Here are some healthy veggie dishes that complement any meal:
Arugula Salad | Serves 4
Arugula is a wonderful vegetable. Its nutty-peppery taste is good for refreshing the palate, and you can prepare it either as a simple salad or even make a hearty meal with it.
Ingredients:
- 4 cups arugula (washed and dried)
- 1 cup cherry tomato (halved)
- ¼ cup pine nuts
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Salt to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Directions:
Step 1: In a large bowl, mix the arugula, cherry tomatoes, pine nuts, olive oil, rice vinegar, and cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Toss until well mixed.
Step 2: Serve. You can also top with slices of avocado, peach, or other fruits if desired.
Brussels Sprouts in Garlic Butter | Serves 2
Brussels sprouts can be easily cooked by steaming but this is a waste of a good vegetable. The steaming process just cooks the sprouts without enhancing its flavor. This recipe shows a good method of enhancing the taste of the Brussels sprouts.
Ingredients:
- 15 fresh Brussels sprouts, halved lengthwise
- 1 ½ tablespoons butter
- 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
- 3 cloves of garlic, smashed
- Salt to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Grated parmesan cheese (optional)
Step 1: Combine butter and olive oil in a skillet (one that has a cover) over medium-high heat. Once the butter has melted and the mixture is foamy, reduce the heat to medium.
Step 2: Add the smashed garlic. Once the garlic is lightly brown, you can remove it from the butter and discard.
Step 3: Turn the heat down to medium-low. Add in the sprouts, cut side down. Cover the skillet and let it cook without stirring or turning for 10-15 minutes. The sprouts should be tender when pierced with a knife.
Step 4: Serve with a topping of freshly grated parmesan cheese, salt and pepper to taste.
Red Potato Salad with Scallions and Radish | Serves 6
The humble potato has been a go-to side for many meals. Boiled, mashed, or served in a salad, it is a flexible ingredient. This recipe uses ponzu sauce rather than mayonnaise for a different flavor to the usual potato salad.
Ingredients
- 4 pounds small red potatoes, quartered
- ½ pound radishes, thinly sliced
- 2 bunches scallions, green part only, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup smoked olive oil
- 3 tablespoons ponzu (more to taste)
- Kosher salt to taste
- Freshly ground pepper to taste
Directions:
Step 1 a: Boil well-salted water over high heat. Once it’s boiling add the potatoes and cook until tender. Don’t cook it until it’s all mushy. Drain the water from the potatoes and transfer to a large bowl.
Step 1 b: Alternatively, you can roast the potatoes in an oven. This requires adding another ¼ cup of olive oil to the ingredients list. Combine the potatoes with ¼ cup of olive oil, salt, and pepper. Mix until the potatoes are evenly coated. Roast until golden brown and tender.
Step 2: Add the remaining ingredients and gently toss. Best served warm or at room temperature.
If you’re making this ahead of time, don’t add the radish to the rest of the ingredients. You’ll want the radish to keep its crunch. You can store the sliced radish in ice water and drain before adding to the salad and serving. Some variation of this recipe uses champagne vinegar or other types of vinegar instead of ponzu.
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