I consider myself fortunate in the sense that I love, love vegetables. I’m not a big meat eater and I always try to make veggies a prominent staple in my diet. That being said, if you know me at all you know I’m not a big fan of temperatures below about 70 degrees. I find it so much harder to stay on track during the winter months.
Getting your Winter Greens
My secret to keeping my vegetable intake high during the cold months always revolves around some quick + easy WARM meals, like sauteed or roasted veggies and this is one of my go-to favorites. It’s so simple that I often will whip it up for lunch when I have a moment.
SAUTEED SPINACH + TOMATOES W/ THYME + GARLIC
1. PREP : Wash + sllice approximately 2 cups of little tomatoes. I love this colorful heirloom mix of greenhouse tomatoes because each one has a different level of sweetness. Wash 3-4 cups of fresh baby spinach. Set aside.
2. SAUTE : Start by preparing + peeling 6 cloves of fresh garlic (this might be heavy but I’m a big garlic fan so scale accordingly), smashed and 1/2 of a medium white onion, diced. Saute on medium heat in a heavy cast iron skillet with coconut oil and a sprinkling of kosher salt until onions are translucent and garlic is slightly browned. Toss the spinach + tomatoes into the skillet.
3. BOIL : If you’re making this as a main dish or dinner, you can always bring a pot of salted water to a boil and toss in a few handfuls of pasta. I like using this super speedy al dente spinach pasta that cooks in about 3 minutes. Cook + drain in a colander.
4. WILT : Continue cooking the spinach + tomato mixture, stirring only occasionally. Add fresh cracked pepper and a bit more kosher salt; cook for approximately 5 minutes until the tomatoes have broken down and the spinach is wilted. Add in a few sprigs of thyme as you turn off the heat and allow the flavor to toss into the dish. It will smell delicious!
5. GARNISH : Plate the veggies and sprinkle with some freshly shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano for a nice nutty + salty combo to balance the sweetness of the spinach, tomato + onion flavors.
6. ENJOY : Grab a {real} dish, {cloth} and a {vintage} fork and dig in. Don’t laugh, these little touches can make all the difference in making a five-minute veggie meal feel a little indulgent and gourmet – especially on a cold day. Presentation, as they say, is everything.
Love to know your go-to ways to enjoy your winter veggies!
