Personal Training

Basil Balsamic Roasted Vegetables

Posted on by Naomi
I love vegetables. I love their versatility. There are so many ways to make them taste delicious. When I read Katie’s post about her Roasted Salad, from that day on all I was craving was a salad topped with sweet and savory roasted vegetables.

You know what else I love? Fresh herbs. Yeah, yeah…I know its can be a hassle in the winter time to go out to get fresh herbs such as basil, mint, thyme, oregano but you know what? It is so worth it. I still don’t know why fresh herbs and their dried counterparts taste so different. By using real herbs in any recipe this gives the dish flavor overload with no extra calories. Of course I rely heavily on dried herbs as well, but once in a while…get the real stuff. It will make such a difference

So, back to the vegetables. I wanted them. So, I took to the Internet, googling recipes like a mad woman (am I the only one who does this when they are craving something specific?) Whenever I want to make a specific dish, I always turn to the Internet, but the problem is that 10 minutes turns into 30 minutes…you get the idea. Well luckily, only after a few minutes I found a great recipe that I knew I wanted to use as my ‘base’ By this I mean, I always like to throw in some of my own little tweeks

You guys, this recipe turned out SO good, I think even Jessica may like it. They were sweet, savory, and perfect for a cold fall or winter night when your body is craving something healthy, hearty packed with lots of flavor. 

How good does that look? the best part in all of this. The roasted cabbage. Have you ever tried roasting cabbage? Why didn’t I discover this earlier is the only disappointment I felt while eating these vegetables. 

Additionally, the health benefits of cabbage is off the charts!
  • Cabbage is an absolutely phenomenal source of Vitamin C which helps the body to burn fat
  • Cabbage is famous for a specialized, naturally occurring, nitrogenous compound known as indoles. Current research indicates that indoles can lower the risk of various forms of cancer
  • High in Vitamin E: a fat soluble anti-oxidant which plays a role in skin integrity 
  • High in Vitamin B: helps maintain integrity of nerve endings and boosts energy metabolismCabbage boosts the immune system’s ability to produce more antibodies. 
  • Cabbage provides high levels of iron and sulphur, minerals that work in part as cleansing agents for the digestive system.
Ok, so back to the vegetables; again. The recipe will be posted at the bottom of the post.
There they are…Hiiiiiii !! Red pepper, purple cabbage, zucchini, onion, fresh herbs and garlic. Does it get easier than that?
I began making the easy, fragrant marinade. Balsamic vinegar and mustard.
After the olive oil was streamed in while whisking the mixture, I crushed some fresh cloves of garlic. (that garlic press is by far one of my favorite kitchen tools!)
Ah the fresh herbs; one of my favorite parts of this recipe! Here, we have some beautiful fresh thyme. I love thyme for its lemony, woody, pungent flavor. It holds up so well when paired with meats (and also roasted vegetables!)
And one of my all time favorites? Basil. So sweet and fragrant.  The sweet, peppery flavor holds up so well when cooked with these vegetables
So after I mixed the marinade at the bottom of the bowl, I simply chopped my vegetables and threw them all in the same bowl

I tossed and turned all of the vegetables to make sure they were evenly coated and onto a sprayed cookie sheet they went, ready for roasting
Pre-cooked
Post cooked (we had a few baby carrots in the fridge, so I threw them in last minute)

I have to go eat this. Byeeeee

Balsamic Herb Roasted Vegetables. Adapted from Epicurious

Ingredients:
  • 2 T balsamic vinegar
  • 1 t Dijon mustard
  • 1/4 C olive oil
  • 3 cloves fresh garlic, chopped or pressed
  • 1 T finely chopped fresh thyme 
  • 1 T freshly chopped basil 
  • 1 large onion
  • 1 large red (or other color) pepper, cut into medium size pieces
  • 1 large zucchini, cut into small pieces
  • 1/2 large red cabbage, chopped into 1-inch pieces
  • Kosher salt and pepper to taste
Directions
  • Whisk vinegar and olive oil in a medium bowl
  • Gradually whisl olive oil. Stir in pressed garlic, and fresh thyme and basil. Season to taste with salt and pepper
  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees
  • Toss onions and the rest of the vegetables in the bowl (that you mixed the marinade in to save dishes!)
  • Toss until all of the vegetables are evenly coated with the marinade.
  • Pour the vegetables on one large (or two smaller) cookie sheets.
  • Roast until tender and slightly browned around the edges, about 30 minutes.

Go make these. Serve it with some Turkey Meatloaf and quinoa…call it a dinner fit for a Queen (or king)

If you are looking for some more delicious recipes with fresh herbs...here you go!

Another way to enjoy these vegetables is to do it while updating your NEW IPOD NANO!
I realized I left my old ipod on the T ride home from work last week. As sad as I am, I love this new lil’ guy and its PINK! I am working on making some new playlists right now!


ENJOY!!

Questions: 
What is your favorite FRESH herb and how do you use it?
Give me one of your favorite workout songs to add to one of my playlists!


Naomi
Naomi