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Vegetables

Squash Heaven

My husband can’t get enough of this one, so I double the recipe to serve it several times.

Image by Eric Prouzet
Oven Roasted Veggies

Choose your favorite veggies or whatever is in season to make this simple dish.

Vegetables
Cauliflower Prima Vera

A delicious medley of vegetables over a bed of cauliflower rice.

Image by Irene Kredenets
Sautéed Brussel Sprouts

Sweet and savory brussel sprouts. 

Brussels Sprouts
Large Portobello Mushroom Steak

Serve this as an alternative to red meat and be amazed!

Preparing Soup
No-Noodle Zucchini Lasagna

This is a cook once, eat twice recipe. I sometimes even double it and put half in the freezer for later.

Image by Caroline Attwood
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Image by Eric Prouzet

Squash Heaven

Ingredients

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  • 2 yellow squash (cut in half from top to bottom, then cut into ¼ inch pieces)

  • 2 zucchini (cut in half from top to bottom, then cut into ¼ inch pieces)

  • 1 cup mushroom (cut fresh mushrooms into small pieces)

  • 1 small onion, diced

  • ¼ cup Braggs Liquid Amino or Coconut Amino (½ to ¼ the salt of soy sauce, and has no MSG)

  • 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

 

Instructions

 

  1. Put oil and liquid amino in a pan.

  2. Turn stove top on at medium heat.

  3. Stir until veggies are sautéed and cooked thoroughly.

  4. Store left overs in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

 

Health Benefits:

Yellow Squash – Abundant in Vitamin C and antioxidants.

Zucchini – Full of Vitamin C, good for weight, diabetic and heart management, reduces arthritis, good for the nervous system and has a high fiber content.

Mushrooms – (SEE Superfoods: Super Vegetables)

Onion – May benefit heart health, control blood sugar, boost bone density, loaded with antioxidants, and cancer-fighting compounds.

Olive oil – (SEE Superfoods:  Super Fruits)

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Brussels Sprouts

Sautéed Brussel Sprouts

Ingredients

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  • 2 lbs brussel sprouts

  • 1 large onion

  • ¼ cup Braggs Liquid Amino (GMO free, a soy sauce substitute) or Coconut Amino

  • 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

  • 1 Tbsp maple syrup (If avoiding sugar, use 1 Tbsp monk fruit and or ¼ tsp stevia)

 

Instructions

 

  1. Put first four ingredients into pan on stove top at medium heat.

  2. Sauté for 15 to 30 minutes, until the desired texture occurs, stirring frequently.

  3. When almost done, add the sweetener of your choice. Maple syrup and monk fruit will caramelize. Stevia will sweeten but will not caramelize.

 

Health Benefits:

Brussels sprouts – Rich in antioxidants, reducing risk of cancer, heart disease, and diabetes, high in fiber and Vitamin K. 

Onion – May benefit heart health, control blood sugar, boost bone density, loaded with antioxidants and cancer-fighting compounds.

Olive oil (SEE Superfoods: Super Fruits)

Maple syrup – Numerous antioxidants, fight inflammatory diseases (when eaten in moderation), protects against cancer.

Vegetables

Oven Roasted Veggies

Directions​

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  1. Put parchment paper on a large cookie sheet.

  2. Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees.

  3. Cut vegetables in ½ to ¾ inch pieces. Make most of your veggies the same size for best roasting results.

  4. Lay the veggies in a pile on the parchment paper.

  5. Spoon oil over veggies.

  6. With your hands turn the veggies over and over getting each piece somewhat coated with the oil.

  7. Spread the veggies out on the parchment paper.

  8. Cook veggies for 20 minutes.

  9. Turn veggies and set timer for 10 to 20 more minutes.

  10. Use a spatula to serve onto plates. Store remaining veggies in air tight container for up to 5 days.

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I choose 2-3 different vegetables: onions, mushrooms, sweet potatoes, beets, brussels sprouts, green beans, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, bell pepper, etc. I use 1-2 cups each depending on how many servings I'm making. 

 

Health Benefits of Vegetables – Dietary fiber from vegetables helps reduce blood cholesterol levels and may lower the risk of heart disease. Vegetables contains folate and potassium; both help the body form healthy red blood cells. Check out the Super Vegetables in the Superfoods section of the recipes.

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Preparing Soup

Large Portobello Mushroom Steak

Ingredients

 

  • 4 large cap portobello mushrooms

  • ¼ cup Liquid Amino (Soy or Coconut)

  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

  • 1 small onion, cut in lengths (optional)

  • 4 cloves garlic sliced (optional)

  • Parchment Paper

  • Cooking brush

 

Instructions

 

  1. Put parchment paper on a large cookie sheet.

  2. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

  3. Cut large portobello mushrooms into long ¾ inch strips.

  4. Put liquid amino and oil in a small bowl.

  5. Use cooking brush to brush amino and oil mixture onto the mushroom strips.

  6. Place the strips onto the parchment paper.

  7. If using onion, cut into large pieces, add on to parchment paper.

  8. If using garlic, slice into slivers, or use already diced garlic, add on to parchment paper.

  9. Cook for 20 to 30 minutes, depending on the oven.

 

Health Benefits: 

Mushrooms – (SEE Superfoods: Super Vegetables)

Olive oil – (SEE Superfoods: Super Fruits)

Onion – May benefit heart health, control blood sugar, boost bone density, and is loaded with antioxidants.

Garlic – (SEE Superfoods: Super Herbs and Spices)

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Image by Irene Kredenets

Cauliflower Prima Vera

Ingredients

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  • 1 zucchini (sliced into small bite size pieces)

  • 1 squash (sliced into bite size pieces)

  • 1 red pepper (cut into small bit size pieces)

  • 1 small red onion (cut into small bite size pieces)

  • 8 kalamata olives (cut into 4 pieces each)

  • 1 cup spinach (cut into coarse pieces)

  • 1 Tbsp olive oil

  • Cauliflower rice – (use an already cut and frozen bag), or put 1/3 of a cauliflower into a processor, pulverize and drain fluid. (Process the entire cauliflower and freeze the rest for future dishes.)

  • Fresh lemon squeezed (For leftovers, add more lemon)

  • 1 clove of garlic – sliced or already diced.

 

Directions

 

  1. After vegetables are cut, put olive oil into pan on a burner on medium heat.

  2. Put zucchini, red peppers, onion, and cauliflower rice in pan to sauté’.

  3. When veggies have sautéed down, add olives, spinach, lemon, and garlic.

  4. Once spinach has wilted down, take off the burner and serve.

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Image by Caroline Attwood

No-Noodle Zucchini Lasagna

I double this recipe and put ½ of it in the freezer.

​

Ingredients

           

  • 2 large zucchini (sliced lengthwise into very thin slices, set aside to drain, pat dry)

  • 1 pound grass fed ground beef or ground turkey

  • 1 Tbsp salt (optional)

  • 1 ½ teaspoon ground pepper

  • 1 small green, yellow, or red pepper, diced

  • 1 onion, diced

  • 1 can tomato paste

  • 1 (16 ounce) can tomato sauce

  • ¼ cup red wine (optional)

  • 2 Tbsp fresh chopped basil, oregano, and parsley

  • 1 (15 ounce) container low-fat ricotta cheese

  • 1 cup fresh mushrooms, diced or chopped

  • 1 (16 ounce) frozen spinach defrosted and drained with paper towels

  • 10 to 12 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese

  • 1 egg or 4 ounces canned pumpkin

  • ½ cup of hot water or more as needed

  • Season salt and pepper to taste

  • 9” x 9” pan

 

Directions

 

  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

  2. If preparing without meat:  Add 1 tsp oil to skillet.  Add in peppers, onions and cook until caramelized.  Stir in tomatoes, paste, wine, basil, onion, oregano, adding a ¼ to ½ cup hot water as needed to keep sauce from getting too thick.  (Skip to # 4)
    If preparing meat sauce: Add ground beef or turkey and pepper in a large skillet over high for 3 to 5 minutes. Drain fat.  Add in season salt and pepper to taste. Add in peppers, onions and cook until meat is cooked.  Stir in tomato sauce, paste, wine, basil, and oregano, adding a half cup of hot water (or more) as needed to keep sauce from getting too thick.

  3. Simmer for 20 minutes.

  4. Stir ricotta and parsley in a small bowl.

  5. To assemble lasagna, spread ½ the meat sauce in the bottom of the pan. Then layer ½ the zucchini slices. ½ ricotta mixture, all of the spinach, followed by the mushrooms, then ½ the mozzarella cheese.  Repeat the layering with the remaining meat sauce, zucchini slices, ricotta mixture, and mozzarella cheese.

  6. Cover with aluminum foil.

  7. Bake for 45 minutes.

  8. Remove aluminum foil and cook for 15 minutes.

  9. Cool for 5 minutes before serving.

 

Health benefits:

Zucchini and squash – Full of vitamin C, good for weight and diabetic management, reduces arthritis pain and hypertension and good for the nervous system. 

Yellow and red peppers – Full of vitamin C, a good source of carotenoids and lycopene. 

Tomato – High in vitamin C, lycopene and antioxidants. 

Basil – Reduces inflammation and said to have anti-aging and anti-bacterial properties. 

Oregano (See Superfoods: Super Herbs and Spices)

Parsley – Bone health, regulates blood sugar and renal function, reduces anemia and fatigue and strengthens the immune system. 

Ricotta Cheese – While there is saturated fat, the mono and polyunsaturated and omega 3 profiles, is high in Vitamin A and B2, and is an excellent source of calcium, selenium, phosphorus and rich in protein. 

Mushrooms - (SEE Superfoods: Super Vegetables and Legumes)

Onion – May benefit heart health, control blood sugar, boost bone density, loaded with antioxidants and cancer-fighting compounds.

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