Oven Roasted California Vegetables
I love everything about roasted veggies. The crunch, the flavor, the abundance of necessary vitamins and minerals, the simplicity of the preparation and most of all, the fact that they are a great supplement to any entrée and always make for an easy weeknight dinner!
Do you ever have those nights where you get home late from work, yoga, class, etc. and you have absolutely ZERO motivation to cook but need to make something for dinner, much less your lunch tomorrow? I DO… like all the freaking time!
But since I don’t really enjoy eating out {unless it’s high quality/well sourced food which also comes with a large price tag} and I’m not about missing meals, I usually end up taking the easiest routes possible which means throwing some vegetables on a pan, tossing them in my favorite source of fat, popping them into the oven and before I know it they’re done!
Maybe oven-roasting my veggies is taking the easy way out, but at this point in my life I’m 110% cool with that. Maybe it’s because I’ve come to the realization that I don’t have time to cook gourmet meals every night, but mostly it’s because in my opinion, fresh roasted vegetables are the bomb.com! I love everything about them, the crunch, the flavor, the abundance of necessary vitamins and minerals, the simplicity of the preparation and most of all, the fact that they are a great supplement to anything! Whether you’re grilling burgers, baking chicken or throwing a beef roast in the crockpot, roasted vegetables will be the perfect compliment to them all!
I have always roasted my vegetables in olive oil alone, but since switching over to a paleo/real food lifestyle, I’ve started experimenting with other fats such as: coconut oil, avocado oil, and ghee and OH MY GHEE have I fallen in love!
If you’ve never heard of ghee before, I’m here to tell you that it is a MUST add to your next grocery list because you are missing out! Ghee is clarified butter, meaning it has been heated longer to remove the milk fats, water and sugar leaving a very stable fat with a high smoke point, making it a great option for roasting and sautéing! In addition, many people who suffer from casein or lactose intolerances are able to tolerate ghee, which is great news for them as butter is obviously not an option for them with such allergies. Beyond that, ghee tastes much more flavorful or {buttery} than traditional butter due to the longer heating process and is highly nutritious as well! Check out this article for the Top 10 Ghee Benefits to learn even more about the wonders of this ancient health food.
Now there are definitely multiple options of ghee that are available for store purchase such as Shamim’s Panty {great option if you’re local to MPLS}, Tin Star Foods Ghee, 4th & Heart, Organic Valley and even Trader Joes, but it is also something that can be made right in your own home without too much hassle! We usually follow this recipe and make our own, but once in awhile we will pick up some store bought just to save some time and still allow us to benefit from regular consumption of a high quality fat such as ghee.
Whether you decide to whip up a batch of your own or purchase a jar from the store, you must trying roasting your next pan of vegetables in it just like my recipe for {Oven Roasted California Vegetables}! They are simple, yet delicious and healthy and make the absolute perfect side dish for any weeknight dinner you might toss together;)
· 1 Head Broccoli, chopped and washed
· 1 Head Cauliflower, chopped and washed
· 1 Bag Whole Carrots, cut and washed
· ½ C. Ghee
· 1Tbsp. Sea Salt
· 1Tbsp. Garlic Powder
· 1Tbsp. Onion Powder
· 1Tsp. Black Pepper
Methods:
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper
3. Add all the vegetables to a large bowl
4. Then add the ghee and spices and toss together ensuring everything is well coated
5. Spread the vegetables evenly on the pan {or 2 pans depending on the amount of vegetables}
6. Place in the oven for 20-30 minutes depending on how crunchy you like your vegetables
7. Allow to cool a few minutes after removing from oven
8. Enjoy
Chat with me!
What are your go to meals for busy weeknights? Have you ever used ghee before? What is your favorite brand?
P.S. For other super simple paleo dinner recipes checkout my {Sausage Sweet Potato Lettuce Wraps}, my {Buffalo Shrimp Pasta} or my {Grain Free Taco Hotdish Boats}.
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