Light Recipes

In my household, we recently set a goal to eat three vegetables at each meal. This practice brings to mind the classic southern “meat and three” restaurants that offer a lunch consisting of a meat (or chicken or fish) and three vegetables. The thing about preparing three vegetables for each meal is that it’s very time consuming if you’re starting with fresh produce.

When cooking several vegetables, the oven and some sheet pans are your best friends. Roasting or broiling vegetables is an efficient method of preparation that produces excellent results. Flavors are concentrated in the process, and your seasoning options are limitless. In addition, leftovers make delicious snacks straight from the refrigerator.

Sheet pans, the workhorses of restaurant kitchens, come in three principal sizes — full, half and quarter. Full sheet pans are awkward to handle and are too large for most home ovens. Half sheet pans and quarter sheet pans are what you need for these recipes. In order to cut down on cleanup, line the pans with aluminum foil, but if you do, vegetables will not brown and caramelize as well, with an attendant loss of flavor.

Broiled Eggplant With Pesto

1 large eggplant
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
coarse salt and freshly-ground
black pepper
Pesto
2 cups loosely-packed fresh basil
½ clove garlic, minced
¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
coarse salt and freshly ground
black pepper

Preheat broiler. Cut eggplant into quarter-inch slices. Brush both sides with olive oil and place on a sheet pan. Broil until lightly browned, turn and broil the other side. Remove eggplant with a spatula, season with salt and pepper.
Pesto In the bowl of a food processor, combine all ingredients except salt and pepper. Process until puréed. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve on top of eggplant. Serves 4.

Roasting carrots brings out the natural sweetness and improves texture. Cilantro, which is in the carrot family, is a fine accompaniment. If you can find multicolored carrots, use them for a stunning visual effect. The combination of asparagus and Parmesan is a match made in heaven. For an additional treat, top each serving with a poached egg.

Roasted Carrots With Cilantro

1 pound carrots
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons coarse salt
¼ cup cilantro leaves

Preheat oven to 400 F. Wash and scrub carrots with a vegetable brush. Dry in a clean kitchen towel. Trim ends of carrots and cut into sections about 3 inches in length. Cut each section into 4 lengths. Combine carrots and olive oil in a bowl and toss to coat carrots with oil. Sprinkle with salt. Place carrots on a sheet pan in a single layer and roast until carrots are tender and have begun to caramelize, about 20-25 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter and garnish with cilantro leaves. Serves 4.

Roasted Asparagus With Parmesan

1 pound asparagus
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan
coarse salt and freshly ground
black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 F. Trim ends from asparagus and blanch in boiling salted water until asparagus just begins to soften, about 2 minutes for thin asparagus. Drain asparagus and turn into baking dish. Add olive oil and turn asparagus to coat. Sprinkle with cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Roast until asparagus is tender and cheese is browned and bubbly, about 15-20 minutes. Serves 4.

Some people don’t like Brussels sprouts because the only ones they’ve had were boiled until they turned to mush and gave off a disagreeable smell. Slicing them, then roasting with walnuts and dried cherries creates a smorgasbord of contrasting flavors.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts With Walnuts and Dried Cherries

1 pound Brussels sprouts
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2⁄3 cup dried cherries
1 cup walnut pieces
coarse salt and freshly ground
black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 F. Trim stem ends from Brussels sprouts and remove any discolored leaves. Thinly slice Brussels sprouts and combine with olive oil in a bowl. Toss to coat. Add dried cherries and walnut pieces and toss to combine. Transfer to a sheet pan and roast until Brussels sprouts are tender and lightly brown, about 15-20 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serves 4.

The sweetness of butternut squash is intensified by the caramelization that occurs when it is roasted, while chipotle pepper adds heat and a smoky flavor. Roasting intensifies the flavor of broccoli. Be sure to peel the broccoli stem, cut it into 2 or more pieces and add it to the florets.

Roasted Broccoli With Garlic, Red Pepper and Lemon

1 head broccoli
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, sliced
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
⅛ teaspoon coarse salt
lemon wedges

Preheat oven to 400 F. Separate broccoli florets and combine in a bowl with olive oil, garlic red pepper and salt. Toss well to coat broccoli, place in a single layer on a sheet pan and bake in preheated oven until tender and lightly browned, about 20-30 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges. Serves 4.

Roasted Butternut Squash With Chipotle Pepper and Parsley

2 pounds butternut squash,
peeled, seeded and cut into
½-inch cubes
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
¼ teaspoon chipotle chili powder,
or to taste
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ cup chopped parsley

Preheat oven to 450 F. Combine squash, olive oil, chipotle chili powder and salt in a mixing bowl and toss to coat squash. Transfer squash to a sheet pan and roast until tender and browned, about 15-20 minutes. Serves 4.

If cauliflower is going to be interesting, it needs the addition of some strong flavors. This sauce of arugula, anchovy, garlic and pecorino romano is just the ticket.

Roasted Cauliflower With Arugula and Anchovy Pesto

1 head cauliflower
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
coarse salt
1 cup arugula, torn and packed
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 anchovy fillets packed in oil
1½ cups freshly grated
pecorino romano cheese
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon freshly ground
black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 F. Core and separate cauliflower into small florets and combine in a bowl with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Toss well to coat cauliflower, sprinkle with salt, place in a single layer on a sheet pan and bake in preheated oven until tender and lightly browned, about 20-30 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine arugula, garlic, anchovy fillets, pecorino romano cheese, 1 cup extra virgin olive oil and black pepper in a food processor and pulse until combined. Transfer cauliflower to a serving dish and drizzle with arugula and anchovy pesto. Serves 4.

Everyone loves fried sweet potatoes, but these are a delicious and more healthful choice.

Roasted Sweet Potato Fries

4 small sweet potatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
Cajun/Creole seasoning

Preheat oven to 450 F. Scrub sweet potatoes, but do not peel. Dry with paper towels. Cut each potato lengthwise into 4-6 wedges, depending on size of the potato. In a mixing bowl, toss wedges with olive oil to coat. Sprinkle with Cajun/Creole seasoning. Place potato wedges on sheet pan, skin side down and roast until cooked through, about 15-20 minutes. Serves 4.