Roasted veggie bliss

Rudo Kandiero

THE “Eatwell Guide” shows the proportion that different groups of foods can contribute to a healthy balanced diet.

You and I are required to eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables every day.

A balanced diet contains all the required nutrients in the correct amounts.

Zimbabwe is blessed with an abundance of organic food, which includes vegetables, fruits, meat products, starchy food, grains, pulses and herbs.

There is a wide range of fresh vegetables and fruits available throughout the year from local farmers. Let us now go into our recipe of the week.

Ingredients

500g (or three) sweet potatoes;

One medium punnet carrots;

One red onion and one white one;

Three coloured bell peppers;

One punnet baby marrow;

Canned sweet corn or two fresh cobs;

Six cloves garlic;

Six sprigs of fresh rosemary;

Oil;  Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius and grease the baking sheet.
2. Wash vegetables and cut into bite size. Chop garlic and rosemary, then add to the vegetables.
3. Toss in oil and season with salt and pepper.
4. Roast, turning and flipping until tender.
5. Remove corn kernels from the cob and add to the vegetables and roast for less than 15 minutes. Serve hot or cold as a side dish or have as lunch.

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Power foods of the week

The following power foods are handy in fighting illnesses:

 Carrots: Rich in vitamin A, these promote healthy vision, lower risk of cancer, regulate blood pressure and boost brain health.

 Capsicum peppers: They boost immunity, and help in managing cancer and blood glucose.

 Garlic/Onion: Thy have anti-cancer properties.

Food safety guide

Everyone working with food must be aware of the importance of personal and food hygiene. Hands must be washed thoroughly and frequently.

Handwashing technique

Handwashing should take 15 seconds to 30 seconds.

Here is how you should go about it:

1. Wet your hands with clean water.

Apply enough soap to cover all hand surfaces.

2. Rub your hands palm to palm. Rub the back of each hand with the palm of the other hand, with fingers interlocking.
3. Rub palm to palm with fingers interlaced. Rub with the back of fingers to opposing palms with fingers interlocked.
4. Rub each thumb using a rotational movement. Rub tips of fingers in opposite palm in a circular motion. Rub each wrist with the opposite hand.
5. Rinse hands with water and dry with a paper towel.