Fast Meals Fit For Resolutions

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We know your new year is full of goals, resolutions, and plans for a great 2019, ours is too. You’re at a spin class this week, trying yoga the next. Having green juice for breakfast, quinoa bowls for dinner, and totally not drinking (okay… maybe a glass or two – I mean, it’s got antioxidants, right?). On top of that you’ve still got a full workload, social obligations, and family life…

You’ve also committed to eating more veggies. So how do you fit them in? We’ve got some great ideas for delicious & healthy recipes you can make in 20 minutes and under.

  1. Winter in the South is the best time for Braised Mustard Greens, and this delicious recipe will be the perfect end-of-day treat, only requiring one pan of clean up!
  2. Just finished your morning work out, and want a healthy way to start the rest of your day? Add a few eggs to this Garden Bok Choy Stir Fry, and you’ll have plenty of veggie-centered energy to get you to lunch or later.
  3. Even when you’re eating clean, you still want to snack. Instead of grabbing the chips and dip, try carrot sticks and hummus. Chickpeas are a great source of protein, and will keep you feeling satisfied until your main meal.
  4. Though we’re used to seeing coleslaw as a side, this delicious Mexican Coleslaw can make a great lunch. Mix this with a protein and some avocado – so good!
  5. For something you can prep at home on Sunday and take to the office for the perfect light lunch, try Vietnamese Spring Rolls. They’re easy to assemble, and you can create any combination of delicious veggies to suit the contents of your fridge.

 

Ready to get cooking? Tag us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter with the hashtags #vegoutrfs & #vegout2019!

 

Dinner In A Minute, Please!

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You’re exhausted, it’s been a busy day, and you’re tempted to just call for takeout and open a bottle of wine. We get it. But we also know how that’s going to feel tomorrow morning. The good news is, we’ve got some ideas for making your weeknights speedy, easy, and deliciously healthy!

  1. Quinoa – This ancient grain is nutritious, easy to cook, and pairs well with almost everything. It only take 10 minutes from start to finish, then you can combine it hot or cold with whatever protein and veggies you’re having for dinner, and viola!– a delicious meal in minutes.
  2. Casserole – Trust us, they don’t have to be dense, tasteless bakes. There are ways to make this easy prepare-ahead dish delicious. Try a gratin, or layer some leftovers with onions, beans, parmesan, and a few spices and throw it under the broiler.
  3. Salad – This can be a delicious fast dinner, not to mention  light and nutritious to end the day. Clean out the refrigerator and  mix whatever greens you have with a protein and any combination of vegetables and beans, or eliminate greens altogether and mix corn with your favorite Mexican flavors. 
  4. Two Pot Spot – Have some time, but don’t want to do fancy dicing, sifting, or layering? Try something like ratatouille, where you can dump a whole bunch of veggies together on a baking tray, roast them, and serve over quinoa, grits, rice, or even fold into an omelet. You’ll keep the clean up to a minimum and have a dish you can eat in multiple ways.
  5. Stir Fry – While you will need to do a bit of chopping, this delicious dish cooks in under 10 minutes. Using rice you prepared during the weekend, or grating a cauliflower to use as rice, will make dinner prep even quicker.

Chefs In The Field

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A chance to sit at candlelit tables in the field, enjoying delicious food, and counting 16 veggies toward your challenge? Yes please!

On Sunday night we had our third dinner at Hope Farms, with four incredible chefs cooking veggies straight from the field. Chef Tommy from Fig & Olive cooked a pig over the coals, transformed peppers into paella, and our VegOut! October Ambassador Erin O’Leary Stewart grilled eggplant & baked cakes with root veggies. We also had the two chefs behind the upcoming restaurant Musaafer cooking intricate dishes inspired by their homeland.

We often think of going out to eat as a tax on the stomach – rich food, bread, and lots of wine – but it can be both delicious and healthy! We totaled 16 different vegetables during this farm dinner. That’s half of your challenge right there!

So next time you want to dine out, consider a farm dinner, farm to table restaurant, or a local spot that places emphasis on regional vegetables.

How do we get hearts of palm?

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This tasty vegetable goes through a surprisingly complicated process before being served. Follow the trail of hearts of palm from a seedling to delectable side dish in this clip from The Science Channel’s “How It’s Made.” Have you ever tried hearts of palm? What was the dish?

Would you, could you eat a cactus?

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You might envision cactus as the spiky plant to avoid in desert climates, rather than a tasty veggie. However, nopales is easy to find in Houston grocers, often already cleaned of their prickly spines. Once cooked, they have a likeness to green beans. Have you ever eaten cactus? What did you think?