Roast Something
It will taste better. I am telling you the truth. Before I became a South Beach devotee, I never worried too much about my sides. I could always make rice and pasta and some veggie and it would be good. Now I often feel the need to have two vegetables on the side of my main dish. I usually like them to be different colors as well. Green can be boring.
Because I now need twice as many vegetables on my plate, I have begun to try new recipes and shift my focus. Now I am full time mother with two small children, so creating an elaborate side dish to go with my elaborate main dish is not what I had in mind. But I also am a foodie and I was sick of steamed whatever.
And then I learned about roasting. You can put a vegetable in the oven and roast it until it carmelizes slightly and it is wonderful. Vegetables that I used to think that I didn't like very much, like turnip, rutabaga, fennel, bell peppers are all improved tenfold for me by putting them in the oven. Asparagus are wonderful roasted, as are tomatoes and sugar snap peas and okra and corn, but you probably already knew that. Just toss with a little olive oil and sea salt and throw it in the oven while you are cooking every thing else.
Do you believe me? Do me a favor. Next time you are at the grocery store or farmer's market, pick up a fennel bulb, a turnip, and a can of garbanzo beans. This is an experiment I am begging you to try.
Next time you need a side try slicing the fennel or the turnip, tossing them in olive oil and sea salt, and putting them in the oven at about 400 degrees until they get softer and slightly carmelized. Taste. MMMMmmmmm.
And the next time you are craving a bag of chips for afternoon snack, try this. Dump out your chickpeas in a colander and rinse them. Throw them in a bowl with soy sauce and sea salt and marinate for a while. Then put them in the oven at 400 for about 20 minutes until the skins split and they get crunchy. Now eat them. Taste. MMMmmmm.
Roasting a vegetable brings the sugars out. It brings out a delicious flavor that makes the vegetables really shine. Try it and tell me what you think. And if you have other good suggestions for roasting things, let me know.
Cheers! Amber
Because I now need twice as many vegetables on my plate, I have begun to try new recipes and shift my focus. Now I am full time mother with two small children, so creating an elaborate side dish to go with my elaborate main dish is not what I had in mind. But I also am a foodie and I was sick of steamed whatever.
And then I learned about roasting. You can put a vegetable in the oven and roast it until it carmelizes slightly and it is wonderful. Vegetables that I used to think that I didn't like very much, like turnip, rutabaga, fennel, bell peppers are all improved tenfold for me by putting them in the oven. Asparagus are wonderful roasted, as are tomatoes and sugar snap peas and okra and corn, but you probably already knew that. Just toss with a little olive oil and sea salt and throw it in the oven while you are cooking every thing else.
Do you believe me? Do me a favor. Next time you are at the grocery store or farmer's market, pick up a fennel bulb, a turnip, and a can of garbanzo beans. This is an experiment I am begging you to try.
Next time you need a side try slicing the fennel or the turnip, tossing them in olive oil and sea salt, and putting them in the oven at about 400 degrees until they get softer and slightly carmelized. Taste. MMMMmmmmm.
And the next time you are craving a bag of chips for afternoon snack, try this. Dump out your chickpeas in a colander and rinse them. Throw them in a bowl with soy sauce and sea salt and marinate for a while. Then put them in the oven at 400 for about 20 minutes until the skins split and they get crunchy. Now eat them. Taste. MMMmmmm.
Roasting a vegetable brings the sugars out. It brings out a delicious flavor that makes the vegetables really shine. Try it and tell me what you think. And if you have other good suggestions for roasting things, let me know.
Cheers! Amber
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