Roasted Root Vegetables

My wife loves vegetables.  If she had her way, we would be vegetarians.  Not me.  But for her, I am always looking for vegetable dishes she would enjoy.  She really likes roasted vegetables, so I decided to throw together as many root vegetables as I could find and roast them all together.  The resulting dish is now a staple in our house during the winter months.

The key to this recipe is making sure you cut the different vegetables to approximately the same size.  With different sizes, some ingredients wind up cooked just right while others are either too hard or too mushy.  I usually cut the pieces approximately the size of a baby carrot or just a little bit smaller.  This way, every thing is done at the same time and all pieces are bite-sized.

For those picky people out there, if you do not like any of the vegetables listed, leave them out and increase the amount of the other vegetables, or substitute with an equal amount of potato.  Remember, eat what you like.


Roasted Root Vegetables

1 lb baby carrots
5 oz pearl onions, peeled
4 parsnips, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
2 turnips, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
2 beets, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
1 sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 Tbsp olive oil
Kosher salt and black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Toss all ingredients together in a large bowl.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Pour into 11x17 inch baking sheet, or divide between two baking dishes (try to get everything in a single layer).

Roast at 400 degrees for 50-55 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes.  Check seasoning and add additional salt and pepper if necessary.  Serve immediately.