Vegetarian Meal Ideas

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Steamed Vegetables

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For a quick side of plain vegetables steaming is the best. It cooks quickly, uses a small amount of water so it is energy efficient and most nutrients are retained. Vegetables can be either fresh or frozen. Keeping a variety of frozen veggies in the freezer allows you to quickly throw together a side dish in about 15 minutes. Spicing can be as simple as salt and pepper applied at the table or for a little more flavor try a few shakes of Spike or Trader Joe's "21 Seasoning Salute". A squeeze of lemon juice is another option to liven things up.

Since this method is used so often, it is worth it to invest in a good steamer pan assembly. The commonly used collapsible steamer baskets are flimsy, difficult to clean and when the vegetables are done it can be difficult to move them to a serving dish. The process is very simple;

1. Fill the base pan with about an inch of water.
2. Add the vegetables to the perforated insert pan and cover.
3. Bring the water to a boil. When boiling well, turn the heat down to a low boil (5). This will reduce the risk of boiling the water dry.
4. Check the vegetables occasionally to see if they are done. For most vegetables this will be between 3 to 12 minutes. I don't time vegetables but go by their color or stick them with a fork. Green veggies will first turn bright green then as soon as they turn a duller green they are done. Remove immediately to a serving dish. If they are left in the pan even with the heat off, they will overcook.
5. Try tossing with a sprinkle of olive oil instead of the traditional butter. A little oil will aid in the absorption of beta-carotene other fat soluble vitamins.

I usually like to combine two colors of vegetable for a more interesting dish and also to provide a wider range of phytonutrients. If the vegetables have different cooking times, add the longer cooking one first, then after some time add the second one.

Take a green vegetable as a based and add a contrasting color. Some veggies that steam well;

• Green veggies: asparagus, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, edamame, green bell pepper, green beans, peas, zucchini.
• Color veggies: beet, butternut squash, carrot, cauliflower, corn, parsnip, red bell pepper, yellow squash.
• For a side of greens: beet greens, chard, collards, kale, mustard greens.

Example dishes:

Broccoli & Butternut	Zucchini & Yellow Squash	Brussels Sprouts & Bell Pepper
Peas & Corn	Green Beans & Carrots	Beets & Beet Greens

Directions for Beets & Greens:
Organic beets are generally available in the produce section with greens attached. Preparing them is quite simple.

1. Cut the stems leaving 6 inches attached to the beet. This serves as a good handle for the peeling process.
2. Peel the beets with a potato peeler. Cut off the top and bottom. Dice into bitesize cubes.
3. Steam the beet cubes for about 15 minutes.
4. Remove the stems from the leaves and cut into roughly 1 inch squares. Add into the steamer after 15 minutes then steam for 3 minutes more. 18 minutes total.
5. Move the beets & greens to a serving dish and drizzle with a little olive oil.