I like the motto “cook once, eat twice.” Making a large batch of roasted vegetables and quinoa or brown rice and using it for multiple meals makes eating healthfully a whole lot easier. We are all busy people and if there’s not something healthy easily available, we’re much more prone to go without eating or buy something unhealthy on the go. Eating whole foods is as simple as chopping up a variety of seasonal vegetables, sticking them in the oven while your whole grain of choice simmers away on the stove, and there you have a handful of meals all ready to go!
The dish I’m sharing today (roasted asparagus, fennel and carrots) hardly needs a recipe at all because it’s so simple. Here on the east coast it is officially spring and the temperatures are trending upwards. Asparagus isn’t quite in season yet but we’re so close and I am definitely ready to give up the hearty lentil and bean soups for some fresh green vegetables! Asparagus is an excellent source of vitamin K, folate, copper, B1, selenium, B2, vitamin C and vitamin E as well as being linked to reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. Fennel is anti-inflammatory and is a great source of fiber and vitamin C. Carrots also reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and are an excellent source of vitamin A. Tossing kale into the mix adds cancer-fighting nutrients as well as lots more vitamin K, A, and C, manganese and copper.
roasted spring vegetables with brown rice
(recipe adapted from gluten free girl)
serves 4
ingredients
1 cup (dry) brown rice
10 medium carrots
1 bunch of asparagus
1 large bulb of fennel or 2 small
1 bunch of organic tuscan kale (also called dinosaur kale or lacinato kale)
extra virgin first cold pressed olive oil
salt & pepper
directions
cook rice by bringing 2 cups water and rice to boil in medium covered saucepan. add a pinch of salt and turn down to simmer until water has evaporated. remove from heat.
preheat oven to 375F. chop kale into small pieces and set aside. chop carrots, fennel and asparagus into bite sized pieces and lay on baking tray. drizzle with a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper. bake for 30-40 minutes or until carrots are soft when stabbed with a fork, stirring the vegetables half way through cooking so they don’t dry out. when vegetables are cooked, toss kale in and bake for another few minutes or until kale has begun to wilt. remove vegetables from oven and serve hot with brown rice.
