Roasted Veggies And Smoked Sausage

While bell peppers are a very popular vegetable, they have not always shared the health research spotlight with other members of the pepper family due to their very minimal content of the phytonutrient capsaicin, the well-researched pepper compound that gives hot peppers their "heat." Once active in the body, capsaicin can bind onto nerve cell receptors and change pain sensation, and it may also have important anti-cancer and blood-sugar balancing properties. However, the lack of "heat" or significant amounts of capsaicin in bell peppers does not mean that this vegetable should be denied the health research spotlight! 

 

The actual nutrient and phytonutrient content of bell peppers is impressive - and also somewhat surprising given the very low-fat nature of this vegetable (some nutrients and phtyonutrients are fat-soluble and hence for them to be present the food needs to contain some fat). There is far less than 1 gram of total fat in one cup of sliced bell pepper. However, this very small amount of fat is enough to provide a reliable storage spot for bell pepper's fat-soluble nutrients, including its fat-soluble carotenoids and vitamin E. Bell pepper is a very good source of vitamin E at about 1.45 milligrams per cup, and it contains more than 30 different carotenoids, including excellent amounts of beta-carotene and zeaxanthin. Both of these carotenoids provide antioxidant and anti-inflammatory health benefits.

By http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=50

I think roasting vegetables really brings the flavor out of them. And the smoked sausage just takes them over the top, a lot of flavor. I didn't peel the potatoes, but you could, if desired.

Roasted Veggies And Smoked Sausage

Recipe adapted from The Southern Lady Cooks

Ingredients:

1 pound smoked sausage, sliced

2 large potatoes, chopped

1 onion, sliced

1 green bell pepper, sliced

salt and pepper, to taste

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Line sheet pan with tin foil, lightly spray with nonstick cooking spary. Place potatoes on sheet pan, drizzle olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic powder, toss well. Place in oven, cook for 15 minutes. Remove from oven, top with sausage, onions and bell pepper, sprinkle salt, pepper and garlic powder, toss well. Cook another 10 minutes. Enjoy!

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