Roasted Potato and Asparagus Bowl

Roasted vegetables over a bed of greens makes for a fresh and hearty savory breakfast option. We’re convinced there isn’t a recipe out there that wouldn’t benefit from adding roasted potatoes to it...well, almost any recipe!
Roasting potatoes brings out the flavor of the potato more than any other cooking technique. Gaining a crunchy outside skin, with a softer texture on the inside, the time it takes to roast them is worth the wait.
You can meal prep out multiple servings of this dish for the week ahead, and re-heat the vegetable mixture in the oven or microwave before placing it over greens.

Spices and Simplicity

The secret to making roasted potatoes take on even more flavor is to pick a simple blend of spices to toss the potatoes in before roasting them. This step is impertinent to do before roasting any type of vegetables because once they’re cooked, the skin hardens and they will not absorb the seasonings.
For this recipe, we used garlic powder, onion powder, and nutritional yeast. This combination will become one of your go-to seasoning blends for savory dishes, it is easy and delicious.

Using garlic and onion powder to season all vegetables combines their flavors together, no matter what mixture of vegetables you have chosen. Nutritional yeast adds a cheesy flavor, giving the dish an extra savory and satisfying result.
If you like spicy food, adding cayenne or chili powder will go great in addition to the other spices. Don’t get too spice-happy because the more spices you add, the more lost the individual flavors become. Simplicity is the secret.

Roasting Vegetables Without Oil

Roasting can be one of the most frustrating cooking techniques to use when you make the decision to stop cooking with processed oils. More often than not, pans are not well designed enough to be completely non-stick, and there are other factors that play into how the vegetables cook on the pan.
You can use parchment paper, foil, or purchase a reusable silicone baking mat. All of these methods will keep the vegetables from sticking to the pan, breaking apart, and creating a hard mess to clean up.

Cooking Logistics

Do cooking temperature and placement of pan in the oven matter? The answer is yes.
450°F is the sweet spot, specifically for roasting cut-up potatoes.
Cooking at a high temperature for a short amount of time is the best way to go to achieve crispy outside skin, while the inside remains tender. This also keeps the vegetables from having the chance to adhere to the pan if you don’t have access to a liner for your baking pan.
Place your vegetables in the center of the oven so that they cook evenly. If placed on the top or bottom of the oven, the vegetables will cook more on that side and less on the other.
If using a convection oven, use the same techniques but be aware that the cooking time will likely reduce. As a rule of thumb, always set a time for halfway through the recommended cooking time and check on your vegetables. Adjust as needed.
When done cooking, place your vegetables on a bed of greens, and breakfast is served!

Photos by: @plantbasedmiri