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How does roasting veges compare re: nutrition


Laurie4b
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I'd say for some things it compares quite favorably because we aren't going to eat them at all without the flavor boost provided by carmelization.  Don't get me wrong, I love many raw and lightly steamed veggies but it seems a no brainer than 2 cups of cauliflower or broccoli or brussels sprouts beats zero intake of those things.  

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Oh man I want roasted broccoli right now. I found the best trick: you take the time to sort of rub the oil into the broccoli and get it all coated and it is so much better. I don't use any more oil, I might use less in fact, but I take the time to ensure that every piece is coated with a bit of oil. That and not crowding the vegetables makes a huge difference in the end product. Crowding can mean steaming. Space between the veggies means more carmelization.

 

I gotta buy more broccoli. I am serious that I could eat 5 lbs of broccoli when it is well roasted. Only trouble is that now I have to fend off my 13 year old son. He eats it like it was candy.

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Cook's Illustrated says, for roasted cauliflower:

1. Oven at 475. Trim cauliflower and cut into wedges (8) Place wedges on foil-lined, rimmed baking tray. Drizzle with 2T. Olive oil sprinkle with salt and pepper. Flip over slices and repeat.

2. Cover sheet tightly with foil, cook for 10 minutes. Remove foul, roast until bottoms are golden, 8-12. Flip, roast other side 8-12.

 

Yum.

 

Ina Garten has a Brussels sprouts recipe in "The Barefoot Contessa", similar process, no initial streaming.

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Ok, so I want instructions to make good roasted veggies. Please?

My method for roasting any veg:

 

Preheat oven to 425.

Slice or chop veggies into largish pieces (unless I'm roasting for a soup or a quiche, in which case I chop into small pieces).

Dump all into a roasting pan or a baking sheet.

Drizzle with 1-3 tablespoons of olive oil.

Sprinkle with salt/pepper/herbs, depending on how I feel. Rosemary is especially good.

Toss well.

Cook for 15 minutes.

Stir.

Cook for 15 minutes more.

Stir.

If the veggies are cooked and nicely browned and yummy, they are done. Otherwise cook until done.

 

If you are doing a mix of veggies, make sure the pieces of the more dense types (like carrots) are smaller than less dense types (like zucchini) so that the cooking times match.

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I've often wondered about the nutrients of leftover veggies, especially if they've been steamed first. I haven't found any studies on, for example, three day old steamed broccoli. I still eat it because I like it and don't like to waste food, but I often wonder how much benefit I'm getting. I've read things that say it loses vitamins, but how much? 10%? 90%? More each day? I have no idea.

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Just popping in to say that all those recipes say to 'drizzle' the oil. Take 2 mins to put the veggies in a bowl and rub them between your hands so that they are coated with the oil. And don't have them touching on the baking sheet.

 

It makes a difference, it really does.

 

This is the recipe I have been using. My veggie eating kid wants to eat it with a shovel. No matter how much I make he wants more. My non-veg kid won't try it no matter what. Hey, it's just a good recipe, not a miracle worker.

 

http://benandbirdy.blogspot.com/2012/01/crack-broccoli.html

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If you are doing a mix of veggies, make sure the pieces of the more dense types (like carrots) are smaller than less dense types (like zucchini) so that the cooking times match.

 

I did roasted vegies for the meal after church today, and the zucchini and yellow squash took waaaaaaayyyyyy longer than the parsnips and turnips.  Like half an hour longer.  They have so much water in them, it took forever for them to get roasty brown.  With those, you should do the salt-and-let sit thing first to remove liquid.  I kicked myself for skipping that step. 

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I do the cheaters/easy way. I buy bags of frozen veggies (almost always the California Blend - broccoli, cauliflower and carrots), and cook them directly from frozen. No need to thaw. I put tin foil on the pan so I don't have to worry about clean up later. I put the oil on the tin foil and use my hands to smoosh it around the pan. Dump in the veggies. Use oily hands to spread veggies and turn them a bit. Put in 400 degree oven for anywhere from 25-35 minutes, depending. Use edges of foil to pick the whole mess up and dump on my plate. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Put in mouth. 

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Heat will impact the enzymes present in veggies but they will still contain nutrients when cooked. A good judge I'd there is enzymatic qualities left is if the veggies still have a little bit of bite or crunch to them. But also consider your whole diet, having some raw veggies is great but it doesn't mean you should never cook them either. Balance is a wonderful thing and you will still get nutrients from cooked veg.

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Oh man I want roasted broccoli right now. I found the best trick: you take the time to sort of rub the oil into the broccoli and get it all coated and it is so much better. I don't use any more oil, I might use less in fact, but I take the time to ensure that every piece is coated with a bit of oil. That and not crowding the vegetables makes a huge difference in the end product. Crowding can mean steaming. Space between the veggies means more carmelization.

 

I gotta buy more broccoli. I am serious that I could eat 5 lbs of broccoli when it is well roasted. Only trouble is that now I have to fend off my 13 year old son. He eats it like it was candy.

 

I'm not a big broccoli fan.  Well, I'll be honest, I never was a fan of any of the healthy veggies except for lettuce.  

 

But, roasted broccoli rolled up in a thin slice of ham.  Oh, My!  It is amazing!  I found myself stuffing in more broccoli into the middle.  Coming from me, that is truly amazing.  

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The veggie that gets eaten is the most nutritious.

I am a fan of the spray olive oil or canola oil; makes it easy to get an even coating without using a ton of it.

Salmon with Roasted Veg:

Spray pan.  Put in slab'o'salmon.  Surround with slices of peeled eggplant.  Cover with slices of red onion and red pepper, spraying between slices and sprinkling with fresh or dried dill.  Bake at 350 for however long it takes for the fish to be done.  Serve as-is, or open-faced on a good toasted bread with a light smear of mayo.

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