REPEAT Let oven-roasted veggies play a starring role at Thanksgiving

Let oven roasted veggies play a starring role at Thanksgiving Looking for an easy-to-make side dish for Thanksgiving that will be a hit? Try serving oven-roasted veggies. They make the perfect side dish for a turkey dinner or any fall supper. Oven-roasted Brussels sprouts, Parmesan cauliflower popcorn, oven roasted broccoli and colorful roasted butternut squash all pair exceptionally well with turkey. Plus, they're fast and easy to make. Although turkey gets center stage at Thanksgiving, it is the side dishes that everyone looks forward to eating — from stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes and veggie casseroles. Oven roasting caramelizes the natural sugar in veggies, making them irresistibly tasty and beautifully golden brown. Add a bit of Parmesan cheese, and you'll have people eating second helpings of these veggies – with none leftover. Roast veggies while turkey restsExpert chefs strongly recommend letting roasted turkey rest for at least 30 minutes (and up to one hour) after removing it from the oven to allow its juices to reabsorb. Otherwise, the juices from the turkey will run out onto the cutting board, leaving you with a dry turkey. While the turkey is resting is the perfect time to oven roast veggies. Make half your plate veggies November is Diabetes Awareness month. People with diabetes often lament about how hard it is to keep their blood sugar under control during the holidays. Many foods high in carbs are served at Thanksgiving — such as rolls made with refined white flour, stuffing, mashed potatoes and pies. The trick to preventing high blood sugar levels after any meal (and especially Thanksgiving dinner), is selecting just two carbohydrate-rich foods in small amounts. (Pick your two favorite foods.) Then, fill your plate with delicious, colorful nonstarchy veggies. This is the recommended way to eat from the American Diabetes Association. Low calorieFilling half your dinner plate with colorful veggies is great advice for everyone — not just people with diabetes. Besides helping to prevent inflammation triggering blood sugar spikes, it also helps prevent weight gain during the holidays. Anti-cancerBroccoli, Brussels sprouts and cauliflower are cruciferous vegetables. These vegetables contain a compound called glucoraphanin, which is converted into sulforaphane. Sulforaphane has been found to lower the risk of various types of cancer, including breast cancer. Plus, it strengthens our body's ability to detoxify pollutants and toxins for up to 72 hours after eating these vegetables. Use extra virgin olive oilBefore oven roasting veggies, toss them in extra virgin olive oil. Recent research has discovered that extra virgin olive oil reduces fasting blood sugar levels and insulin resistance in persons with diabetes. Extra virgin olive oil is rich in polyphenols. These act as antioxidants and reduce inflammation. Inflammation has been linked to numerous medical conditions—from heart disease, various cancers, diabetes and even dementia. Oven roasted veggies drizzled in extra olive oil are a delicious way to increase your olive oil intake—and reap its health benefits. So, this Thanksgiving, fall and winter, try adding oven roasted veggies drizzled with extra virgin olive oil to your menus. Roasted Brussels sprouts 1 ½ pounds Brussels sprouts (preferably small sprouts)3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil¾ teaspoons salt½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut ends off Brussels sprouts and pull off any outer leaves. Mix Brussels sprouts with olive oil, salt and pepper in a bowl. Pour them onto a sheet pan with edges. Roast for 25 to 35 minutes or until crisp on the outside and fork tender. Shake the pan from time to time to brown the sprouts evenly. Serve immediately. Personal note: This is my favorite way to serve Brussels sprouts.Makes: 6 servingsSOURCE: Ina Garten, the Food Network Oven roasted broccoli1/3 cup Panko bread crumbs1 pound broccoli, ends trimmed2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil2 small cloves garlic, minced (more or less to taste preference)Salt and pepper to taste (about ¼ teaspoon each)¼ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese (or grated sharp cheddar cheese) Toast Panko bread crumbs in a skillet for about 2 minutes or just until lightly browned. Set aside. Preheat oven to 425-degrees. Cut broccoli florets into bite-sized pieces. Cut the stalks into 1/8-inch-thick round slices. Place broccoli, olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper and toasted Panko bread crumbs into a large bowl. Toss to coat evenly. Spread broccoli mixture into a 13x9-inch metal cake pan. Roast just until broccoli is tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven. Sprinkle cheese on top and serve immediately.Makes: 4 servingsVariation: Use half broccoli and half cauliflower. Omit bread crumbs and use freshly grated Parmesan cheese.SOURCE: Based on recipe from Alton Brown at www.foodnetwork.com Cauliflower popcornSmall head of cauliflowerExtra virgin olive oilGrated Parmesan cheese Preheat oven to 425-degrees.Wash cauliflower and pat dry. Remove the core and cut cauliflower into small popcorn sized pieces.Place cauliflower into a bowl. Drizzle with olive oil. Liberally sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese. Rub cheese into cauliflower. Evenly spread cauliflower onto a rimmed baking sheet.Bake for about 20 minutes or until the top of the cauliflower gets toasty. Serve immediately. Eat like popcorn.Personal note: This cauliflower is so good, it's hard to stop eating it.Makes: Number of servings depends on size of cauliflowerSOURCE: Amy Roskelley at www.Superhealthykids.com Brussels sprouts with walnuts and cranberries¼ cup toasted walnuts2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil¾ pound (12 ounces) small Brussels sprouts2 tablespoons thinly sliced shallot½ teaspoon minced garlic3 tablespoons dried cranberries, chopped1 ½ teaspoons real maple syrup Toast walnuts by stir frying in a skillet over medium heat for 3 minutes.Set aside. Wash and trim ends off the outer leaves of Brussels sprouts. Cut an "x" on the bottom of each sprout. In a large skillet, bring about 2-inches of water to a boil. Place sprouts in a vegetable steamer. Place the steamer over boiling water. Cover and reduce heat. Steam for 4 minutes. In a large skillet, heat oil. Add shallot and garlic. Cook for 1 minute. Stir in cranberries and syrup. Add steamed Brussels sprouts to the skillet. Toss to coat. Add toasted walnuts. Stir. Season with a dash of salt and pepper. Makes: 3 to 4 servingsNote: Although this is not oven roasted, this is a delicious and beautiful way to serve Brussels sprouts.SOURCE: Jan/Feb., 2011 Vegetarian Times Magazine