I've always loved spending time in my kitchen, putting together different combinations of tastes and textures. I'm just as happy following someone else's recipe as I am creating my own dishes. I've been cooking for quite a few years, and the thing I've noticed is, sometimes the best recipes are the most simple ones.
Cold Weather Veggie Roast is one of my very favorites. It's foolproof, you can use any combination of vegetables you have on hand and it is absolutely delicious. Here's a version I made recently with some organic veggies I picked up at the market. Cold Weather Veggie Roast can be eaten warm or chilled, as a main dish, a side, added to soups and salads, stuffed into tortillas - really, its uses are limited only by your imagination! Use organic vegetables when available.
Cold Weather Veggie Roast
Preheat oven to 400 F.
1/4 lb broccoli
2 sweet potatoes
2 carrots
1 stalk leeks
1/4 lb okra
1 Italian eggplant
3 cloves garlic
1/4 cup grapeseed oil
Fresh rosemary
Ground black pepper to taste
Sea salt to taste
1/4 cup olive oil (optional)
Wash all the vegetables, chop them into large chunks and put into a large bowl. Mash the garlic. In a small bowl, combine the garlic, rosemary, grapeseed oil, sea salt and pepper. Pour this mixture on top of the chopped vegetables, and mix well to coat the vegetables evenly.
Spread in a single layer on to a large cookie sheet and put into the oven for 30-45 minutes. After removing the roasted veggies from the oven, you can toss them with olive oil for a mediterranean flavor. Use combinations of different herbs and vegetables for variety!