Roasted vegetables hit the sweet spot

GOOD AND GOOD FOR YOU

These vegetarian tostadas are stacked with two layers of smashed pinto beans, lettuce, pico and roasted sweet potatoes and bell peppers. Crumbled queso fresco and lime crema add the crowning touch. PHOTOS BY GRETCHEN MCKAY — PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE VIA TNS

Roasted Vegetable Bowl with Green Goddess.

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By Sono Motoyama

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

If you’re a traditional carnivore, you may treat vegetables as an afterthought, throwing some steamed green beans or broccoli on your plate just to add color. But if you have kids, they can turn up their noses at this fare fast enough to give them whiplash.

Even Aeros Lillstrom, who runs Who Cooks for You Farm in Armstrong County, Pa., with her husband, Chris Brittenburg, is familiar with the scenario. The couple has two kids, and even though they’re exposed to the finest organic vegetables, their children are less than enthusiastic about steamed carrots.

But Lillstrom knows the solution to this common problem: sugar, or more specifically, caramelization. No marshmallow topping necessary.

“For kids, and even adults, the roasting of many roots brings out their sweetness, so it’s really a nice way to introduce people to roots,” she said. “Beets blow people out of the water. It’s just a wonderful flavor.”

You can prepare many kinds of vegetables this way, but root vegetables are especially good for roasting, and for roasting together. They have similar densities and therefore similar cooking times. Many contain sugar that comes to the fore after cooking and caramelize beautifully.

They make a flavorful side dish or even a whole meal when scooped over a bowl of fresh greens for a dinner salad — or topped with a dollop of yogurt.

Lillstrom recommends turnips, carrots, beets, potatoes, sweet potatoes, celeriac, parsnips and beets for roasting.

You can roast these individually or — as I do — diced and mixed together. I like to do potatoes and sweet potatoes together (with onions, carrots, garlic and herbes de Provence).

I find that regular potatoes have a longer cooking time, so I nuke those in the microwave for a couple minutes to give them a head start. Lillstrom points out that you can blanch vegetables to speed things up before putting them in the oven to caramelize.

Another factor in cooking time is how large you cut the veggies. So if you’re in a rush, cut them smaller.

Make sure to space out the vegetables. Otherwise they will steam in their own vapor and won’t get browned.

Roasted Vegetables

Makes 4 to 6 servings. Source: adapted from The New York Times.

INGREDIENTS

2 to 3 pounds root or dense vegetables, peeled if you like and cut into 1-inch chunks or wedges (carrots, beets, potatoes, sweet potatoes, turnips, radishes, rutabaga, winter squash)

Oil (olive, coconut or grapeseed)

Salt and pepper

Fresh herbs, torn or chopped (rosemary, thyme or parsley)

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees.

2. Peel vegetables (optional) and cut them into 1- to 2-inch chunks. Lay them on a baking pan and toss with oil and a sprinkling of salt and pepper.

3. Put the vegetables in the oven and roast without stirring for 20 minutes, then check. If they look dry and are sticking to the pan, drizzle with more oil.

4. Continue roasting, stirring or turning them once, for another 20 minutes or so.

5. Stir in herbs, then return the pan to the oven for another 20 to 40 minutes, until crisp.

6. Remove from the oven and garnish with rosemary or thyme.

Substitutions:

• Instead of root vegetables, you can use 2 pounds of high-moisture vegetables (eggplant, peppers, zucchini, fennel, onions, Brussels sprouts). Slice and cut into chunks or wedges. Roast at 450 degrees until golden brown all over, 10 to 40 minutes, depending on variety and the size of the pieces.

• Or use 1 or 2 pounds of hardy green vegetables (broccoli rabe, snow peas, green beans, kale, collard greens, chard) or cherry tomatoes, trimmed.Roast at 450 degrees for 7 to 15 minutes. If you are using vegetables of different densities, you will have to stagger their cooking times.

Roasted Vegetable Tostadas

The joy of this recipe is that you can pick whatever ingredients make you happy. I stacked the tostadas in two layers for a heartier meal, but it can be made with just one layer.

Makes 4 servings. Source: Gretchen McKay, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

INGREDIENTS

For the roasted veggies:

3 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed

2 red bell peppers, seeded and sliced

1 red onion, sliced thin

2 teaspoons chili powder

Kosher salt

1 tablespoon oil

For the bean layer:

1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained

1/2 teaspoon cumin, or more to taste

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 cup minced white onion

Generous pinch of salt

For the pico de gallo:

1 cup diced fresh tomato

1 jalapeno, seeded and finely diced

1/4 small red onion, diced

1 garlic clove, finely diced

Juice of 1/2 lime

Chopped cilantro, to taste

Salt, to taste

For the tostadas:

8 packaged tostadas

Shredded iceberg lettuce

1/2 cup crumbled queso fresco, or finely shredded Monterey jack cheese

Diced avocado, optional

Chopped cilantro, optional

Lime crema, optional

DIRECTIONS

1: Prepare the vegetables: Place sweet potatoes, peppers and red onion in a large bowl. Season with chili powder and a generous pinch of salt, then toss with oil.

2: Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet and roast in a preheated 450-degree oven until tender, tossing halfway through, about 25 to 30 minutes.

3: While veggies are roasting, prepare the beans. Combine drained pinto beans, cumin, chili powder and onion in a small saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat for about 10 minutes, until beans and onions soften. Mash with a fork and keep warm.

4: Prepare the pico de gallo: In a medium bowl, combine diced tomato, jalapeño, onion, garlic, lime juice, cilantro and a generous pinch of salt. Stir to combine, adding more salt if necessary.Let rest for 15 minutes before serving so flavors can mingle.

5: Assemble the tostadas: Spread a tostada shell with mashed beans. Top with shredded lettuce, roasted vegetables, pico de gallo, crumbled or shredded cheese, diced avocado and chopped cilantro if using. Drizzle lime crema on top, and repeat with a second layer. Serve immediately.