Roasted Roots: Sweet, Rich, & Holistically Nutritious!

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

1. Pre-heat oven to 475 degrees F.
2. Scrub roots under running water to clean the outside.
3. Let sit for about 10 minutes to dry.
4. Slice roots into even, bite-size pieces.
5. Mix olive oil, herbs, and sea salt in a bowl to make the dressing.
6. Add root vegetables to the bowl and toss to evenly coat with the dressing.
7. 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.
8. Place baking sheet on the middle rack of the oven.
9. Roast roots in the oven for about 20 minutes, then turn vegetables.
10. Cook another 15 minutes, until fork tender.
11. Plate vegetables. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil.
12. 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.

1. Sprinkle flavored sea salt for a unique taste.
2. Drizzle oil to add sheen.
3. Squeeze fresh citrus: lemon, lime, or orange for zestiness.
4. Add toasted nuts or seeds for a little crunch.
5. 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!)

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