5 Vegetables That Deserve A Shout-Out (& Perfect For Summer)
Did You Know? “6% of U.S. consumers now claim to be vegan, up from just 1% in 2014.” ( v i a )
Shout out VEGGIES!!!
You know what they say, you can’t change a guy? Don’t even try. Well folks, I’ve done it, I’ve changed Wafiq. From the guy that knew the name of the person working drive-thru at McDonald’s to the guy asking for Brussel Sprouts at dinner. Miracles happening everyday over here. And things have been progressing quickly because BOTH of us noticed that a majority of our grocery shopping is happening in the first section of the store with all the plants. Fresh veggies! Even if we don’t know what it is, we know we’ll like it. Something about summer has you craving fresh, real, food… like veggies, you know?
With that said, I wanted to share just how easy all these veggies are to make/eat. Give them a shout out because they’re classic diet staples but don’t get the appreciation they deserve. I shared 5 veggies, so you can have a different one every day of the week.
5 Vegetables That Deserve A Shout Out
1. Broccoli
I prefer broccoli either raw or steamed. I eat a lot of raw veggies but honestly, only because it’s the quickest. Typically, I chop the broccoli in bite size pieces, wash them and toss in a little olive oil, salt and garlic powder. Lay them flat on a baking sheet and cook for 15 min on 350. Until they’re soft pieces. I bake broccoli almost every night, feels like the quickest & easiest.
2. Brussel Sprouts
The KEY! Is to bake Brussel Sprouts at a super high temp. I wash the Brussel sprouts, chop off the ends and then chop them in half. In a bowl, I toss with generous amounts of olive oil, salt and a little pepper. Lay them on a baking pan in one layer and bake for 10 min at 450. Then flip them and bake for another 10 mins. We like our Brussel Sprouts borderline burned, don’t be afraid if they start looking a little black… and Boom! Take them out of the oven, mix, and add a little salt if needed – consume! Hands down my favorite veggie at the moment. When I’m really feeling like time is on my side I’ll peel garlic cloves and put them in the mix from the beginning too.
3. Asparagus
My favorite way to do asparagus is on the grill with food OR a steamer. Top with lots of lemon!!
4. Tomatoes
Tomatoes might be a fruit, that snuck in the post? The only way I really enjoy tomatoes is with olive oil drizzled over the top with a sprinkle of salt. I first learned to do this in the Dominican Republic. The host mom I lived with always had a plate of tomatoes cut up this way as a side salad & I murdered the tomato every time! I can eat 4 whole tomatoes in one sitting. The more flavorful tomatoes the better, and I notice I have to try a variety at my grocery store before I know which tomatoes I prefer.
5. Cauliflower
My preferred raw veggie – cauliflower. I can snack on cauliflower all day er day. Raw. Although I know cauliflower is the trendy veggie at the moment because it can be a good replacement for pizza crust, rice, and mashed potatoes, sometimes we don’t have time for all that jazz. The new OBSESSION in our house is the garlic dip they sell at Trader Joe’s. I found a similar one on Amazon (here) but if you have a Trader Joe’s near your house, ask about it! You won’t regret it! Garlic Dip > Hummus.
Other vegetables to add to our list?? I know there’s a few I walk by in the produce section that I don’t know what to do with, so they get left behind…
Wafiq and I just got back from Galveston where our entire diet was veggies for lunch and fresh fish for dinner, our idea of perfect. I’m going to post a little more about Galveston later in the week so keep an eye out for that! Currently, I’m waiting for Wafiq to finish watching Game Of Thrones so we can watch something a little less… old? In the meantime, writing about veggies seemed fitting.
Have a great week & be thoughtful…
Xx