Veggie Blues
Winter cooking can get a little boring. As much as I love potatoes, I do actually get tired of them. Cabbage, squashes, carrots, and fennel are great, but it is only January, and I am already longing for spring’s seasonal offerings. Something a little bit more exciting…

Sure, I could buy the stuff that comes from the Southern hemisphere where different veggies are in season but it’s not the same. I bought a tomato the other night to have as a garnish for the gyros I made for dinner. And, my husband commented that I hadn’t eaten any. After twenty-plus years you would think that he would pick up on my quirks…and refusing to eat out-of-season tomatoes is definitely one of my quirks. That being said, I find myself craving all things green, leafy, and rooty lately—which is somewhat out of character. I also want comfort. In essence, I am rather high-maintenance culinarily right now.

So, what does one do when one desires some tasty veggies that are interesting yet also comforting? Throw everything on a sheet pan, toss with your favorite herb blend and some olive oil, and see what happens…

You can get creative with the flavor profiles. It’s as easy as switching up the spice blend.

Sheet Pan Veggies
Yields 2-3 servings

Ingredients
1 lb. baby red, blue, or Yukon potatoes, sliced in half lengthwise
1-1/2 cups baby carrots
1 14-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 teaspoon Italian Herb Blend or Greek Herb Blend
1 teaspoon paprika
4 to 6 garlic cloves or more to taste, roughly chopped
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 lb. asparagus, ends trimmed and cut into thirds
1/2 large red onion, sliced lengthwise
Zest of 1/2 small lemon
salt & fresh cracked pepper, to taste
Fresh parsley, to serve, optional

Directions
Preheat the oven
Preheat the oven to 425º F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.

Add the potatoes, carrots, chickpeas, and garlic to the sheet pan, and drizzle them with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and 3/4 of the spices. Toss everything to coat. Arrange the potatoes flesh side down. This will help them make crispy edges.

Roast the first veggies
Place the sheet pan in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes.

Add the remaining veggies
Carefully remove the pan from the oven, push the potato mixture to one side, add the onion, asparagus, and the remaining oil and herb or spice mix, and toss to coat.

Place the sheet pan back in the oven and roast for 10 to 15 minutes more. When the sheet pan veggies are done, remove the sheet pan and grate a little lemon zest over the vegetables. Add salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste. Allow the veggies to cool for a few minutes before serving.

To serve
Veggies can be eaten as a main meal alongside your favorite grains (I like Israeli couscous) or as a side dish to some roasted chicken, lamb, or sausage.

Variations
There are a number of ways to change this recipe up. You can add butternut or zucchini squash or sweet potatoes to the mix as well as parsnips. and Brussels sprouts.

Spice blends are the best way to switch the flavor. Some Ras el hanout can take this dinner straight to Marrakesh. Herbs de Province will have you in the south of France, especially if you add some olives and/or eggplant to the pan. For more of a Spanish flavor, use some smoked paprika and maybe add some piquillo peppers. Fet as creative as you want!