Healthy Living: Grilling is out, roasting is in

During the long warm summer days, I love the easy no-dish cooking method of throwing everything out on the grill for dinner. But now that the days are getting shorter and it’s not so warm out, I’ve turned to my oven instead.
I am a bit of a late bloomer in the realm of cooking, but I was more than a little excited when I began learning about roasting. I’ve found this cooking method to be healthy, diverse (it can be used for meat, fish, vegetables, and even fruit), and as easy as grilling. Still not sold? Roasting also warms your house with eminent heat from the oven fills the house with seductive aromas, yields minimal dishes to clean after your meal, and is great for parties because you can socialize while the oven does the work.
Roasting is generally done in a preheated 400-degree oven, but temperatures may vary from 325 to 500 depending on what you’re cooking. Unless you are slow-roasting a large cut of meat, many meals can be prepared in less than one hour – and once the food is in the oven, you are free to do other things. Just don’t forget to set the timer!
While there are infinite ways to flavor your foods with herbs and spices, most things can be prepared by simply coating evenly with olive oil, sprinkling with salt and pepper and throwing them into a roasting pan, cookie sheet, or Pyrex dish (use a rack for meat).
My favorite thing to roast is vegetables. All of the following are in season and can be found at your local farmer’s market: Brussels sprouts, broccolini, romanesco (beautiful!), cauliflower, broccoli, winter squash (I particularly like kabocha and butternut squash), sweet potato, fingerling potatoes, parsnips, turnips, leeks, eggplant, beets, fennel, mushrooms and onion.
Because roasting achieves a rich, caramelized flavor, children often find they actually like vegetables that they’d turned down in the past. I have found myself pleasantly stunned while watching my kids happily chow down roasted Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, asparagus, and kabocha.
My good friend, Brian Keane, a graduate of the California Culinary Academy and private chef with more than 13 years experience, roasts food for his clients on a daily basis. Whether, roasting meat, fish, root vegetables, spicy peppers, or garlic, he favors this cooking method because it ensures that “you are able to retain the nutrients, vitamins, and flavors of many different foods.” He notes that whereas “grilling can char the fat on meat, changing the chemical composition and turning it carcinogenic, roasting cooks meat slower preserving the integrity of the fats and making the meat more tender.”
He always roasts meat fatty side up so the fats seep into the meat as it cooks, keeping it moist and flavorful. He strongly advises using a meat thermometer (you can get a good one for $6) to check for desired doneness and allowing the meat to rest out of the oven for 10 to 15 minutes before cutting/serving to enhance flavor and moisture. As for vegetables, Brian confirms that roasting wins over steaming, sautéing, or boiling in the way of retaining nutrients.
“For a cooking technique that yields so many satisfying and complex flavors, roasting is a surprisingly simple way to prepare food, making it ideal for both entertaining and family dinners,” states Kathy Gunst, author of the cookbook “Roasting.”
Treat yourself to a copy of this or any number of other cookbooks for more tips and recipes to keep you and your family nourished through the winter months.
Julia Blanton is a nutrition, fitness and wellness coach. An avid runner, she keeps a health blog at www.juliablanton.com.