Perfect Roasted Vegetables --- If you only know one recipe ...

Besides knowing how to make a simple green salad, everyone needs to know how to make roasted vegetables. Make them once or twice a week and you'll get all your vitamins and phytonutrients.

Once you've got your roasted veggies, then you can eat them hot or cold with meat or fish, made into a sandwich, or made into a salad with leafy greens and nuts or cheese.

Almost any vegetable can be roasted. Make your own combinations. Be sure to use fresh crisp vegetables.

For a special treat, use duck fat instead of olive oil.

Perfect Roasted Vegetables

Ingredients:

Basic combination:
2 sweet peppers, red, green, yellow, or orange, sliced in 1 inch strips
1 onion (red, yellow, or white), sliced
One or two root vegetables (yams, carrots, parsnips, turnips, potatoes, beets), with peel, chopped in 1 inch chunks, or sliced diagonally
4 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt
Freshly ground pepper

Optional:
Zucchini or yellow summer squash, sliced
Acorn or butternut squash, peeled and cut into chunks
Eggplant, with peel, cut in slices or chunks
Cherry tomatoes or big tomatoes cut into chunks
Asparagus, cut into 2 inch pieces
Corn on the cob
Brussels sprouts, cut in half
Mushrooms (cremini)
Fennel bulb, sliced
Broccoli, cut into largish sprigs
Lemon, sliced
Garlic cloves, grated or whole
Knob of fresh ginger, grated
1/2 tsp. of red pepper flakes
One or more fresh green herbs, chopped (rosemary, thyme, oregano, tarragon, parsley, basil, sage, mint) (optional)
Chili powder (for corn on the cob)

Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. ( 225 degrees C.). Put the rack(s) in the middle of the oven.)
Put a sheet of foil on 1 or two large baking sheets. Don't use a non-stick baking sheet.
Heap the prepared vegetables on the baking sheet (s).
Pour on olive oil liberally.
Add salt and pepper, not too much.
If using them, add the garlic, ginger, pepper flakes, and/or fresh herbs.
Mix well with hands or tongs.
Spread out into one layer (otherwise, they steam instead of roast). Use two baking sheets if necessary.
Put into the oven for 15-20 minutes or until all the veggies are cooked and golden brown.
Broil for 5 minutes at the end if you want more browning.
Remove from the oven, and move to a platter or casserole dish.