“Fire-roasted vegetables” have long been a favorite of mine, from sliced potatoes to Brussels Sprouts to cauliflower. However, cooking them to restaurant-quality perfection requires some different thinking, especially if you want to do a relatively large batch.
Some things that tend to go wrong:
- On the grill, uneven cooking – a problem especially with potatoes
- In the oven, overcooking – a problem especially with broccoli
- In a pan, too greasy – even with nonstick, and the cooking is also uneven
So, how do we accomplish that real, fire-roasted flavor without the attendant problems?
We forget this key feature of our ovens: the broiler.
By laying out our vegetables on a large, flat baking sheet, we can broil them to that fire-roasted goodness at home while avoiding many of the pitfalls of other methods. Plus, done correctly, you can knock out a vegetable dish in just a few minutes.
Fire-Roasted Cruciforms (Broccoli, Cauliflower, etc.)
Ingredients
- 2 bags of frozen vegetables from your favorite store
- 2 tbsp high heat cooking oil like canola oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- Herbs and spices of your choice
- Cooking spray or oil mister
- 1 tbsp vinegar or lemon juice, depending on your preference
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl
- Baking sheet
- Spatula
- Large slotted spoon
- Whisk
Directions
- Fire up your oven’s broiler to get it warming up.
- Thaw the vegetables however you like in order to get them to room temperature.
- Drain and dry the vegetables by putting them on a towel and soaking up any surface moisture with gentle patting.
- In a large bowl, add the oil, salt, pepper, and spices. Stir well.
- Add the vegetables to the bowl and mix well to coat the vegetables.
- Spray the surface of your baking sheet with the cooking spray.
- Using the slotted spoon, scoop the vegetables onto the baking sheet, making sure to leave excess oil in the bowl.
- Spread out the vegetables to an even layer across the sheet, then put in the oven for 3 minutes.
- Add the vinegar or lemon juice to the mixing bowl with the excess oil and stir with a whisk.
- At the 3 minute mark, check the vegetables. If not done, rotate the sheet 180 degrees and roast for another 1-2 minutes. Your oven’s broiler temperature will dictate how fast this goes – if you know you have a super nuclear oven, err on checking sooner rather than later.
- Repeat checking and rotating every 1-2 minutes until they’re roasted to your preference.
- Remove the vegetables from the heat and add back to the mixing bowl with the oil and vinegar mix. Stir to combine.
- Serve.
Secrets and Tips
Whatever vegetables you choose, make sure they’re at room temperature so that they cook quickly.
With potatoes, you may want to slice and parboil them first; depending on your oven, they may burn before they cook all the way through.
With the cruciform family, especially broccoli and Brussels Sprouts, there’s a fine line between done and overdone, so check frequently.
I like the baking sheet method for one other reason: you can make large batches, and have good leftovers the next day you can add to salads and other dishes.
Enjoy!
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