The easy way is not always the best way to do things, except when it comes to cooking veggies.
The easiest way to cook vegetables — roasting — is in fact the best. You can roast almost anything: chicken, pears, cashews, beans, chickpeas, fennel, cherries, and more. But I think one of the tastiest things on this Earth is roasted vegetables. All you need is a little oil, salt, pepper and herbs or spices and you will have vegetable perfection every time. If you’re not already in the habit of roasting veggies, once you start you’ll never want to boil or microwave again.
Some vegetables roast faster than others. A great resource for learning about roasting time is Martha Stewart’s guide to roasting vegetables. Here’s a quick snapshot of some veggies and how long they take to reach roasted perfection:
Quick-Roasting (10-20)
– Asparagus
– Corn
– Mushrooms
– Tomatoes
Somewhat Quick-Roasting (20-30)
– Bell peppers
– Broccoli
– Cauliflower
– Eggplant
– Fennel
– Onions
– Zucchini and summer squash
Slow-Roasting (30+)
– Beets
– Carrots
– Onions
– Parsnips
– Potatoes
– Sweet potatoes
– Turnips
– Winter squash
These Rosemary Roasted Artichokes + Smashed Potatoes are so stinking delicious you’ll be wanting to eat them before they are done in the oven. But no matter what vegetable you are roasting, the key to perfection is to not take the pan or dish out of the oven until the food is cooked to perfection. Patience, dear friends, is a virtue. 🙂
We just finished eating the leftovers tonight and I must say I was sad to see that all of the potatoes and artichokes were finally gone. The rosemary, lemon, garlic and olive oil combination was knock-your-socks-off fantastic. I will definitely be making this again soon! It is the perfect summery + savory hot side dish.
- 10 small red potatoes
- 1 can artichoke hearts, drained
- t tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 1/2 teaspoons rosemary
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- Preheat the oven to 450˚ F. Lightly oil a baking sheet or coat with nonstick spray.
- In a large pot of boiling water, cook potatoes until tender when pierced with a fork, about 15-20 minutes. Drain well.
- Mix together olive oil, lemon juice, rosemary, sea salt and garlic in a small bowl.
- Place potatoes onto the prepared baking sheet. Using a potato masher or fork, carefully smash the potatoes until flattened but mostly in one piece. Add artichokes to the baking sheet and top everything with the olive oil mixture.
- Bake for 20 minutes, or until the tops of the potatoes and artichokes are golden brown and crisp.