© Jane and Lino Stanchich 

These roasted vegetables are both delicious and beautiful. In addition, they are so easy to make! Prepare them for holidays, cool nights, or anytime you want an extra special and extra nutritious winter vegetable dish. They are brimming with disease preventive phytonutrients and beta-carotene. I always buy organic vegetables and cook most of them with the skins on for extra nutrients, fiber, and flavor. 

Parchment paper is a great alternative to foil as a cooking tool. Economical bamboo skewers work great for testing the doneness of veggies. Serves 8-10/

Preheat oven to 400º. (Later, reduce to 350º)

• 2   onions, peeled
• 3   parsnips or carrots
• 2   cups kabocha winter squash, (remove skin bumps)
• 3   yams or sweet potatoes
• 3   garlic cloves or more, to taste, thickly sliced
• 1   tablespoon olive oil 
• 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 teaspoons tamari
• Herbs (1 tablespoon) crushed rosemary sprigs, thyme or Italian Seasonings mix
• Parchment paper 

Scrub vegetables well with a natural vegetable scrubber. Cut vegetables into large (approximately 1 - inch) chunks similar in size and shape. Place vegetables onto a large baking sheet with a side lip or a 9 X 12 inch glass baking pan, lined with parchment paper for easy clean up. Mix vegetables with sliced garlic, olive oil, sea salt, tamari, and herbs. Spread out the herbed vegetables on the pan. Cover with another sheet of parchment paper and place pan into preheated oven. Reduce heat to 350 degrees. #1: Bake 20 minutes. Open oven, pull out pan, remove parchment paper, and stir with a metal spatula. #2: Continue cooking without parchment paper for 20 minutes or until fork or skewer tender. Serve warm. Great as leftovers too or on salads!