I blame my parents (for making me love veggies)

I blame my parents.  They made me eat my vegetables everyday growing up, but I really don't remember ever complaining about it.  I ate corn, green beans, brussel sprouts, mushrooms, peas, potatoes, tomatoes, squashes, broccoli, cauliflower, lettuces, spinach, asparagus, onions, bok choy, etc. and I loved them all.  Besides the ones that my dad grew in the garden, most of them were either frozen or canned, but nonetheless, I still ate them.  The only ones that I hated were lima beans that were mixed in with the frozen mixed veggie medley.  Yuck.  I still hate them. 

However, as I grew and started cooking, I grew tired of canned and frozen vegetables.  Also, my husband wasn't as big of a fan of veggies as I am and he would only eat canned green beans.  He claimed that he didn't like any other veggie (besides mashed potatoes) and wouldn't try them.  He said brussel sprouts tasted funny, mushrooms had no flavor, asparagus smelled weird, and broccoli was boring.  So, I had a mission:  make him like a variety of vegetables.  Being a beginner cook at the time, I had no idea how to make veggies in a delicious and easy way.  However, as I watched Ina on the "Barefoot Contessa" I noticed that she roasted all of her vegetables.  I figured I would try it because it looked easy and really tasty.  I roasted a safe veggie first:  potatoes.  They were, of course, a huge hit between my husband and I.  Potatoes were too easy though.  Of course he liked roasted potatoes- they taste like french fries without the grease.  I tried another safe veggie:  fresh green beans.  He also liked these.  Then, I tried broccoli and cauliflower.  Again, he liked it.  I tried zucchini.  He loved it.  I roasted butternut squash.  He went crazy for it (still one of his favorite roasted vegetables).  I started to get more daring and roasted brussel sprouts.  After convincing him to try it and giving permission to put Parmesan cheese on it, he agreed and ate more than me!  I then started roasting everything:  asparagus, onions, tomatoes, radishes, carrots, mushrooms (which are my favorites), bok choy, celery root, and any other veggie I could get my hands on.  Needless to say, I converted my husband into a vegetable lover like me and I roasted veggies at least 4-5 times a week to go with our meals.  Now when I have an off day or no veggie looks good at the store and I serve him canned green beans, he complains!  I take that as a good sign though.

Roasted Vegetables
You can roast just about any veggie out there (except lettuce)- I haven't found one that doesn't taste better after it's been roasted.  Here are a few of my favorites: 
tomatoes (de-seeded and cut in half), radishes, broccoli, cauliflower, onions, zucchini, butternut squash, mushrooms (any kind but button- they really don't have any flavor), carrots, brussel sprouts, asparagus, bok choy, celery root, potatoes, and sweet potatoes

I cut up the vegetable into bite sized pieces (not too small) and make sure that they're all about the same size for even roasting
place on sheet pan
drizzle with good olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper (season them really well)
toss around to make sure the oil and seasoning are evenly distributed
roast at 425 until tender
serve with Parmesan cheese (optional)

Roasted Vegetable Soup
(This recipe was adapted from one of Ina's recipes)
Any variety of leftover roasted veggies can be made into an incredible soup.  I've used leftover butternut squash and onion, broccoli, and potatoes, among many other variations.  I also add fresh spinach or arugula to give it extra texture. 
Just put roasted vegetables in a blender or food processor, add chicken (or veggie) stock (just enough to thin it), salt/pepper to taste, and any other spices you like- I like cumin, curry, and even hot sauce. 
Blend until pureed
If it's too thick, add more stock
Place in pot on stove and heat through (taste to make sure the seasoning is right)

So, thank you parents for making me eat my veggies.  It paid off in the end.  However, I still hate lima beans.

Note:  baking times may vary, but I've found that 425 will evenly roast any vegetable.  Usually temperatures range from 400, 425, to 450, but veggies really aren't that sensitive- just keep your eye on them so they don't burn.