Simple Veggie Recipes

These are the simple recipes I use to cook veggies on the week nights. Most are quick, and those that are 30 or 35 minutes, only have an active cooking time of about 5 minutes. Many of these are featured on What’s for Dinner? 4 Weeks of (different) Home-cooked Meals.

Roasting with Maple Syrup – Carrots, Sweet Potatoes or Butternut Squash

1 lb of baby carrots, 2 lbs peeled and 1-inch cubed sweet potatoes or 2 lbs peeled and 1-inch cubed butternut squash
Double all below for sweet potatoes and butternut squash
1 tbsp butter, melted
2 tbsp maple syrup
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt

1.)  Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2.)  Add all ingredients to a gallon Ziploc bag and toss until veggies are evenly coated.
3.)  Place in a parchment paper or foil-lined casserole dish or baking sheet in a single layer.
4.)  Bake carrots for 25 – 30 minutes or sweet potatoes and butternut squash for 30 – 35 minutes. Check with a fork to ensure they are at the desired tenderness.

Roasting with Garlic, Lemon Zest and Parmesan Cheese – Brussel Sprouts, Broccoli and Cauliflower

1 ½ lbs of quartered brussel sprouts, quartered broccoli florets or quartered cauliflower florets
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp minced garlic
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
Zest of 1 lemon
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese

1.)  Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2.)  Add all ingredients to a gallon Ziploc bag and toss until veggies are evenly coated.
3.)  Place in a parchment paper or foil-lined casserole dish or baking sheet in a single layer.
4.)  Bake for 20 minutes.

Oven Potatoes 3 Ways – Onion, Dill and Rosemary

1 ½ lbs potatoes (red, russet or Yukon gold), cut into 1-inch cubes
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp dried minced onion
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
For Dill Potatoes – Add ¾ tsp dried dill
For Rosemary Potatoes – Add ¾ tsp dried rosemary

1.)  Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2.)  Add all ingredients to a gallon Ziploc bag and toss until potatoes are evenly coated.
3.)  Place in a parchment paper-lined casserole dish or baking sheet in a single layer.
4.)  Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.

Grilled Zucchini

1 ½ lbs zucchini, cut lengthwise into 3 strips (2 if zucchini is thin), then into 2-inch to 3-inch sections
2 tbsp olive oil
¼ cup soy sauce
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp dried minced onion
¼ tsp pepper

1.)  Add all ingredients to a gallon Ziploc bag and toss until zucchini until it’s evenly coated. Allow zucchini to marinate for 10 to 15 minutes.
2.)  Place each piece of zucchini on grill. Grill each side 3 to 4 minutes.

Stovetop Broccoli with Lemon

3 broccoli crowns, florets cut off
1 tbsp butter
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
½ tsp dried minced onion
Juice of half a lemon
Enough water to fill sauté pan ¼-inch
2 tbsp shredded parmesan cheese

1.)  Place all ingredients (except the parm) in a medium sauté pan and set range to medium heat. Cover and cook until the water cooks out or until broccoli is to desired doneness (for me, 8 to 10 minutes does the trick), stirring occasionally.
2.)  Remove from heat and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Place lid back on pan to allow the cheese to melt.

Roasted Asparagus

1 lbs asparagus, ends cut off
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp minced garlic
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

1.) Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2.) Place asparagus in a casserole dish, and add all ingredients. Stir until asparagus is evenly coated.
3.) Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until asparagus is to desired doneness.