven do the rest of the work.
Need another reason to love roasted veg? Think of all the ways you can eat them:
- toss into pasta
- serve with whole grains
- top all over a pizza crust (double yum!)
- use in sandwiches/pita breads (with hummus, vegenaise, etc)
- roll in tortillas and bake (adding beans/tofu/seitan if you want)
- stuff in potato skins (using white or sweet taters)
- puree just a little and use to stuff in dumplings or ravioli
- use in a casserole with grains or beans
- add into veggie patty mixtures(can mash/puree a little if you need)
With all these options, be sure to roast up a mighty big batch of veg to keep extras in your fridge.
One last note... although this pic features a lot of late summer veg like bell peppers and zukes, you can also roast winter veggies - sweet potatoes, celeriac, parsnip - to mention a few. Just be sure to cut them in smaller chunks and give them a little extra baking lovin'! :)
21 comments:
Your post comes just in the nick of time- I was wondering what to make for dinner, and have some zucchinis, peppers, and other things lined up. Perfect- thanks for the inspiration!
Nifty! You know my new love is roasted Cauliflower. I have always liked it but since the last time I roasted...I've been craving more! I think I have figured out what to do for the rest of the potluck! A salad...like you suggested. A few more dips/spreads, and PUDDING! The Tofumate stuff! What do you think?
I am going to look that recipe up in TEV-sounds great!
Oh, I like that idea of pureeing them and using them as a ravioli filling. Hmmmm! It's been a long time since I've made my own raviolis, but I remember that it was really fun.
that looks heavenly. we're lacking in the fresh veggie department these past couple days. cherie
Thanks for reminding me about roasting my veggies. I eat so many raw veg and have been trying to get more cooked, but am too tired of always steaming! I have some nice acorn & butternut squash that would be perfect (maybe toss in some potatoes and carrots).
Thanks, as always, for your ideas, Dreena!
Aimee
I love how you followed up a sweets post with a veggie feast post. Haha- were you afraid that with all your sweets we were neglecting our veggies? It's true how easy roasting veggies are, and how there are so many different things to be done with them. On of my favorites is your hummus tortilla pizzas that are topped with roasted veggies. YUM!
...plus I just love the colorfulness of a pile of veggies!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!
Hope someone cooks YOU a lovely meal today.
:)
-Dayle
Happy Birthday to you...happy birthday to you! Happy Birthday dear DREENA! Happy Birthday to you!
Oh! Swing by the Veggin Out Forums in the General Chatter Area...there is a message for you!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY DREENA! I hope that it's a great one for you and that your family spoils you rotten! (I also hope that it includes lots of soy ice cream!)
-Teresa
Ooh, I love some roasted veggies, especially this time of year. Thanks for making me hungry for incredible food!
Cool Bazu... glad to be of help!!
Harmonia, pudding mates are fantastic - quick and easy, and tasty - very good as a pie filling too - have fun at your party!
Thanks Julie. :)
Thanks springsandwells... I know in the US there are some prepared vegan ravioli that you can buy in most natural food stores - I'd love to be able to get those from time to time - nice change, and kids love them!
You're welcome Gaia. :)
Thanks Cherie, some days you look in your fridge and realize just how low you are on fresh produce... then other days you can't fit it all in the fridge!
Hi Savanna, well, no contest right now anyhow... sorry!
Aimee, you're so welcome... that's sweet of you. :) The two squashes and carrots would be lovely roasted - and yeah, some taters in there would round things out just beautifully - yummy!!
Hey, thanks Teresa! Well, you know... I've gotta' have a *little* balance of sweets and healthy stuff on my blog, right?? At least most weeks anyhow!!
Thanks Sis! Hmmm, I think if hubby is cooking we might all be having 'grilled cheese' for dinner - well, I know the girls would love that anyhow! You're sweet to remember and leave a note, thanks. :) :)
Hey again Savanna... yep, my lil' sis "outed" me - it's my bday.
Harmonia, you have SUCH a lovely singing voice! heee... thank you for that... I'm going to miss you - we'll have to keep in touch through e-mail or the forums. I'll swing by to check out the message, thanks... and bye for now :(
Hi again Teresa, I'm doing quite alright on the ice-cream already! Never miss a beat with that one (don't need a birthday to up my consumption, but it sure is a good excuse for today) hehe - and I'm having a lovely day, thank you. :)
oh roasted veggies are the best part of the season. So far i've made pumpkin, garlic, acorn squash and i can't wait to make more!
:)
Teddy
Roasted veggies rock! I love the way onions and garlic get all mellow and sweet. I'm especially fond of carrots and beets roasted.
Chocolate spice cookies. OMG! Can't wait for those.
And Happy Birthday Libra girl! Hope you had a blast.
Dreena, I also wanted to let you know how helpful your books have been for me over the past couple of weeks. My naturopath had me on an anti-inflammatory diet. No wheat, corn, dairy, eggs, sugar, salt, coffee, alcohol or CHOCOLATE!! Thanks to your 'wheat-free options' on baked goods I was able to have some sweetish desserts. And I made Spicy Thai Stew from TEV. Heavenly! Quinoa salad, Lemon Herb Tofu...the list goes on. I was also allowed soy ice cream and Praline Pecan is my new favorite. Have you had it? To die for!
mmmm, Teddy, I'm going to have to check your blog to see if you have pics of those. I think roasting winter squash really brings out the best flavors. I also bake them whole when using squash for soups because I love the flavor that develops through that long slow cooking.
Savanna, you should be okay with all flour. The consistency will change, with the batter not being as nubbly and it will be a bit denser with the flour, so you may not need as much (go with just a cup). If the batter is really thick with that 1 cup, you can always add just a tbsp more or so of non-dairy milk, but I don't think you'll need to. Also, so you know, these buns spread out a little on the pan, almost looking like a flattened scone.
Hey Carrie!! Wow, that's a big shift in the diet. I know, I went through a period with our older girl where she was senstitive to a lot of foods, so we had to cut them out. We couldn't use wheat, kamut, spelt, citrus, corn, avocadoes, bananas, strawberries, tomatoes, and a few other things. When you have to eliminate some of the "constants" in your diet, like wheat, corn, or tomatoes, you realize how much you have to change your regular meals and shop for new foods! I couldn't be happier to know that some of my wheat-free recipes have helped you out. Can you use carob, by the way? As a sub for chocolate - even carob powder? No chocolate is a bummer, but once your body is back in balance, I'm sure you can incorporate things back in to eat in small amounts. Ohhhh, yes, I've had that Soy Delicious. It was one of the flavors that went off for me, BUT I just heard back from the company, and will post about it soon! They have some other flavors in the US that we don't have yet - like Turtle Trails - one of my faves! Funny about that Spicy Thai Stew - one of my good friends just made it for the first time as well and couldn't get over how much she loved it. I'm so glad you did too! Sometimes I'll add beans to that soup, or a little cubed tofu, to make it more substantial - though usually having bread or some grain with it is quite enough. Thanks for the bday wishes - yep, I'm a libra - can you tell??!! My hubby practically loses his mind with how indecisive I am - ha! Oh, and are you allowed green tea, and if so, do you like it?
I love love love being lazy, and letting the oven do all the work, while I take the credit! It's just chop, toss, dump, set the timer, and relax with some wine. :)
This doesn't relate directly to roasted veggies, lovely and appealing though they are. I'm a musician traveling to Vancouver for most of next week to perform and I'm wondering if you have any particularly wonderful recommendations for vegetarian restaurants in Vancouver. Any advice would be appreciated -- I love your blog and your books, by the way.
Hey Dino, what's that bit about relaxing with wine??? Oh, yeah, I remember those days... hmmm, must try that again sometime between laundry, soccer practice, and oh, if I can prevent the dinner hour high-pitch squealing contest! :) All the more reason to have a glass of wine perhaps - ha!
Hi Mark, well, while I don't get into Vancouver often (actually rarely) to eat at restaurants, I will suggest a few that we have been to and that others have recommended. Also, here is a link with more info and a guide that you can print out with the addresses of restaurants. http://www.vancouverveg.com
For a quick lunch that is healthful there is a place called Sejuiced. A juice bar that also does veg burgers and rice bowls, etc. We like that spot when we are in a rush because they prepare the food quite quickly, it's fresh and you can be on your way again in about 1/2 hour. We have heard good a lot of good things about the Dharma Kitchen, and understand that it is all-vegan. I've also heard that Cafe du Soleil is pretty good, but they are not completely vegan. Annapurna is a vegetarian Indian restaurant that is supposed to be quite good (though I haven't been there). You may hear a lot about The Naam. It's a 24-hour restaurant that is very popular. They have decent veg food, but the wait can be atrocious, and also we stopped eating there because we just found it wasn't very clean at times. Just a warning on that one. Those are the ones I've heard the most about. There is also a buffet "weigh your food" type of restaurants (Greens and Gourmet) that might interest you. The guide will give you more detail on the restaurants as well, and some customer comments. I'd love to know any restaurants that you really liked during your visit. Have a great trip - we are having beautiful weather this weekend and a pretty good fall so far - I hope it holds for your visit. Oh, and thanks for that feedback too. :)
Hi Savanna! Awesome! I'm thrilled you liked both of those recipes. Did you find them pretty easy to make as well? Also, how did you find the Carob muffins worked out for you - any troubles with them? I've had a couple of people mention some baking woes with that recipe so I'd love to know your thoughts!
I was wondering how long you can keep roasted feggies in the fridge for?
Hi Saskia, you should be fine keeping them refrigerated for 4-6 days. Esp if you are going to be reheating them in a dish. :)
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