EAT THIS: Eat Your Veggies!

There was a time, in the not-too-distant past, where dinner consisted of meat, potatoes, and vegetables.  Somehow as a culture we have veered so far off that course that folks often do not know how to structure a meal around whole, real foods!  Some of us even believe that the traditional baked potatoe is ‘bad’ and that ‘enriched’ packaged pastas, pizzas, breads and rices mixes are somehow better…

While we’re talking about potatoes, we’ve also included a list of ‘Baked Potato Toppings’ for those ready to take baked potatoes to a completely new and healthy level!  If you top ’em right, a baked potato can be the foundation of your meal.   Just add meat or other protein.

Chilean Tomato and Onion Salad

Juicy, crunchy, and slightly spicy. Great with a darker meat.

Ingredients:

.25 cup cilantro

1.5 tbsp – sliced jalopeno

.25 cup – extra virgin olive oil

1 onion

8 cups raw tomatoes

2 tbsp – brown rice vinegar

Instructions:

In a medium bowl, toss the thinly sliced onion with the vinegar and season with black pepper. Let the onion stand for 15 minutes, tossing a few times. Slice 8 tomatoes into 8 wedges each (about 8 cups). In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, cilantro (coarsely chopped) and jalapeno (seeded and very finely chopped) and season with black pepper. Arrange the sliced tomatoes on a platter. Scatter the onions over the tomatoes, drizzle with the jalapeno dressing and serve.

Kale Fusion Salad

great and tasty way to eat kale, and you can substitute other greens if you like. In addition to the ingredients listed, you will need 1/4 cup of minced fresh herbs, any variety, and a dash of cayenne pepper, as well as black pepper to taste! Yum!

Ingredients:

1 tbsp – raw honey

2 tbsp – apple cider vinegar

.5 cup – raw grated carrots

1 garlic clove

.5 cup – green onion tops

2 tbsp – sliced jalopeno

5 cups – raw chopped kale

.33 cup – fresh lemon juice

.25 cup – extra virgin olive oil

1 cup – raw chopped red bell peppers

.33 cup – sesame seeds

2 tbsp – reduced sodium tamari

Instructions:

Destem Kale and place in large mixing bowl with olive oil and lemon juice. Allow to sit for 20 minutes or longer, up to overnight to allow kale to soften. Mince the garlic and add. Add remaining ingredients and mix well.

Vegetables a la Grecque

In France, veggies prepared ‘a la Grecque’ or ‘in the Greek style’ are prepared in this manner. The dish can be served warm, or as a wonderful accompaniment to cold roasted meats or poultry. You will need these spices: 1 tsp coriander seeds, 3 bay leaves, 1/2 tsp whole black peppercorns, 1/2 tsp fennel seeds, and 1/2 tsp dried thyme.

Ingredients:

3 bay leafs

1 pd – carrots

1 tsp – coriander seed

.5 tsp – fennel seed

12 oz. – mushrooms

.25 cup – extra virgin olive oil

1.5 pd – onions

.5 tsp – peppercorn

.5 tsp – dried thyme

.25 cup – white wine vinegar

.5 cup – white wine

Instructions:

Chop the carrots into 2 by 1/2 inch sticks. Cut the onions into eighths, and quarter the mushrooms. In a large, deep skillet, combine 2 TBS of the oil (reserving 2 TBS on the side) with the wine, 1/2 cup water, vinegar, and the spices listed above. Bring to a boil over high heat. Add the carrot, cover and simmer over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the carrots are barely tender, about 5 minutes. Add the onions and mushrooms, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the onions are crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Transfer the veggies to a bowl, and let cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally. Stir in the remaining 2 TBS of oil and season with black pepper. Discard the bay leaves and peppercorns before serving. The veggies can be refrigerated for up to 1 week.

Sesame Green Beans

Ingredients:

1 tbsp – extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp – sesame seeds

1 pd – fresh green beans, cut into 2 inch pieces

.25 cup low sodium chicken broth

freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions:

Heat oil in a large skillet or wok over medium heat. Add sesame seeds. When seeds start to darken, stir in green beans. Cook, stirring, until the beans turn bright green.  Pour in chicken broth and pepper. Cover and cook until beans are tender-crisp, about 10 minutes. Uncover and cook until liquid evaporates.

Roasted Garlic Lemon Broccoli

A delish way to eat your green veges!

Ingredients:

2 heads broccoli – separated into florets

2 tsp – extra-virgin olive oil

1 tsp – low sodium tamari

.5 tsp – ground black pepper

1 clove garlic, minced

.5 tsp – lemon juice

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  In a large bowl, toss broccoli florets with the extra virgin olive oil, tamari, pepper and garlic. Spread the broccoli out in an even layer on a baking sheet.  Bake in the preheated oven until florets are tender enough to pierce the stems with a fork, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove and transfer to a serving platter. Squeeze lemon juice liberally over the broccoli before serving for a refreshing, tangy finish.

Italian Roasted Cauliflower

A unique way to freshen up cauliflower.

1 – head cauliflower, cut into florets

1 – large red bell pepper, cut into 1-1/2 inch pieces

1 – red onion, sliced

.5 cup – chopped fresh dill

3 tbsp – balsamic vinegar

2 tbsp – white wine vinegar

2 tsp – olive oil

pepper to taste

Instructions:

Combine the cauliflower, bell pepper, onion, dill, balsamic vinegar, white wine vinegar, and olive oil in a large resalable bag; shake bag to evenly coat. Allow to marinate in refrigerator 1 to 2 hours, turning bag occasionally.  Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Open the bag and season with pepper; reseal the bag and shake again to coat. Pour into a 9×13 glass baking dish.  Bake in the preheated oven until tender, about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Roasted Vegetables

An easy way to cook up and eat lots of healthy vegetables.

1 – small butternut squash, cubed

2 – red bell peppers, seeded and diced

1 – sweet potato, peeled and cubed

3 – yukon gold potatoes, cubed

1 – red onion, quartered

1 tbsp – chopped fresh thyme

2 tbsp – chopped fresh rosemary

.25 cup – olive oil

2 tbsp – balsamic vinegar

freshly ground black pepper

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 475 degrees.  In a large bowl, combine the squash, red bell peppers, sweet potato, and yukon gold potatoes. Separate the red onion quarters into pieces, and add them to the mixture.  In a small bowl, stir together thyme, rosemary, olive oil, vinegar,  and pepper. Toss with vegetables until they are coated. Spread evenly on a large roasting pan.  Roast for 35 to 40 minutes in the preheated oven, stirring every 10 minutes, or until vegetables are cooked through and browned.

BAKED POTATO TOPPINGS – yes, potatoes are vegetables.  They are in the family of ‘starchy vegetables’  – which are far better for your blood sugar than, say, bread or pasta which are both refined carbohydrates.

‘what to put on the potato’ is a common question when folks stop eating dairy and dangerous fats.  Here’s a list of our favorites:

salsa

steamed broccoli & cauliflower

sauteed spinach & onions

chopped red & green peppers

sauteed mushrooms

grilled zucchini

ground meat and chopped veggies

meatloaf

meatballs and mushroom sauce

olive oil or extra virgin coconut oil

chili

seasoned ground meat

fajita-style seasoned meat w/ salsa and avocado

pepper

low sodium tamari