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Oven Baked Vegetables

 

Ingredients

 

Cooking spray

2 potatoes, cubed

2 carrots, sliced

2 onions, sliced

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1/2 cup fat-free Italian-style dressing

1/8 tsp garlic salt

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/8 tsp onion salt

 

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 9x13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.

  2. In prepared pan, combine potatoes, carrots, onions and bell pepper.

  3. In a small bowl, combine Italian dressing, garlic salt, cayenne pepper, and onion salt.  Pour over vegetables.

  4. Bake, covered, for 15 minutes.  Uncover, stir and bake for 10 minutes more.

  5. Yield: 6 servings

Nutritional Information

 

Calories: 80; Fat:0.2g; Cholesterol: 0mg; Sodium: 221mg; Protein: 1.5g; Carbohydrate: 18.7g; Fiber: 2.5g

 

CARROTS

 

Deep within the soils of the earth, grows a golden root that has amazed nutritionists and scientists alike in its powerful nutritional qualities.

 

Carrots are a natural blast of high energy. Like all root vegetables, they are packed with tons of vitamins and minerals.

 

Carrots are an excellent source of Vitamin A, which is important for good eyesight, especially at night. Vitamin A also helps your body fight infection and keeps your skin and hair healthy.

 

Carrots are a good source of Vitamin C as well. Vitamin C helps to form the protein collagen, or connective tissue, found in our bones, teeth, cartilage, skin, and scar tissue. It also fights off infection and the pesky common cold.

 

Carrots are an excellent food. Eat two a day and you will get several health benefits:

  • Low Sodium - Reduce the risk of hypertension (or high blood pressure)

  • Low Calorie - Reduce the risk of becoming overweight or obese

  • Saturated Fat and Cholesterol Free - Reduce the risk of coronary heart disease

  • High Fiber - Reduce risk of coronary heart disease and colon cancer

Eat two pounds a day and your skin will turn orange, without a doubt!

 

Carrot Trivia

  • Roman citizens ate their carrots only when they were not feeling well. They were supposed to keep their digestive tract neat and clean to aid in lowering the level of gas in the large intestine, and improve night vision. (Source: The Carrot Cookbook). (One can assume correctly that lowering your level of intestinal gas will not improve night vision! J They are two separate benefits.)

  • When the carrot was first introduced in France, people ignored the edible root and grew it for its feathery leaves, which were used to decorate hairstyles, hats, and other items of female apparel. (Source: The Carrot Cookbook)

  • The Wild Carrot is called Queen Anne’s Lace because of its white lace leaves

  • The Longest Carrot recorded in 1996 was 16 feet, 10.5 inches!

  • The Heaviest Carrot recorded in 1998 was 18.985 pounds!

  • There is a carrot pie flavor jelly bean! (I'm not so sure about that!)

  • Carrots were first grown as a medicine, not a food.

  • Carrots produce more distilled spirits than potatoes.

  • In early Celtic literature, the carrot is referred to as the "Honey Underground".

  • It's a myth that Mel Blanc, the voice of Bugs Bunny, was allergic to carrots, but he simply did not like them.

  • Carrots can also be found in purple, white, red, or yellow. (Who knew that?!)

  • Holtville, California dubs itself, "The Carrot Capital of the World" with an Annual Festival, now in its 55th year.

  • The Anglo-Saxons included carrots as an ingredient in a medicinal drink against the devil and insanity.

Source: Carrot Trivia 101