Snack Alert: Roasted Veggies

I have to admit, I am a bit of a grazer when it comes to eating.  I mean, I'm the kind of girl that eats breakfast at 7:30am and by 10:00am I am eating again.  Patrick always likes to say that I eat breakfast first and then I eat something called, "second breakfast."  When we were dating he used to call me an "eater."  I never knew if that was a term of endearment or not.  Hmmm... Well something must have worked because he's been married to this "eater" for more than seven years now and something tells me that he's gotten some pretty good meals out of it! (by the way, he's the best taste-tester I have!)

I consider my grazing habit a good thing on many occasions.  It's good for my metabolism and it also fits into my schedule.  I usually just grab-and-go.  But if I don't have something at the ready, it really makes it hard.  So, a well-stocked pantry and fridge is a must.  But lately, I have been relying on simple Roasted Vegetables for when my hunger strikes.

I go to the grocery store at the beginning of the week and grab whatever produce looks the best.  I come home, cut them up, season with olive oil, salt, and pepper and roast. That's it.  I pile them all into a large container and I munch on them for the rest of the week (or you can even use them as a quick side for a weekday meal).  Brilliant!

Lauren Marie’s Gluten Free Recipes

Roasted Veggies

This is a very flexible recipe.  You can use whatever vegetables and seasonings you want.  The main thing to remember is to cut the vegetables the same size so they roast evenly.  If you are using eggplant you might want to add more olive oil (eggplant always soaks it up).   I always use parchment paper because it makes cleaning up a breeze.

1 large eggplant, peeled and cut in 

       1/4-1/2 inch pieces

2 zucchini, cut in 1/4-1/2 inch pieces

2 yellow squash, cut in 1/4-1/2 inch 

       pieces

1 large red onion, cut in 1/4-1/2 inch

       pieces

1 yellow bell pepper, cut in 1/4-1/2 

       inch pieces*

1 red bell pepper, cut in 1/4-1/2 inch 

       pieces*

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, 

       seperated, plus more if needed

salt

black pepper

          Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.  Place half of the vegetables in a large bowl.  Pour 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, and salt and pepper (to taste).  Toss vegetables until evenly coated with oil and seasonings.  Pour vegetable pieces out onto one of the baking sheets.  Repeat with the other half of the vegetables.  Arrange the vegetable pieces so that they are not on top of each other (otherwise they will steam, not roast).  Bake for 35 minutes, or until fork tender.  

*As you can see in my pictures, I roasted the bell peppers in a separate baking sheet. That's only because I like my roasted peppers to not be completely soft.  I like a little crunch with them.  So I roasted them separately at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.  They come out just the way I like it!