Tag: side dish

More Broccoli Please!

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Broccoli is a side-dish that just never gets old. This green cruciferous veggie is always in style because it’s rich in nutrients that aid inflammation, oxidative stress, digestion, detoxification, and even prevents diseases like cancer. When prepared right, even the kids will want more!

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Simple Broccoli with Lemon, Garlic, and Pine Nuts:

Ingredients:

  • 1 large head of fresh organic broccoli cut into pieces
  • 1 clove garlic, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon coconut oil (or another high-heat oil)
  • 1/2 lemon
  • 2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
  • 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
  • salt and pepper to taste

Sauté chopped garlic in coconut oil. Once browned, take off heat and combine in bowl with olive oil, lemon juice, and dijon mustard. Whisk until consistent. While toasting pine nuts, steam broccoli in a broiling pan or steamer until just cooked. Pour garlic dressing and toasted pine nuts over warm broccoli, salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy as a side dish or snack! For a whole meal, add chickpeas or tempeh before sautéing garlic!

One Healthy Breakdown: tasty and healthy means broccoli done right.

Roastin’ up Veggies

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photo 4Roasting veggies is often on my Sunday or Monday agenda. It’s a great way to have veggies ready for the week and makes dinners a breeze. I mix it up and use whatever I have; broccoli, zucchini, squash, mushrooms, asparagus, potatoes, eggplant, kale, brussels sprouts, onions, cauliflower, tomatoes, onions, cabbage, carrots, beets, peppers, garlic…anything goes when roastin’ up veggies.

Put ’em all together, or separate, (your call) on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Add your favorite herbs and spices and spritz with your choice of oil, vinegar, lemon juice, etc.

photo 1My go-to’s:

1. Drizzle with olive or coconut oil, fresh lemon juice, and a little vinegar (apple cider or balsamic) add garlic, (minced, whole cloves, or garlic powder) pepper, and a light sprinkle of sea salt. I like to use this combo when roasting any green veggie, summer squash, broccoli slaw, etc.

2. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with rosemary, oregano, basil, and a little sea salt and pepper. I use this for eggplant, squash, tomatoes, etc.

Cook at 400 degrees for about 15-45 minutes depending on the vegetable, check to see when veggies start to brown and broil for a few minutes at the end if you like ’em crispy. Use veggies as a side, a main dish with protein or a grain, make a veggie salad, or keep on hand for healthy munchies throughout the day. It’s limitless. It’s simple. It’s easy, healthy, and yummy.

One Healthy Breakdown: roastin’ up lots of veggies will ensure you’re stocked up, which makes choosing veggies over french fries an easy YES!

Food Revolution Day and Beet Slaw For All!

This past Friday was the Food Revolution Day Community Potluck at the Bridgehampton School.  Together with Slow Food East End and The Edible School Gardens, locals gathered to celebrate Jamie Oliver’s National Food Revolution Day. Jamie Oliver’s mission fosters food education in schools so that children understand where food comes from. Food Revolution Day celebrates the act of cooking real food.  Based on the motto “cook it, share it, live it,” meaning that preparing meals from scratch and sharing the gift of food with one another is important, something we should be instilling in ourselves and the next generation.

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It is so important for children to know where food comes from and the importance of consuming real food; this could greatly decrease the obesity rate and make us all healthier across the board.  There are now 22 schools participating in the local Edible School Gardens’ mission by planting their food and integrating food education into the curriculum.  Children get to plant the seeds themselves and then see their own work come to life and grow into usable produce which the students then get to enjoy in their own cafeteria.

On Friday, I got the pleasure of meeting some local farmers, chefs, and other members of the community who share a common interest in real, good food. We enjoyed amazing local dishes, from quiche to quinoa, pea hummus, and an abundance of salad variations made from fresh local greens.  Local chef and health coach Nadia Ernestus demonstrated a few healthy slaw recipes and the aroma of the fresh herbs, spices, and lemon zest spread amongst the field.

Luckily, my friend Megan Schmidt (founder of The Good Farm Delivery & editor of The Good Bowl) has shared a delicious beet slaw recipe adapted from one of Nadia’s previous creations.  This unique beet slaw is full of color, taste, and best of all, is jam-packed with nutrients!  We use lemon juice instead of mayonnaise for a healthy slaw that’s tastier too!

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RAW BEET, CARROT, AND APPLE SLAW

Ingredients:

2 large beets, trimmed and peeled

3-4 large carrots, trimmed and peeled

1 large apple, cored and peeled

the juice of one lemon

1/4 dried cranberries (optional)

Grate the beets, carrots and apple together and combine in large bowl. (Using the grating attachment of your food processor makes this a snap.) Stir in the lemon juice and let stand at least 15 minutes.  Add the dried cranberries and serve.  Serves 6 as a side.

One Healthy Breakdown: Join the Food Revolution – eat and celebrate real food!