Roasted Veggies: Getting my raw materials ready for the week!

How to eat healthy, homemade food, save time and not end up with soggy rotten veggies in your fridge at the end of the week?

I have blogged before about prepping veggies in advance for the week. It ensures that even when you are dog tired and don't feel like cooking at the end of a long day, you can still eat something delicious and healthy at home!

This week I bought a bunch of veggies at the market on my day off and got them all ready in no time by using the oven to roast them. The advantage over other kinds of cooking is a) the flavor and versatility of roasted veggies and b) the fact that you are free to read, blog, nap or watch cat videos on YouTube while your veggies cook!

Veggies all chopped up and ready to be seasoned in the bowl!

Fresh ingredients this week:

• 1 zucchini
• 1 eggplant
• 2 tomatoes
• 1 red onion
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 carrot
• 5 cloves of garlic

Other ingredients:

• Sea Salt
• Black pepper
• Dry Thyme
• Olive Oil

Before cooking, the seasoned veggies are all spread out on a baking sheet/pan.

Instructions:

• Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius
• Wash and chop the veggies -- I sliced the eggplant and carrot into rounds, quartered the onion and tomatoes, cut the bell pepper into thick strips and left the garlic cloves whole, with the skins on. The zucchini was chopped into bite-sized cubes.
• Put all the chopped veggies in a large bowl.
• Add salt and pepper to taste, sprinkle some thyme and add a few lugs of olive oil.
• Toss to coat.
• Spread onto a baking tray.
• Pop into the oven for 45min. or so. Go do something fun.

These ingredients are to be transformed throughout the week into delicious meals, different every time so you don't get bored. Stay tuned!

Cooked and ready to be transformed into any delicious meal!

Simple Steamed Broccoli

This is super simple, but for people who don't like veggies unless they are either fried or smothered in cheese/cream/oil/mayo or something else of that sort, this simple dish is how I converted my little sister, back in the day.

Green Goodness!

Broccoli is so delicious all by itself that there is no need for much else. The biggest broccoli crime is overcooking, so here's how to get delicious broccoli that is cooked just right and still looks green and retains some crispness:

1. Wash and cut up the broccoli so that you preserve the natural florets. 
2. Wash and chop the broccoli stems, too, even the big thick one! So many of the vitamins are in the stem and I swear I am being honest when I say it might be my favorite part of the broccoli -- it is crunchy, flavorful and just awesome.
3. The thick stem and some of the bigger florets can be quickly peeled. Removing this thick outer layer makes the stems less fibrous and tough, and you will enjoy them a lot more.
4. In a small pot or saucepan, put about one centimeter (approx. half an inch) of water, a teaspoon of salt, about one tablespoon of olive oil and some minced garlic (about 1-2 cloves should be enough). Add red pepper flakes if desired, and bring to a rolling boil (since there's not much water, this should not take long!)
5. Once the water is boiling, add the broccoli and cover tightly. The broccoli will not be covered by water; it will be steamed and absorb the flavors of the good stuff you put in there.
6. The broccoli will be DONE in 3-5min -- do NOT overcook it! 3min is pretty crunchy, 5min is more well-cooked but still a bright green with some crunch ;)

This should be delicious on it's own, or you can add a bit of olive oil and/or some soy sauce, depending how you want to enjoy it.

This will keep for a few days in the fridge and can be eaten cold, used in salads, etc.

I swear this simple recipe is delicious, healthy, and a great way to get reluctant veggie eaters converted ;)

Guacamole Quickie!

Tired, hungry, not in the mood for cooking, haven't been to the market yet this week! But I found a tomato, a ripe avocado, half a lime, and the red onion I had barely scratched the day before. Guacamole for dinner?

I like snacking for dinner sometimes and, as long as it's a healthy snack, why not? Snacking + Dinner = Snicker?! or Snacker?!

Guacamole Snacker!

1. I cut the tomato in half, cored it, and cut it into small cubes. 
2. Then I cut open the avocado, removed the stone and scooped it into a bowl using a soup spoon.
3. I sliced some of the red onion finely.
4. I put a large clove of garlic through the garlic press and added it to the mix.
5. I squeezed half a lime into the bowl, and added a large pinch of salt and a smaller pinch of coriander powder.
6. I mixed it up nicely and ate it with pita bread. Yum, Snacker!

I add just a tad of red onion, very finely sliced, since I can't really stand the onion breath!

I don't always core the tomato, but I was in the mood today!

Yummy avocado!

Garlic Crusher: My New Best Friend

Garlic crusher saves me time, crushes/minces garlic a lot more finely than I would ever have the patience to do with a knife, and spares me of fingers that smell like garlic, which I can't stand! I am not one for fancy kitchen equipment, but garlic crusher is amazingly useful and very inexpensive! You don't even have to peel the garlic!

Love this little guy! If you don't already have one, I highly recommend buying one!