Roasted vegetables and rice for dinner fits with one of our 2022 goals: Eat More Plants.
MIND Diet guidelines incorporate the best parts of the Mediterranean and DASH diets to achieve good health in mind and body.
This approach includes cooking foods with healthy fats and lots of colors. So a main course of roasted vegetables and rice flavored with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and seed butter fits the bill.
I used olive oil freely here, so you may find that as you cook you may need to adjust the amounts of oil, vinegar, and sunflower butter that you use. It’s really up to you!
There are vegetables you might include on your roasting tray like parsnips, turnips, beets, beans, or other types of canned, drained beans.
Although I try to avoid using aluminum foil, it is necessary to keep the vegetables moist for the first part of the roasting. If you use one baking sheet on top of the other as the “lid,” be sure to check often to avoid scorching. You may need to add more olive oil and stir the vegetables.
The seasonings in this recipe are simple but you can adapt them to the flavors that you like. For example, you could include soy sauce and freshly grated ginger in your sauce seasonings.
I guess what I like about this recipe (beyond the great flavor) is that it’s basic. Once you learn the basics, you are ready to get creative and continue making great, healthy food.
Roasted Vegetables and Rice
Ingredients
- 1 c. Cauliflower florets
- 1 c. Broccoli florets
- 1 c. Red and yellow peppers, sliced
- 1 c. Brussel sprouts, halved
- 1 c. Carrots, sliced
- 1 c. Red onions, sliced
- 1 c. Chickpeas, canned, drained
- 6 sprigs Thyme, fresh (or 2 tsp. dried)
- 1 tsp. Thyme leaves, dried
- 1 tsp. Kosher salt
- ½ tsp. Black pepper
- ¾ c. Olive oil (divided)
- ¾ c. Balsamic vinegar (divided)
- ¼ c. Sunflower butter
- 1 tsp. sugar
- 2 c. Rice, uncooked
Instructions
- Prepare vegetables by trimming and cutting them into similarly sized pieces. Put vegetables in a very large bowl.
- Drain chickpeas and add to the bowl.
- In a glass mixing cup, whisk together ½ cup oil and ½ cup vinegar. Pour over the vegetables and toss to coat.
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
- Pour a little more oil into the bottom of 2 large rimmed baking sheets.
- Spoon tossed vegetables into the baking sheets. Sprinkle vegetables with salt, pepper, and thyme.
- Cover baking sheets with foil. Bake at 450 degrees for 12-15 minutes. Uncover and continue baking for about 12 minutes until vegetables begin to char, stirring and watching so you don't burn them.
- While vegetables are baking, make the rice and sauce.
- Make the rice according to package directions.
- Make the sauce by whisking together equal parts olive oil, balsamic vinegar, sugar, and sunflower seed butter.
- I used what was left of the oil and vinegar in the veggie bowl after I tossed the veggies and removed them to the baking sheet, plus more oil and vinegar to make a generous amount of sauce. Add hot tap water by the teaspoonful until the sauce is a good pouring consistency.
- Season with salt, pepper, thyme, or other dry herbs that you like.
- When rice and vegetables are done, serve with the sauce.
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