Five New Veggies to Try This Week
Need to spice up your veggie rotation? Getting tired of green beans and steamed broccoli? Don’t worry – I’ve got you covered with five new vegetables to try out this week. Plus, I've provided you with links to various recipes you can try. But basically, any of these veggies can be roasted with a little salt, pepper, and coconut oil until tender. and they will be amazing! Enjoy!
1. Spaghetti Squash
This squash is the ultimate noodle alternative. It is simple to cook and so much fun to eat! You can roast in in the oven at 375 for about 40 minutes (pierce it with a knife a few times first) or stick it in the slow cooker with about 2 inches of water for a couple of hours. When it’s tender, take it out, let it cool a minute, and cut it in half. Scoop out the seeds in the middle and use a fork to flake up the “noodles” which are the flesh of the squash.
How do you enjoy it? Add some sea salt and pepper and serve underneath homemade spaghetti sauce. Or form a little patty and fry it up in a pan to give the squash some crispiness. Need more ideas? Check out any of these recipe links:
2. Beets
Yes, the brightly colored root veggie that will stain your hands if you aren’t careful! Not only are beets overflowing with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, they are also pretty tasty too. You can steam them or roast them to keep things simple, or kick it up a notch with any of these recipes:
3. Plantains
Not a well known veggie, plantains are similar to bananas, but starchier and more versatile. You can use them when they are green, yellow, or brown - what differs is the level of sweetness. Green plantains are the most tart (and hardest to peel), while yellow or brown plantains are ripe and sweeter.
Personally, I love plantains when they are a mix of yellow and green, with maybe a few brown spots starting to appear (like a banana). I cut off the two ends, peel them, and slice them into 1/4" coins. I bake those at 400 degree for 15 minutes or so, flipping them halfway through. They have a different flavor that I really enjoy! You can also try out any of these recipes:
Empowered SustenancePaleo Leap
4. Brussel Sprouts
I love love love these little guys! They are my favorite to add to a sauté or roast in the oven with a little garlic, sea salt, and pepper. Even if you let them get a little overdone and burnt, they are even tastier! Just promise me, whatever you do, DO NOT steam them to mush. They will not taste good, and won’t provide you with any nutrients. Find a different way to make them, like any of the recipes below.
5. Eggplant
Yet another purple veggie! I recently started eating eggplant and love its flavor. You can slice it lengthwise or widthwise and roast it with sea salt and pepper. Or, cut it in half and roast it until tender and stuff it with whatever you desire. Here’s a few more recipes to try:
Give any of these veggies a try sometime this week to add a little variety to your vegetable routine. I hope you enjoy!
Xoxo Olivia