recipes 144, 145, 146 and 147: roasted vegetables

It only is fitting to follow up a post on delicious, decadent icebox cake with a post on relatively healthy-ish roasted vegetables. It is also fitting to write a post on roasted vegetables after a strenuous hot yoga class. Today is a healthy day (to make up for eating like Seabiscuit at Empellon Taqueria http://empellon.com/taqueria/ last night). So here you go, some roasted vegetable recipes. They epitomize coziness. I am unsure of the source of the first recipe- I've been making it for well over a decade. It may have very well come from the back of an onion soup mix box and has been altered over time... The second recipe comes from the spouse of a friend and beyond that, the origin is unknown. The third one is a recipe (with particularized Tiffany-additions such as cashews) that my mom found maybe in a newspaper or magazine, but I don't know which one. I realize that the sources so far are not particularly helpful! The fourth one is only slightly altered from Skinnytaste: http://www.skinnytaste.com/2011/11/roasted-parmesan-green-beans.html. There. A viable source.

"ONION SOUP" ROASTED POTATOES
Ingredients:
-2 white potatoes
-1 sweet potato
-enough olive oil to coat
-1 packet of French onion soup mix
-sliced/chunked onions, if desired

Instructions:
1) preheat the oven to 450 degrees
2) cube the potatoes, place into a large casserole dish, pour on the onion soup mix, and add olive oil
3) stir the concoction and make sure there is enough olive oil to moisten the onion soup mix and coat all of the potatoes (add raw onions if desired)

I didn't use sweet potatoes or onions this time, which also works just fine

4) roast until the potatoes are crispy, continually stirring and adding more oil if necessary (note: I've probably made this recipe 100 times and I have literally no idea how long it takes to cook because I'm always cooking other things at the same time)

The pan is usually a mess to clean but it really is worth it!

BROILED LEMON PEPPER ASPARAGUS OR BRUSSEL SPROUTS
Ingredients:
-asparagus (with the rough ends trimmed off) or brussel sprouts
-olive oil
-fresh squeezed lemon juice
-sea salt and cracked pepper

Instructions:
1) preheat the oven to 500 degrees
2) place the vegetables on a foil-lined baking sheet
3) drizzle and then toss with olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper
4) broil until crispy, occasionally removing the pan from the oven to shake or stir the vegetables

ROASTED VEGETABLES WITH CHICK PEAS AND CASHEWS
Ingredients (note: this makes A LOT):
-2 handfuls of baby carrots
-1 sweet potato, chunked
-1 red onion, chunked
-8 small white potatoes, quartered
-1 t minced garlic
-1/2 can of drained, rinsed chick peas
-2 T olive oil
-1 t rosemary
-fresh parsely
-1 T brown sugar
-handful of fresh mushroom slices
-handful of cashews
-salt, pepper, and cumin to taste

Instructions:
1) preheat the oven to 425 degrees
2) combine all ingredients and roast uncovered for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally (increase the heat for the last 10 minutes or so if you want the vegetables to brown)

LEMON ROASTED PARMESAN STRING BEANS
Ingredients:
-12 oz string beans, washed, patted dry, and with trimmed ends
-2 t olive oil
-salt and pepper
-a teeny bit of minced garlic
-1 1/2 T parmesan cheese
-a drizzle of lemon juice

Instructions:
1) preheat the oven to 425 degrees and line a baking sheet with foil
2) lay the beans on the sheet, drizzle the olive oil and lemon juice over them
3) season with salt, pepper, and minced garlic and toss to coat
4) bake for 10 minutes, shake the pan, and bake for 5 more minutes
5) remove from the oven and sprinkle with the parmesan cheese