Eating vegetables can get boring when you're just steaming or roasting them. To break away from the plain vegetable cycle, check out this recipe from Eating Well.

Balsamic & Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower

From EatingWell: January/February 2008

Roasting isn't usually the first cooking method you think of for cauliflower but the results are quite delicious. The florets are cut into thick slices and tossed with extra-virgin olive oil and herbs. Wherever the flat surfaces come into contact with the hot roasting pan, a deep browning occurs that results in a sweet, nutty flavor.

4 servings, about 1 cup each

Active Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

INGREDIENTS
8 cups 1-inch-thick slices cauliflower florets, (about 1 large head; see Tip)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese

PREPARATION
Preheat oven to 450°F.
Toss cauliflower, oil, marjoram, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Spread on a large rimmed baking sheet and roast until starting to soften and brown on the bottom, 15 to 20 minutes. Toss the cauliflower with vinegar and sprinkle with cheese. Return to the oven and roast until the cheese is melted and any moisture has evaporated, 5 to 10 minutes more.

TIPS & NOTES
Tip: To prepare florets from a whole head of cauliflower, remove outer leaves. Slice off the thick stem. With the head upside down and holding a knife at a 45° angle, slice into the smaller stems with a circular motion—removing a “plug” from the center of the head. Break or cut florets into the desired size.

NUTRITION
Per serving: 149 calories; 10 g fat ( 3 g sat , 6 g mono ); 7 mg cholesterol; 10 g carbohydrates; 7 g protein; 4 g fiber; 364 mg sodium; 490 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (120% daily value), Folate (22% dv), Fiber (16% dv), Calcium (15% dv)

Carbohydrate Servings: 1/2

Exchanges: 1 vegetable, 1/2 lean meat, 1 1/2 fat

Lemon-Ginger Asparagus

This recipe is from the March 21-27 2010 Weight Watchers Weekly newsletter.

Lemon-Ginger Asparagus

0 points per serving

prep: 10 minutes

cook: 8 minutes

serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 (1/2) lbs asparagus, tough ends removed
• 2 Tbsp canned chicken broth or homemade chicken stock
• 1/2 tsp fresh grated gingerroot
• 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp minced scallion
• 1/4 tsp table salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

Directions

• Bring 1 to 2 inches of water to a boil in a medium skillet
• Place asparagus in skillet, reduce heat to medium and cook until asparagus is tender-crisp-about 6-8 minutes
• drain well and place asparagus in a large glass serving bowl
• In a cup, combine broth, ginger, lemon juice, scallion, salt, and pepper
• pour over asparagus
• Set aside for 30 minutes to marinate

Tacos are delicious and fun to eat, especially when you've had day that was not quite a fiesta. Here is the first of a series of healthy taco recipes from Southern Living. This recipe is perfect for vegetarians looking for a new way to enjoy tacos.

Tacos Verdes

Yield: Makes 16 tacos

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 (8-oz.) package sliced fresh mushrooms
• 2 medium zucchini, diced
• 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
• 1 large red bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 small eggplant, diced
• 1 small white onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 3/4 teaspoon pepper
• 16 (8-inch) soft taco-size corn or flour tortillas, warmed
• Toppings: shredded cabbage, crumbled queso fresco (fresh Mexican cheese)

Preparation

1. Bring first 13 ingredients and 1 cup water to a boil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, and cook, stirring occasionally, 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Serve vegetable mixture using a slotted spoon with warm tortillas and desired toppings.

Note: Nutritional analysis is per taco with flour tortilla and 1/2 cup vegetable mixture (not including toppings).

Nutritional Information

Calories:

112

Fat:

3.4g (sat 0.7g,mono 0.2g,poly 0.7g)

Protein:

3g

Carbohydrate:

18.2g

Fiber:

2g

Cholesterol:

0.0mg

Iron:

1.2mg

Sodium:

373mg

Calcium:

55mg

Maria Corbalan, Taco Xpress, Austin, Texas, Southern Living, JUNE 2009

Quick Veggie Saute

Found this on Dr. Oz's website. Here is a super easy recipe for saute'd vegetables from Food Network's Sunny Anderson.

Sunny Anderson's Quick Any Veggie Sauté

Don’t be intimidated by a home-cooked meal. You can whip up a delicious meal with ingredients that you already have in your pantry. The Food Network's Sunny Anderson offers a quick and easy chicken dinner that you can whip up with just a quick raid of your cupboards.

Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

Serves 4

1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

16 oz fresh of frozen vegetables, one kind or a mixture (onion, fennel, snap peas, lima beans, carrots, spinach, etc.)

1/2 cup low-sodium chicken stock

1/2 cup fresh orange juice

2 garlic cloves, chopped

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Prepare and chop fresh vegetables if needed. There's no need to defrost frozen vegetables, except spinach. If using spinach, defrost and remove excess water by placing in paper towels or a clean kitchen towel and squeezing.

Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan.

Add vegetables and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Sauté until slightly tender. Stir in the stock, orange juice and garlic. Bring to a boil, then cover and lower the heat to a simmer. Cook until vegetables are tender and liquid is reduced and slightly thickened, about 10-15 minutes.

Recipe courtesy Sunny Anderson, 2010

Simple Stir Fried Vegetables

This recipes is from Weight Watchers Weekly for the week of February 28-March 6 2010.

Stir-Fried Vegetables

POINTS® Value: 1
Servings: 4
Preparation Time: 10 min
Cooking Time: 5 min
Level of Difficulty: Easy

This colorful blend of vegetables gets traditional Asian flavor from sesame oil and soy sauce. Add baby corn and water chestnuts for even more texture and flavors

Ingredients
1 spray(s) cooking spray
2 tsp sesame oil
2 medium garlic clove(s), minced
2 cup(s) sugar snap peas, or pea pods, trimmed
2 cup(s) carrot(s), sliced thinly on a diagonal
2 medium scallion(s), chopped
1 1/2 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
2 Tbsp cilantro, fresh, chopped (optional)

Instructions
Coat a wok or large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and set over medium-high heat; add oil and heat. Add garlic and stir-fry 1 minute. Add sugar snap peas, carrots and scallions; stir-fry 3 minutes, stirring constantly.

Add soy sauce and cook until vegetables are crisp-tender, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro. Yields about 1/2 cup per serving.
Notes
*The addition of 1 cup each of baby corn and water chestnuts changes the recipe to a POINTS value of 2 per serving.

Veggie Pad Thai

This pad thai recipe, from Redbook is a great low calorie, filling meal. Most pad thai recipes can easily exceed half of the calories you should be eating for a whole day. That is a seriously scary thought. This pad thai, from Redbook's 6 Delicious Dinners Under 500 Calories is healthy and delicious.

Vegetable Pad Thai

Prep Time: 15 min

Cook Time: 15 min

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound(s) flat rice stick noodles
• 1/3 cup(s) Thai sweet chili sauce
• 2 tablespoon(s) low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 tablespoon(s) fish sauce
• 2 limes, juiced
• 1 lime, cut into wedges
• 2 tablespoon(s) canola oil
• 2 teaspoon(s) minced garlic
• 2 teaspoon(s) grated fresh ginger
• 3/4 pound(s) (6 cups) mustard greens, stems discarded, leaves torn into small pieces, and washed well
• 1 large red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
• 2 cup(s) shredded carrots
• 6 scallions, thinly sliced
• 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
• Bean sprouts, optional
• 2 cup(s) fresh cilantro leaves
• Chopped dry roasted peanuts, for garnish, optional

---

Directions

1. Bring 6 cups of water to a boil in a large saucepan; add noodles, stir to separate, then cover and remove from heat. Let stand 4 minutes, stirring once or twice, until softened. Drain; rinse with cold water. In a small cup, combine chili sauce, soy sauce, fish sauce, and lime juice.
2. Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons of the oil in a large nonstick skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add garlic and ginger; sauté 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add greens and cover with lid for 2 minutes or until wilted. Add bell pepper, carrots, and scallions; stir-fry 4 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Remove vegetables to a bowl.
3. Return skillet to heat. Add remaining oil. When hot, add eggs and scramble just until set. Add to bowl with vegetables.
4. Return skillet to heat and add chili-sauce mixture and bring to a boil. Add noodles; gently toss, using a pasta fork, for 1 minute, to coat. Return vegetables and eggs to skillet. Cook, tossing with pasta fork, for 3 minutes or until hot and noodles are tender. Stir in bean sprouts, if desired.
5. Transfer to a serving bowl with cilantro and toss. Top with peanuts, if desired. Serve with lime wedges.

Nutritional Information
(per serving)

Calories	393
Total Fat	11g
Saturated Fat	--
Cholesterol	--
Sodium	--
Total Carbohydrate	65g
Dietary Fiber	--
Sugars	--
Protein	9g
Calcium	--

The Only 20 Things You will Ever Need to Know How to Cook...part 2

We continue with Glamour's twenty recipes with a recipe for Roasted Chicken and "Gimme Seconds" Veggies

if you missed the first two recipes, check out this post

The easiest roast chicken ever

1. Preheat oven to 425°F and place chicken on a rack in a roasting pan or cast-iron skillet.
2. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.
3. Cook the chicken 15 minutes for each pound, plus 15 minutes. (A 3-pound bird: 15 minutes x 3 + 15 minutes = 60 minutes.) It's done when you prick with a fork and the juices run clear. Got more prep time? Zap 3 garlic cloves, the zest of 1 lemon (finely grate the peel, avoiding white stuff), and the leaves of 2 rosemary sprigs in a mini-chop or blender for 15 seconds; spread puree under the skin before cooking (lift skin up easily from near the cavity).

"Gimme seconds" veggies

Chop 4 cups of your veggies of choice (cauliflower, zucchini, whatever) and toss on a cookie sheet or two with 2 tbsp. olive oil, plenty of salt, pepper and a few sprigs of rosemary or thyme. Pop into a 400oF oven for 30 minutes (flip veggies halfway through), and voilà!