Guest Blogger:
Melanie Albert, SWIHA Holistic Nutrition Teacher
“As a kid I always had a carrot in my little white gloves. Years later, while studying in college, my go-to snacks were basic sliced orange and carrot sticks. Today, decades later, I am even more excited about carrots and other root vegetables because I’ve learned that they can be unexpectedly delicious with a few simple culinary techniques.” --Melanie Albert
Roasted roots are beautiful, flavorful, and sweet, as well as a rich, colorful complement to any meal. The roasting culinary technique is a dry-heat cooking method that intensifies and concentrates the flavor of vegetables. When roasted properly, the natural sugars in the vegetables brown or caramelize to create a deep, rich flavor. When visiting your farmers’ market, buy a few roots even if you don’t recognize them, and roast them with this simple, quick recipe! Enjoy roasted roots as a side dish, to create soup, with hummus, or in a raw, kale salad or veggie wrap.
Simple Ingredients
- 10-12 of your favorite roots: carrots, sweet potatoes, parsnips, golden beets, red beets, and radishes
- Approximately ¼ cup organic extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tbsp dry herbs (Choose a few: basil, marjoram, oregano, rosemary, sage, or thyme)
- ½ tsp sea salt
Simple Steps
- Pre-heat oven to 475 degrees F.
- Scrub roots under running water to clean the outside.
- Let sit for about 10 minutes to dry.
- Slice roots into even, bite-size pieces.
- Mix olive oil, herbs, and sea salt in a bowl to make the dressing.
- Add root vegetables to the bowl and toss to evenly coat with the dressing.
- Carefully lay the roots on parchment paper in a heavy-duty flat baking sheet pan. Place roots flat side down in a single layer, making sure the vegetables do not touch.
- Place baking sheet on the middle rack of the oven.
- Roast roots in the oven for about 20 minutes, then turn vegetables.
- Cook another 15 minutes, until fork tender.
- Plate vegetables. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil.
- Enjoy!
“In my public and private hands-on cooking classes, I encourage participants to experiment with different herbs and spices for roasted roots. A fun way to intuitively choose herbs is to close your eyes, smell different herbs, and intuitively decide which to use when flavoring the root vegetables. Have fun and be creative.” --Melanie A. Albert
Culinary Tip
5 Ways to Finish Roasted Roots
To make root vegetables interesting, experiment with different ways to finish them.
- Sprinkle flavored sea salt for a unique taste.
- Drizzle oil to add sheen.
- Squeeze fresh citrus: lemon, lime, or orange for zestiness.
- Add toasted nuts or seeds for a little crunch.
- Add fresh herbs to create a fresh taste.
(The recipe here can be found on pages 152 through 155 in Melanie’s new cookbook, A New View of Healthy Eating: Simple Intuitive Cooking with Real Whole Foods. Available in the Healing Pages bookstore on campus and online!)
My website: www.EXPNutrition.com
FB: www.facebook.com/NewViewHealthyEating
Twitter: @nutritionauthor
