Roasting Vegetables

I almost feel guilty posting about this because it is so easy--like explaining how to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. But this was what we had for dinner last night, and it was good.

We had invited our neighbors, who are from Vietnam, to come over for dinner. They were very sweet when we asked about food allergies, vegetarianism, or dislikes, saying they liked everything, but I was nervous. We have made lots of international friends in our time here in Ontario (we are some of the only Americans where Bob works) and I have learned that "We eat everything" means different things to different people.

I decided the best course of action was roasted vegetables tossed with pasta and chicken. I love roasting vegetables. It fills the whole apartment with a wonderful smell and it's so easy a monkey could do it. The most time-consuming part is all the chopping.

Seasonal is best, of course, but I am not afraid to admit I'm getting a little tired of parsnips and potatoes. I am craving green! So I did my part to prop the Californian economy and bought green beans, broccoli, red pepper, carrots (these were local, actually), and a big luscious red onion.

Clean and chop everything into pieces roughly the same size, except for the red onion, which is the secret to this whole deal, in my opinion. Slice it into the finest long slivers you can. They practically melt in the oven. Heaven! Toss all the vegetables with the onion, a lot of minced garlic, a few glugs olive oil, and generous salt and pepper. Lemon would be good too. I find the easiest way to do this is to use your hands. Just tumble it all around in a big bowl, the idea being that everything should be covered in the oil. Let it all rest a while on the counter or in the fridge.

When you're ready to cook then, spread the veggies on a cookie sheet lined with foil. Use two pans if one seems too full--it's best if the veggies roast in a single layer. Pop into 400 degree oven for about 25 minutes. If you are using two sheets, you'll have to switch them around a couple time to be sure they cook evenly. They will start to brown. Grab them out before they go too far. They can burn fast or dry out at this point.

This is hands-down the best broccoli you will ever taste. It seems smoked or something.

Boil your pasta, drain (reserving a little liquid in case you need it), and add veggies, chopped chicken, a little cheese if you like. Toss it all together and serve with big bowls.

Incidentally, I did cheat by buying a precooked chicken from the deli. Inexplicably, the cooked chicken is cheaper than a raw one, and I didn't have the time to cook one myself anyway. I'm not even going to think about all the additives it probably contains. As we speak I am boiling the carcass with lots of celery leaves, whole black peppercorns, onions, garlic, carrot, and thyme. I'll let you know how it turns out.