One of the questions I’m asked the most often when it comes to living a Plant Based lifestyle is, “Where do I start?” While there are certainly many things that I could suggest for someone starting their transition to Plant Based Living, my answer is always “Lean how to make some simple-staples. That way, you always have a go-to for when you’re hungry, (or for when you’re not sure of what you should buy at the grocery store).”
Why a simple-staple?
-Because they’re a breeze.
As you continue forward on your Plant-tastic journey, learn how to cook more things, and learn more of what you like, you can always elevate the simple-staples with your newly learned skills, & with selections that suit your palate. Learning how to make simple-staples means you will always have a few “go-tos” you can consistently rely-on.
~I don’t know about you, but when I first started out living a Plant-Based Lifestyle, I had hardly tasted many Fresh Veggies, nevermind knowing how to prepare them!
***Don’t feel pressured to immediately dive into crazy-complicated-recipes. Keep it simple at first. You’re much more likely to continue if you keep your ambitions in line with your current culinary skill set. 🙂
*Roasting is simple, straightforward, requires minimal ingredients, and can be done with an abundance of vibrant Veggies!
~Roasting is known to really bring out a Veggie’s sweetness & by simply sprinkling them with some Salts & Seasonings, it can infuse them with tons of tasty flavors!
-I remember when I first heard about / learned how to roast. Everything I ate for a few weeks was roasted! I roasted everything I could get my hands on and tried every flavor combination that came to mind! I couldn’t get enough!
I love to roast my Veggies and then dip them in Ketchup, Marinara Sauce, Barbecue Sauce & Buffalo Sauce or I toss them into Salads & Buddha Bowls. You can made a rabbit-tastic rainbow or even eat a tray totally made-up of a singular Veggie selection! (Helllooo Potatoes!)
-Plus, after washing and chopping, all you have to do is drizzle them with Oil, sprinkle with Seasonings, lay them on a tray, & bake. You can even omit the Oil! Easy, peasy.
And as a mother, some of the best parts about Veggie-roasting is that I can walk away while they’re cooking (Mama multitasking!) & that my two-year-old-son loves to eat them! His Veggie favorites have changed every few months, (typical kiddo!) but he loves to pick them up, & eat them by himself. (Toddler Tested & approved? What’s better than that?)
~Note the tiny hand grabbing from my cooled tray below. 😉
So here’s what you need to get-right-to-roasting your own repertoire of vivacious Veggies.
-Easy equation for Roasting = Veggie(s) of choice + Oil of Choice* + A sprinkle of Salt & Seasonings
*Oil is optional
Ingredients
Veggies of choice
White Potatoes
Sweet Potatoes
Broccoli
Brussel Sprouts
Green Beans
Cauliflower
Mushrooms
Zucchini
Red Onion, etc.
Oil of choice
1 – 2 Tablespoons of your Oil of Choice
NOTE: A little oil goes a long way. Use less Oil for less Veggies.
-I like to use Coconut or Olive Oil.
*Choose Refined Coconut Oil if you wish to avoid a “Sweet, Coconutty taste”
Seasoning Selections
Bare Basics
Sea Salt & Black Pepper
“Elevated”
Garlic Powder, Italian Seasoning, Thyme, Smoked Paprika, Cumin, Cayenne
*You can literally use any dried Seasonings selections that suit you. I’m just offering some suggestions. 🙂
Here’s what you do
Step One: Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. (Roasting in a high-heat oven is important for achieving caramelization.)
Step Two: Prepare your produce.
Rinse your Veggies & then chop everything to a similar size. (That way they will have similar cooking times.)
Step Three: Add all your Veggies to a medium sized bowl, drizzle with Oil of choice, Sprinkle with Seasonings & then toss / mix to evenly coat.
Step Four: Lay Veggies on a Baking Sheet (or in a Glass Pan), place it in the oven, & roast for 20-30 minutes depending on desired “done-ness.”
(I was a bit over-zealous when baking my batch pictured below. Be sure to leave room between Veggie buddies so that they can “breathe” and be browned.)
Step Five: Remove from oven & allow to cool a bit before consuming.
Step Six: Eat & Enjoy!
Mama’s Magical Tips & Tricks
-Veggies can and will turn out gosh-darn-delicious if you omit the Oil! A trick I like to use to get my Seasonings to stick is to mist my Veggies with a little bit of water before sprinkling on my Seasonings. The Water helps the Seasonings stick a little bit better. (However, be aware the omitting the Oil will make your Veggies turn out a little bit drier than when using Oil.)
-One of the things that makes roasting Veggies so delicious is the fact that the outsides of the Veggies caramelize as they’re being cooked. While lining a dish with parchment paper may make it easier for clean-up, the Veggies will not be as caramelized as they would have been if they had made direct contact with the dish. This decision is all about personal preference. 🙂
-This is an awesome way to make “Healthier Homemade French Fries.” I love to chop-up a few White or a Sweet Potatoes, roast them up, and then dip them in Ketchup for the classic “French Fry” feel. I like to cook them a little bit longer to get the outsides nice and crispy.
Note: The smaller you cut the dense Veggies like Potatoes, the shorter the cooking time will be, and the crispier their outsides will get. 🙂
-Cauliflower is a culinary chameleon. When cooked, it takes on the taste of whatever it’s cooked in / drizzled with. Chopping up a head, tossing it with Oil & sprinkling it with Sea Salt makes it taste almost like “French Fries.” Sometimes, when I’m craving a “Salty Snack” I roast up a tray of Cauliflower and snack on it like Popcorn while relaxing with my family.
Chef Suggestions
-If you’re aiming to achieve a crispier creation, roast your Veggies for ten minutes at the 425 Fahrenheit & then finish them for seven minutes under the broiler.
-Ideally, you will want to allow your Veggies to be at room temperature before placing them in the oven for roasting. If you put the Veggies into the oven “cold,” they spend the beginning of their oven time getting to room temperature instead of “roasting” and may become overcooked before caramelizing.
-If you’re going to be roasting multiple different kinds of Veggies at the same time, you wouldn’t necessarily want to cut them all to the exact same size. Vegetables that are denser like Potatoes and Carrots will need to be cut smaller to cook at the same rate as more delicate Veggies like Asparagus & Zucchini (which would need to be left larger) or more middle-of-the-road Veggies such as Broccoli or Cauliflower.
Are you ready to get roasting?
