red or green?: spicy roasted radishes & asparagus with balsamic vinegar

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

spicy roasted radishes & asparagus with balsamic vinegar

recipes for roasted radishes seem to be popping up everywhere. it seems like every food magazine, blog and tv chef is sharing this dish so i decided to give it a try.

i love roasting vegetables...the caramelized sweetness just knocks me out. i saw local new spring asparagus and radishes at the market last week and imagined the two vegetables roasted, drizzled with balsamic and sprinkled with a bit of red pepper flakes. the result? delicious. the roasting mellows out the bite of the radishes...making the partnership with the sweet asparagus and balsamic vinegar a hit. the tiny bit of heat from the red pepper flakes pulls it all together. serve as a first "salad" course, or as a side dish with your favorite roasted meat or poultry recipe. a lovely spring supper.

spicy roasted radishes and asparagus with balsamic
(serves 4 as a side dish)
2 bunches radishes, quartered
1 bunch asparagus, trimmed and peeled (not necessary for new, pencil thin ones)
extra virgin olive oil
pinch coarse sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
pinch red pepper flakes
good quality aged balsamic vinegar

preheat oven to 400 degrees. line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. place asparagus in a single layer on prepared sheet. drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. roast for 10 minutes. remove from oven and add radishes to pan. drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with seas salt and pepper. lightly drizzle balsamic vinegar and sprinkle red pepper flakes over vegetables. return to oven and roast an additional 10-15 minutes or until asparagus are starting to brown and caramelize and radishes are softened when pierced with a knife. remove from oven and serve.

it is "something roasted" week at food network's "sensational sides mixed with spring produce" . check out the other delicious sounding recipes from my blogger friends: