Roasted Green Veggies and Grapes

I guess I should throw my St. Patrick's Day recipe into the hat. :) This recipe has nothing to do with St. Patrick's Day other than the fact that it includes green vegetables. So even if you don't wear green on St. Patrick's Day, you can still eat your greens! I was planning on sharing this recipe this week before I even realized it was St. Patrick's Day, but I guess this makes it even more appropriate.

The REAL reason for this recipe can be summed up in two words - roasted grapes! I've been seeing them everywhere and even sampled them recently at a restaurant, so I really wanted to give them a try. Grapes probably never planned on sharing a plate with broccoli, onions and asparagus, but that all changed last weekend when I tossed them in a bowl with some olive oil, salt and pepper. I threw walnuts into the mix to add a little crunch. The sweetness of the grapes paired well with the bitterness of the asparagus and you can never go wrong with crisp, roasted broccoli.

Most people when first hearing of roasted grapes make a strange face and disregard the possibility that grapes could take on a delicious sweet and smoky quality after a quick go-round in the oven. I brought this dish to a friend's house for dinner so they didn't have much choice but to give it a try and everyone loved it.

This would make a fantastic dish alongside chicken or seafood. Do you have any fun roasted grape recipes?

Roasted Green Veggies and Grapes
Serves 6
Prep Time: 15
Cook Time: 30
Total Time: 45


Ingredients

2 cups chopped broccoli florets
1 cup red seedless grapes
1/2 large red onion, cut into thick slices
1 bunch asparagus (about 1 lb), white tips removed and cut on a diagonal into 2-inch pieces
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup walnuts

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 F.
In a large bowl, toss the broccoli, grapes, onions and asparagus  with the olive oil.
Season with salt and pepper.
Transfer contents of bowl to a large pan and roast for 15 minutes.
After 15 minutes, add walnuts and stir well. Return to oven for an additional 15 minutes.
When finished cooking, grapes should be blistered and broccoli and asparagus should be just starting to brown.