I love adding savory spices to sweet veggies. Sweet potatoes, butternut squash, Brussels Sprouts? All sweet veggies that take on amazing flavors so well. With all the sweet stuff happening this month I was needing not only a mega-veggie fix, but also a different taste and flavor in my mouth. A little south of the border spices along with some heat. I can go overboard eating roasted veggies, so adding spiciness means there will be no quick eating or overdoing it. I hope you get to add some spice your plate with these vegan and gluten-free Spicy Roasted Sweet Vegetables.

I love roasting veggies no matter the season, but right now I was needing some veggies to counteract the crap that edged into my diet. A baby shower and a few other things and you start losing site of that diet you so closely supposed to follow in December. So weekend veggie roasting time was imperative. Add some of my fave south of the board spices, especially the heat of cayenne? Oh man, your mouth will be on fire. The only thing saving this from being a hot-mess? The fact that the veggies you roasted were sweet to begin with. Butternut squash and Brussels sprouts are the perfect veggies to roast with these spices, and add in beautiful long green beans? Amazing.

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Just a little help with these roasting veg – some usually take longer to roast then others. Green beans? Go to long and you get burned and crispy. Brussels sprouts and butternut squash? Can go long in the oven before getting that bad. The way to roast all these at one time without having uneven browning? Buy smaller sprouts and cut the squash into small pieces. If everything is the sameish size then they will all turn out the same. Dump the sprouts on one parchment lined baking sheet. Wash and take the ends off the green beans then dump on the sprouts. Cut the skin off the squash and take the seeds and innards out. Slice the squash into small like-size pieces and dump on a larger parchment lined baking sheet. Measure all spices into a bowl and mix with a spoon. Drizzle oil over both pans then sprinkle even amounts of spice mix over both sheets – I used all of the mix and it was very spicy and good, but you can just use a little depending on your heat level preference. Use your hands to mix everything until evenly coated (be sure to wash your hands with soap and not touch anything so you don’t get any spice anywhere). Bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes. Enjoy!

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Spicy Roasted Sweet Vegetables,

1 Bag Brussels Sprouts
1 Lb Green Beans
1 Large Butternut Squash
3 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Tbsp Smoked Paprika
1 Tbsp Garlic Powder
1 Tbsp Onion Powder
2 Tsp Cumin
1 Tsp Cayenne Pepper

1. Set oven to 375 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Dump sprouts on one sheet.
3. Wash green beans the take bad ends off each one. Dump on top of the sprouts.
4. Slice long end off the squash then slice the peel on. Cut in half then in thirds, then slice into small pieces. Peel the larger half of squash, cut in half and take out the innards. Slice into wedges then into small pieces. Dump on the other baking sheet.
5. Dump all spices in a small bowl then mix.
6. Drizzle oil evenly over both pans. Sprinkle spice mix over both pans. Mix with your hands then spread evenly over sheets.
7. Bake for 40 minutes.
8. Enjoy!