A common situation, when you cook for two, is having veggies in the fridge or pantry that are nearly over the hill.  That is, too good to throw out but less than fresh.  You know—carrots that bend, potatoes with starting sprouts and sweet bell peppers that look good but are a week old.  What to do?  Round them up and roast them!

Roasted veggies are easy to prepare and make a tasty side for chicken and pork.  A little knife-work, some oil, seasonings and a sheet pan or baking sheet are all that’s needed.  The trick is to cut the veggies into bite-sized pieces of about the same size, thus assuring that all of them will be done at about the same time.  The word of caution is to be careful when cutting up potatoes and especially sweet potatoes.  They’re tough, so use your big knife and stroke it over a steel a couple times before starting.  The tips are (1) to oil the veggies right after cutting them, lest the baking potato cubes discolor from exposure, and (2) to line the sheet pan with parchment paper, if you have it.  The parchment paper serves to absorb some of the oil and ease cleaning up.

Roasted Veggies
Yield:  Two generous servings
See Abbreviations, if needed
·   1        sweet potato, peeled and cubed
·   1        baking potato, peeled and cubed
·   2        sweet bell peppers, halved, seeded and cut into 1-inch or larger rectangles
·   2-3    carrots, peeled and cut into equal sized pieces
·   1T      herbes de Provence, or Italian seasoning, or your own spice combination
·   1.5T   olive oil
·   S/P     to taste

1.  Preheat oven to 350F
2.  Peel and cut the veggies and place all into an SSB
3.  Add the olive oil and toss (Measure the oil:  1.5T never looks like enough)
4.  Add the seasoning, S/P and toss again
5.  Turn out into a sheet pan, covered with parchment paper, if you have it
6.  Roast in the oven for 30-40 minutes, until the potatoes can be pierced 
     easily with a fork