Simply Sides: Roasted Vegetables

Robert Burns once wrote "The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry." Nowhere is that more true than in the kitchen. Last night, I fully intended to set the scene for another Leftover Corner, turning chili into chili cheese dogs. Alas, I returned from work to find that the chili I had been counting on had been someone's lunch, just hours earlier. That's the risk you take, though, when you play the leftover game.

Since I assume that just about everyone knows how to make plain hot dogs, I offer, instead, a consolation side: Roasted Vegetables.

Ingredients:
3-5 Potatoes
1 Bell Pepper
1 Large Onion
1 Bag of Baby Carrots
Olive Oil
Thyme
Basil
Rosemary
Red Pepper Flakes
Salt

Steps/Analysis
Slice your onion, pepper, and potatoes into wedges of roughly the same shape. This ensures that everything will be done at the same time.

In a large mixing bowl, combine your olive oil, herbs, and spices. You want enough oil to coat all of the veggies, but not so much to soak them. There's a fine line between sticking to the pan and sogginess; it'll take a couple tries to get it right, but the potential damage is minimal so don't be afraid. I also encourage you to play around with your herbage. This combination (heavy on the thyme) has worked well for me in the past, but there's more than one way to skin a cat.

Place your sliced vegetables and baby carrots into the bowl and toss to coat. Pour everything into a baking dish and place in a 375 degree oven. Cooking time will vary slightly depending on the thickness of your wedges, but you should check on them after about half an hour. If the potatoes are tender, you're good to go.

Notes:
This is a simple, hardy side. It's easy to replicate and vary. It's hard to screw up and goes with just about any meal.