Get Healthy Recipe: Roasted Vegetables with/without Fish or Meat

This week I am bringing you a great recipe for dinner which will help you increase the amount of vegetables you are eating and the overall health of your meals.

As far as health benefits go, this recipe is packed full of them! It is based on vegetables, which the majority of you already know are full of vital minerals and vitamins that are essential for your overall health and well-being. This recipe is great for protecting against heart disease, some cancers, obesity, diabetes, and many other chronic diseases.

This recipe also uses a good amount of olive oil which has essential omega-3 fatty acids for heart health. Do not be concerned about the fat that is part of olive oil because this type of fat is essential for your heart health.

For the majority of us, switching to a vegetarian, vegan, or raw food diet does not sound very appealing. In order to get similar health benefits of these diets, it is essential that we focus on getting more vegetables into our diets and decrease the amount of animal sources of protein.

However, this does not mean you have to be extremely strict in avoiding animal products, but it does mean to cut down on them.

So, with this recipe, we just use a little less meat than you are used to, but it will still give you the meat flavorings and appearance that we are used to. It will help lower your chances of heart disease and lower cholesterol. Even extreme meat eaters can’t go wrong with this recipe!

With this recipe you can choose whatever vegetables you have or what is in season. Vary your cooking times by increasing the time for sturdy vegetables and decreasing the time for more tender vegetables.

Ingredients:

½ pound waxy potatoes

½ pound carrots

½ pound celery root, turnips, or rutabaga

½ pound of parsnips or beets

1 medium onion, chopped

3 Tbsp olive oil, or more as needed

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 Tbsp minced garlic

1 Tbsp fresh minced rosemary or sage (optional)

½ to 1 pound of fish fillets, chicken breasts or tenders, boneless pork chops, or lamb ribs, divided into 4 portions (optional)

Juice of 1 lemon (optional)

Directions:

1. Heat the oven to 450F. Trim and peel the vegetables as necessary and cut them into 1-inch cubes. Mix them together in a large roasting pan or baking dish, along with the olive oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper.
2. Roast the vegetables for about 20 minutes, stirring once or twice, until they’re just beginning to get tender. Add the garlic and herb if you’re using it; toss to combine.
3. If you’re adding fish, chicken, or meat, lay it directly on top of the vegetables, brushing with some of the oil from the pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and return to the oven for another 8-15 minutes, depending on what you’re cooking, basting, once or twice with the pan juices. Taste and adjust the seasoning; add the lemon juice if you like, and serve.

This sounds yummy! This recipe will fit in with any family with any preferred style of eating. Even the picky eaters will enjoy a meal with roasted vegetables and a little meat for a great topping! You can always mix up the vegetables to fit with your family’s desires!

For this great recipe and others by Mark Bittman, check out his book “Food Matters”!

YOUR TURN! You have got to let me know what you think of this recipe! Does it sound great tasting, healthy, and easy to make for even the beginner cook (like me)? Leave your comments below. Don’t forget to share the love by sharing this recipe and its health benefits with your friends and clicking the “like” button below!

To your health journey success,