Vegetables get a bad rap. Sure, when you blanch or steam them, they can come out gross, but when you know how to cook them properly, there is nothing more delicious.
One of our favorite ways to cook vegetables is to roast them. But if youโve ever roasted veggies you know you might run into some problems: uneven cooking and bland flavor to name a few.
To make sure our roasted veggies are perfect to start off the new year, we asked our friend,ย Chef Travis Swikard of Callie in San Diego, how he roasts vegetables to perfection night after night.
Evenly Cut Your Vegetables
The first step to roasting delicious vegetables has nothing to do with roasting whatsoever. Chef Swikard says the most important thing to do is cut your vegetables properly. โYour knife cuts are extremely important as this will ensure your vegetables will cook evenly.โ
Whether youโre slicing carrots, brussels sprouts, broccoli, or parsnips, you want each piece of vegetable to be approximately the same shape andย size, so that you donโt end up with contrasting textures when they cook. For brussels sprouts, remove the knob on the end, and slice them in half. For carrots, peel them and then cut them into even-sized chunks.
Make an Oil Paste
When adding spices, itโs important to make sure they go on your veggies evenly. After all, you donโt want them to all stick to one tiny cube of squash and have the rest go unseasoned.
To evenly disperse spices, Chef Swikard recommends making what he calls an โoil paste.โ Using extra virgin olive oil, add your spices such as Curry Powder or a Mediterranean Spice Blend (Chef Swikardโs favorite is from La Boรฎte), and stir the two together until a homogenous mixture is formed.
Then, toss your veggies in a bowl to evenly coat each piece. The spices will add flavor to your vegetables and the oil helps ensure your veggies get an even browning in the oven.
Get the Temperature Right
The temperature you cook your vegetables at depends on the vegetable itself. The goal is to make sure that your vegetables are cooked throughout while the outside is nice and caramelized. Itโs this harmonious balance that is difficult to master.
โWhen you roast vegetables, you are evaporating the water from them,โ Chef Swikard says. โOnce there is no more water left, the Maillard reaction starts to happen, and your vegetables start to caramelize.โ
For some vegetables, such as carrots, parsnips, rutabaga, and turnips, this will take place at 375F, and with a Roasting Panโs high walls, everything will be evenly cooked. โI use Made Inโs Roasting Pan quite a bit,โ says Swikard, โitโs perfect for smaller roasts.โ
However, for vegetables like brussels sprouts and cabbage, Chef Swikard starts them off at 425, which he calls an โoven blanch.โ This quickly gets rid of the moisture in the vegetables, allowing them to caramelize quicker. Chef Swikard will then lower the temperature once they start browning.ย
He can tell when theyโre done once they have a nice color and can be pierced with a cake tester. โJust make sure theyโre not too easily pierceable. Then, theyโre overdone,โ notes Swikard.
Dress Your Roasted Vegetables
Yes, even roasted vegetables need a kick sometimes. And Chef Swikard likes to spruce them up by dressing them with a sauce, whether itโs plain yogurt with grated garlic, the zest and juice of a lemon, and some herbs, or just a simpleย tahini sauce.
And make sure to save any leftover dressing. โWhat I love to do is to make a salad of cold roasted vegetables, add it to raw kale, and dress it with the tahini dressing,โ he says. Itโs a great way to use leftovers, that is, if you have any.