My Default Recipe

Three years ago I made a New Year’s resolution.

Resolved, to make one new recipe a month. Resolved, to get out of my boring dinner rut!

I discovered the joy of roasting vegetables last year and I haven’t turned back. It opened a whole new world to me beyond baking or steaming. Here is one my favorite recipes. It’s easy, healthy, and yummy. Do you need more convincing?!

Start with some veggies. You can roast pretty much anything, but here are my favorites:

Veggies Raw

I love sweet potatoes – but watch out and get a sharp knife or they’ll do you in! Green pepper, onion and carrots are my other go-to’s. I’m a big fan of the crinkle cut carrots. They roast well and seem to give it a dainty, fancy flair too!

Chop everything up in bite-sized pieces and place in an oven safe dish.

Veggies Prepped

These spices are your new best friends.

spices

Drizzle with a few tablespoons of olive oil (EVOO for the Rachael Ray fans) and dust with garlic salt and cayenne pepper. WARNING: I didn’t at first realize how potent cayenne pepper was and my first batch of roasted veggies literally made me cry! I had to make a second full batch without any seasoning and mix the two together to make it tolerable. My advice for a tear-free dinner would be a 2:1 ratio of salt:pepper and go lightly… you can always add more later!

Stir well and put in the oven at 425 for about an hour.

temperature

Here’s the other key: turkey sausage. I like the veggies by themselves, but think a little more protein takes this dish from a side to a main course. I love Jimmy Dean’s turkey links. And they can be displayed alluringly as well.

JImmy Dean Sausage Links

I cook the links separately and add them at the end, stirring them together with the roasted veggies.

dinner completed

You get a full plate of veggies, a very filling meal, for only 8 points. But here’s the key ingredient to me. This dish tastes delicious with Chick-fil-A sauce. I’ve been known to go to CFA just to get more sauces! I save them up and ration them out for my roasted veggie meals for months.

Chick-Fil-A Sauce

I had it for dinner tonight! Delicious yet again. If you’re stuck in a rut, try something new. It has been huge for me as I’ve gone on this weight loss/health seeking journey to actually be excited about what I’m eating! When I look forward to dinner I’m less likely to snack throughout the day and I savor everything more.

What are you having for dinner? Are you excited about it??

2 comments / Add your comment below

  1. Oh I love roasted veggies also! Green beans, onions, red peppers,squash , and potatoes are my favorite. Seasoned with Mrs. Dash and add some pine nuts. Yum! The only problem is it heats up the kitchen in the summer. I should try grilling them this year.

Leave a Reply to Sarah Vander Griend Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.