Fast Fridays: Roasting & Steaming Vegetables Ahead of Time

One thing I’ve always been a proponent of is to prepare a certain amount of food ahead of time for the week. Back when I was cooking meat at home, that meant things like roasting a whole chicken or poaching chicken breasts that could be used in things like salads, stir fries, pastas, etc. I’ve also mentioned this idea with beets.

Lately, with my more veg-centric diet, I’ve been doing the same with squash (I bought up a few buttercup squash–most likely the last of the season–at the farmer’s market two weekends ago, and I’ve simply steamed them whole and cut them up) and things like sweet potatoes.

These are some Japanese white sweet potatoes that I’ve cut up, rubbed with oil, and roasted in foil until they can be pierced easily with a knife. I can then serve them as a side plain, smash them with some herbs or greens for a variation on mashed potatoes, or even cook them with farro or brown rice and vegetable stock for a faux risotto.

I really love cooking vegetables like these ahead of time because it makes them so much more accessible in your daily routine. I’m all for convenience and I think that the easier healthy foods are to prepare, the more likely you are to eat them, so I hope this shortcut helps you enjoy some vegetables more easily.