Rosemary and Garlic Roasted Winter Root Vegetables

The tell-tale signs of Christmas are in the air: people have been driving around with reindeer horns and Rudolph noses on their cars for a solid 3 weeks now, they are out of cinnamon in every brand in the grocery store, and we have giant bags of barely used cranberries and popcorn kernels from stringing our tiny Christmas tree. In addition, an epic snowstorm is pending for the one weekend of the entire season we will be embarking on a 14-hour road trip.

So, before I end up in a giant snowball with a car full of Maritimers and Christmas presents somewhere between Ontario and Nova Scotia, a little winter vegetable roasting is in order. Feel free to toss in or substitute a beet or sweet potato; I just used what happened to be in my cupboard. There is nothing unique about this recipe- except maybe the anise which I mistook for fennel until spotting fennel in a different area of my poorly organized spice box- but I believe in complimenting natural flavours once in a while. I'll hold off on putting a spin on traditional recipes until the gluten-free vegan cheese and baguette fondue night comes around.

Rosemary and Garlic Roasted Winter Root Vegetables 

Ingredients 

1 rutabaga (aka yellow turnip), peeled and chopped
2 large carrots, peeled and chopped
1 large golden potato (peeling optional), washed well and chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic
1 - 2 tbsp fresh rosemary
1 tsp anise
1/4 tsp coarse-ground sea salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. While it's heating, prepare the vegetables.

Toss vegetables with oil and spices in a large bowl. Transfer into a baking dish, and roast for approximately 50 minutes, stirring occasionally.

When vegetables are soft, turn oven on broil for 3-5 minutes until the edges are crispy. Serves 4 - 6 as a side.