Want to do something great for your immune system? Something more for your waistline? Add More Veggies! I mean it. And look…
Don’t they look lovely? This pan of veggies started as a Mira Poix…. (Meerah pwah). That’s the base of what the French use to create every sauce. It’s onions, celery and carrots. (If you’re smart, you’ll cut everything the same size so it cooks evenly). So that’s where I started when I was thinking about what to cook for dinner.
I added some tiny tomatoes, grape size they call them, cut in half. And then of course, I got a little crazy. I added chopped red and green peppers because it was going with sausage (for the family) and you know how good sausage, onions and peppers are, yes?
YES CHEF!
Then I dared to throw in frozen peas. But if you start with lots of fresh ingredients, the frozen works waaaay better!
So look at that! You can add sauces. You can add torn up Prosciutto, a cured ham that really packs a punch in flavor. Pictured here are those same veggies with some olive oil, and some crumbled sausage. Oh yes. Don’t forget the pasta (but try to use way less to make the veggies the star)!
You can add parmesan cheese to top it off, if you like. And the family has a meal with lots of veggies, without hating it!
Let’s look at the standard ‘go to’ 4th of July or any summer dinner we find Americans going for.
As you may know, I am a plant based eater, most of the time. So this past 4th of July, I grilled Beyond Beef Burgers, with caramelized onions. I took red potatoes and stuffed them with plant based sour cream and I added to that an onion/chive dried packet which make it like an onion dip.
Next, I took cabbage and carrots to make my coleslaw. I added White Horseradish, a splash of Apple Cider Vinegar, a couple of tablespoons of Vegan Mayo, some Relish and a quick squirt of Mustard, to make a real yummy coleslaw. By the way, you do know the key ingredient in Mustard is our favorite antioxidant Turmeric, yes?
YES CHEF!
Well alrighty then! Back to the meal! What else do we see in that picture? Tomatoes…. pickles, sugar free catsup and corn.
OMG! Corn is in season. And the only corn to eat is Organic. That’s something I must insist on. If you do nothing else organic, go for the corn. It tastes so good. No chemicals getting in the way of flavor!
Let’s take it one step further…. Cut your corn in half or thirds, trimming off the tops till you can actually feel corn through the husk. Then use veg broth to boil it in. When you go to open it, just peel back the husk and you’re in business. No need for butter, salt or anything else. The the silk, those strings that surround the corn, come right off!
I hope you will be motivated to buy some organic corn and test it yourself, especially cooked in it’s own skin. Amazing. Good corn lets me know, it’s summer!
Healthy Happy Eating,
