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Tired of complaining about the winter? Make a comforting, hearty meal that makes you feel cozy and warm while the icy wind is howling outside.
This isn’t so much about a recipe as just a technique.
Start by heating the oven to 200C/ 400F. Dig through your fridge and find any winter root vegetables: potatoes, squash, beets, parsnips, sweet potatoes, garlic, onions, carrots, and so on. Wash and gently scrub all of them to get the dirt off. There is no peeling happening here, so be sure to get out the last grain of sand.
Prep a baking sheet or roast pan with some olive oil. Then start with the hardest, densest veggies that require the most cooking. From my selection above, first are the beets and then the potatoes. Cut the beets into small 2cm square cubes. Wedge the potatoes. Place in your pan and drizzle with more olive oil, some salt, pepper, and any herbs you have on hand. Rosemary and sage work really nicely. Put pan in oven to start the cooking process.
Next move on to the medium veggies. Trim parsnip ends and cut them in half. Slice the fatter half in two lengthwise. Slice onions into quarters lengthwise as well, being sure to split through the end to keep the pieces intact, as in the photo below. Peel off the outer skin and any layers that don’t look good to eat. Throw these pieces into your pan in the oven.
Now to the softest veggies. Sweet potatoes just need to be sliced, about 1 cm thick. Garlic doesn’t even need to be peeled, just use the whole clove. Throw these veggies into the pan as well. Add more olive oil if it looks dry and your spices– here only rosemary, salt and pepper.
To add more flavour and make a complete meal, I sliced some German bratwursts and threw them into the pan as well (use less olive oil as these will release their own fat in the pan).
Roast for 45-60 minutes, whenever all the vegetables are cooked. The potatoes are the most important, make sure they’re softened and can be pierced easily with a fork.
Serve with a side salad and enjoy your winter hearty meal.
