Purple brussel sprouts at the farmers market!

Okay, I’m 2 weeks into the Paleo plan and I have yet to feel my energy burst or clearer skin.  But I am still holding out hope!  I’m normally a person who craves things a few times a week.  I get it in my head and then I have to have it.  It’s like I’m pregnant all of the time.  It drives my husband nuts.  The weird thing is, on this Paleo diet, I haven’t had cravings for anything!  That said, my palate is getting a little bit bored eating 2 servings of vegetables with every meal.  So, what is a gal to do?  Get creative with her veggies.

Roasting Veggies – not only do I think it produces the best tasting vegetables (you know, those crispy caramelized bits), but it’s also hands off, so you can tend to other parts of the meal.  The favorites in our house are broccoli (roast with stalks up), brussel sprouts (I quarter them – these are especially good tossed with browned butter and some lemon juice – a-maz-ing), butternut squash (cubed), and fennel (my personal fav, since it really transforms from the raw version – it’s like candy).  It’s easy – heat your oven to 400 degrees and toss the veggies with a good amount of olive oil and kosher salt.  Spread in an even layer and roast for about 10-15 minutes and toss around and roast for a few more minutes.  You can also use the same technique and make amazing carrot and sweet potato fries.

Dreamy chef, Curtis Stone, makes these amazing vegetable fritters that my whole family gobbles up.  I grate some carrots, zucchinis, and onion.  Add an egg or two and some salt and pepper.  Cook in some olive oil and enjoy your vegetables in a new way.

Skip the tears with scuba goggles!

Caramelized onions are a must have in your cooking repertoire.  This recipe from Ina Garten is my go-to recipe.  I like to cook mine down so that it’s more like an onion jam.  They are amazing on burgers, a great topping for pizzas, or delicious added to scrambled eggs.  And they freeze very well.

Greens

I love greens, but get bored of salads real fast, especially in winter.  Sauteed kale in olive oil (or cook some bacon first and sauté in the delicious fat that renders) is amazing and I make it every week.  I also love to sauté spinach and then add some lemon juice and pine nuts at the end and you are in for a real treat.  Indian Greens: To say that I love Indian food would be a major understatement.  Indian spices make any vegetable taste amazing.  As far as greens go, I love Saag Paneer.  Here’s a link to a yummy picture of it.  My favorite Indian spice blend is garam masala – try sprinkling on your veggies.

Some other veggie ideas are sweet potato hash, butternut squash soup (more on soups next week).  And don’t forget about the magic of spaghetti squash – it’s amazing how a vegetable can mimic pasta!

And, sauces and condiments are your friend: Gravies (I have an amazing roasted garlic gravy to share with you next week), chimichurri (recipe next week) on green beans is incredible, hollandaise (recipe next week) over asparagus, and salsa pretty much tastes everything taste better.

One last idea, sautéed cabbage with some apples and apple cider vinegar.  It’s a nice change a pace and a beautiful color!  Got the idea from a great book, Practical Paleo.

Next week, chicken dishes, beef dishes, and soups.  “Like” Tinycookbigappetite.com on Facebook if you want to be notified in your news feed anytime I have a new post.  Or you can sign up for e-mail subscription on the right hand side of my homepage.  Bon appetit!