Fitness Food and You

Here is the EASIEST way to cook vegetables—roast them!

Roasted Beets

ingredients

2-3 bunches of fresh beets

water or broth

salt and pepper

olive oil (optional)

directions

Pre-heat the oven to 400⁰ F. Cut the leafy tops and the long skinny tails off of the beets. Wash the beets to remove the excess dirt. Place them in a baking dish. Add about 1 inch of water or broth. Cover tightly with foil. Bake for about an hour or until the beets are tender.

When the beets are slightly cooled, you can easily peel off the skins. Cut them into chunks, season with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil.

Roasted Cauliflower 

ingredients

1 cauliflower head, cut into florets

olive oil

salt and pepper

grated Parmesan cheese

directions

Pre-heat the oven to 400⁰ F. Place the florets into a baking dish and drizzle with olive oil. (You can also spray it with olive oil using a “Misto” bottle.) Season with salt and pepper.

Roast for about 40-45 minutes until the cauliflower is tender. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan and bake for another minute or two.

Roasted Sweet Mini Peppers

ingredients

1 bag of sweet, mini peppers

salt and pepper

olive oil

directions

Pre-heat the oven to 425⁰ F. Place the mini peppers in a baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for about 30-35 minutes stirring 1-2 times.

Bean and Barley Vegetable Soup

ingredients

1 onion, diced

2 celery stalks, diced

2 large carrots, diced

1 zucchini, diced

1 T vegetable oil

8 cups chicken or vegetable broth

1 cup pearled barley, uncooked

1 cup pinto or white beans, pre-soaked if dry (see note below*)

1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes

1/4 t salt

1/2 t pepper

1/4 t celery salt

1/2 t dried basil

1/2 t oregano

1/2 t thyme

2 large bay leaves

directions

In a large soup pot, sauté the onions, celery, carrots, and zucchini for 4-5 minutes until soft. Add the broth, all of the other ingredients and bring to a boil. Then reduce heat to medium low.

Simmer for at least an hour, stirring occasionally, until the barley is soft and somewhat fluffy. Add more spices to taste, discard bay leaves and enjoy!

*NOTE: You can soak the beans for 6 hours or overnight. A quicker method is to put the beans in cold water and bring them gently to a boil. Remove the saucepan from the heat and allow them to remain in the water for 1 to 2 hours only.

(Adapted from a recipe found on http://www.vegetarian.about.com)