SUPER Easy Side Dishes

Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love to cook. I love finding new and exciting recipes that will challenge my skills and my taste buds. However... sometimes, especially during the week, I am tired and lazy. Shocking right!? My go-to side for those lazy nights (and sometimes regular nights, because of their yumminess) is roasted vegetables!

You can use any vegetables for this side. My absolute favorite is oven-roasted green beans, but you could literally use just about any vegetable. It's always great to check out your local farmers market for the freshest and tastiest items. Here's how I typically roast veggies:

1.  Set your oven to 400 degrees F.
2. While that's heating up, prep the baking sheet. Spread some aluminum foil over your cooking surface (for easy clean up), and spray with any kind of cooking spray. My favorite is coconut oil.
3. Next, spread out your veggies on the cooking sheet. Make sure most or all of your veggies are laying flat. This will ensure even cooking.
4. Spray or drizzle your veggies with cooking oil of choice. Again, for me that's coconut oil. The spray is fantastic, because you don't have to melt it before using.
5. Once your veggies have been coated in oil, sprinkle them with you favorite spices. Sometimes I get fancy, but for the most part, this just entails some garlic powder, onion powder and salt!
6. Pop the vegetables in the oven for about 10 min. After the first 10 minutes, give them a flip or a stir. Then, place them back in the oven for 5-7 minutes. Just keep an eye on them. It's really up to your taste.
7. Take them out of the oven, and serve with your favorite main dish. OR toss them with something to make it a meal.

Roasting your vegetables will bring out the most delicious flavors. In my opinion, it's the best way to cook vegetables. And it never gets old! You can mix up the spices and oils to get different flavors each time.

Last night, I roasted up some fresh carrots from the farmers market. Let me tell you something...My husband does not really like carrots, and he ate all of his portion! They were delicious. I chose garlic powder, salt, thyme and parsley for these bad boys. It was a wonderful side to the coconut crusted tilapia, that I made as a main dish.

Before roasting:

After roasting:

Look at those gorgeous carrots!!

The next time you're looking for a quick side to add to your menu, pick out your favorite veggie, and roast away! Until next time...