Ramp up your roast veg this winter

4 tips to roast veg correctly:

• Using the right amount of oil. It’s best to give your veg a good coating of oil, but it shouldn’t be swimming in it. Once chopped, place your veg into a bowl and add the oil slowly. Use your hands to toss the veg through the oil so that it gets an even coating.
• Cut your veg into similar sizes. This helps the veg to cook through more evenly. Smaller sizes will cook faster and could burn, while larger sized veggies won’t cook all the way through.
• Always toss the veggies halfway through roasting, so that each side is browned.
• Don’t overcrowd the tray. Too close together, and the veg will end up steaming. Leaving space between veggies allows them to brown evenly and crisp up.

3 ways to amp up those winter veggie roasts:

Add meaty flavour by roasting your veggies in bacon fat

Preheat the oven to 200°C and arrange 1 pack of 200 g rindless streaky bacon in a single layer on a baking tray and roast for 10 - 15 minutes or until crisp. Meanwhile peel and chop your veggies. Remove the bacon with tongs and set aside. Add veggies to the same baking tray and toss through the fat and roast for 30 - 40 minutes or until tender and starting to catch. Try the full roast winter veg with bacon and wilted chard recipe here.

Stuff your winter veg

Roast a butternut, cut into quarters and a whole pumpkin, cut into wedges. Stuff butternut or pumpkin (or both) with risotto, Parmesan, crumbled pancetta and garnish with fresh sage. Try the risotto-stuffed squash with Parmesan and pancetta recipe here.

Roast garlic along with your veg

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Place 4 medium quartered beetroot, 8 garlic cloves, 3 bay leaves, ¼ cup balsamic vinegar into an ovenproof baking tray and season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 15 - 20 minutes or until soft and caramelised. Try the roast garlic and beetroot salad recipe here.

Discover more winter vegetable recipes here.