Roasted Root Vegetables with Brussels sprouts and Bacon

Roasting vegetables helps to draw out the natural sugars and creates a crispy outside and a tender inside.

Some vegetables need a little cooking to break down enzymes that would otherwise prevent our digestive system from obtaining the vegetables nutrients, like Brussels sprouts among many others.

Other vegetables do just fine eating them raw, though when cooked, they are more flavorful, like carrots, and sweet potatoes among others.

Talking about potatoes, baby potatoes are great for roasting because they are not as starchy, and they can even add some color to a roasted vegetable dish.

It is better to either roast or steam the vegetables. Cooking them in water should only be done for 3 minutes or less, so as not to kill any nutrients.

Even though vegetables are roasted in a 350 to 400 degree oven for about 35 minutes depending on the vegetables being used, the micro-nutrients are never fully destroyed as the internal temperature of the vegetable reaches only about 150 to 165 degrees.

Adding dried herbs like rosemary that has a pine lemony flavor, also has a concentrated flavor and will not burn while roasting.

Where as fresh herbs would burn in a 350 to a 400 degree oven.

Be careful with oregano though, as it has a pungent earthy flavor, and can be over powering if to much is added.

Keep in mind that adding salt to meat or vegetables while being cooked can make them tough, but not so when using salt in its natural form, such as Himalayan salt or sea salt.

These two salts do not only have sodium, but also other trace minerals naturally found in salt rock mines, or ocean salt.