Rainbow Vegetable Tray Bake

During the holidays our first impulse is often to bake or cook decadent recipes, full of ingredients we don’t consume on a daily basis. While this is a special and important part of the season, it’s very taxing on our digestive systems, often draining our energy and leaving us feeling down after the party’s over. 

How can we keep nutritious and life-giving dietary staples like vegetables on the holiday menu without losing a sense of celebration? 

Start by changing up the serving methods. While a bowl of roasted vegetables may be an everyday affair, a platter of artfully arranged rainbow vegetables, intermingled with buttery cloves of roasted garlic, says ‘special occasion.’ By attending more closely to a few details, such as servingware, colors, seasonings, and garnishes, it’s easy to make healthy foods fit into a holiday meal seamlessly. 

Add a few threads of spendy saffron to a bowl of whole grains. Serve beans with a drizzle of infused oil. Create a sumptuous tray of exotic fruit. Put out a bowl of macadamia and Brazil nuts with shells for guests to crack and enjoy. All of these foods are rich in fiber and micronutrients, but they’re far from boring. Serve alongside a pitcher of infused water with fresh cranberries, ginger, and orange slices for festive hydration. 

In order to enter 2021 feeling rejuvenated and rested, it’s important to nourish ourselves with healthy foods throughout the holidays. Consuming adequate fiber and micronutrients will minimize bloating and digestive discomfort from holiday indulgences. (1) Vegetables can even help promote high-quality sleep, important for avoiding seasonal burn-out. (2) And since the holidays mean more sweet treats for most of us, upping your fiber intake can minimize blood sugar crashes as well. (3) 

Take a little extra time this year to find ways to serve detoxifying whole foods with a spirit of indulgence, as in our simple and lovely Rainbow Vegetable Tray Bake. Let’s reap both the joy of the season and the benefits of a healthy diet! 

Rainbow Vegetable Tray Bake Recipe

Serve 4 generously (Click here to print!)

Ingredients:

• 2 red bell peppers, halved and seeded

• ½ small butternut squash, peeled and sliced into ¼” cubes 

• 1 summer squash, cut into ½ slices

• 1 small head of broccoli, cut into florets 

• 1 lb. purple carrots, peeled and sliced into ¼” thick circles 

• 1 red onion, sliced into ½” chunks 

• 1 head of garlic, peeled and separated into cloves 

• 1 tablespoon dried thyme 

• 1 tablespoon dried parsley 

• ¼ cup olive oil (get my favorite quality brand here)

• Freshly ground salt and pepper, to taste

Step 1:

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Spread vegetables, without combining kinds, on a rimmed baking sheet (use two sheets if vegetables are crowded). Position the bell pepper halves skin-side up, and sprinkle the garlic cloves across the pan. 

Step 2:

Drizzle all the vegetables with olive oil. Sprinkle with herbs, salt and pepper. Toss vegetables to distribute oil and seasonings, taking care to keep the colors separate.

Step 3:

Roast vegetables until tender and slightly charred, approximately 30 minutes. Move or rotate the pan halfway through baking if necessary. Arrange vegetables in a rainbow pattern on a serving plate, adding additional salt and pepper to taste if needed. Enjoy immediately!

Vegetables will keep in the refrigerator for up to four days. Reheat them in the oven or a skillet. 

Ready for More Yummy, Liver-Supporting Recipes?

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Bridgit Danner, LAc, FDNP, is an acupuncturist turned functional health coach and has worked with thousands of clients since 2004.

She is the founder of FunctionalDetoxProducts.com and the author of The Ultimate Guide to Toxic Mold Recovery: Take Back Your Home Health & Life, available in audiobook, Kindle and paperback on Amazon.

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