A Conscious Feast by Nicole Aloni

MEAT ROASTING TIPS

•  Look for at least 1/4″ of fat on all meats to be roasted.
• Always bring the meat to room temperature before putting it into the oven.
• The perfect roasting pan is made of heavy metal with sides that are shallower than the height of the roast.
• To keep all the tasty juices in the meat and not on the cutting board, let it rest out of the oven before carving.

• Beef, pork or lamb roast  (3–4 lbs.) or whole chicken—let rest for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Large beef, pork or lamb roast (7-8 lbs.) or whole turkey—let rest 15 to 25 minutes.

• The internal temperature of a roast will rise between 5 to 10 degrees while resting out of the oven before being carved.

Aren’t you supposed to deglaze the pan when you’ve roasted meat? What does that really mean?

• A sticky residue is often left in the bottom of the roasting pan, which is the backbone for delicious pan sauces.  To make a quick sauce to accompany roasted meat or poultry, add a warm liquid, like stock, water or wine, to the pan and simmer to thicken. Fresh herbs and butter can be added as flavoring.  Pan sauces provide an easy finishing touch to your roasted meat.

HOW TO ROAST VEGETABLES

 The basic technique:

• Preheat oven to 450°F.

• Place all vegetables in one layer on a heavy sheet pan lined with foil.

• Coat the surface of the vegetable generously with vegetable oil or olive oil—unless “no oil” is indicated— and sprinkle with kosher salt.

• Leave all vegetables whole, unless otherwise indicated.

• Turn all vegetables at least once during their indicated cooking time.

• All timing is approximate, look for a tender vegetable. In the case of the eggplant or peppers, the skin will actually be blistered and blackened.

Vegetables listed below are grouped by required cooking time.

 40–50 minutes

• Butternut squash (cut into 4 wedges, scrape out strings and seeds):

50 minutes.

Whole large eggplant (pricked all over with a fork, no oil): 50 minutes. Scoop out the smoky-flavored flesh to use in sauces, salads, soups or spreads.

• Sweet potato (peeled, sliced 1/4″ thick): 50 minutes. Drizzle with a blend of maple syrup and orange juice or melted unsalted butter, ginger and thyme for last 10 minutes of cooking time.

• Small new potato (whole): 40–50 minutes. Toss with fresh minced rosemary and crumbled blue cheese while warm.

• Idaho potato (cut lengthwise into 10 wedges each): 40–50 minutes. Add cumin or rosemary to coating oil or sprinkle with malt vinegar and powdered garlic for last 5 minutes of roasting.

• Whole bell peppers (no oil): 45 minutes. Peel, remove stems and seeds. Slice and serve with a drizzle of olive oil and chopped parsley or refrigerate to use in recipes.

20–30 minutes

• Red onion (sliced 1/4″ thick and separated into rings): 25 minutes.

• Carrots (peeled and sliced 1/2″ thick): 25 minutes. Drizzle with

honey, butter and thyme.

• Garlic (whole head): 40 minutes. Cut 3/4″ off the top off each head. Add rosemary, thyme or basil to the oil and coat liberally.

• Zucchini (sliced lengthwise 1/4″ thick): 30 minutes.

• Japanese eggplant (halved lengthwise, cook cut side down): 25 minutes.

10–20 minutes

• Asparagus: 10–12 minutes.

• Cherry tomatoes (whole): 20 minutes.

• Large mushrooms (wiped clean, stems removed, cooked stem-side down): 12 minutes. Add soy sauce or puréed garlic mixed into roasting oil. Sprinkle with minced thyme and lemon juice after roasting.

• Leek (quartered and sliced 1/4″ thick, well washed and dried): 10 to 15 minutes.

How do you serve them or what do you serve them with?

Usage:

On a bed of quinoa and spinach for a complete dinner

Also cold in salad with blue cheese (roasted peppers, artichokes

Makes a great sandwich on toasted sourdough or whole wheat with  Brie or Gruyere