SERVES a lot
Most days, I eat vegetables for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks. That’s in the neighborhood of six or seven cups of veggies every day. Oh, there’s so much chopping and cooking! So once a week, I turn into a Veg-O-Matic and make it my mission to clean and partially steam at least three different vegetables, so they’re ready to be transformed into meals when I need them.
INGREDIENTS
• your favorite vegetables
• water
DIRECTIONS
1. Wash your veggies under running water, then, using a sharp knife, cut or slice them into desired shapes, depending on your mood and tastes. It’s best if you keep the pieces roughly the same size, so they’ll cook evenly.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Toss the still-wet-from-the-washing vegetable into the pan, cover with a lid, and allow the residual water to soften the vegetables a bit. Remove the lid, and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until the vegetable is softened but not completely cooked. If the vegetables stick to the pan or begin to brown, add a tablespoon of water to continue the steaming process.
3. Place each vegetable in its own container and store it in the fridge. Be sure to pop the containers into the refrigerator while hot; cooling at room temperature allows bacteria to grow. I usually reserve the bottom shelf of my fridge for hot veggies.
4. When it’s time to eat, heat about 1-2 teaspoons of coconut oil in your skillet, then toss in the partially cooked veggies and seasonings. No fuss, no muss, and no chopping right before dining!
5. This method works best for fibrous, sturdy vegetables. Tender veggies like snap peas, snow peas, fennel, asparagus, and spinach are best cooked “to order.”
You know how you could do that?
Need ideas? This is a short list of vegetables that are good choices to have around for everyday fortification, and they’re hearty enough to stand up to this kind of pre-cooking:
• BELL PEPPER, SLICED
• BOK CHOY, CHOPPED
• BRUSSELS SPROUTS, CUT IN HALF
• BROCCOLI, BROKEN INTO FLORETS
• CABBAGE (RED OR GREEN), SLICED OR CHOPPED
• CARROTS, SLICED
• CAULIFLOWER, BROKEN INTO FLORETS
• CELERY, SLICED THIN
• CHARD, CHOPPED
• COLLARD GREENS, CHOPPED
• EGGPLANT, SLICED OR CHOPPED
• GREEN BEANS, WHOLE
• KALE, CHOPPED
• MUSTARD GREENS, CHOPPED
• PARSNIPS, SLICED
• TURNIP GREENS, CHOPPED
• YELLOW SQUASH, SLICED
• ZUCCHINI, SLICED
