Roasted root vegetables

The easiest and best way to cook root vegetables, especially in the winter when the house is kind of chilly anyway.

Roasted Root Vegetables
1 sweet potato or yam
2 parsnips
1 thick carrot
1 tbsp honey
2 tbsp butter
1 tsp lemon juice

Combine all ingredients in a baking dish.  Roast at 350 F until vegetables are soft and slightly browned; mine took about an hour.

Israeli Couscous Salad

I finally found Israeli couscous today, in the surprising environs of my local Bulk Barn. Actually more of a pasta than a grain, I’d been wanting to try it for a while.

With cucumbers and cherry tomatoes still the freshest thing going, I didn’t hesitate to assemble this salad to go with grilled lamb chops.

Israeli Couscous Salad

2/3 cup Israeli couscous
1 cucumber
1 cup cherry tomatoes
2 tsp olive oil
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
freshly ground black pepper

1. Bring 4 cups of salted water to a boil. Add the couscous grains, stir, and let boil for 8 minutes. They should still be slightly chewy, but soft.
2. While the couscous is boiling, quarter and slice your cucumber, and quarter or roughly chop the cherry tomatoes. (It all depends on how hungry you are, and whether you’re serving it to company.)
3. Throw the cucumber and tomatoes in a bowl, top with the olive oil and vinegar, and give a good stir.
4. When it’s done, drain the couscous and add it immediately to the rest of the salad ingredients. Top with pepper and serve.

Like a pasta, Israeli couscous isn’t exactly a health food on its own. Half a recipe above costs 242 calories, or 4 Weight Watchers points. However, if it convinces you to eat more cucumber and tomato, I think that’s a good thing!

Eat More Veggies

Canada’s Food Guide suggests that the average individual needs five to ten servings of fruits and vegetables a day. Most of us fall far short of that. Fruit is less of a problem, since it usually doesn’t need cooking and often comes in handy single-serving sizes. Vegetables are where the big issues come in.

Here we’ll explore ways of getting at least five servings of vegetables a day into your diet. Learn along with us as we try new recipes and explore the various aspects of eating more veggies.

Header image courtesy of FreeFoto.com.