MAPLE-DIJON ROASTED WINTER VEGETABLES

Can you believe that Thanksgiving is right around the corner??!! I can't! But I'll take it! Thanksgiving is truly one of my favorite holidays. Any excuse to be with family eat, sleep, lounge, then eat, sleep and lounge again is perfection to me. Today I thought I would share a quick and simple dish that would be a great little side dish on the Thanksgiving table. It also make a great vegetarian dish for any winter meal. I found this recipe for maple-dijon roasted winter vegetables in Gwyneth Paltrow's first cookbook, "My Fathers Daughter." I love roasted vegetables, but the real maple syrup in this recipe is what grabbed my attention. Lately I have been using real maple syrup in everything from oatmeal to salad dressings. It's naturally sweet, slightly smokey and just a small bit of it adds SO much flavor to food. That's exactly what it does to these vegetables. The sweet syrup paired with the spicy dijon mustard adds the perfect amount of flavor to these fresh winter vegetables. I used sweet potatoes, parsnips and carrots in this dish, but I think this sweet and spicy sauce would work on pretty much any combination of winter vegetables. So good... 

Here is what you need: 

3 tablespoons real Vermont maple syrup (the fake stuff will not work here!)
3 tablespoons course ground Dijon mustard (regular Dijon mustard works, too)
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon course salt
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into 3 inch sticks about 1/2 inch thick
1 large parsnip, peeled and cut into 3 inch sticks about 1/2 inch thick
4 medium-sized carrots or 8-10 small carrots, peeled and cut into 3 inch sticks about 1/2 inch thick

Here is what to do:

1/ Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with foil. This will make for easy cleanup!

2/ Place the vegetables on the cookie sheet. In a small bowl, whisk the maple syrup, mustard, olive oil, salt and pepper together.

3/ Pour the mixture over the vegetables and toss well. Make sure each veggie is coated with the mixture.

4/ Roast the vegetables for about 30 minutes or until browned and cooked through. Stir them occasionally to ensure even roasting.

Enjoy!

Images by me