Hearty Roasted Veggies

2 cups fresh Brussels Sprouts, root ends trimmed
1 medium Red Bell Pepper, coarsely chopped
1 small Jalapeno Pepper, chopped
1 large Leek or roasting onion (bulb plus 4"-5" of the green stalk), coarsely chopped
3 medium Carrots, coarsely chopped
3 large Celery stalks, coarsely chopped
10 cloves Garlic, quartered
2 medium vine-ripe Tomatoes, cut into eighths
2-3 tsp. Fresh Oregano (or 1 tsp. dried)
2-3 tsp. Fresh Thyme (or 1 tsp. dried)
1/4 cup toasted Pepitas (shelled Pumpkin Seeds)
2 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Sea Salt and fresh ground Black Pepper, to taste
(You can use any veggies you like--this recipe is very versatile--but it's good to use veggies with varying textures, and it will be tastier and sweeter if you use onions and garlic.

Preheat oven to 325 F. Spread 1 Tbsp. of the olive oil on the bottom of a glass casserole dish or other roasting pan. Wash, trim and/or chop all veggies into 1/2" to 1" pieces and distribute them evenly in the dish or pan. Sprinkle toasted pepitas over the veggies (I buy Pepitas raw, in bulk, at a local health natural foods store and toast them in a dry, heavy skillet--no cooking oil is needed for toasting). Add fresh herbs, salt and pepper. Drizzle the remaining 1 Tbsp. olive oil over the top of the veggies and seeds and stir to distribute ingredients. Roast the veggies uncovered for 40 to 50 minutes according to desired doneness. I usually turn off the oven after about 45 minutes, but I keep them in the oven for about 10-15 minutes—this allows the carrots and brussels spouts to get a little more tender without over-cooking the other veggies.

Number of Servings: 6

Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user HEIDICASS.