Veggies are good. Veggies are sweet. Veggies are full of fiber. Veggies are good for you.
Veggies are a pain in the butt to prep !
But if you do a whole big platter when you have time over the weekend, then you can eat off of it all week long 🙂
As a snack, dip veggies in low fat dressing. As a side to lunch or dinner, drizzle with balsamic vinegar. Chop up and use in soups, salads and stews. The possibilities are endless !
So take 1/2 hour over the weekend and get your veggie on !
These are great served for breakfast, lunch or dinner – the cooked onions added in with the potatoes makes for a really great dish with lots of taste.
4 servings
225 calories per serving
1 bag Oreida Steam and Mash Potatoes (24 oz)
5 t oil
2 onions, finely chopped
3 T low fat sour cream
¾ t salt
¼ t pepper
1/8 t nutmeg
3 T flour
Heat the potatoes according to package instructions. Heat 1 t oil in skillet and add the onions and sauté 7-9 minutes until golden and tender. In a large bowl mash the potatoes with the sour cream, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Stir in the cooked onions and make 8 cakes. Heat 2 t oil on medium heat. Dredge the 8 cakes in the flour and sauté half the batch for 3 minutes or until crusty. Flip and cook another 3 minutes. Repeat with the second batch.
Umami – the fifth taste (after salt, sweet, bitter, and sour) – Umami tastes earthy and savory – and a perfect example of the taste is mushrooms or tomatoes – and this recipe has both – it is umami-delicious !
4 servings
108 calories per serving
Just about any mushroom with work in this recipe, but I like portobellos for their intense mushroom flavor.
1 t oil
1 c sliced baby portobello mushrooms
1/2 c grape tomatoes, halved
1 garlic clove, minced
2 containers precooked brown rice (4.4 oz each)
1/4 t salt
1/8 t pepper
Heat oil in a large skillet on medium high and add mushrooms. Cook for 2 minutes and add tomatoes and garlic and cook another 2 minutes. Heat rice in microwave according to package instructions. Add to mushroom mix along with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.
This is high cal for a vegetable dish but served as a lunch alongside some tuna sprinkled with lemon, it’s a nice change. You don’t even need to wait for good summer tomatoes, because the cooking brings out the sweetness.
4 servings
285 calories per serving
Pam
1 1/2 c plain breadcrumbs
1/4 c parmesan cheese
1 T lemon zest
2 T olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
4 large tomatoes
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray baking dish with Pam. In a bowl combine breadcrumbs, cheese, zest and oil. Add salt and pepper. Slice tomatoes and arrange in dish. Season with salt and pepper and top with breadcrumb mixture. Bake 20-25 minutes.
Take what is typically a dry dish when served plain (couscous), add some love, and you get a couscous dish to rave about ! The sun dried tomatoes and portobellos are just the perfect addition to couscous.
4 servings
178 calories per serving
1 c dehydrated sun dried tomatoes
½ c plus 2 T raw couscous
1 t oil
3 cloves garlic, minced fine
2 scallions, chopped
1/3 c chopped basil
¼ c chopped cilantro
Juice of ½ lemon
Salt and pepper to taste
4 oz. portobello mushroom caps, chopped
Soak tomatoes with 1 c hot water for ½ hour then drain, but reserve the water. Chop tomatoes. Combine reserved water with enough more water to make 1 ½ c and bring to a boil then stir in the couscous and oil, cover and remove from heat. Let stand 5 minutes then fluff with a fork. Spray the skillet with Pam then stir in the tomatoes, garlic and onions and cook 5-6 minutes. If it starts to get too dry, add a tablespoon or more of hot water during the cooking process, then add the fresh herbs, juice, salt and pepper and the mushrooms and cook another 5 minutes. Combine all in a bowl and mix well.
Great served hot – and equally as good served chilled. This side salad has a great taste and is very easy to prepare!
4 servings
280 calories per serving
2 c Minute brown rice, uncooked
6 oz. baby spinach leaves
11 oz. can mandarin oranges
½ c light Catalina dressing
Cook rice according to package instructions. Place in a bowl and add spinach and oranges then toss with dressing t coat.
Tomatillos are spicy little green fruits in the tomato family – you have probably eaten them in some salsas (salsa verde which translates to green salsa) and tomatillo sauces. Grilling them brings out a nice sweet flavor. This is a nice spicy addition to a meal that may be a bit on the blander side.
I served it aside Broiled Cod with Chili Powder – it was a great double whammy of flavor 🙂
4 servings
154 calories per serving
¼ c basil leaves
1 clove garlic
1 T lemon juice
6 tomatillos cut into 1/2″ thick slices
1 T oil
Heat grill and oil grates or a grill pan. In a food processor mix the basil, garlic and lemon juice until smooth (adding 1-2 t water if needed). Brush tomatillo slices with oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill until lightly charred and then serve with basil sauce.
Simple yet fancy. Light yet filling. This is a great side salad. If you are making it as a main salad instead of a side, add some grilled leftover chicken.
8 servings
140 calories per serving
2 c grape tomatoes
11 oz. can artichoke hearts, drained and cut into chunks
10 oz. spring mix salad
1 c low fat shredded cheddar cheese
½ c low fat balsamic vinaigrette
Mix salad ingredients and then combine with dressing.
Since your carbs and veggies are together in one dish, this recipe is a great side dish to complete a fish or chicken dish. It has just the right amount of veggies and a lovely mild flavor.
6 servings
147 calories per serving
1 T oil
1 c chopped onion
½ c chopped carrots
1/2 c chopped celery
½ c chopped red peppers
14.5 oz. chicken broth
1 ½ c Minute white rice, raw
1 c frozen peas
Salt and pepper to taste
Heat oil in skillet and sauté onions, carrots, celery, peppers, salt and pepper for 7 minutes. Add broth and bring to a boil and stir in the rice and peas. Cover and simmer 5 minutes then remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes so liquid is absorbed.
Instead of basil, this pesto is made with arugula and adds a nice tang to the salad. Sometimes instead of the yukon gold potatoes I use unpeeled new potatoes and the recipe is just as delicious !
8 servings
208 calories per serving
2 lb. Yukon gold potatoes
2 ½ c arugula leaves
1/3 c parmesan cheese, grated
1/3 c pine nuts, toasted
3 T water
2 t lemon juice
4 cloves garlic, minced
½ t salt
½ t pepper
¼ c olive oil
1 c grape tomatoes, halved
Cook potatoes covered in salted water 25 minutes or until tender. Drain and cool. Then peel the potatoes and cube them. Here is a great video on how to easily boil and peel potatoes.
In a food processor mix arugula, 1/3 c cheese, 1/3 c pine nuts, water, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper then slowly add the oil and mix thoroughly. Pour mix over potatoes and stir in tomatoes. Serve at room temperature.
