Easy Veggies Two Ways

Last week I came home after a busy work day and just wanted to EAT.  I was tempted to eat something a little bit junky but I realized I had a bunch of easy veggies laying around that I could throw into one pan and call it a night.  This can serve as a main vegetarian dish that you could even add some whole wheat pasta or quinoa to.  Or you could use it as a vegetable side to a piece of grilled chicken.  You could even make it into a lunch the next day like I did.

Version #1 came together very quickly.  It was a version of something I like to call a "Chop & Drop."  You just chop the ingredients and drop them all into one pan or pot together.  No muss, no fuss!

You can use this method for whatever ingredients you have on hand.  This night I happened to use the following:

Ingredients:

• 1 can corn
• 1 pre-washed bag of spinach
• 1-2 handfuls of grape tomatoes (I just used what I had left on the counter)
• 1 zucchini, chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• EVOO
• S&P
• Crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

Instructions:

• Add some EVOO to a large pan and heat to medium high.
• Add the chopped onion and season with S&P.  Cook until soft and just turning golden, about 5 minutes.
• Add the chopped zucchini, cooking about 3-5 minutes until starting to soften.
• Add the grape tomatoes and cook another 3-5 minutes (this all goes fast if you crank the heat up)
• Add the corn and season again with S&P.  Cook a couple minutes.
• Add the whole bag of spinach, season with S&P.  PRO TIP: Spinach will wilt WAY down. Depending on the size of your pan you may need to do this in batches.  I find this is a great way to easily use a whole bag of that pre-washed spinach without it withering away slowly in your fridge's produce drawer.
• Add crushed red pepper flakes (optional) if you want a little spice.  Taste for seasoning.
• Enjoy!

This made a big batch of veggies for me and I used a little less than half for my dinner that night.  The rest went into the fridge to be used as leftovers the next day.  

I didn't feel like eating the leftovers as just another side so I heated the mixture up, stuffed it into some lightly toasted pita and sprinkled with Parmesan cheese.  Viola, you have Version #2 of the same veggies.  Yummy!  I had myself an easy vegetable pita sandwich for lunch. This was colorful, healthy, filling AND, most importantly, tasty.  

I hope this inspires you to incorporate more veggies into your meals.  They can be just as quick as waiting for a pizza delivery (even quicker actually!) and certainly better for your mind and body.