Everyone can appreciate quick, simple and nutritious side dishes that you can toss together to bring to a holiday party or home for Christmas and/or Hanukah dinner. This gorgeous platter of roasted cauliflower and carrots takes less than 40 minutes from start to finish. The best part? Freshly squeezed orange juice combined with olive oil, sea salt, and pepper makes the most delightful marinade on these veggies. The fresh rosemary is a delicious garnish that adds a pop of color and flavor after roasting.
I used yellow and purple cauliflower, but you can use white; all the varieties of cauliflower taste great. We also have a meat alternative for you: Consider roasting a rack of lamb, which requires little to no prep for a heartier dish.
Meat alternative cooking instructions: Cook 1 bone-in leg of lamb (about 5 to 7 pounds) by rubbing it with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and a large pinch of salt and pepper. Broil for 5 minutes in a large rimmed baking dish, flip and then broil for another 5 minutes. Then, roast in the oven at 325 degrees F for about one hour, or until the lamb is tender. Remove from the oven; let rest for 15 minutes. Then thinly slice to serve with this vegetable platter.
Related: Holiday Cleanse Green Juice
By Amie Valpone
Ingredients
- 4 large carrots
- 2 large heads cauliflower, cut into florets
- 2 tablespoons, plus 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
- Juice of 1/2 navel orange
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 3 sprigs fresh rosemary for garnish
- 2 teaspoons fresh orange zest for garnish
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Prepare 2 large, rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
Place the carrots on one baking sheet and the cauliflower on the other. NOTE: Depending on how large your cauliflower heads are, you may need to add a few florets of cauliflower to your carrot baking sheet.
Drizzle the cauliflower florets with 2 tablespoons of oil and use your hands to rub in the oil. Then, squeeze the juice from ½ the orange over the cauliflower, leaving a small amount of juice to drizzle over the carrots. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Drizzle the carrots with the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil and the remaining orange juice; use your hands to rub the oil into the carrots. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Transfer both baking sheets to the oven and roast for 30 minutes or until all the vegetables are tender.
Remove from the oven and transfer to a serving platter with fresh rosemary springs and orange zest. Serve warm.
Store leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Yield: 4-6 Servings
Photography by Amie Valpone>>Amie Valpone is the founder of The Healthy Apple and best-selling author of the cookbook Eating Clean: The 21-Day Plan to Detox, Fight Inflammation, and Reset Your Body.
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