Roasting vegetables in the oven with olive oil is easy to do. Roasted vegetables can be served right away, cooled and refrigerated for use later on salad, with eggs, as a snack, or added into another dish to add caramelized flavor and texture contrast.
One way to prepare a beet for roasting:
Wash. Trim root end and leaf end (discard, see note.) Peel rough outer layer using a veggie peeler or knife. Chop into any shape you’d like or roast whole. Smaller shapes cook a little faster. Larger shapes retain moisture and beet juiciness.
Toss in a bowl with a small amount of olive oil. Spread on an oven safe pan or foil. Bake for 20-40 minutes at 375F, turning partway through. Beets are done when they can be pierced by a fork.
They can be eaten right away or refrigerated for use later in the week.
(**Note on beet greens: Beet greens can be delicious. They can be thoroughly washed and lightly chopped, then cooked in a pan on the stove to steam or stir-fry. The best beet greens are well hydrated, firm, stiff leaves like you might expect on a bunch of kale or lettuce. Oftentimes, beet greens from mainline grocery stores out of season in this region can be limp/wilted, not as tasty. The best beet greens I’ve found are from the farmer’s market!)
***Beets can also be roasted whole and peeled after. Beets can be steamed or stir-fried. Lots of ways to prep a beet.
One way to Prepare a sweet potato for roasting:
Wash. Trim ends and discard. Peel skin using veggie peeler or knife. Chop into any shape you’d like. Smaller shapes cook faster. Larger pieces get crisp on outside and stay creamy in the middle.
Toss in a bowl with a small amount of olive oil. Spread on an oven safe pan or foil. Bake for 20-40 minutes at 375F, turning partway through. Sweet potatoes are done when they can be pierced by a fork.
They can be eaten right away or refrigerated for use later in the week.
Note on Sweet Potatoes: A sweet potato can be washed and baked whole with the peel. 400F for 45-70 minutes depending on the size of the sweet potato. Pierce the skin with a fork before baking. It can drip sticky liquid that will burn on your oven floor. To prevent this, bake in a dish or over foil.
