Since You Asked: Can 1 recipe fit all types of vegetables?

I could use a good, quick and healthful recipe for cooking vegetables. Any suggestions?

— Bekah H., Central Point

There are scores of vegetables, and they're all very different. But a couple approaches work with almost any vegetable, from asparagus to zucchini.

The first is pan-braising: Trim the vegetables and cut into large but still bite-sized pieces. Place in a skillet with a scant 1/4 cup water, about 2 tablespoons olive oil and any seasonings you like.

Cover the skillet and bring to a boil. Cook maybe two or three minutes for a lighter-green vegetable like broccoli or greens, a little longer for something dense like winter squash or root vegetables. You want the vegetables to be just fork-tender.

Remove the lid and continue cooking a few minutes until the water has cooked away and what's left is the oil flavored with the vegetable juices. Stir-fry for a minute and serve.

The second method is roasting, which adds browned bits and a wonderful, rich sweetness. Cut the vegetables into bite-sized pieces, toss with olive oil and a little coarse or flaky sea salt, spread on a roasting pan in a single layer and roast in the oven (anywhere from 325 to 425 F, depending on how dense the vegetables are), until they get a little brown in spots. Stir a couple of times to keep them from sticking.

The time varies depending on the vegetable and the heat, as long as 30 to 40 minutes for carrots or potatoes at 325 F to as little as 10 minutes for asparagus or green beans at a higher temperature. To add more flavor, drizzle the vegetables with a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar as soon as the pan comes out of the oven.

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