Recipe Box Swap: Roasted Veggies

I love roasted vegetables. If I had a bowl of roasted Brussels sprouts right now at 7:45 a.m., I would eat them and my kids would be fighting me for them. I love roasting a bunch of vegetables, like eggplant, red pepper, garlic, and zucchini, and sprinkling them on a homemade pizza crust that's been "sauced" with pesto. Truly divine.

For this recipe box swap, I'm going to share two extremely easy recipes: roasted Brussels sprouts and roasted asparagus. I would like to say that these methods will universally cure the "I hate Brussels sprouts" syndrome—as it did with my own children—but a friend (adult) came over while we were eating these the other day. When he mentioned that he didn't like sprouts, we forced him to eat one. He did choke it down, but I'm pretty sure he didn't head to the store to buy sprouts.

And that reminds me: when he fix these dishes, you must buy fresh vegetables, not frozen. Both can be rather expensive, but right now is the time to buy asparagus. Brussels sprouts are a late fall vegetable, but they seem to always run the same price here in the south regardless of their harvest season.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

• 1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts, ends trimmed and yellow leaves removed
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C).
2. Place trimmed Brussels sprouts, olive oil, kosher salt, and pepper in a large resealable plastic bag. Seal tightly, and shake to coat. Pour onto a baking sheet, and place on center oven rack.
3. Roast in the preheated oven for 30 to 45 minutes, shaking pan every 5 to 7 minutes for even browning. Reduce heat when necessary to prevent burning. Brussels sprouts should be darkest brown, almost black, when done. Adjust seasoning with kosher salt, if necessary. Serve immediately.

Roasted Asparagus

1 lb. asparagus spears (I know we're taught to pick the skinny, tender ones, but fat ones actually work best for roasting)
2 TB. olive oil
kosher salt
black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400. Rinse asparagus and cut off the tough ends (an inch or so).
2. Lay asparagus on a baking sheet in a single layer. Brush oil over each stalk, then turn stalks and coat the other side. Sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Of course if you have a large enough container with a lid, you could just put the stalks in, add the oil, salt and pepper, and shake. Whatever works for you. Just coat them thoroughly.
3. Cook for about 10-12 minutes. They should be a lovely shade of bright green. If you are a fan of lemon juice on asparagus, drizzle a bit on before serving. We prefer them without, but hike your own hike.

Enjoy! And check out a lot more recipes at Randi's monthly Recipe Box Swap.