Roasted Vegetable Medley–Nutrients over Numbers

Before we pull out the forks and dine on a new (to me) vegetable trio, I want to thank you! I put this post out there as a feeler; an open door for dialogue, that could’ve gone in many directions. Every comment brings something to the conversation, which is why I love chatting with you all.

We can all agree that whether or not you add up, intuitively know the numbers, or not, the key is making the “calories count” vs. just counting the calories – thinking nutrients with numbers, or nutrients over numbers.

A bowl of roasted vegetables with leave the nutrients numbers high, and the calorie number low – the first counts for much more.

Thanks to a collaboration with Whole Foods (Tenleytown) last Wednesday evening, I have a large collection of fresh vegetables to get through – some of which have never had a stem in my fridge. Exhibit A:

Brussel sprouts, on a stalk. Not only have I never purchased or cooked brussel sprouts, but I have also never even seen them on a stalk. It looks like this came straight from someone’s garden (does anyone grow sprouts?? Fancy.). It added an element of fun to the new-vegetable experiment – pick little sprout-bulbs from their roots, then figure out what to do with them.

Betty said it was best to cut off the stem ends, wash them and either boil or steam. My intention was to roast, but I took her advice into account. After all, we assume Betty has cooked many a sprout in her day, yes? Well, she has cooked them at least once more than me.

What goes with brussel sprouts? Two other veggies that were in the please-use-me-now phase. Exhibits B & C:

Cauliflower & a Potato Medley* (bag from Trader Joe’s)

Roasted Vegetable Medley: Potatoes, Cauliflower & Brussel Sprouts

1 bag (~1.5 pounds) mini-potato medley, washed & cubed
The bag I used had purple, red & gold potatoes
1 stalk brussel sprouts – approx. 3 cups
1 head cauliflower, stemmed & cut into florets
1 Tbsp Olive oil
Salt/pepper to taste

Heat the oven to 425*.

Toss the potatoes in 1 tbsp olive oil, season with salt/pepper. Put in a large casserole (9 x 13) dish. Spray or lightly oil the bottom to prevent sticking.  Roast for 20 min.

Meanwhile, wash and rinse the brussel sprouts. Steam in a medium sauce pan for 8-10 minutes.

Combine cauliflower florets and sprouts, stir and add to potatoes in the oven. Roast for 20 minutes. Remove, stir & cover with foil – roast for another 10 minutes.

Total cook time is around 50 minutes – time consuming, but worth the easy effort! With very little cooking skill required – really, just stir and let the boiling water and oven do the work! – you’ve got a large batch of roasted, naturally flavorful nutrients. This is the good stuff!

*Purple potatoes are full of the antioxidant anthocyanin – the same powerful nutrient found in blueberries, plums, pomegranates and cherries!

Nutrients in abundance, here’s the breakdown in a “serving” (~2 cups):

This batch lasted about two days in our apartment – apparently my taste-buds were on board for two new veggies (I’ve never had purple potatoes, either – where do these come from??), and a hefty dose of potassium, vitamin C, folate, fiber, etc.

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What new foods have you tested out lately?

What nutrients did you get from it?

Variety is key! Nutrients come in all hues, textures and shapes. I still have kale, beets, another cauliflower head and some sort of mushroom to work with.