• High heat. A standard oven set at 450, or a convection at 400-provides an environment in which dry heat is applied around the pieces of vegetable, or whatever is being cooked. This causes sugars to caramelize, which results in browning and richer flavor. Also, dry heat dehydrates vegetables somewhat, which intensifies their natural flavor (think of roasted beets as opposed to boiled ones).
• Browning and deeper flavors are also due to Maillard reactions (named after the Frenchman who discovered them). They occur in foods with little or no sugars, such as meat, nuts, chocolate beans, and bread.

Winter is the perfect time to roast foods, and enjoy the rich flavors that this technique produces. The method I use is simple, but does vary slightly depending on the food product. Factors to consider are the water content of the food item, and the relative toughness of the food to be cooked. For example, mushrooms are full of water, and soft, and therefore roast quickly, whereas cauliflower is hard and requires blanching before roasting. Also consider the anatomy of the food: asparagus and cauliflower work well, but broccoli does not. Why? Asparagus and cauliflower are tight and compact and roast well, whereas broccoli is delicate and almost leafy, so it burns around the edges. Winter squash is a classic "roaster," peeled and cubed or just cut in half and seeded. When you start experimenting with roasting, I'm sure you'll quickly discover your favorites!

Hints and tips for roasting

• Convection ovens roast better than standard ovens.
• Roast foods on low sided pans, such as bun pans, which allow moisture to evaporate better than high sided ones.
• Avoid crowding food items on pans: food needs room to roast properly and "let off steam."
• Experiment with oven placement: which shelf works best in your oven?
• Keep a pizza stone on the bottom shelf of your oven. They store and radiate heat, while providing an evenly heated surface to place pans on
• Blanch vegetables (especially green beans, cauliflower, and carrots) two or three minutes in salted water, drain well, then toss lightly with good olive oil and salt and pepper before roasting. This prevents the vegetable from getting too dry before cooking through, and helps maintain bright colors

Here are a couple of recipes that are guaranteed to please you and your holiday guests.

Roasted green beans                

Serves 6 as appetizer, 4 as side dish

Serve these as an appetizer with a dipping sauce, or as a side dish. Chop up leftovers and add to salads or noodle dishes.  

• 1 pound Blue Lake green beans
• ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper and granulated garlic
• 2 teaspoons olive oil

1. Pre-heat oven to 400º.

2. Bring a large pot of water to boil and salt well (2 tablespoons salt for 3 quarts water works well; you should be able to taste some salt).

3. Place beans in water, and cook on high heat for 2 minutes. Empty water and beans into colander in the sink, and chill beans with cold running water. Drain well.

4. Place beans in large mixing bowl and sprinkle salt, pepper, granulated garlic and olive oil over, then toss to coat well.

5. Spread out on baking pan and roast in oven for 10 minutes. Remove and cool.

6. Serve with My Romesco sauce or a store bought hummus for an appetizer, or leave on sheetpan and rewarm briefly to serve as a side dish for meat, fish, or poultry entrees.

Roasted prawns with lemon, garlic, parsley, and red chile flakes

Serves 4 to 6 as an appetizer

This is one of my favorite appetizer recipes. The prawns are a bit messy to eat, but worth it. Look for "peel and eat" prawns; they are cut open and de-veined, but have the shell still on, which adds so much flavor when roasting-and eating!

• 1 pound prawns, 16-20 (per pound) size
• ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon chopped Italian parsley
• 2 teaspoons fresh minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon minced lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon dried red chile flakes
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1. Pre-heat oven to 400º.

2. Run cold water over prawns to thaw, drain well. Toss prawns with salt and pepper, and spread out onto a baking pan. Roast prawns for 4 minutes, then turn all prawns over, roast for 2 minutes more, remove from oven and cool.

3. Place prawns in mixing bowl and add all other ingredients, toss well to coat. Serve in a pretty bowl with a small bowl on the side for shells, and paper napkins or hot wet towels for your guests to clean up with.

Note: Cooking time may vary slightly. Prawns should be slightly opaque in center when done. Undercook slightly if in doubt--if overcooked they will be dry. If you think they're almost done, they're probably ready!

Check out these additional recipes by Chef John Littlewood:

• Roasted Halibut with Romesco Sauce and Olive Relish
• Pineapple-Jalapeno Coleslaw
• Lemon Buttermilk Sherbet with Orange-Scented Berries
• Roasted pork loin with fennel-pepper crust and salsa

About Chef John Littlewood

Chef John Littlewood has been working in kitchens for 30 years. Educated at the California Culinary Academy, John has worked in Michelin starred restaurants in France, luxury hotels in the Caribbean, on sailboats and in private homes, and has also taught cooking in the California Gold Country. Chef John's work has been featured in Bon Appétit and Cooking Light magazines, and he has demonstrated his recipes at wineries and special events such as the Chefs' holidays at the Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite National Park. His first book, Celebrating the Seasons at Westerbeke Ranch, was published in 2006. John lives in Santa Rosa, Ca., and is the co-owner of Wine Country Chefs, a culinary service provider for wineries in Northern California.