November 19, 2012

Roasted Root Vegetables

On a whim, I recently decided to make a Sunday "Thanksgiving for Two".  I thought it would be nice to celebrate Thanksgiving just as husband and wife (and dog!) and as an added bonus we would get to have leftovers for a few days.  I don't know about you, but I think my favorite part about holiday foods are the leftovers!  I decided on a roasted turkey breast, stuffing and these wonderful root vegetables. I loved the color of these vegetables-it looked like fall in a bowl!

Every now and then I make a dish that is so much better than I had anticipated...and these vegetables are one of them!  At the end of the meal, Matt and I both declared these vegetables to be the favorite part of the meal.  Neither of us had ever had parsnips before (at least from what we can recall), and we were both so pleasantly surprised by their natural sweetness. Add some roasted carrots and sweet potatoes, and I seriously could eat this alone as a meal! 

What I think I love most about this recipe is the flexibility-I used parsnips, carrots and sweet potatoes because that's what my grocery store had but you can add any root vegetables you want-I would love to try some turnips and ruttabegas in there next time! 

I also only have one oven, and since the turkey had to be in there at a low temperature for a few hours, I had a slight dilema  since these are supposed to roast at a high temperature.  What I (nervously) did was cook them in the low temperature on the bottom rack for about 40 minutes and then when the turkey came out to rest, I cranked up the oven to 425 and let these finish in there for about 10-15 minutes.  They came out perfect-no need to be nervous! 

If you are looking for a knock your socks off side dish for your Thanksgiving meal or any holiday get together, or even just dinner one night, look no further-this will not disappoint! Just be sure to make extra...


Roasted Root Vegetables

2 pounds parsnips, peeled
1 pound carrots, unpeeled
1 sweet potato, unpeeled or peeled depending on preferance.
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2-1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Chop vegetables in 1-2 inch cubes-the vegetables will shrink while roasting, so don't make the pieces too small. Place the cut vegetables on a sheet pan lined with foil. Drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper and toss well. Roast for 20 to 40 minutes, depending on the size of the vegetables, tossing occasionally, until the vegetables are just tender. Sprinkle with parsley, season with more salt and pepper, if desired, and serve hot.


Source: Barefoot Contessa: Back to Basics

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