Roasted veg - how can I make it really tasty?

[SamJohnsMum]

I love roasted veg - courgette, sweet potato, red onion, aubergine and red peppers mainly.

But when I do it at home, I either get mush, or burnt crisps, and it never tastes as nice as other people's. Why?! Does anyone have any foolproof recipes?

Chop your veg into bigger chunks.

Not too much oil. Garlic oil is good. Just a drizzle, then massage it in.

Don't have your oven too hot. Roast them nice and slowly.

HTH

Oh, and keep checking for doneness.

And cut the veg that cooks quickest into bigger chunks.

Warm the dish with olive oil and crushed garlic in before you add veg and drizzle more oil

and add loads of garlic with the papery bit off, to squeeze out the soft roasted stuff when done. mm mm.

Thing is to get the mixture of veg right and to make sure they veg are chopped so that things that take the longest are chopped smaller. Courgettes are actually best put in for the last 15 mins (will go to mush if left any longer). Aubergines + peppers always go into mush so you need to make sure that you do with with stuff that stays hard to get a good mixture of textures. Don't put too many veg in the tray otherwise they will steam rather than roast.

As to flavourings it really depends on the mixture but adding whole cloves of garlic and large whole chilis to the mixture seems to work with most thigns

I add a bit of balsamic vinegar, half way through cooking and it makes them yum.

Par boil the harder to cook vege... also balsamic as suggested above.

lots of salt and pepper

"and add loads of garlic with the papery bit off, to squeeze out the soft roasted stuff when done. mm mm."

Yes, this is awesome. Papery outside stuff off, pink inside layer on, then when you roast it the garlic goes very mild and soft.

Also: cheese! DP maintians that he will eat veggie food, but inly if there is lots of cheese. I quite like feta, weird as it sounds. Cut into approx 1cm cubes and chuck ont the roasting pan with the veg for the last 20 minutes or so.

Roasted parsnips smothered in honey, yum, also roasted butternut squash is tasty.

balsamic vinegar and garlic here too...

and a sprig of rosemary if i happen to have some.

Ooh and if you re having lamb, sprikle some fresh mint on your roast veg.

Roast peppers, courgette, onion, mushroom ans toms in olive oil (v.hot oven), with pumpkin seeds, then sprinkle with balsamic vinegar and add diced goats cheese and a teaspoon of pesto. Mix with a can of tuna. Tis delish

Brilliant - I will be roasting veg this weekend - and it will definitely have some garlic and the balsamic sounds good too!! Actually, it all sounds good - I'm going to do some experimenting over the next couple of weeks!!

Thank everyone x