Roasted Herbed Root Vegetables

It was a chilly, damp bike ride home today, so I was craving warm comfort food. This dish of starchy veggies fit the bill....comfort does not have to mean bad for you! Yams, parsnips and onions combined to form sweet roasty goodness packed with vitamins, and filled the kitchen with delectable smells. I ate this with a grilled pork loin chop and some lemon-roasted asparagus I had tucked in beside the other veggies. With just one bowl for mixing and one pan for roasting, clean up was a breeze. Gotta like that!

Roasted Herbed Root Vegetables

1 large yam
1 large parsnip
1 small onion
2 tsp olive oil
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/2 tsp herbs de Provence or Italian herbs
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

Clean the yam and parsnip with a vegatable brush. Do not peel, the richest concentration of vitamins is just under the skin!* Chop all the vegetables into one-inch chunks and toss into a large bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and toss well to coat. Turn out onto a large baking pan or cookie sheet,spreading out...these guys like lots of space to do their thing. Bake in a 400 oven for 30 minutes, turning with spatula after 15. Easy peasy! Makes two servings.

*Unless your parsnip is old and growing hair like mine was, in which case by all means, peel, ew.

Nutritional values: One serving (1/2 of recipe) is 318 calories, 4.6g fat, 3.9g protein, 66g carbs, 10.5g fibre, 300mg sodium.

These veggies are absolutely delicious served with my green onion, herb, and yogurt dip (just combine 1/2C yogurt with 2 tsp reduced-fat mayo, 1 finely chopped green onion,1T chopped dill or other herbs, and salt and pepper to taste. If you like a thck dip, drain the yogurt for an hour before combining).