Oven-roasted veggies pull double duty

If we’re going to crank up the oven, we might as well make it worthwhile. The very high heat that turns the vegetables slightly brown is actually caramelizing them, and the result is an intense, sweet flavor that enhances almost anything.

Of course, today’s recipe for Roasted Vegetable Medley makes a terrific side dish, and that’s generally how we serve them on the first go-around. The leftover veggies can be a flavor booster for soups, stews, plain marinara sauce or rice pilaf. You don’t need an exact recipe. Just throw them in to taste.

This recipe is very flexible. You can customize for variety: Substitute asparagus, yellow squash or zucchini, and broccoli florets, and use a different seasoning instead of the Italian blend.

Roasted Vegetable Medley

Start to finish: 5 minutes preparation, plus 40 to 45 minutes roasting time.

Cooking-oil spray

12 ounces to 1 pound small, peeled baby carrots

1 bag (12 ounces) ready-to-eat fresh green beans

1 extra-large sweet onion (for about 2 cups slices)

1 yellow or red bell pepper (for about 2 cups slices)

2 tablespoons bottled minced garlic

1/4 cup olive oil

1 1/2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning

1/4 teaspoon salt or more to taste

Black pepper to taste

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Preheat the oven to 475 F.

Spray a 13-by-10 1/2 -inch (or larger) roasting pan with cooking-oil spray. Place the carrots and green beans in the pan.

Peel the onions, and cut them half. Cut the halves into crescent-shaped slices about 1/4 -inch wide, and add them to the pan. Rinse and seed the bell pepper, and cut it in half. Cut each half into strips about 1/4 -inch wide, and add them to the pan.

Sprinkle the garlic and drizzle the olive oil over the vegetables, and sprinkle on the Italian seasoning and salt. Season the vegetables with a light sprinkle of black pepper. Stir and toss until most of the vegetables are coated with oil.

Bake the vegetables, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and stir. Return the pan to the oven and continue to bake, stirring after every 15 minutes, until the carrots and onions begin to brown and are very tender when pierced with a knife tip, about 25 to 30 minutes more, for a total roasting time of 40 to 45 minutes.

Remove the pan from the oven, and drizzle the vinegar over the vegetables. Stir and toss until the vinegar is well distributed.

To serve, use a slotted spoon to remove half of the vegetables from the pan to a serving dish, leaving any juices in the pan with the remaining vegetables. Serve the hot vegetables at once, and allow the remaining vegetables and juices to cool in the pan during dinner.

Refrigerate the remaining vegetables and their juices in an airtight container for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 1 month. (Thaw the frozen vegetables overnight in the refrigerator or defrost in the microwave according to the manufacturer’s instructions. When defrosted, heat the vegetables in the microwave before serving or using in a recipe.)

Makes about 7 cups

Approximate values per 1/2 -cup serving: 66 calories (52 percent from fat), 4 g fat (1 g saturated), 0 mg cholesterol, 1 g protein, 7 g carbohydrates, 2 g dietary fiber, 62 mg sodium