Roasted Vegetables

It's more exciting than it sounds.  I like to make this as a side dish when I go to parties that aren't vegan so I have something awesome and hot I can have at a party.  I also like to make this when I have a lot of vegetables like the broccoli and mushrooms that I need to use up before they turn.  When they are cold, they are a great addition to your Build a Salad Meal (see recipe under Salads).

Here it is, ready to cook.
Ingredients:
​(try to use organic ingredients where possible)
1 Tbs. coconut butter (spread with a spatula on the bottom of dish.)
1 large onion, sliced lengthwise
1 red or yellow pepper, sliced lengthwise and then halved
1 cup broccoli florets and/or broccoli stems (don't throw away the stems, they are delicious and somewhat milder than the florets.  Just cut off the outside of the stem and then slice.)
​1 Portobello mushroom, sliced and then cut in half. (I like them for their chewy, meaty texture.)
​10 turns of sea salt or Himalayan salt.
10 turns of pepper
​a generous sprinkling of Mrs. Dash Original Blend - I like Mrs. Dash as it is a good salt substitute.  The table blend is good on popcorn.  You can buy Mrs. Dash products from any supermarket in the spice aisle.
​Method:

1. ​Just slice the washed vegetables and layer them in the dish starting with the onion, then peppers, then broccoli, mushroom and seasoning.  Cover and bake for approximately 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

​Nutritional Information:

• ​Mrs. Dash products are good for anyone with high blood pressure, water retention and those who want to avoid salt.
• Onions improve blood circulation, disperse cold, damp and mucus from the system and help detoxify.  Their bioflavonoid quercetin, a potent anticancer agent, is not destroyed by cooking. Onions have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibiotic, and antiviral properties and help remove parasites and heavy metals from the system.  They help treat the common cold, constipation, heart disease, and diabetes.  Choose red or white onions over the sweeter yellow onion if you are watching your sugar intake.
• Bell peppers act upon the stomach and kidneys and support blood circulation.  They are a nutrient-dense vegetable and contain zeaxanthin, which helps prevent cataracts.  They are an excellent source of Vitamin C, betacarotene, vitamin K, thiamine, folic acid, and vitamin B6.
  
• Warnings about bell peppers - Commercial bell peppers are treated with pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, and fumigants and these chemicals can't be washed off.  That's why they are on the dirty dozen of vegetables you need to buy from an organic source.  Organic is very expensive so try for a local organic source in season or look for a frozen organic bell pepper if money is tight.  Also, they are part of the nightshade family of vegetables so avoid them if you have an arthritic-type condition.
  
• Broccoli supports the liver, spleen, stomach and bladder.  It helps with eye inflammation. Broccoli has anticancer, anti-fungal, antiviral, and antibacterial properties. Broccoli contains twice the vitamin C as an orange and is a superior source of vitamin A and K. It has almost as much calcium as whole milk-and its calcium is better absorbed.
  
• Warnings about broccoli - If you have a thyroid condition, do NOT eat raw broccoli.  Broccoli is a goitrogenic vegetable that can affect the thyroid gland.  You can lightly steam it or prepare it like in this dish.
  
• White, Cremini and Portobello mushrooms help discharge toxins and mucus.  They act upon the large and small intestine, lungs and stomach.  They are nearly 90% water, low in calories, and high in B vitamins.  Warning:  Don't eat RAW common mushrooms as they contain carcinogenic compounds which are destroyed in cooking.
  

Reference for Nutritional Information:  Rebecca Wood, ​The New Whole Foods Encyclopedia,​ Penguin Books, New York, New York, 2010.