If you put dinner on the table, people get seated and settled and then you pour the wine, you can understand why your vegetables may be just warm by the time they are eaten.

To keep the vegetables hot for several minutes, the serving dish would need to be I-need-a-kitchen-towel-to-hold-it hot, made with a material that holds the heat well, and preferably has a lid to keep the heat inside.

After cooking vegetables, put them in that type of serving dish, add any flavourings -- butter, lemon juice, herbs, etc. -- and set the dish in a hot oven a few minutes just before serving.

This technique keeps the vegetables hot for quite a while once set on the table. Instead of passing the very hot dish around, ask guests to pass you their plates, and serve the vegetables to them at the table.

Another technique is to blanch the vegetables in advance, cool them, place them in a casserole, flavour them, and then heat them in the oven for about 20 minutes when needed.

This method is used in these two recipes, and the resulting vegetables are piping hot when set on the table.

Five-Vegetable Casserole

You can make this colourful mix of vegetables oven-ready hours in advance of serving.

1 large carrot, halved length wise and sliced

16-24 small cauliflower florets

1/3 lb (155 g) green beans, trimmed

1/3lb (155g)snap peas, trimmed

1 large red bell pepper, cubed

3/4 cup (175 mL) chicken or vegetable stock

2-3 tbsp (25-50 mL) melted butter

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 tbsp (15 mL) chopped fresh parsley or other fresh herb

Place the sliced carrots in a tall pot and cover with a generous amount of cold water. (You'll need the extra water to cook the other vegetables.) Bring to a boil, and boil 30 seconds. Add the cauliflower, return to a boil, and boil 1 minute. Add the beans, snap peas and peppers, return to a boil, and boil 30 seconds, or just until all vegetables are firm/ tender.

Drain well, cool the vegetables in ice-cold water, and then drain well again.

Arrange the vegetables in a 9-x 13-inch (23-x 33-cm) casserole. Pour in the stock, drizzle with melted butter, and season with salt and pepper. (At this point the casserole could be covered, refrigerated and baked later in the day.) Cover and bake in a preheated 350°F (170°C) oven for 20-25 minutes, or until vegetables are heated through. Sprinkle with chopped parsley or other herb and serve.

Makes 8 servings.

Broccoli Florets with Roasted Peppers

This recipe is from my book Everyone Can Cook for Celebrations. The green and red combination gives this side dish a Christmasy look. The broccoli can be made oven-ready several hours in advance. Cover and refrigerate until you're ready to bake it.

24 medium-sized broccoli florets

1 large roasted red pepper, finely chopped (See Note)

1 cup (250 mL) chicken or vegetable stock

1/2 tsp (2 mL) dried oregano

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the broccoli and cook until just tender, about 2 to 3 minutes. Drain well, cool in ice-cold water, and drain well again.

Arrange the broccoli in a 9-x 13-inch (23-x 33-cm) baking dish. Combine the roasted red pepper, stock, oregano and garlic in a bowl. Spoon the mixture over the broccoli, ensuring that each floret has some roasted red pepper on top. Season with salt and pepper. Bake the broccoli, covered with foil, in a 325°F (160°C) oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until heated through. Makes 8 servings.

Note: Roasted red peppers are sold in jars at most supermarkets.

Eric Akis is the author of the recently published Everyone Can Cook Slow Cooker Meals.