When I realized (thanks to Dan M) that I hadn’t received a new cookbook for Christmas, I had to do something about it! Given that January is a time when we often focus on eating more healthy food, I started looking at Mediterranean diet cookbooks. I believe it’s more accurate to say, ‘way of eating’ rather than ‘diet.’
The focus is on healthy foods including proteins, fats, legumes, fruits and vegetables found in the Mediterranean region. While I have always gotten a lot of inspiration from this part of the world for my cooking, I haven’t consciously thought about whether the ingredients I’m using would qualify as part of the Mediterranean diet list. Now I’m much more aware of it. This is not to say you’ll never see another recipe made with butter. But if I can use olive oil in its place, that’s even better.
I decided on America’s Test Kitchen’s The Complete Mediterranean Cookbook: 500 Vibrant, Kitchen-Tested Recipes for Living and Eating Well Every Day. With 500 recipes, that’s a lot for even someone like me to go through. I read the overview of the Mediterranean way of eating – my biggest takeaway was far less animal protein (even chicken and lean pork) and more fish, or skip the protein altogether and eat more healthy vegetarian options. And now I’m leisurely going through the recipes.
We like roasted vegetables and I was attracted to this recipe not only for the variety of veggies, but the simple sauce that brightens them up. There are two keys to cooking these vegetables evenly – cutting them up into similarly sized pieces and placing the Brussels sprouts in the center of the pan cut side down. They cook faster than the potatoes, carrots and shallots and are more protected in the center of the pan. Red potatoes are best for roasting although yellow (like Yukon gold) could be used. And, adding just a touch of sugar to the vegetables promotes browning.
These veggies make a great side dish and also great as leftovers. As my mother-in-law would say, throw an egg over the what’s left for a simple meal. I did just that and it was perfect as eggs in moderation are part of the Mediterranean diet.
| Roasted Winter Vegetables with Caper-Lemon Sauce | Print |
- ½ pound Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
- ½ pound red potatoes, unpeeled and cut into 1-inch pieces (~ 2 medium potatoes)
- 2 carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces and halved lengthwise
- 4 shallots, peeled and quartered
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
- ½ teaspoon granulated sugar
- Fine sea salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
- 2 tablespoons capers, rinsed and coarsely chopped
- Fine sea salt and freshly ground pepper
- Preheat oven to 450°F. Cover a 17” by 11” baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, toss Brussels sprouts, potatoes, carrots and shallots with olive oil. Add garlic, thyme, rosemary and sugar, and toss well. Season with salt and pepper.
- Spread vegetables in a single layer on prepared baking sheet. Arrange Brussels sprouts in center of pan, cut side down.
- Roast until vegetables are tender and browned, about 30 to 35 minutes (rotating baking sheet about halfway through).
- While vegetables are roasting, whisk olive oil, lemon juice, parsley and capers in a serving bowl. Once roasted, add to sauce and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Add a bit more lemon juice if needed.
- Serve warm or at room temperature.
Source: Variation of a recipe from America’s Test Kitchen’s The Complete Mediterranean Cookbook: 500 Vibrant, Kitchen-Tested Recipes for Living and Eating Well Every Day (2016)
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