[AnnieDrews]

Tonight I tried roasted cabbage. It tasted very good, but I'm not sure it was worth the mess.....I was out of foil to line the pan and I just about ruined my best pan/cookie sheet. The recipe called for the oven to be set at 450 degrees and some of the edges of the cabbage (and the cooking spray on the pan) scorched/burned and my house smells terrible. Not from the cabbage but from the scorching. Honestly, I think I would like it just as well steamed or boiled.

[Siki]

Hi Annie
I also today tried roasted cabbage for the first time, didnt have problems but it tasted just good, from other site I saw all the great comments I was expecting better taste.

[kaplods]

I adore roasted veggies, but there is definitely an art to the process, both in getting the best flavor from the veggies and keeping the pans clean and the house smoke-free.

I've roasted dozens of different vegetables, and while I have roasted cabbage and even lettuce, I wouldn't put either at the top of my list for roasting. They both contain too much water, and they either seem to "steam" rather than roast, or they burn.

I don't own silicone bakeware, but I hear that it resists staining and sticking. I have only glass and metal pans, so I always line with foil.

Every veggie is different (and even different batches of the same veggie), so you've got to do a lot of checking to reach that perfect stage of roasted, but not burnt/smoking. Some veggies have a very small margin of error, and the difference between undercooked and burnt can be a matter of minutes.

Using an oil with a high smoke point is important, it's why I don't generally use olive oil. Peanut oil is my favorite, but I usually use canola.

The perfect roasting veggies (in my opinion) are those that are relatively low-moisture, with a fairly high sugar/starch content. Green beans and brusselsprouts are my personal exceptions - love them. But squash, beets, carrots, potatoes, parsnips, and other root veggies are the best. They're also the easiest to roast because they have a wider margin for error in my experience. They don't burn as quickly as other veggies, and roasting really brings out the sweetness.

[AnnieDrews]

Interesting, Kaplods, I did use olive oil.....and I know that has a low smoke point, but still used it. Good suggestions there. I do love roasted potatoes and they never burn or scorch, but I cook them at a lower temp. and in a deeper pan. I tried roasted green beans the other day and they turned out great. My boys even liked them!

[lazylioness]

my favorite roasted veggies are Brussels sprouts, yams and while not technically a vegetable, chickpeas. YUM. but cabbage sounds good. what kind did you use?

[AnnieDrews]

I used just regular green cabbage. Here's the recipe: (Note what we discussed above about using olive oil.)

-Cabbage cut into wedges and cores trimmed. (I used 4 wedges or one half cabbage.)
-Brush w/ olive oil whisked w/ lemon juice (both sides) (I used 1 tbsp. oil w. 2 tbsp. lemon juice.)
-Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper (sprinkled on both sides)

Roast at 450 degrees on a pan greased w/ olive oil or spray for 15 min. Carefully turn (try to keep wedges intact) and roast for another 10-15 min.

I also HIGHLY recommend lining the pan w/ foil for easy clean up.

[lazylioness]

Sounds good! Will have to try it.

Usually I do not roast anything with EVOO. I do however use the Light Olive Oil and have never had a smoking issue. But yes lining pans is VERY important. I use parchment.

I think this will be on the menu for next week. Thanks!

[kaplods]

I sometimes use parchment too, but I like to roast at very high temperatures, and sometimes the parchment will burn and flake off into the food (as Alton Brown would say, "Not Good Eats."

I've also blended high smoke-point oils with low smoke-point oils (or even butter), but it's taking a big gamble, so I wouldn't recommend it until a person has some roasting experience under their belt.

Same goes for mixing veggies. I love to mix veggies to roast, but at least to start, it's a good idea to only mix veggies that you're confident will take about the same time to roast. Then after a while, you'll learn to compensate by cutting slow-roasting veggies into much smaller chunks than fast-roasting ones.

My favorite roasting seasoning is powdered ranch-dressing mix. I buy ranch dressing mix in bulk because I use it in so many different recipes. Whenever I find super cheap seasoning mixes or salad dressings, I buy them. At regular prices, these are a rip-off, because you can make your own versions for much, much less. But there's a store in town that like a privately-owned version of Big Lots, and they'll have seasoning packets and salad dressings for crazy low prices (a dime or less for the seasoning packets and .50 or less for bottles of salad dressing and other condiments).

I've found that even the most horrible salad dressing, usually makes a pretty good marinade/tenderizer for cheap, tough cuts of beef.

And the seasoning packets are great for roasting veggies. I just toss the veggies with oil in a ziploc bag or tupperware-style container, then add the seasoning packet (or a tblsp of ranch dressing powder) and shake again, then pour into a bag.

I make my own seasoning blends and salad dressings too, but they're always splash-and-dash.

[SCraver]

This is fascinating! I have been roasting my veggies in OO. My brussel sprouts ended up burnt on the outside and still very crunchy on the inside. I will have to try a little canola oil.

[yhahmd]

I like it boiled, then mixed in with some shredded carrot, some hamburger meat, a bit of rice (or you can skip the rice), and tomato juice.

Or fried up in a pan with EVOO, salt and pepper, onion, garlic, hamburger optional. Probably not the healthiest thing around but it tastes amazing!

[rockinrobin]

I don't use olive oil, I use canola oil. It's just as healthy as olive, but I believe it roasts better. Olive oil, to me is for salads.

I LOVE roasted veggies, love em', love em', love em'. I cover a roasting tray with aluminum foil, then I coat it with about 1 - 2 tsps of canola oil. I spread the oil very well using a pastry brush or sometimes just one of the veggies.

My favorites are string beans, brussel sprouts (made both of these last night), beets, turnips, cauliflower and broccoli.

Some spices I use - cumin, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne pepper. The list is of course endless.

Cabbage I preferred sauteed in a pan on top of the stove with onions.

[Eliana]

Dr. Oz says Canola is better for cooking and I guess it's because of the smoking point.

I've never roasted cabbage before. I'll have to try it. I love to shred it and stir fry it just until the edges start to turn brown. I think it tastes very sweet. Sometimes I'll begin the stir fry with fresh minced garlic, onions, pine nuts and celery and then I'll add the cabbage. Delicious. I love this served with salsa chicken. Just sprinkle chicken with taco seasoning, pour over a jar of salsa and simmer 20-30 minutes. Shred and serve over cabbage.

[saef]

I've made this -- I think I got the recipe from Kalyn's Kitchen, but I'm not sure -- and what blew me away was the taste of the fresh lemon juice whisked through my really good olive oil. So I'm not inclined to substitute here, as I think it's part of the flavor profile. Mine did not burn, maybe because it was so damp, but the edges did brown. I'm pretty sure I'll make this again.

[AnnieDrews]

Yep, Saef, that's where I got my recipe, too! And I agree, the lemon tastes great with it!

[saef]

AnnieDrews, I was thinking about your post last night, after replying, and I remembered something: I think, when I saw the dish was browning so fast, that I took it out & placed a piece of tinfoil over the top, and then put it back into the oven. This took some effort to remember, since I made it maybe six or seven weeks ago. I have done that for other dishes with cheese on top when it looked like I might end up with a char but the stuff still needed cooking.