Perfect Roasted Veggies in 20 Minutes

I love the flavor of roasted veggies, but hate the time it takes to do it in the oven. My Mimi taught me a little secret to achieve the flavor and texture of roasting, but in half the time. Her secret weapon? The microwave. These veggies come out perfect every time and are a super low cal side dish, or depending on what veggies you use, can even be hearty enough to make a meal on their own.

Choose your favorite in-season veggies. Here I used butternut squash, turnips, cauliflower, brussel sprouts and carrots. To make a heartier mix, you could add in some sweet potatoes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Peel and chop veggies into bite-sized portions. Drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil over them (2-3 teaspoons), salt and pepper them, toss to coat and pop in the microwave for 15 minutes (in 5 minute increments.) Notice that I have a full baking dish, so mine took the full 15 mins, but if you are working with less, yours may take less time. When the veggies are tender (your fork should be able to pierce, but not go completely through), transfer your baking dish to the preheated oven. Cook at 400 degrees for 5 minutes. Perfection every time!