Roasted Roots

You probably already know that carrots are incredibly good for you. Well, did you know that the vitamin beta-carotene was actually named after carrots because they are such an excellent source of this crucial nutrient? Beta-carotene is a potent antioxidant with numerous health benefits. Antioxidants, such as beta-carotene, reduce free radicals within the body, repair cell damage, and slow the aging process. Beta-carotene boosts the body's immune system, and protects against colds, flues, and viral infections. Especially important during this time of year! This wonderful nutrient also improves eye and skin health. The best part is that just one carrot provides almost four times the daily recommended dose of beta-carotene! Don't worry, in this case, it's not possible to have too much of a good thing.

Carrots are delicious prepared so many ways, but the most winter-appropriate cooking method is roasting. If you think about it most of the vegetables in season right now (carrots, potatoes, onion, beets, etc) are root vegetables which require slower cooking techniques and longer cooking times. This is because these vegetables were never "cooked" by the sun. Slow cooking methods, such as roasting, make these fibrous vegetables easier to digest. The long cooking time imparts heat into the food, which we receive when we eat and digest the food, and helps our body to cope with cold temperatures. And last time I checked it was still cold outside, so enjoy some roasted roots and stay warm.


Ingredients:

6 carrots

2 sweet potatoes

4 beets

1 head cauliflower

4 tbsp olive oil

generous amounts of sea salt, sage, thyme, and rosemary


Preheat oven to 400.
Chop all vegetables into about 1 inch chunks, try to keep the pieces around the same size to ensure that they cook evenly.
Toss chopped vegetables with olive oil, sea salt, and spices.
Place on baking sheet.
Cook for about 45 minutes to an hour, remove pan once or twice to toss vegetables.
Vegetables are done when they're soft and caramelized.
Enjoy!



p.s. Happy Leap Day!