The 30-Minute Vegan - Mark Reinfeld [12]
Roasting Vegetables
You will be amazed at how this simple technique brings out a deep, rich flavor to vegetables that enhances any dish. The length of time to roast will depend on the type and size of the vegetables. Softer vegetables, such as corn or zucchini, will take close to ten minutes, whereas some of the root vegetables, if cut into large pieces, will take longer than thirty. To roast veggies, follow these simple steps.
1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2. The veggies can be marinated (see page 21), mixed with olive oil and spices or herbs, or simply cooked in a bit of water and their own juices.
3. Place the vegetables in a casserole dish or on a baking sheet, and place in the oven.
4. Stir occasionally to make sure the vegetables are cooking evenly. There is no hard-and-fast rule for the length of time to roast. Roast until just tender and a knife can pass easily through the center of the veggies.
Some of our favorite vegetables to roast include root vegetables, such as beet, potato, carrot, yam, parsnip, Jerusalem artichoke, and radish. Zucchini, corn, garlic, and bell peppers are also popular choices that roast faster than the root veggies. You can also experiment with roasting at a lower temperature for longer periods of time to add even more depth of flavor to your dish. As far as marinades, newbies can start simply with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and experiment from there.
For roasted garlic, you can peel the garlic and roast the cloves as mentioned above, or you can roast them while they are still in their skins and remove the skins afterward. Another method, which usually takes longer than thirty minutes, involves slicing the top ½-inch portion off the stem of a bulb of garlic and placing it in a very small baking dish, sliced side up, topped with olive oil, a pinch of salt and fresh ground pepper, and 1 teaspoon of minced fresh herbs, baking until a knife can easily pass through the garlic, approximately 35 minutes. Squeeze the garlic out of the bulb and use it as a spread for toast or flax crackers, or to enhance the flavor of other spreads, stir-fries, and casseroles.
For roasted bell peppers, a quick method is to place them over the flame on a gas stove. Using tongs, flip periodically to ensure even cooking. Cook until char marks appear on the skin. For those without a gas stove, you can roast peppers in the oven at 400°F. This method also may take longer than 30 minutes. Rinse the peppers and place them on a well-oiled baking sheet. Place them in the oven, skin side up, and cook until the skin is charred and bubbly, approximately 35 minutes. Alternatively, you can roast the peppers on the high broil setting. Make five or six 1-inch slices along the top and bottom of the peppers to flatten them out, place on a well-oiled baking tray, and broil for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the skins are charred black. Once peppers are cooked according to your preferred method, place them in a brown paper bag or a covered bowl for 10 minutes. Peel off the skin and remove the seeds.
Marinating
Marinade ingredients significantly determine the flavors of a dish. The main rule of thumb is the longer an ingredient sits in the marinade, the more of its flavors it will acquire. Simply placing tofu or a Portobello mushroom in different marinades creates dramatically different taste sensations. If possible, allow more time for marinating than the recipe calls for. Up to an hour or more will yield a more flavorful dish.
There is vast room for creative experimentation when it comes to marinades. Some of our favorite marinade ingredients include: soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, coconut or olive oil, brown rice