Fast, Fresh & Green (4 page)

Three tablespoons of olive oil is a good amount for most of the vegetables; you can bring that down to two if you like, especially with a moister vegetable. Two is plenty, for example, for quick—roasting zucchini. But you might even want to go up to four tablespoons (¼ cup/60 ml) for a vegetable that can dry out or that you want super—crisp, like potatoes or sweet potatoes. Vegetables tend to be browner on the outside and moister on the inside when tossed in plenty of oil. Whatever you do, remember the smaller or the thinner you cut the vegetable, the faster it will cook. I hope you’ll get a chance to use this foundation recipe for many nights of roasted vegetables, so you’ll be able to figure out what you like best.

Over the years, I’ve moved away from mixing fresh herbs with vegetables before roasting because the herbs have a tendency to burn. I prefer to add them afterward. Here, I’ve included a nifty way to do that—a flavored butter that you can customize, depending on what you have on hand. And you could also pilfer a sauce or a seasoning from any of the other recipes in this chapter. The truth is, roasted vegetables can be plenty tasty with no embellishment; that’s why everyone loves them.

1¼ TO 1½ LB/570 TO 680 G YOUR CHOICE OF VEGETABLE

(
1 lb/455 g trimmed; see the table on
page 27
for choices and how to cut them
)

3 TBSP EXTRA—VIRGIN OLIVE OIL

¾ TSP KOSHER SALT

1 RECIPE FLAVORED BUTTER (
optional; recipe follows
)

1
Preheat the oven
to 475°F/245°C (Gas Mark 9). Line a large (18-×-13-×-1-in/ 45.5-×-33-×-2.5-cm) heavy—duty rimmed sheet pan with a piece of parchment paper.

2
Put the vegetables
in a medium mixing bowl, add the oil and salt, and toss well.

3
Arrange them in one layer
on the sheet pan and roast, flipping once or twice if you like, until the vegetables are tender and golden brown, between 15 and 35 minutes, depending on the vegetable. Don’t worry if the parchment paper becomes quite dark.

4
Let the vegetables cool
for a minute or two on the sheet pan and then transfer them to a mixing bowl. Add 2 to 4 tsp of the flavored butter (if using), toss gently until it’s melted, and serve.

Serves 3 or 4

This recipe is like a foundation recipe for flavored butters, which are not only infinitely variable, but also incredibly versatile. (They can be made a few days ahead, too.) Here I start with a formula something like this: For every 2 Tbsp of unsalted butter, use ½ tsp zest, ½ to 1½ tsp chopped fresh herbs, and
¹
/
₈
tsp kosher salt. The next addition can be 1 tsp of honey or maple syrup. From there, if you like big flavor, you can add a little more zest, or add a dried spice in addition to the fresh herb (for example, an orange, mint, and curry butter). If you want a bit more sweetness, add another 1 tsp honey.

These are easy and fast; microwave the butter for a few seconds to soften it before mixing. You might not use all of this on your vegetables the first night; save it and use the rest another night on roasted, grilled, or two—step vegetables. Or top a grilled steak, pork chop, or chicken breast with it. Try it on grilled bread, too.

2 TBSP UNSALTED BUTTER,
softened

½ TSP GRATED CITRUS ZEST (
lemon, lime, or orange
)

CHOPPED FRESH HERBS,
such as 1½ tsp finely chopped fresh parsley, mint, cilantro, or basil; or 1 tsp finely chopped fresh thyme; or ½ tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary

¹
/
₈
TSP KOSHER SALT

1 TO 2 TSP HONEY OR MAPLE SYRUP (
optional)

½ TSP GROUND DRIED SPICE,
such as curry powder, chile powder (including chipotle), cumin, coriander, or smoked paprika

1
Combine all of the ingredients
in a small bowl and mix well with a rubber spatula.

Yields 2 to 2½ tbsp

When I cooked in a busy take—out market, I used to make roasted vegetables every day. And every day, one of the market’s owners would come through the kitchen and pick the roasted cauliflower out of the pans I had cooling on the counter. She loved it, and I do, too. It’s so sweet that it almost tastes like candy. So don’t feel timid about serving the florets hot out of the oven, unadorned. But if you want to zip them up—and make them look a little more colorful—the orange, black olive, and parsley dressing here is delicious.

Serve this dish alongside sautéed boneless pork chops with a pan sauce made from a little red wine reduction and dried fruit.

1 LB/455 G CAULIFLOWER FLORETS,
each about 1½ in/3.75 cm long with one flat side (
from 1 very small head)

3 TBSP EXTRA—VIRGIN OLIVE OIL

¾ TSP KOSHER SALT

Orange—Olive Dressing

1 TBSP EXTRA—VIRGIN OLIVE OIL

1 LARGE GARLIC CLOVE,
smashed and peeled

2 BIG PINCHES OF CRUSHED RED PEPPER

1 TSP FINELY GRATED ORANGE ZEST

1 TBSP FINELY CHOPPED PITTED KALAMATA OLIVES (
about 3 olives
)

2 TBSP FRESH ORANGE JUICE

1 TSP RED—WINE VINEGAR

¹
/
₈
TSP SUGAR

¹
/
₈
TSP KOSHER SALT

FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER

2 TBSP CHOPPED FRESH PARSLEY

1
Preheat the oven
to 475°F/245°C (Gas Mark 9). Line a large (18-×-13-×-1-in/45.5-×-33-×-2.5-cm) heavy—duty rimmed sheet pan with a piece of parchment paper. In a large mixing bowl, toss the cauliflower thoroughly with the olive oil and salt. Spread the florets out on the sheet pan in one layer, flat side down. Scrape out any salt and oil remaining in the mixing bowl over the cauliflower. Roast until the bottoms are browned and the tops and edges are starting to brown, 20 to 22 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes.

2
Meanwhile, make the Orange—Olive Dressing:
In a small saucepan, heat the olive oil and the garlic over medium—low heat. Simmer until the garlic is very fragrant, but not browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the garlic with a slotted spoon and add the red pepper flakes, orange zest, and olives. Stir well and remove the pan from the heat. Add the orange juice, vinegar, sugar, salt, a few grinds of pepper, and the parsley. Stir well.

3
Using tongs
, transfer the roasted cauliflower to a medium mixing bowl. Pour the dressing over the cauliflower, scraping all of it out of the saucepan, and mix thoroughly but gently. Transfer to a serving dish. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Serves 3

Crispy broccoli florets are just dying to be finger food, as far as I’m concerned. Offer garlic butter for dipping, and who isn’t going to eat their broccoli? I’ve included a much lighter sauce here, too, similar to a tangy Japanese ponzu, so there’s something for everyone. Even if it’s a weeknight, put the broccoli out on a platter, with the two sauces in little bowls nearby. You could even sauté or roast some shrimp, double the sauce amounts, and you’d have an entirely “dippable” dinner! These florets would also be fun with other finger food like spare ribs or chicken wings.

Broccoli florets roast pretty quickly. Once they get crispy, they can start to become overcooked and dry out, so check them at the early end of the cooking time. This is such an easy recipe that you can make it often and decide for yourself what degree of doneness you like.

1 LB/455 G BROCCOLI FLORETS,
each 2 in/5 cm long with one flat side (
from 2 bunches or 4 crowns)

3 TBSP EXTRA—VIRGIN OLIVE OIL

1 TSP KOSHER SALT

1 RECIPE GARLIC BUTTER (
page 34
)

1 RECIPE JAPANESE DIPPING SAUCE (
page 34
)

1
Preheat the oven
to 475°F/245°C (Gas Mark 9). Line a large (18-×-13-×-1-in/45.5-×-33-×-2.5-cm) heavy—duty rimmed sheet pan with a piece of parchment paper. In a large mixing bowl, toss the broccoli florets with the olive oil and salt. Spread out the broccoli, cut side down, in one layer on the sheet pan. Roast until the bottoms are browned in spots and the florets are dark and crispy around the edges, 14 to 18 minutes (the stems will still look green).

2
Transfer the florets
to a serving platter. Put the garlic butter in a heat—proof ramekin or bowl, and put the Japanese dipping sauce in another small bowl. Serve family—style.

Serves 4

This recipe yields enough for about half a recipe of the Roasted Broccoli Florets with Two Dipping Sauces. If you don’t plan to make the Japanese Dipping Sauce with the broccoli, you’ll want to double this one. To add a little zip to it, toss in a dash of Tabasco or some grated lemon or lime zest.

3 TBSP UNSALTED BUTTER

2 TSP FINELY CHOPPED FRESH GARLIC

PINCH OF KOSHER SALT

1
In a small skillet
, melt the butter over low to medium—low heat. Add the garlic and salt and cook, stirring, until it is soft and fragrant, about 1 minute (don’t let it burn). Remove the pan from the heat. If necessary, rewarm before transferring to a ramekin or other heat—proof dipping bowl to serve.

Yields ¼ cup/60 ml

My friend Jessica clued me in to an easy way to make your own ponzu, which is a tangy, citrusy, soy—based Japanese sauce. Simply combine soy sauce and lemon juice and dress that up a bit with grated ginger, honey, orange juice, and sliced scallions. If you like a very tangy sauce, you can skip the honey. Either way, this makes a good foil for the earthi—ness of roasted broccoli (or cauliflower, if you prefer). I like to put the sauce in a little glass bowl for dipping.

2 TBSP SOY SAUCE

2 TBSP FRESH LEMON JUICE

1 TBSP ORANGE JUICE

1½ TSP HONEY

1 TBSP FINELY CHOPPED SCALLIONS (
white parts and some light green)

½ TSP GRATED FRESH GINGER

1
Combine the soy sauce
, lemon juice, orange juice, and honey in a small bowl and whisk until the honey is dissolved. Add the scallions and ginger and stir well. Transfer to a dipping bowl to serve.

Yields ¼ cup/60 ml plus 1 tbsp

I love to surprise people with these because nobody thinks that beets can be quick. For that matter, a lot of people don’t even realize that they like beets until they taste these addictive “chips.” They cook in less than 20 minutes, and they’re delicious right off the pan, in a marinade, in a salad (
page 36
), or even stuffed with a bit of seasoned goat cheese to make little sandwiches. And they’re good in summer or winter, warm or at room temperature. So you could consider them an equally appropriate side dish for things as diverse as roast lamb and grilled shrimp.

Exercise a bit of caution when slicing—use a very sharp knife and, if you need to, cut a little off the bottom of the beet to steady it before slicing. You’re not aiming for paper—thin (those slices would burn in a 475°F/245°C oven), so you don’t need a mandoline. You’ll find you’ll be able to cut a neat slice that’s between
¹
/
₈
and 3/16 in/ 3.25 and 5 mm if you exert steady pressure on your knife. Try to maintain a consistent thickness when slicing so that the beets will cook at close to the same rate. You can easily double this recipe using two sheet pans.

8 TO 10 OZ/225 TO 280 G BEETS (
4 or 5 small or 3 medium), trimmed, scrubbed (but not peeled), and very thinly sliced crosswise (see tip)