Mo Veg

It's been a goal of mine to increase my intake of vegetables.
I'm not a true vegetarian, as I eat fish occasionally,
but the bulk of my diet is plant-based.
Here are some quick and simple ways to increase
your daily dose of the good stuff.

One of the easiest ways to enjoy veg

(especially in the winter),

 is to cut them into pieces and roast them.

Here is a combination of onions, carrots, zucchini and sweet potatoes,

liberally coated with olive oil, salt and Italian herbs.

The parchment-lined sheet pan goes into a 375 degree oven

for 20 minutes, then gets turned and cooked for another 10-20 minutes.

The finished product can be added to stews, soups,

or savored as a side dish with any meal.

You'd be amazed at how sweet they taste!

I roasted a half of a red cabbage this same way,
and it was so delicious!
(Any combination of veg can be substituted.)
 
The other half was simply sliced to add to salads.
That crunch is so satisfying,
 and better for you than croutons! 

Using a food processor takes the effort out of shredding veggies.
In just a few seconds, I had more than enough carrots and zucchini shredded
to add to my morning glory muffin recipe.

The rest was dressed simply with homemade honey mustard dressing
and eaten as a side salad with lunch or supper.

Kale is one of my absolute favorite things to eat.
Up until a few years ago, I had never tried it.
It's a regular staple in my daily salads now.
Another way to enjoy this tasty green is to make chips.
I have to admit, I haven't been too successful at this yet,
my chips never seem to get as crisp as I'd like.
It doesn't stop me from eating what comes out of the oven though!



I do often make steak fries out of white potatoes,
and sweet potato fries, both baked instead of fried.
Who can resist a yummy tater?



Acorn squash is another wintertime selection.
It's easy enough just to roast it in the oven with 
some olive oil, salt, cinnamon and a sprinkling of honey or maple syrup.
I have a hard time not eating the whole bowl.




And nothing beats a hot bowl of homemade soup
on a cold or rainy day.
It's as simple as throwing a bunch of chunked veggies
and some select spices into your crockpot with water or broth
and letting it cook on low for 6-8 hours.
By suppertime, you've got a savory and healthy meal. 

Feel free to check out all of the veggie recipes,
which can be found under the header.
We have "allergy-friendly" for those who have limited diets,
and "scratch recipes", including a sampling of vegetarian and vegan options.

Make some extra veggies this weekend
and see what happens!