Easy Paleo Side Dishes and Snacks from the Oven

Sometimes, I spend hours in the kitchen - chopping, sauteing, braising - only to end up with an out-of-this world protein dish and little-to-no vegetables!  These side dishes have come to the rescue on many occasions when I just don't have the energy to make something more complex, like my Brussels Sprout Slaw or Cashew-Covered Broccoli.

Oven-Roasted Asparagus
This is something I make ALL the time (as my co-workers can attest).  It's so crazy simple that it almost feels like cheating.

Instructions:
1. Rinse one bunch of asparagus and cut off the woody ends.  You could snap them off, but you're more likely to snap off some of the good stuff as well.
2. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper.
3. Spread evenly on a baking sheet and place on the center rack for about 8 minutes (the time varies depending on your oven and how thick the spears are).  You will know they are done when they turn bright green AND give just a bit when you touch them with a fork.  Don't worry about the sizzling - that is normal and will occur throughout the entire roasting process.

I am so determined to have my veg that I will sometimes cook this recipe AT WORK on my lunch break.  I grab ten spears out of a bunch, toss them with olive oil, salt and pepper, lay them out on a super high-tech tray fashioned out of aluminum foil, and cook in the tabletop toaster oven at 350° until done.

Oven-Roasted Okra Bites
I always make this whenever I make gumbo.  It's tough to gauge how many okra spears will equal the 3 cups I need for my gumbo recipe, so I always end up with leftover spears.  Now I make sure to buy way too much just so I can make this delicious snack!

Instructions:
1. Wash approx. 1 lb. okra and chop into 1-inch slices.
2. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper.
3. Spread evenly onto a baking sheet (make sure none are overlapping) and bake at 400° for 30-40 minutes, turning once.

Seriously, these are so delicious that they rarely even make it off of the baking sheet before I've devoured them all.

Kale Chips



I've only made these a few times and they really are more fun to cook than to eat.  The chips are so light, you can hardly tell you've eaten anything at all.  Still, it's a good way to try out some spice mixes.

Instructions:
1. Grab one bunch of kale and cut the leaves off of the stems.  Rip or cut the leaves into smaller pieces.
2. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper.
3. Spread evenly on a baking sheet (make sure none overlap) and bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until crispy.

Feel free to add any spice mix laying around in your pantry before baking.

Oven-Roasted Summer Vegetables



One of my absolute favorite veggie sides.  I love to serve this alongside a French protein dish, like Coq Au Vin.

Instructions:
1. Roughly chop 1 red onion, 1 large zucchini, 1 large yellow squash, 1 medium eggplant, and 1 bunch of broccoli.  Add all veggies to a 13x9 baking dish along with 6 large cloves of peeled garlic.
2. Toss veggies with 2 tbsp. of Herbes de Provence (or Italian Seasoning) and 5 tbsp. olive oil.
3. Bake in the oven for 45 minutes at 350°.

I always get a lot of "it smells so good in here" whenever I'm reheating this in the kitchen at work.

Well, that's all of them.  All you really need is an oven, some veggies, oil, salt and pepper and your imagination.