Eating My Vegetables

Wow, I've left the blog terribly quiet these days! But don't forget, you can keep up on the nitty gritty details of raising Sadie over on Hellobee. All of the fun in's and out's of scheduling, sleep (or lack thereof!), feeding and everything in between.

And, obviously, Sadie is quite the happy baby!

Anyway, back to eating healthier. I wasn't a terribly unhealthy eater before getting pregnant, but I definitely didn't get my fair share of vegetables. And while on maternity leave Steve and I ate out a lot. Like, 18 times more than we normally did before baby. Living in a neighborhood where we're surrounded by Thai, Chinese, Korean, Mexican, Greek, German, Middle Eastern, Italian, Japanese, French and Indian restaurants plus some great local sandwich places, cafes and bars...well...temptation definitely got the better of us. Temptation and just run of the mill new baby exhaustion.

So, we ate. And ate. And ate. We ordered delivery. We carried out. Friends brought food when they'd visit. We ate out when we were brave enough to take Sadie with us. I've had so many fish tacos, orders of pad thai and yummy deli sandwiches that I've simply lost count. Oh, and even cheese steaks. Yes, we had cheese steaks delivered at one point.

Now that Steve and I have made a pact to cut back the eating out I've also been evaluating exactly how I eat. I've always been incredibly picky, which has led me to lean more on starches and fruits and less on healthier grains and vegetables. I need to be healthier for myself. But I also need to be healthier so that Sadie will dive right into her vegetables instead of pushing them aside.

I'm slowly learning that foods I've "hated" for years actually aren't that bad. In fact, they're quite delicious when they are prepared well. There are just so many veggies that I never knew how to cook or cook well. My hope is that if I can build of an arsenal of good veggie dishes that I enjoy, as Sadie gets older she will like them as well!

For those of you who are vegetable-challenged, I thought I would share a couple of recipes we've found that are delicious. And trust me, if I'll eat them I think anyone would eat them! Look for future "veggie recipe posts" as I learn to eat more vegetables!

Massaged Kale Salad
Source

Ingredients

• 1 bunch kale (black kale is especially good), stalks removed and discarded, leaves thinly sliced
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
• Kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons honey
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 mango, diced small (about 1 cup)
• Small handful toasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds), about 2 rounded tablespoons

Directions

In large serving bowl, add the kale, half of lemon juice, a drizzle of oil and a little kosher salt. Massage until the kale starts to soften and wilt, 2 to 3 minutes. Set aside while you make the dressing.

In a small bowl, whisk remaining lemon juice with the honey and lots of freshly ground black pepper. Stream in the 1/4 cup of oil while whisking until a dressing forms, and you like how it tastes.

Pour the dressing over the kale, and add the mango and pepitas. Toss and serve.

Move Night Pasta
Source

Ingredients

• 3 tsp (15 mL) kosher salt
• 1 large head cauliflower (about 2 lb/1 kg), stems discarded, florets cut into small pieces
• 500-g box orecchiette pasta
• 3 tbsp (45 mL) olive oil
• 2 tbsp (30 mL) minced garlic
• 1 tsp (5 mL) crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 tbsp (30 mL) chopped basil leaves
• 1/2 tsp (2 mL) freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup (250 mL) freshly grated parmesan cheese

Directions

Fill large pot three-quarters full with water. Add 2 tsp (10 mL) salt. Bring to boil over high heat. Add cauliflower. Cook until fork tender, 5 to 7 minutes. With slotted spoon, remove cauliflower to drain in colander.

Return water to boil. Add pasta. Cook as per package instructions until al dente, about 11 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup (250 mL) cooking liquid.

Meanwhile, in large skillet, heat oil over medium until it begins to shimmer but isn’t smoking. Add cauliflower. Cook, using wooden spoon or spatula to break florets into bite-size pieces roughly same size as the pasta, until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Add garlic. Cook, stirring, 2 minutes.

Return drained pasta to pot. Add cauliflower and garlic. Using tongs, toss. Add red pepper flakes, basil, remaining 1 tsp (5 mL) salt and black pepper. Toss. Add cheese; toss. If pasta doesn’t look moist enough, spoon in a little of the reserved pasta water; toss.

Makes 8 servings.