High Roasted Green Veggies

Even people with limited cooking experience know that roasting root vegetables, such as potatoes, carrots or onions, causes caramelization of their starches, making them sweet and delicious. But who would’ve thought other vegetables, especially green vegetables, could profit from roasting? Instead of long, slow roasting however, the green vegetables are cooked with high heat, flash roasting.

I first learned of this technique a few years ago when I came across a recipe called Blasted Broccoli. I loved the name and how simple it was to prepare, but I especially loved how it tasted. The broccoli florets were tender, their edges flecked with patches of brown caramelization. Cooking broccoli this way brings out their sweetness and doesn’t fill the kitchen with that cabbage-like odor that members of the kohl family of vegetables often generate.


Shortly after that I discovered the Barefoot Contessa’s Roasted Brussel Sprouts. These tender morsels smell like popcorn while roasting and have a crispy brown outside, reminiscent of a potato chip, and a soft, almost creamy inside. Nutty and salty, I find myself munching these like snack food. This recipe may turn brussel sprout haters into fans.

These recipes use an oven temperature that is higher than normal and because most home ovens are not perfectly calibrated, I suggest using an oven thermometer to insure success. Actually, I recommend always using an oven thermometer.


Blasted Broccoli
From Best American Recipes 2001 – 2002
By Fran McCullough, series editor

4 cups broccoli florets, rinsed and slightly drained
Olive oil, to taste
Sea salt, to taste
Balsamic vinegar, to taste

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.

Arrange the broccoli florets in a single layer on a baking sheet. Toss them with the olive oil and salt. Roast until cooked through and crispy brown at the edges, just a few minutes. (about 6 – 8 minutes).

Remove the broccoli to a serving bowl and toss with balsamic vinegar to taste. Serve immediately.

Yield: 4 servings


Roasted Brussel Sprouts
From The Barefoot Contessa
by Ina Garten

1 1/2 pounds fresh brussels sprouts
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Trim the core end of the brussels sprouts (not too closely or the sprouts will fall apart) and pull off any yellow outer leaves. Toss them in a bowl with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Pour them on a sheet pan and roast for 35-40 minutes until crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. Shake the pan from time to time to brown the sprouts evenly. Sprinkle with more kosher salt and serve immediately.

Yield: 4 servings

Tags: roasted vegetables, recipe, Broccoli, Brussel Sprouts