Eat Them Veggies

Eat them veggies

As long as you’re cracking them eggs, add some veggies like bell peppers, mushrooms, or spinach into the mix.

And any veggie goes down easier in a thick and delicious, creamy smoothie

Stir-fry’s are a great way to load up on the veggies . Toss all your favorites into a hot wok. Carrots, celery,red peppers,sugar snaps, and even cabbage add sweetness and taste amazing.

Why order in from your local Chinese place when you can make a healthier stir-fry in your own kitchen?

Veggie Stir Fry

Ingredients

1 pound firm tofu

8-10 cups sliced vegetables Aprox 1 cup each (I use yellow onions, carrots, peppers, mushrooms, celery, broccoli, asparagus, water chestnuts,bamboo shoots)

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 cups cooked rice or 3 cups cooked quinoa

Sauce:

1/4 cup veggie or chicken stock

1/4 cup natural soy sauce (low sodium if you prefer)or gf tamari

2 cloves garlic, pressed

1 tablespoons light brown sugar

1 tablespoon finely chopped ginger root

1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

1 teaspoon arrowroot powder

Instructions

Slice the tofu in 1/2 inch slices. Press between layered paper towels or clean kitchen towels to dry well. Cut slices into 1-inch cubes. Arrange on a plate with prepared vegetables, separated by variety.

Combine sauce ingredients except for arrowroot powder in a small bowl and stir until sugar is dissolved. Mix arrowroot powder with just enough cold water to dissolve in a custard cup or teacup (you’ll use less than 2 tsp water). Add to sauce, stir well and set aside.

Preheat a wok or large skillet.

Add the oil and vegetables (add the sturdier vegetables first, adding the more tender ones after one minute and cook over medium-high heat until just crisp tender, stirring constantly.

Add the tofu and stir very carefully until the tofu is heated.

Stir sauce and pour around edge of wok. Stir vegetables around in sauce as it thickens.

Remove from heat as soon as sauce is thickened and serve over rice or quinoa.

Sure, you could set out crudités with a creamy dip. Or you could double the veggies and whip them into the dip, too. Dig into beautiful beet hummus, cucumber raita, or healthy, homemade spinach dip, replacing the cream with yogurt.

Roasting veggies can tease out flavors you wouldn’t get otherwise, and it couldn’t be easier. Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C). Pile bite-sized pieces of cauliflower, broccoli, or Brussels sprout on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat and spread out. Roast until tender-crisp and golden, about 20 minutes. Try it: Roast Pork with Apples & Brussels

Stuffed vegetables are pure comfort; fresh produce is just part of the package deal. Keep the stuffing healthy with lean ground meat or beans and whole grains, but don’t forget a small sprinkle of cheese.

These are cheesy and hearty and just the right amount of spicy. Easy to freeze.

Spicy Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients

Spicy Rice

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1 medium yellow onion chopped

• 2 jalapeno peppers chopped

• 4 cloves garlic chopped

• 3/4 cups long grain rice

• 12 ounces fire roasted tomatoes (I used a store bought can)

• 1.5 cups vegetable broth + more as needed

• 1 cup frozen corn – or fresh corn if you can get it!

• ½ cup frozen peas

• 1 tablespoon Cajun seasonings

• 1 teaspoon cayenne powder

• ½ teaspoon cumin

• Salt and pepper to taste

FOR THE STUFFED PEPPERS

• 1 cup shredded cheese (Cheddar is good, or Colby or Pepper Jack)

• 4 bell peppers

• Hot Sauce, spicy chili flakes, fresh chopped herbs for serving

Instructions

Get the rice going. Heat a large pan to medium heat and add olive oil.
Add onion and jalapeno peppers and cook about 5 minutes to soften.

Add garlic and cook another minute, until you can smell the yummy garlic.Add the rice and stir. Cook for a couple minutes, stirring, to very lightly brown the rice.Add the fire roasted tomatoes and vegetable broth.

Stir.
Add corn, peas, Cajun seasonings, cayenne, cumin, salt and pepper, and hot sauce if using. Stir and bring to a quick boil.
Reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the rice has absorbed all of the liquid and is softened to your liking. If it needs more cooking, add a bit more broth and keep it simmering until you LOVE it.
While the rice is cooking, bring a large pot of water to a boil.Slice the tops off of the bell peppers and remove the innards. Boil them about 5 minutes to slightly soften.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.Mix the rice and shredded cheese together and stuff each pepper full. You may have extra stuffing, depending on the size of your peppers.

Bake on a large baking sheet for 30-40 minutes.Remove from heat and top with your favorite hot sauce, fresh chopped herbs and spicy chili flakes

Stir unsweetened pumpkin puree into your morning oats for a filling breakfast that will leave you longing for fall. The pumpkin’s orange color means it’s packed with beta-carotene, contributing to your daily intake of vitamin A.

Almost any veggie goes down easier in a thick and delicious, creamy smoothie,especially when it’s blended with citrus to balance out any bitterness. Add a big handful of kale, chard, or spinach to your morning smoothie and then flex a little, knowing that you started your day with extra iron.

Sweet potato banana smoothie

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup sweet potato purée note you can also use pumpkin purée

• 1 -2 bananas frozen, and chopped into 1 inch cubes

• 1 cup canned lite coconut milk

• 1 teaspoons maple syrup

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

• 1/2 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg

• 2 tablespoon walnuts, or pecans chopped

Directions

Place all ingredients, except for some of the walnuts into blender and blend until smooth. Top with chopped walnuts.

Avocado toast is cool, but there are so many other veggies you can drop on top of whole-wheat bread. Start with a swipe of part-skim ricotta or hummus, then add hydrating tomatoes and cucumbers. Or, pair sautéed mushrooms with a sunnyside-up egg. – https://www.redbookmag.com/food-recipes/news/a20060/12-things-you-should-be-putting-on-toast/

You might not associate muffins with green vegetables, but zucchini is sweet, mild, and full of moisture, making it surprisingly delicious in bread, muffins, or pancakes. Try it: Zucchini Muffins with Chocolate Chips

Carrots wilting in the crisper? Overwhelmed by a big bunch of kale? Soup’s on. Dice different veggies into a chunky stew, or blend your favorite root vegetable completely smooth. Plus, you can always upgrade chicken broth with a big handful of greens and squeeze of lemon. Try it: Green Soup with Cashew Cream Swirl

References

Redbookmag.com

Fitbitt.com blog