Roasted Asparagus & Red Peppers

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. asparagus, trimmed and fibrous stalks peeled
• 1 large red bell pepper, seeded and cut into ½-inch strips
• 1 lemon
• 1 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper

Makes 4 (1/4 of vegetables) Servings

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F. Spray a nonstick baking sheet with nonstick spray.
2. In a large bowl, combine the asparagus and bell pepper strips; spray with nonstick spray. Squeeze in 1 tablespoon juice from the lemon, then add the oil, salt and crushed red pepper; toss well to coat.
3. Arrange the vegetables on the baking sheet. Bake until tender, shaking the pan occasionally, 15-18 minutes. Transfer the vegetables to a bowl; grate in 1 teaspoon zest from the lemon and toss.

WW POINTS VALUE: 1 pt.

 

Note: This recipe appears in the WW New Complete Cookbook. Here's is another quick and easy side dish that is colorful and healthy to enjoy with any protein at dinner. It's always good to have a variety of vegetables in your freezer so you  can pull something out for dinner if you're in a rush or you've had a long day and you don't want to do a lot of prepping. Roasting vegetables is an easy way to maximize flavor without adding a lot of fat. Roasting helps to caramelize the natural sugars in the vegetables in order to bring out the sweetness.