vegetables

Coconut Cashew Sauce

/ ktbuchs87

I really love sauces.  They can take any meal from ho-hum to totally yum.  They are also a simple way to add healthy flavor to your dishes.  As much as I love sauce, my husband loves noodles.  Any dish that has some type of noodle or pasta is a winner with him.  So when I made this sauce and decided to use it in a stir fry AND add noodles, he was in heaven.  I’m pretty sure his exact words were, “The rest of this is just for me, right?”  While he was kind enough to share the rest of the food with me, I don’t know if he’ll let me have any more when I make it again!

 

Coconut Cashew Sauce

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  • 1/3 cup cashew butter
  • 1/4 cup liquid aminos (soy sauce or coconut aminos would work also)
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • 1 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • about 1 to 2 tsp fresh ginger, minced
  • 1/2 tsp chinese five spice (can be found in most grocery stores in the ethnic food aisle)
  • 1/4 cup full fat canned coconut milk
  • chopped cashews, optional for garnish/texture

 

1.  In a small bowl, whisk together all ingredients except coconut milk and chopped cashews.  Once everything is well combined add in coconut milk and stir together.

2.  Let sauce sit in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to let the flavors come together.  Remove from fridge and let it come to room temperature before you use.  If using, stir in the chopped cashews right before using the sauce.

 

Now, you don’t HAVE to let the sauce sit, but it really does help the flavor to develop.  I love the creaminess that both the cashew butter and the coconut milk add, plus I love how easy it is to make!  My husband will tell you this is amazing with noodles, but it would also work well on top of grilled chicken or pork and it tastes really good over vegetable stir fry.  So go get saucy and try this yummy coconut cashew sauce!

How To Repurpose Leftovers

/ ktbuchs87

FoodStorage_tip

I am a big believer in leftovers.  I think that they play a big role in eating good, healthy meals all week long, as well as helping keep food costs down.  I only cook for two people, but I tend to cook like there are four of us and make extras to have for lunches throughout the week.  One thing that I have noticed though is that people tend to get bored of eating the same thing over and over again.  If you get bored with having the same food, you might be more likely to switch back to your unhealthy eating habits.  Because we don’t want that, I wanted to share just a few ways that you can repurpose your leftovers and make a whole different meal with just a few minor adjustments.

 

 

Meats 

This might be one of the easiest things to turn into a different meal.  Summer time is the perfect time to pull out the grill and BBQ some meat.  When you do this, make sure to throw a few extra pieces of whatever you’re making onto the grill.  Now you have some extra meat to turn into lunches or dinners for the week.

  • Shred chicken or pork and make a stir fry by adding it to some vegetables, brown rice, and soy sauce.
  • Slice up steak or chicken and add to a salad
  • Use fish to make some simple fish tacos.  Just add some salsa or corn, cilantro, and squeeze a little lime juice over everything
  • Make a chicken salad with shredded chicken, celery, avocado and mustard
  • Add any kind of meat to a frittata

Vegetables

If you do your meal prep over the weekend, make sure that you cook up some extra vegetables however you like.  Grill, roast, or saute them and you can use them for meals throughout the week.  Summer time also means the garden is full and your farmers market is in full swing, so you might be loaded up with extra vegetables.  Here are some ways you can repurpose your vegetables for leftovers.

  • Roasted root vegetables, like sweet potatoes or parsnips, can be added to salads or cooked grains for a simple lunch
  • Root vegetables are also really good pureed into soup or a sauce for pasta.  Add almond milk (or whatever milk you like) for an extra creamy texture
  • Grilled eggplant can be made into a simple baba ganush
  • Grilled zucchini or summer squash can be added to tomato sauce for extra texture and flavor
  • Cooked vegetables can be added to stir frys, soups, frittatas, or sandwiches
  • If you have an overabundance of cooked vegetables, you can also freeze them to be used later

 

Grains

Grains are a great thing to cook in big batches and then just add to meals throughout the week.

  • Grains make a really good bed for stir fry, vegetables with sauce, or cooked meat
  • Add your favorite grain to a leafy salad for a new variation
  • Leftover pasta?  Use it up by making cold pasta salad.  Toss your favorite pasta with some olive oil, seasonings, and vegetables like cherry tomatoes or avocados for a delicious summer meal
  • Try adding cooked grains to your lettuce wrap for extra texture and oomph

 

Fruit

Fruit is also pretty abundant this time of year and you can make it into a few different meals throughout the week.

  • Use leftover fruit salad as a cereal, granola, or yogurt topper for breakfast
  • Freeze leftover fruit and use in smoothies or added to water for extra flavor
  • Make a quick toast topping by mashing up leftover berries and adding a little honey/cinnamon
  • Turn frozen leftover fruit into sorbets by blending them in a high powered blender or food processor

 

There are a ton of ways that you can vary your leftovers so that you don’t eat the exact same meal every single day of the week.  With just a little bit of prep work, you can have the makings of a healthy and new meal each day.  Get creative and see what you can make out of the meals in your fridge!

How To Eat More Vegetables

/ ktbuchs87

Fruit-vegetables

I can bet that you have been told that you need to eat more vegetables.  It seems to be the first thing that comes out of peoples mouths when anything remotely close to eating healthier is mentioned.  Eat more fruits and vegetables!  In all honesty, it’s good advice even if it tends to be overstated.  The problem is that the advice stops there.  We’re told to eat more vegetables but not necessarily how to do it.  A lot of people have bad associations with vegetables.  Some were forced to eat them as kids or were served mushy tasteless dishes that made them believe all vegetables taste the same, gross.  Maybe you want to eat more vegetables but you have no clue how to go about doing that.  My post today is going to focus on simple ways  to incorporate more vegetables into your meals.  It doesn’t have to be complicated, tasteless, or boring and the more that you eat vegetables the more you will come to love them as much as I do!

Roast Them Up

This is my absolute favorite way to prepare vegetables.  It’s an amazing way to add great flavor to your vegetables and it works on virtually any vegetable.  I roast everything from sweet potatoes to zucchini, cabbage and beets.  If I can slice it up and add a little olive oil to it, I can roast it.  If you have a hard time enjoying the taste of vegetables, this cooking method is for you.  Simply preheat your oven to 400-425 and prepare a baking pan with a piece of parchment paper or a Silpat.  Then take your vegetable and cut it up into bite size chunks and place them in a large bowl.  Add a few tablespoons of oil (I alternate between olive oil and coconut oil) and whatever seasonings you like (try Italian blends, curry powder, garlic, cumin, smoked paprika, or even just salt and pepper) and mix everything together.  Arrange the vegetables in a single layer on the pan and roast for 20-45 minutes depending on the vegetable you are using.  I usually rotate the pan halfway through the cooking process.  Once you start to get a nice brown edge, your vegetables are done!  You can eat them as is, add to salads, or stir fry’s.  Roasted vegetables also keep really well in the fridge and make great leftovers.

Make Soup or Stew

Soup is another easy way to get in more vegetables as well as large quantities of vegetables.  You can add vegetables to any soup you’re making and bulk it up with extra nutrition and flavor.  You could puree a variety of root vegetables, like sweet potatoes or parsnips, and after you have roasted them, add either broth or water or even almond milk to make a creamy soup.  Or you could blend up a variety of vegetables from your garden like tomatoes, cucumbers, and zucchini and make a refreshing gazpacho on a hot summer day.

Sauces and Dips

This is another favorite way to add more vegetables to my meals.  Make sauces and dips out of them!  You can make a simple homemade salsa with tomatoes, onions, garlic, and cilantro.  Or maybe you’re a guacamole fan.  Try making your own homemade spaghetti sauce and besides the tomatoes, add in zucchini and carrots.  You can even make creamy sauces with cauliflower or try a vegetable based spread like baba ghanoush.  Kids especially like dipping things in sauces and this is a really good way to get a little extra nutrition into their meal without fighting over broccoli.

Drink Them

While I think that juicing is a great thing, I am also a big fan of eating my meals.  But I know that for some people juicing their vegetables is what works best for them due to time constraints or they really can’t handle the taste of eating vegetables.  If this sounds like you, try juicing your vegetables or adding them to smoothies.  Leafy greens are very easy to add into your drinks and as long as you add some fruits like apples or pears, you don’t have to feel like you’re drinking grass.  If you have a juicer, you can juice pretty much any vegetable quickly.  I like the combination of carrots, beets, spinach, apples, and a little bit of ginger, but get creative and see what flavors you like.  Remember though, if you can, it’s better to eat your vegetables so that you can get all the fiber and nutrients that fruit and vegetables have to offer.  Sometimes, just drinking juice can leave you feeling hungrier sooner than eating those same foods would have.

Salads

I know this one sounds obvious and is probable one of the least favorite ways for people to get their vegetables in but salads don’t have to be boring or taste yucky.  There are so many ways to spruce up a salad, like adding more vegetables, dried fruits, nuts or seeds, herbs, and topping it all with homemade dressing.  Salads are a great way to get in a TON of vegetables into one meal as well as a great way to use up all the odd leftovers you have in your fridge.  Start with a base of some type of leafy green (think outside the romaine and iceberg box and try kale, arugala, collard, watercress, or spinach), and add whatever you want.  Try leftover cooked chicken or fish, roasted sweet potatoes or cauliflower, raw almonds or pistachios, dried (and unsweetened) cranberries or goji berries, add pumpkin or sunflower seeds for a little extra crunch.  And the dressing options are endless and just as simple to make.  Give salads a chance and you might just fall in love with them.

Eating more vegetables shouldn’t make you want to run screaming to your nearest bakery and shove as many donuts as you can into your mouth.  Incorporating these healthy foods into your meals is simple and only takes a little bit of effort and creativity.  So now that you know what to do, go eat your vegetables!

vegetables

Simple Vegetable Millet

/ ktbuchs87 / 1 Comment

This meal was made on a Sunday night using whatever I had on hand.  I literally looked in my fridge/freezer/pantry and just pulled random things out that I thought might taste good together.  I never said the way I cook was glamorous, but this turned out really tasty and it was quick to put together.  I used millet but you could easily use quinoa or even brown rice, although you might need to cook for a little longer to make sure the rice is done.  Feel free to add whatever vegetables or leftovers you have on hand to this dish and make it your own!

Simple Vegetable Millet

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  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp coriander
  • 1 cup vegetable broth or water
  • 1 cup frozen peas
  • 1 cup frozen corn kernels
  • 1/2 cup tomato sauce (I used some leftover homemade tomato sauce, but you can use store bought too)
  • 3/4 cup uncooked millet/quinoa/brown rice

 

 

 

 

  1. In a medium sauce pan, saute the onion and garlic with a little olive oil.  Once the onions are soft, add in the cumin and coriander and mix well.  Add in the broth, vegetables, and tomato sauce and bring to a boil.
  2. Add in your millet/quinoa/brown rice and stir everything together.  Cover your pot and reduce the heat to a simmer.  Cook for about 15 minutes (a little longer for rice) until all the liquid is absorbed.  Fluff with a fork and serve!

Try this version out first and then experiment with different flavors.  I think another good one would be to use Asian inspired flavors like ginger, five spice, and soy sauce.  Make sure to make enough for leftovers because this is even better the next day. Enjoy!

Oven Roasted Brussels Sprouts

/ ktbuchs87

I know, I know.  The title of this post might be enough to make a lot of you turn right around and run away screaming.  Brussels sprouts are not a very popular vegetable, but I think they get a bad rap because they aren’t prepared properly.  I think that most of the people who don’t like brussels sprouts have been served bland, over-boiled, and mushy sprouts.  Anyone would push that mess away from them.  Enter my brussels sprouts.  Now I’m not going to say that these will instantly convert you to a sprout lover, but it is a step in the right direction.  By roasting these in the oven, you add a delicious flavor without overcooking them.  The seasonings add even more flavor and can be customized to your tastes.  This is a great side dish for any holiday meal, and a great way to get in a delicious serving of vegetables. So disregard your thoughts about stinky, gross brussels sprouts and give these a try.  You might just find a new favorite!

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Oven Roasted Brussels Sprouts

  • 1 lb brussels sprouts
  • Extra virgin Olive Oil
  • 1-2 cloves garlic minced
  • fresh black pepper
  • 1-2 tsp smoked paprika (I highly suggest smoked paprika instead of sweet. It adds an awesome smoky flavor to the sprouts)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. Preheat oven to 425 and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.

2. Cut the ends off of the brussels sprouts and remove any loose or discolored leaves.  If some of the greener leaves come off, that’s fine  Keep those and you can roast those as well.

3.  Place your brussels sprouts in a bowl and drizzle a little EVOO over them.  Coat them and then spread them on the baking sheet.  Add in your garlic cloves and sprinkle everything with the smoked paprika and pepper.

4.  Place the sheet in the oven and roast for about 15 to 25 minutes.  The sprouts will be done when they have a nice golden brown color.

That’s it!  A very simple way to prepare a great dish.  Like I said you can experiment with the seasonings and find one that is your favorite.  Eat up and enjoy!