Vegetable perfection

Vegetables: I would venture to say I am fairly normal when I admit to eating them because I know I need them. But if I am honest, I often find them lacking in the delicious factor. Well, I have found a cooking method that is a perfect marriage of healthy and tasty. Roasted vegetables is my secret. Cut up almost any of your favorite vegetables, toss them in olive oil, sprinkle on the Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper, bake at 400 for 40 minutes. I promise you that you have never had such a tasty and healthy serving of vegetables in your mouth before.

I have to say I tend to be somewhat Mediterranean in my cooking style...I love to use fresh ingredients, simple seasoning, and even simpler methods of cooking the food. Roasting is a simple cooking method with little preparation required but drawing big flavor rewards. It draws out some of the moisture in the vegetables thereby concentrating the vegetables' flavor. The only really important thing to remember is that all the vegetables need to be chopped to approximately the same size for even cooking. The cooking time and temperature is really a guesstimate on my part. For a more exact recipe check out Foodnetwork.com and look under the show Barefoot Contessa. She often roasts vegetables in her shows. There are many delicious variations you can try, depending on your mood and the other dishes being served with it.

1. Italian mix- I make this mixture most often: zucchini, red onion, roma tomatoes, red peppers, eggplant, garlic cloves (whole).

2. Roasted Carrots- an elegant way to cook carrots by themselves.

3. Winter root vegetables- parsnips, carrots, butternut squash, etc. Excellent around the holidays.

4. Roasted Asparagus- our favorite way to eat asparagus. Roast this for about half the time of other vegetables.

5. Roasted potatoes- a great alternative to fries because roasting them will cause them to become crispy. I will often toss these in herbs for a little added flavor.

There, you have it. My current cooking secret to a satisfied tummy for me, my husband, and guests in our home. Enjoy!