30 Days of Christmas: Roasted Vegetables

Vegetarians have to set priorities a little differently when considering the Christmas meal. While everyone else is focused on Turkey or ham, the vegetarian options like nut roast or tofurkey are usually a let down. But take the main dish out and focus instead on the sides, the salads and the breads and you have a fantastic meal on hand.

This tray of roasted vegetables ranks among my all time favourite sides. Pick 3-4 vegetables that you like. This time, I have a mix of broccoli, zucchini, baby corn and onions. Other options include cauliflower, mushrooms, leeks, spring onions and most root vegetables. One word of warning - while we are mixing up everything here, if you pick something very watery like mushrooms, keep it separate from the rest of the gang.

Cut vegetables in approximately equal bite size pieces. In a bowl, mix chopped vegetables with 1 tbsp olive oil for each cup of veggies, salt and pepper. Also add a tbsp of balsamic vinegar. Mix well and spread on a baking tray in a single layer. Pop into an oven preheated to 200C and roast until the vegetables brown, about 15-20 minutes.

A batch of these vegetables is great to have in the fridge at this time, when you are running around to shop and buy presents and do a thousand things. Apart from eating them on their own, you can add them to pasta or make a quick fried rice. I'm even known to spread pasta sauce on bread, add these veggies, grate some cheese and grill it into a 'bread pizza'.

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