Veggie How-To: Roast with the Most

Roasting not only makes all vegetables delicious, but it's easy, hands-off, and functions as a great base for weekly prep if you're looking into component cooking. They've also been known to open the mind (and palate) of many a veggie-averse eater.

So, here are my 5 top tips to roasty toasty goodness: Groups, Consistency, Oil, Salt, & Room.

1. Groups! You can roast your veggies all mixed up or one type per pan. If you want different types of veggies to get to know each other, be sure to group them by similar texture and/or water content. That way you won't get disintegrated zucchini mixed with some very al dente beets. Tried and true combos include: cauliflower & broccoli, eggplant & zucchini, winter squash & turnips.

2. Consistency! Cut your vegetables into even pieces. That way they will all finish roasting at the same time and have consistent texture.

3. Oil! Once you've got your veggies all cut and ready to go, don't be afraid to use a decent amount of oil. I like olive oil the best, though I've been known to use coconut. Save the expensive oil for adding at the table - just a regular-caliber oil is good enough to help the veggies cook and crisp evenly, as well as amp up the flavor and vitamin bioavailability! Use enough so all the veggies are coated, but not so much that there is a pool of oil in the pan.

4. Salt! Unless you are on a very restricted-sodium diet, add enough salt so that each piece gets a little. A great tip for salting (or seasoning) a tray of *anything* is to hold your hand up high and disperse the salt from about a foot away from the food. This will help you broadcast the seasoning evenly.

5. Room! Veggies just need space, man. Avoid overcrowding the pan as that will cause the veggies to steam rather than roast, which means soggy and decidedly not roasty. Use 2 pans if you have to.

Here's a general list to get you started. Times can vary depending on your oven, but these have a 425-degree, non-convection oven in mind. Check a the low end of the time range and then decide how much longer to go. Remember that color = flavor, so don't be afraid to let them char a little bit!

• Roots & tubers (beets, potatoes, carrots): 30-45 minutes

• Winter squash (butternut squash, acorn squash): 20-60 minutes

• Crucifers (broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts): 15-25 minutes

• Soft vegetables (zucchini, summer squash, bell peppers): 10-20 minutes

• Thin vegetables (asparagus, green beans): 5-15 minutes

• Onions: 30-45 minutes, depending on how crispy you like them

• Tomatoes:15-20 minutes

• Garlic bulbs (that's the whole garlic, as opposed to a clove): 30-40 minutes

Now you're ready to rumble, er, I mean roast. Some ideas for your finished product:

1. Toss with pasta of your choice and top with a poached or fried egg

2. Combine with farro, quinoa, or wheat berries for a whole-grain pilaf

3. Layer with flour tortillas and cheese for a quesadilla

4. Stuff into peppers or (roasted!) winter squash

5. Add to a green salad

6. Blend into a soup

Enjoy the endless possibilities!