Roasted Vegetables Layered High with Delicious Additions- Read On!

How to get your kids to try new things? Serve it family-style. Kids love to be part of the meal and pass things around. Adding the food to your own plate gives some autonomy as to how much they add. Mix the good with the “I don’t know about that” and at least you aren’t making two dinners- they can eat what they like most, but can taste a little of everything.

I like to hide the favorite part of the meal under the things I’d like them to try so they have to dig and inevitably will end up with some of what they may normally not take on their plates. Color is king- add some Rainbow Chard! If it has good color it is always more enticing than a plate of brown, white or some shade in between.

Here is a simple dinner we make that has a little something for everyone- Roasted Vegetables over Farro with an over-easy fried egg, and a slice of homemade bread and you are golden! Note the broken yolk and dribble on the plate rim shows we are not perfect at plating, we just make the perfect plates for every occasion! 

Roasted Vegetables & Farro Ingredients: Roasted Vegetables- Select veggies that make you happy. Carrots, beets, potatoes, sweet potatoes, turnips, radishes, winter squashes, Brussels sprouts, shallots (so many sliced shallots because they are delicious). Farro- My go to is Trader Joe’s Quick Cook Farro, it only takes ten minutes and has a lovely tooth to it. Homemade Bread- see our recent blog on an easy white bread recipe. Egg- poached or fried.

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Cut  vegetables into 1-inch cubes or wedges.
3. Spread vegetables on the pan. Whatever you do give them breathing room; do not overcrowd the pan; it will only steam them instead of crisp them- rendering them mushy! I use at least two pans to feed my family of five and usually three pans (rotating them on the shelves) so I am ensured leftovers.
4. Cook veggies for 30 minutes to 1 hour, flipping in between (cook until you are content- charred or not!)