I have a confession to make: the truth is, sometimes I buy way more vegetables than I can eat in a week. When I look at them sitting in my cart, I think, “I’m going to be so healthy this week.”
This week I bought sweet potatoes, beets, carrots and asparagus and roasted them on Monday night. This is one of my favorite ways to prepare veggies.
The basic idea is to cut all of your veggies into “French fry” slices. That is, about pointer-finger length and no more than a quarter inch thick. Then place them on a baking sheet and toss them in olive oil, black pepper and a good dash of kosher salt. You can also add some cayenne pepper or roasted red pepper flakes for an extra kick.
Once all the veggies are equally covered, put them in the oven at 400ºF for 15 minutes. Then stir them and let them cook for another 15 minutes, or until nicely browned and as crispy as you like.
Fun fact: Kosher salt is only kosher because it is often used to cure kosher meat. The reason many chefs and home cooks prefer kosher salt is because it does not contain iodine or other additives, which gives it a less muddled flavor.
It is also important to note that kosher salt grains are larger than table salt grains. Because of this, a ¼ tsp of kosher salt will have less sodium than a ¼ tsp of table salt, so they cannot be substituted exactly in recipes.
This week I had a large container of leftover roasted veggies. Since I did not want to eat just veggies for the whole weekend, I made them into a curry. This is an awesome way to make your veggies into a meal, especially if you have some leftover tofu or chicken to toss in there.
First, pop your veggies into a pan that has high enough edges to contain some liquid. Then add 2-4 Tbs of curry powder, or to your liking. Let it cook for about one minute, and then add one can of coconut milk.
If adding leftover tofu or chicken, add it now. Since everything is already cooked, just let it all warm through, and you are done!
If you are starting with uncooked vegetables, all you have to do is let them cook in the frying pan until tender, then follow the above directions. Serve over brown rice.
If you do not have leftover or precooked chicken or tofu, but you still want the added protein, here is what I would do:
Preheat a frying pan over medium high heat with a little olive oil in it. If using tofu, be sure to press the excess water out by placing a towel over it and then some heavy books on top (I like to use Joy of Cooking) for about 10 minutes prior to cooking.
Slice tofu into bite-sized pieces. For chicken, simply remove it from the package when the pan is ready, and place it in the pan.
For both chicken and tofu do not move them once you have set them in the pan. Otherwise, they will not brown.
The cooking time depends on the thickness of the item, but a typical chicken breast will take about five minutes on the first side, and an additional three on the second side.
If you are worried about whether or not your chicken is done, just cut into the thickest part and check for any pink. For tofu, cooking through is not as important. A good two minutes on each side is probably enough to brown and warm through. Happy eating!
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