Veggie Challenge

Vegetable Challenge Results

Here are a few recipe ideas that were a result of our last challenge

• Green beans, Eggplant, zucchini and bok choy made its way alongside a lean grilled flank steak.  
• Fresh Mixed greens, tomatoes, lemon cucumbers, jicama, red peppers, avocado, edamame and fresh shrimp.  Add in a hard-boiled egg and that is a serious salad!
• Roasted vegetables along with a fresh piece of salmon and Caesar salad
• Padron Peppers made their way into the kitchens of a few athletes.
• Tofu Veggie Sunday Scamble: Tofu, green onions, tomatoes, cilantro and avocado!  Yum
• Cous Cous with red peppers, cilantro and feta cheese. A meal in itself! 

What do you do with Swiss Chard??  

One of my athletes describes as easy but full flavored side dish to add to your meal or eat on its own. 

 

 Take the "WHOLE chard.... stems, ribs and leaves.... you start by sauteing (recipe calls for a mix of olive oil and butter, but I just used the olive oil- and less than it called for)... start with chopped garlic and sliced onion- saute for 8-10 minutes, add the stems/ribs cut in 1 inch pieces- saute for 8-10 minutes- add the sliced leaves- they wilt in about 4 minutes... that's it! You could add kale, spinach, both of which have a similar feel to chard.... could also add chopped baby bok choy (my favorite veggie) or even mushrooms. " Thank you Debbie!

A few other fun ideas-

You can throw just about any green into a shake- Spinach, collards, kale, arugula. Try something new and see for yourself how easy it is to get in a few extra nutrients.  

Asparagus Corn Salad

Via fatgirltrappedinaskinnybody.com

 This is a simple easy salad and the combined flavors add a refreshing twist on plain corn and asparagus. 

View the recipe here

Apple Chicken and/or Veggie Lettuce Wrap

via familyfeatures.com

This is a fun bread-less lunch option for a sandwich. 

I modified the original recipe a tad to look like this:

Apples, Chicken & Grapes in Lettuce: 1/2 cup chopped cooked chicken breast, 3 tablespoons chopped Fuji apple, 2 tablespoons chopped black or red grapes, 2 tablespoons Almond Butter, 2 teaspoons honey, Romaine lettuce leaves.

Mason Jar Salad Ideas

 

This is a such a fun idea to pre-make. I found pinterest to be super helpful in salad ideas and once you let your creative juices start flowing the options are endless. You can follow my boards here for more ideas.

Greek salad in a jar

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• Squeeze of lemon juice (the juice of 1/4 of a small lemon)
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Pinch red pepper flakes
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup cooked chickpeas
• Small handful cherry tomatoes, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
• 8 kalamata olives, chopped
• 2 tablespoons red onion, chopped
• 1/2 roasted red pepper, chopped (about 1/3 cup)
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• Crumbled feta (optional)
• Fills one pint-sized mason jar.

Thanks to everyone who participated. Everyone hopefully walked away with a new mindset and goal to not only try new vegetables but also more knowledgeable about the endless options and ways to prepare them.