The Easy-Time Veggie Recipe

Folks, here’s a post on a simple and quick way to get more veggies in your diet.  This is perhaps the number one thing we all could use help on in our nutrition, and that is increasing our vegetable consumption.  Vegetables are nutrient dense relative to their calorie content – a great thing because modern processed foods are just the opposite.  I’m always telling my patients to eat more vegetables; we all know this, but most people think vegetables are too bland and boring to be enjoyable so we simply don’t do it.  Well, hopefully I can change your mind by starting with this ‘easy-time veggie recipe’.

Now most people when they think of vegetables, they  think salads right away, and of course no one can deny the crisp taste of fresh field greens, spinach, romaine coupled with an assortment of tasty add-ons like eggs, tomatoes, celery, nuts and seeds, perhaps some feta cheese etc…..but what about the other kinds of vegetables we all know are good for us?  What about warm veggies during the winter time? Cauliflower, broccoli, zucchini, summer squash, brussel sprouts, okra — these are not so tasty eaten raw in a salad, at least for most people.

This recipe is something I do pretty much weekly, and it’s a perfect no-brainer for a guy like me because it’s simple, low on prep time, yet oh-so-tasty!  My wife likes to cook, how shall I put it, more umm…..dynamically?  It’s easy for her to create wonderful things with just about anything we have in our refrigerator, from the top of her head in no time at all, and it turns out like a work of art – she’s got talent there.  Leave it to me, I’d not only spend 3x the amount of time, but the end product would be, how would my wife put it…..an acquired taste?  Anyhow, we’re both busy people, and I like to contribute to the cooking in ways I can, and this simple recipe has worked wonders for me over the years.  You gotta try it.

Start with  veggies like cauliflower, broccoli, brussel sprouts, summer squash, zucchini, sweet potatoes, red potatoes, carrots, okra – stuff that you wouldn’t necessarily eat raw.  Health tip: this is the best way to get fiber in your diet for healthy digestion/elimination — much better than bran and high-fiber cereals as these vegetables are real, unprocessed whole foods.  Here’s a picture of what I gathered from my refrigerator from last week’s shopping…..I do picture myself somewhat of a hunter/gatherer you know ;).

Rinse, and then peel any veggies with a thicker skin that looks suspicious, like the potatoes or carrots, chop them up and put them on a baking dish.  I have 3 glass baking dishes here that I filled up. 

Then drizzle with olive oil, pepper, good quality sea salt, balsamic vinegar if you like, and perhaps a bit of garlic.  Any dried spices work well too, like rosemary, thyme, oregano, basil, etc…..experiment some if you do this on a regular basis, and you’ll find what you like best.  Remember that spices carry some incredible health promoting properties to them.  Try real, high quality butter instead of olive oil on occasion.  One of my favorites is Irish Kerry Gold butter , as the taste is simply unbeatable as far as butter goes.  Finally, just add a bit of water to each baking pan, a few tablespoons so the veggies can become more tender.

Preheat the oven to about 375 degrees, and pop the dishes in for about 40 minutes, towards the top rack of the over so the veggies can brown a bit – this adds to the texture and taste of the cooked, softened veggies.  If you are cooking root vegetables like potatoes, it may take 15 more minutes or so – cut them up smaller for quicker cooking.  After the time is up, see if they need a bit more time — you’ll be able to tell by the taste and level of tenderness.  If you want them more tender in the future, just add a bit more water. 

There you have it…..easy-time veggies.  Simple enough that a naturopath can do it on a Sunday morning! Or like today, on a snowed-in morning!   I let them cool down when they are done, and then put them in individual size Tupperware containers (and some extra for right now!) so that I don’t have to cook them during the week.  They taste great cold, right out of the fridge and straight into a bed of lettuce, or heated up in a pan with coconut oil or butter and you have a delicious side dish.  Either way, a great and easy way to get more veggies in your diet, week after week.  Improving your health can be this easy-yummy.

Do you have similar ideas?  If you have any recipes that make vegetables taste great, do let us know as I’d certainly like to try them.  Remember, easy does it!