Roasted vegetables are a staple in my house these days. They are an easy, nutritious side dish to just about any meal.
And you can basically season them a million different ways. I started roasting vegetables when steaming got a bit boring.
Thankfully, roasting is just as healthy as steaming them since there are very few extra calories added when roasted. And any extra calories you do consume can be from healthy fats such as olive oil.
Particularly during the holiday season, we could all use a few more vegetables and nutrients in our diet to counterbalance the irresistible Christmas cookies and delicious holiday beverages.
This recipe is so simple and great to make ahead of time then just reheat when it’s dinner time.
Simple Steps to Making Roasted Veggies
First, line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray it with olive oil (I use my MistoTM sprayer), or brush the oil onto the foil.
Next, thaw frozen vegetables in the microwave until tender and spread them out on the baking pan.
I buy large bags of vegetables from Sam’s Club so I always have vegetables readily available. You can also use fresh vegetables and leave out the microwave step.
Finally, just spray or drizzle oil over the vegetables and add seasoning.
Cook the vegetables for about 25 minutes or until crisp-tender.
Dietitian’s Dish
Olive oil is a great choice when it comes to cooking oils. It contains 10 grams of monounsaturated fat, 3 grams of polyunsaturated fat, and only 3 grams of saturated fat per tablespoon.
Monounsaturated fats are known to reduce your risk of heart disease, raise your HDL (good) cholesterol and lower your LDL (bad) cholesterol. Olive oil is also a great substitute for butter and is great for sautéing vegetables.
I stick with extra-virgin olive oil since it has a stronger aroma than pure or virgin olive oil so a little goes a long way. Also, an important thing to know about light olive oil is that it’s not lower in calories in fat, only color and flavor.
Roasted California Blend Vegetables
Ingredients
- 2 (16 ounce) bags California blend vegetables, frozen
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 F.
- Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray or coat with olive oil.
- Microwave each bag of vegetables for about 4 minutes.
- Place vegetables on baking pan and cook for 25 minutes.
© 2014 Kristy Hegner Disclaimer
Amy @ A Healthy Life For Me
Tuesday 17th of March 2015
Love how simple and healthy this recipe is!
Kristy Hegner
Tuesday 17th of March 2015
Me too! I make it weekly for my family :)
Katie Serbinski
Tuesday 16th of December 2014
I've never thought to roast frozen! Thawing first makes so much sense... Great idea! I think we need a bigger freezer with our growing family!
Kristy Hegner
Tuesday 16th of December 2014
I could not survive without my deep freezer. It's so worth it!