Jazz Up Your Veggies

We all know that we should take good care of ourselves. After all, the efforts that we put in now into looking after our bodies will show later on as we grow older. One of the biggest and most important things we can due to ensure our health is to have a nutritious diet. That includes eating lots of vegetables. I adore vegetables, especially tomatoes, asparagus, and garlic (not raw, but in food!). I try to eat as much veggies as I can a day, or drink vegetable juice. One of the biggest reasons why most people skip on their vegetables is due to the fact that they think veggies are not tasty, or are simply used in uncreative ways in food. I have found a solution on how to jazz up your veggies, and make some wonderful dishes. The following recipes are ones that I’ve made up (or made my own version of) and love making at home, and the ingredients are measured solely by eye-proportion (meaning they can be adjusted).

Tomato and Onion Sour Cream Salad

*2 plumb tomatoes
*1 medium onion
*½ cup sour cream (you can use light sour cream)
*salt and pepper to taste

-Cut each tomato into four big pieces, then cut in half each piece (so slices will look like crescent moons)
-Chop up the onion into similar slices, but don’t mince
-Add the sour cream, salt, and pepper, and mix.
It’s sooo good!

Asparagus Sticks with Olive Oil and Parmesan Cheese

*a bunch of asparagus sticks
*¼ cup olive oil
*1 garlic clove
*salt and pepper
*store bought parmesan cheese

-Preheat skillet to medium-high heat, and add olive oil.
-Mince the garlic clove and add to olive oil
-Chop the asparagus sticks in half, and add to hot oil
-Let cook for 5-7 minutes
-Sprinkle cheese on top of hot asparagus, and drizzle with hot olive oil from skillet
The cheese and garlic add great taste to the normally bland asparagus.


Garlic Broccoli in Olive Oil

*a bouquet of broccoli
*1 garlic clove
*¼ cup of olive oil
*1 lemon
*salt
*pepper

-in a medium pot boil water, then add approx. 1 teaspoon salt
-wash broccoli then cut the stems and drop broccoli into the boiling water
-let cook for 5-7 minutes, until broccoli is tender by fork touch
-preheat skillet to medium-high heat and add olive oil after a few minutes
-mince garlic and add to oil
-remove broccoli from boiling water and add into skillet
-add lemon juice after 2-3 minutes, basting the oil onto the veggies
-remove the broccoli from the skillet, and add pepper to taste
Super healthy and delicious.