Rockin' Roasted Vegetables w/ Broiled Cod!

I love a good storm. Pelting rain, riotous thunder, and a dazzling lightning show. Mind you, I like to *watch* a good storm from the safety of our home, snuggled up in a blanket. But none the less, I was delighted with a good thunderstorm right during dinner. It was like we had surround sound entertainment. And dinner tonight was wonderfully rustic, cozy, and comforting….perfect for Mother Nature’s temper tantrum outside.

yum!

So…Want to know how to make vegetables taste DELICIOUS? — Even RADISHES?? I’ll give you a hint……sloooowly heat them, allowing the veggies to release their natural sugars and caramelize. That’s right!! You roast them!!

I’ve roasted some veggies before, but I’ve never let them reach their full roasted glory. This takes some time…about 50 minutes to an hour. But the end product is absolutely magnificent.

Here’s what you need:

bunch of asparagus, ends trimmed
radishes
red onion, in 1 inch chunks
1 sweet potato, in 1/2 inch chunks
5 carrots, in 1/2 inch pieces
9 garlic cloves, peeled, whole
3 Tbsp pine nuts, toasted
fresh thyme, minced

beautiful asparagus!

Preheat your oven to 425. Get 2 cookie sheets, cover with tin foil, and spray with olive oil. On one sheet, put your asparagus, garlic, and onions. On the other tray, put the other root veggies. Spread in a single layer and spritz with Olive Oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. On the root veggies, sprinkle your thyme. Put your root veggies in the oven first — about 15 minutes before the asparagus. Cook for about 45-50 minutes, stirring and re-spritzing with Olive Oil after 20-25 minutes. Garnish with toasted pine nuts, and enjoy!

crisp, and light-as-air sweet potato chips!

Also with this amazing medley of roasted veggie goodness, I made my Sweet Potato Crisps. Oh my goodness, these little guys are addicting and SO yummy! Here’s what you do.

2 sweet potatoes — preferably in an even tube shape

Carefully slice your sweet potatoes with a mandolin into very thin slices. Place them in a single layer on an olive-oil-sprayed baking sheet. Spritz well with Olive Oil, and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and cumin! Bake in a 425 degree oven for 15 minutes, flipping half way through. Season with salt after you take them out. Get ready for your new favorite sweet potato dish!

AMAZING cod:)

Finally, with this veggie powerhouse of a meal, I served broiled cod! YUM! This is our favorite fish from Lobsta Bakes. Wild, ocean-caught, and fresh from that morning — flown in from Maine! It is flakey, buttery, and melts in your mouth! I broiled it with 1 tsp EVOO, salt, pepper, lemon zest and juice. Wow. Delish.

a plate full of nutrition!

This meal was super satisfying. Warm and comforting — like a “bear hug” on a plate! Like I was saying, there’s a certain magic that happens when veggies are allowed to slowly roast in a hot oven.  They release their natural sugars, which causes them to caramelize. — Who knew the humble onion could be sweet and decadent! Roasted veggies taste like an intense version of their flavor, with an underlying sweetness. So completely fantastic. And let me just say…radishes…when you roast them…become a whole different vegetable! Raw, they are spicy with a bit of a bite, but when you roast them, they become sweet, soft, and almost like candy! My dad….our resident veggie hater…loved them!! Score!

check out the beautifully caramelized onion!

And then the Sweet Potato Crisps. Wow. They require a little work, but they are seriously delectable! They are SO light and airy. They are exactly their name – crisp! Some of them have a little chew left on the inside, some are more crunchy, but all are absolutely Heavenly.

talk about a slow-food-movement:)

Finally, this meal was a feast for the eyes as well as the tummy. It was so beautiful, with the vibrant colors! Pink radishes, bright orange carrots, deep forest green asparagus, purple onions, burnt orange sweet potatoes, and snuggly-white toasted pine nuts! Mmm Mmm Good!

I couldn't have made these amazing sweet potato chips without my mandoline! This is such a great tool - and the one I use is particularly great because it has a hand guard! I learned the hard way that having a hand guard is very important:) Here's the one I use:

Have a great weekend, Happy Tummies! See you tomorrow!