Simple Sauteed Vegetables

Simple Sauteed Vegetables


This recipe is long overdue for my sweet friend Emily who is learning to cook and is wanting to introduce more vegetables into her family meals.  She had sauteed squash at a meeting luncheon we attended in April and thought it was amazing.  I assured her it was simple, simple, and I would provide more specific instructions.  Here's what I do (this time with Brennan's help).

These are the beautiful vegetables that Mary brought to Brennan and me last week (along with fun family movies!).  We sliced everything up kind of thick - organic squash, zucchini, kohlrabi (my first time!), and peppers. 


You can either spray the hot saute pan with olive oil spray or pour a little olive oil into the pan with the vegetables.  Spread them out and cook them on each side about 5 minutes.

We sprinkle them with garlic powder, sea salt, and black pepper for a little flavor.

The red potatoes I did separately because the other vegetables had already started and I knew these would take a few minutes longer, being thicker.  We sauteed them with fresh rosemary from Mary's garden.  

 

Then we tossed all the vegetables together, added a little fresh parsley and a touch more sea salt and served.  We also microwave the leftovers the next day.

 

 

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Enjoy!

Super Green Kale Soup

Super Green Kale Soup

You want a really, really healthy soup?  That also tastes pretty good?

And is good heated up the next day?  And can be frozen for later?

Then I have the soup for you.

I found this recipe in the You Are What You Eat cookbook by Gillian McKeith.

I thought it was really good, given all the nutrition packed in a bowlful.  The boys were lukewarm about it, but they ate it just fine.  I'll certainly put it in rotation with other soups!

You start by heating just a little olive oil in a pan and cooking sliced onions and garlic.

Then you add peeled and chopped turnips and cook for another few minutes, letting them soften.

Then you add boiling broth and let the soup simmer for 10 minutes or so.

Then you add sliced zucchini...

 ...and chopped kale, and let it cook for another 5 minutes until all of the vegetables are tender.

Then you remove the soup from the heat and allow it to cool before putting it in a blender or food processor.  I used my handy handheld blender directly in the soup pot instead.  I made sure my big slices of zucchini were good and soft before I started.

 Re-warm, and serve!

The original recipe suggests garnishing with fresh dill.  I used raw sunflower seeds instead, and it gave the soup a nice crunch.

Good, and so good for you!



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Enjoy!



Penne al Forno

Penne al Forno

I found this recipe on Dr. Barnard's website and thought it sounded great for a one dish dinner. 

I have a large skillet that I was able to combine all the ingredients in and then place in the oven to bake the dish.   You could always transfer the combined ingredients to a large baking dish before the last step of popping it in the oven. 

Pasta "al Forno" refers to a pasta dish that is cooked on the stove and then baked in the oven.

This dish is highly customizable again. 

The original recipe includes a number of options, so I'll share those with you. 

I sauteed sliced carrots, celery, and zucchini in a spray of olive oil for about 5 minutes.

I added some Italian seasonings and garlic powder.

 

I cooked the penne according to the packaged directions, draining it when it was just barely al dente.

It will continue to cook later in the oven.

Then I poured the hot, drained pasta into the skillet with the vegetables, added the marinara sauce, and the rinsed & drained beans, and combined it well.

I placed the covered dish in the oven and baked it at 350* for 12 minutes.

And done!

I pulled this dish out of the oven, told the family what was in it, and ran out the door for a church meeting, without trying it.

First thing David told me when I got home was that it was a really good dish. 
They liked the beans (which were an optional ingredient in the original recipe), and my concerns that there wasn't enough marinara sauce were unwarranted. 

Everyone liked it. 

Along with the cannellini beans, other optional ingredients included:  2 cups of diced Roma tomatoes, 2 diced roasted bell peppers, 1/4 c sliced olives, and chopped onion.

I will go with 12 oz of pasta next time instead of 16 oz, but overall - a win for my family!

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Buon Appetito!

Baked Zucchini Chips

Baked Zucchini Chips

I have seen this recipe in a number of places on Pinterest, in magazines, and on Facebook.

I thought I'd try it out and see how we liked it.

I think it's a great veggie side.  We all liked it and it took very little prep - perfect for the summer!

In addition to the zucchini, I tried this recipe with a squash that I had on hand.

Worked great for both.

I sliced up both vegetables rather thinly and laid them on a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Then I sprinkled them with Kosher salt and Italian seasonings.

You don't want to overseason because the vegetables shrink so you'd be biting into a lot of seasoning.

Then I baked them at 225* for 30 minutes, turned the sheet and baked another 30 minutes.

The longer you bake them, the crispier they get.  Some recipes call for 45 minutes, turn, then another 45 minutes.

And serve!

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Enjoy!

Good, but probably won't make it that often

Chicken Rollatini

Skinnytaste's Chicken Rollatini

I've shared before my love of Gina's Skinny Recipes on her blog Skinnytaste.com.

She shared this one recently and I tried it this week.

Although it's a multi-step process, it was rather quick to assemble and bake.

And really tasty!

You cook shredded zucchini and garlic together, adding Parmesan and mozzarella.

You add this mixture to a thin chicken cutlet and roll up.

Dip in a lemon juice/olive oil mixture and then in Italian breadcrumbs.

Bake for 30 minutes at 450* and you're ready to serve with your favorite vegetable.

I modified the recipe slightly.

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Delicious!

Zucchini Noodles

Reluctant Entertainer's Zucchini Noodles

It's rare when my 3 boys like a recipe more than I do.

I was not a huge fan of the Zucchini Noodles with Alfredo Sauce that I served for lunch yesterday, but David and the boys did.  They all 3 asked me to make it again.

Well, OK.

I found this recipe on Sandy's blog The Reluctant Entertainer.

She has wonderful straight-from-the-garden recipes.

I served the noodles with heated Alfredo sauce.

Next time I will add shredded rotisserie chicken to make it more filling.

But the main idea is here.

You can add whatever sauce you'd like and serve with a big salad for a great, healthy meal.

Using a vegetable peeler, peel several zucchini into thin noodle-like strips, discarding the very center of the zucchini. 

Pat with paper towels and saute in olive oil with salt and pepper on the stove top for 3-5 minutes for a large batch like this one.

Drain and place in your serving dish and top with your sauce and chicken.

A great alternative to traditional noodles, and my family really liked it!

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Enjoy!