Roasted veggies this weekend came out the best ever. I roast veggies a lot, usually cut into wedges and tossed with a spice mix and oil, and they come out fine but not always as crispy as I’d like.
This weekend instead of a sheet pan, I put my large cast iron skillet in the oven while it preheated. I tossed a pound of combined carrots, potato and parsnip in the oil then dumped them into the skillet. They were a little more crowded than on the sheet pan so I was worried, but after 30 minutes at 400 (turning once) they came our perfect. This is definitely going into the winter rotation.
What kind of oil do you use?
Olive oil. Next time I’ll put a bit into the skillet while it heats, too. The veggies stuck a bit because I’ve been abusing my skillet lately.
And I have been using Concord Foods original roasted potato seasoning mix since college. It’s the only pre-mixed spice blend I really buy, but I haven’t been able to recreate it at home yet, and it’s just so good. And the packaging is minimal.
1T oil + 1T spice mix perfectly seasons 1 lb of veggies.
You gonna make some?
Maybe! I lack the cast iron, but the Concord website says the spice mix is available at my local supermarket so I’m curious to try it if I can find it there, since you recommend it.
I can see why you haven’t been able to recreate it at home yet, since they just list “spices” as an ingredient. That’s always so frustrating.
INGREDIENTS: Salt, dehydrated garlic, spices, paprika, soybean oil, maltodextrin (tapioca, corn), dextrose, autolyzed yeast extract, parsley, natural flavor.
I always forget how much I like parsnips! We rarely had them when I was growing up—IIRC someone in my family, maybe my dad, didn’t care for them at all, so they rarely appeared on the table. As a grownup I just don’t think to buy them.
Last night I cooked cubed butternut squash in the microwave, with plenty of olive oil, garlic, rosemary, salt, and black pepper. No crispiness at all, but oh my goodness, I was swooning at how good it tasted, along with brown rice and steamed baby bok choi. (I may have used a “generous” amount of olive oil—there was just a small amount left in the bottle and I figured I would need to finish that and open the next bottle too, so I just upended the bottle, and there proved to be more than I thought there was.)
edited to stay on topic
For the spice mix, possibly the best thing about it is the reminder of the oil to veggie ratio. I’m always tempted to use more, but the ratio listed above is just right. Fight the urge!
Your butternut meal sounds delicious! Butternut is one of those foods (like sweet potatoes) that leaves me in awe that they just grow out of the ground tasting like that. What a world.
I know, I know…
They are so cute.
Unfortunately Quail are succulent and surprisingly filling too.
These little girls just rubbed with Olive oil and powered with good old Bay seasoning.
Cheers!
They look delicious, but I must confess I’m getting a disturbing can-can vibe from the photo.
Yes! I am married to a Ballerina an I suspect she may of arranged them?
Yes!
Oh, that reminds me that I have a Scottish ptarmigan in the freezer. Not sure how I’m going to prepare it yet.
Marinade in Irn-Bru and then deep-fry it?
/bad joke
I mean…that could actually work? Not a fan of Irn Bru but as a marinade? Who knows? I guess Buckfast would be another way to go.
Ha! Or stuff a boiled egg in it, wrap it in sausage and fry it. The turducken of scotch eggs.
This recipe made so much that I froze some, and this week I gave it a new life.
After thawing, I put the curry on top of some cooked rice in individual bowls like you get French onion soup in.
I topped with a bit of chopped fresh tomato, a cracked egg in a divot, and just a bit of crumbled feta and shredded mozzarella. It was kind of like shakshouka, in principle. I baked covered for a bit, then removed the bowl lids and broiled to brown the cheese. Very hearty and yummy!
P.S. I miss @Wally. I don’t know what he did elsewhere, but I always liked his company on this thread. 
Good, sturdy, reliable toaster oven brand, please?
I’m leery because I just bought a regular bread toaster and wow, what a piece of flimsy, poor-performing junk. Cuisinart, made in China I think.
Just to be clear, I’m not looking to replace the latter. My old toaster oven burnt out, so now that needs replacing too. I need a small toaster oven, 16 inches wide at the max.
Breville is expensive but reliable.
I have been very fortunate with the Breville brand.
