In our household, roasting vegetables is the hands down favorite. Roasting imparts a toasty, caramelized flavor. Roasting is a super easy cooking technique, and it also increases the depth of flavor in your dish.
Depending on your child’s age, you can serve the roasted food whole, mash it with a fork, or puree it.
Check-out this post for a recommendation on the perfect ice cube trays to freeze your homemade baby food.
Roasting Tricks & Tips
- Preheat the oven between 375 – 400℉ and cook for 15-25 minutes depending on the size and type of ingredient. (Our oven has a convection mode. My go-to setting is convect roast at 400℉ for 20-minutes.)
- Make sure your sheet pan has a maximum temperature higher than 400, or it may warp.
- Cut veggies to a similar size.
- When it comes to roasting, we usually keep it simple. … a light coating of olive oil and a dusting of salt and pepper.
- If cooking different veggies at the same time, vary the size based on cook time. For example, I’ve found dense veggies like potatoes tend to require more cook time than broccoli. Make the size of the potato smaller than the broccoli.
Simple Roasted Asparagus
I recommend doubling this recipe if you plan to puree the asparagus to create baby food.
To prepare the asparagus, grasp each end of the stalk and bend, bringing the ends toward each other until the stalk breaks. This indicates the natural break between the tender and woody ends. Use this piece as a guide and cut all stalks to this length. While this approach is widely accepted, I notice it tends to take more of the tender portion than necessary. Personally, I cut about 1-2″ above the point where the base of the asparagus changes from white(ish) to green.
- 1 bunch asparagus, rinsed with woody ends removed
- 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
- Pinch of salt and pepper (optional)
Pre-heat oven to 400℉.
Lightly coat asparagus with olive oil. Add pinch of salt and pepper (optional). An easy way to do this is to combine all of the ingredients in a plastic bag and shake. You can save the plastic bag in the fridge for 1-2 weeks, and re-use it the next time you need to coat an ingredient with olive oil.
Place asparagus onto sheet pan. For best results, do not overcrowd the asparagus.
Cook until asparagus starts to lightly brown (about 15-20 minutes depending on the thickness of the stalks).
Depending on your child’s age, you can serve the roasted food whole, mash it with a fork, or puree it.
Check-out this post for more information on thinning your baby food puree.
