Cast Iron Skillet Roasted Radishes

Maybe I am a little behind the times, but this is my new favorite recipe. Low carb, delicious and hardly any calories at all! What's not to like? And did I mention simple? These were fast and so easy to prepare... yet impressive because it's a little unusual and unexpected. Those kinds of dishes rock my world! I'm a single mom with 3 kids, so anything that is quick to the table, tasty, good for you and gets requests for second helpings is a winner in my book.

The picture above is how they started out. Gorgeous in their own right. Beautiful red globes of peppery, crunchy love. Or at least that's how I think of them in their raw and natural state. Once you roast them they turn into something completely different. A wee bit like a roasted new potato... but not as starchy. That peppery bite that you get with a raw radish mellows considerably when roasted and they become tender and succulent... and absolutely addicting!

Since I first made these I've found that there are so many different ways to use radishes as a replacement for potato. I've cubed them and added them to soups, I've shredded them and made something akin to hash browns. Certainly, they are not the same as potatoes but if you are trying to watch your carb intake and you LOVE potatoes the way I do, this is a nice alternative now and then. I've have not tried to mash radishes the way I have done with cauliflower, somehow I have a feeling it wouldn't work out as well... but who knows! Perhaps I'll have to try it out one of these days. I have a feeling I will be using these in many favorite recipes that call for potato in the future. I will definitely be adding these cast iron roasted radishes to my rotation of family favorites, all THREE of my children enjoyed them and that's pretty well unheard of!

Why didn't I know about this little gem before? Sometimes I think I get stuck in the box of what I am used to. I grew up eating radishes sliced thinly in salads or as a part of a crudité tray, always raw. Sure I've seen roasted vegetable medleys around the internet that included radish but they seemed more focused on other root vegetables and like the radish was just a supporting character and not the star of the recipe. It just never occurred to me to eat them any other way. Boy am I glad I climbed out of that box and tried them this way! (Can you tell I get a little excited over these things?) How do you like to prepare radish? Are there other ways to serve these lovely little vegetables that I should know about?

Cast Iron Skillet Roasted Radishes
Ingredients:

• 2 pounds fresh red radishes
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
• sprinkle of sea salt

Method:
1: Preheat oven to 425F.
2: Wash radishes well and trim ends and blemishes. Cut larger radishes half.
3: Toss radishes with olive oil, thyme and pepper in a cast iron skillet (a foil covered baking sheet would work too.)
4: Roast for 20-30 minutes until tender and slightly browned.
5: Sprinkle with a touch of sea salt just before serving.
6: Enjoy!