Roasted Winter Vegetables

Spring officially arrived a few weeks back, but from the look of it here in St. Louis, you would never know it.  Between a light snowstorm to start the week, and freezing rain at week’s end, the thaw of Spring remains in hiding.  Given the wintry conditions, I decided a few winter vegetables would make a suitable side.

Roasting over high heat gives the vegetables a crisp outer skin while keeping the inner flesh moist.  The  high heat also serves to caramelize the natural sugars in the sweet potatoes and carrots, for a sweet, yet healthy, cold-weather treat.

If you like, you can also add a few turnips and parsnips.

Roasted Winter Vegetables

PREP TIME: 20 minutes
COOK TIME: 30 minutes
YIELD: Serves 4 to 6

WHAT TO GRAB:
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 sweet potatoes
1 large butternut squash
6 carrots
4 turnips (optional)
4 parsnips (optional)
2 teaspoons Kosher salt
1 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons fresh parsley, chopped

HOW YOU DO IT:

1.  Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.

2.  Peel the vegetables and cut them into 1-inch cubes.  In a large mixing bowl, combine the vegetable cubes, olive oil, salt, and pepper.  Mix well, so that the cubes are well-coated with the oil, salt, and pepper.

3.  Spread the vegetables on a baking sheet.  Bake for 30 minutes, turning the vegetables over halfway through.  (If you need two baking sheets, try and make sure that the baking sheets are not positioned one on top of the other inside the oven.  Otherwise, the top vegetables may not caramelize.)

4.  After 30 minutes, toss the vegetables with the parsley and serve warm!