Awesome Caramelized Roasted Vegetables

Caramelized Roasted Vegetables

Roasting vegetables is an age-old technique that releases natural sugars. By combining several vegetables and cooking them slowly until they are caramelized and sweet. You could serve these vegetables alone or with almost any roasted meat, game or poultry.  The aroma of the roasted vegetables is so wonderful as they are roasting.

Ingredients:
2 medium Chinese eggplants
2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon of Italian Dried Herbs
pinch of fresh coarse ground pepper
2 gloves garlic, minced
4 small Buttery Gold skinned potatoes
3 1/2  tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
14 Brussels Sprouts
6, small bulb onions with stems, washed

Directions:
Position a rack in the top third of the oven and preheat to 425°F. Foil a rimmed baking sheet, preferably a 17 X 13-inch half-sheet pan. Lightly spray with 100% Olive Oil spray.

Wash, peel and cut eggplant into 1 1/2" cubes. Sweat the eggplant to remove any bitter taste by sprinkling 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, over all of the pieces. Set the salted eggplant into a colander and let it rest for about 30 minutes. The eggplant should begin to sweat. You will notice little droplets of moisture being extracted by the salt from the surface of the eggplant. Rinse and remove the eggplant from the colander, and place on a paper towel. With a second paper towel, blot off all the excess moisture which has formed.

Mix well olive oil, remaining kosher salt, the Italian dried herbs, and minced garlic together in a small bowl.

Scrub and wash the potatoes and cut into 1" pieces.

Cut off the brown ends of the Brussels sprouts and pull off any yellow outer leaves, then cut in half.

Put the potatoes, eggplant, onions and Brussels sprouts, mixed salt, coarse pepper, Italian herb and garlic, olive oil mix in a large bowl. Toss until the all are well coated. Spread on the baking sheet. Don't pile your vegetables on top of one another — lay them out in one layer. Roast for 40 minutes. Serve hot.

Servings: 6 Large Servings