If you are trying to lose weight, you would know by now that here at Lose Baby Weight we recommend filling up on at least 2 serves of fruit and 5 serves of vegetables per day.
You probably already roast vegetables when you do a roast chicken or lamb in the oven.
So you will know that the roasting process gives your veggies a different flavour to boiling, steaming or grilling.
A great way to make the most of the seasonal produce available at your fruit and veggie market is to try out some of our ideas below for using roast veggies in other ways.
But first, here are some of our favourite veggies to roast this winter and their estimated cooking times:
- Beetroot (approx 60 mins): remove leaves and stems, wrap in foil and roast with your other vegetables. It’s ready when you can insert a skewer smoothly into the centre. Remove foil, allow to cool, then rub gently to remove the skin. Flavour matches – feta, balsamic vinegar, apple.
- Carrot (approx 45 mins): no need to peel clean carrots, simply trim the ends and slice lengthways, then add to the tray with your other veggies. Flavour matches – honey, cumin.
- Cherry tomatoes (approx 25 mins): pop in the oven about 25 minutes before the other vegetables are ready as they don’t take long to cook. Flavour matches – feta, olives, basil, pepper.
- Garlic (approx 45 mins): toss in the whole bulb to roast for as long as pumpkin or sweet potato; or throw in unpeeled cloves which end up caramelising and turning super sweet. Flavour matches – pumpkin, Parmesan cheese, potato.
- Parsnip, pumpkin and sweet potato (approx 45 mins): simply peel, chop into large chunks, and toss onto the tray. You can leave pumpkin skin on if you like the taste. Flavour matches – rosemary, honey, haloumi, apple.
- Red capsicum and zucchini (approx 35 mins): cut capsicums in half and remove the membrane before roasting; zucchinis simply need to be washed and ends removed, then cut lengthways. Flavour matches – balsamic vinegar, garlic, pepper.
- Red onions (approx 45 mins): simply peel and cut into quarters. Onion does well if you leave it in large chunks, otherwise it cooks too fast and can burn. Flavour matches – sweet potato, feta, spinach.
- DIRECTIONS: heat your oven to 200C. Drizzle veggies with oil (olive oil is nice, or try coconut oil for a sweeter option) and season with salt, pepper and rosemary. Bake for the recommended times outlined above.
5 Ways To Use Roast Vegetables
- To pop into a frittata: this makes a quick and nutritious meal. Simply add your chunks of roast vegetables to 4 beaten eggs and place in a frying pan. Grate some cheese on top and bake under the grill for 2-3 minutes or until the egg has set and the top is golden. Some tasty combinations include red onion, pumpkin and feta.
- Puree as baby food: no need for your little ones to miss out on the delicious taste of roasted pumpkin! We tend to use methods such as boiling and steaming for baby food, but kids also enjoy the depth of flavour that roasting can bring. Naturally you would not need to season the vegetables if they are for a baby. Some great flavour matches include sweet potato and carrot; potato and zucchini; parsnip and apple.
- To use in muffins: instead of a sweet option for morning tea, why not use your roast veg in a savoury muffin such as our Pumpkin, Goats Cheese And Parmesan Muffins.
- As a base for a soup: grab your stick blender or food processor and bring the veggies together with a cup or two of salt-reduced stock. Blend again and add more liquid stock if needed. Reheat the soup on the stove and serve. A nice combo is a big mix of sweet potato, red onion, carrot, parsnip and zucchini.
- To use in a salad: no need to get stuck in a salad rut when you have delicious chunks of roast veggies in the fridge. Simply add these to some baby spinach, add a little feta or haloumi, toss in some cashews or almonds and drizzle with balsamic vinegar or olive oil. You can also use the roast veg to add to a cous cous salad such as this one (pictured).
GET YOUR 10% DISCOUNT
If you are ready to lose weight then the Lose Baby Weight plans offer a healthy and safe exercise and diet routine and you can get a 10% discount by using code LOYALTY at the checkout
PLUS our BEST SELLING 28 Day Diet & Exercise Plan has now launched as an 84pg Printed Book and you can get your copy here
Click HERE to see our shop
