
You guys LOVED my fall vegetable meal prep guide, so I wanted to do another round-up of my favorite spring vegetables. But this time I want to show you exactly what I do every week (or something very close to it).
So in other words, this is all going to be very simple and quick with the exception of those damn beets (if you follow me on Instagram or Facebook you know my weird obsession with beets).
Vegetables are just one of those things that if they are not prepared ahead of time, you’re probably just not going to eat them. Is that just me? I need to have prepped veggies on deck 24/7.
Which, speaking of that, thank @God for frozen veggies because if I don’t have vegetables already prepared, there is about a zero percent chance that I’m turning my stove or oven on when I’m trying to whip up a 5-second lunch. And raw veggies? I wish I enjoyed them. I do. But I don’t, so moving on.
This is why I’m VERY strict about my veggie meal prep. Sometimes I may not prep anything else. But I always need to have some cooked vegetables and hard-boiled eggs on hand – these are deal breakers if I don’t do it. By that I mean I’ve broken a deal with my entire life if I don’t do this every week. Does that even make sense?? It does to me.
So I really vary what I make by how I’m feeling, but also by season. Tons of squash, Brussels, and cauliflower went down the last 5 months. But the second the weather starts to get warmer, I start to lighten things up. I’ll probably always have cauliflower on hand because it’s one of my absolute favorite veggies, but I’ll start to add in more broccoli, beans, BEETS, and asparagus, too. You know, the usuals.
So this is my standard list of veggies that I make every week this time and exactly how I prep them (the same every time because keep it simple, stupid).
Grilling asparagus is awesome, but the grill scares me so I do it in the oven. I’ll just coat them in a little olive oil, salt and pepper, and roast them on 425 for 15 minutes. Squeeze of lemon and voila.
These are a pain in the freakin’ ass, but these are the least offensive way to prepare beets that I have found. Wash them first, then wrap them with aluminum foil (individually) and put them on a baking sheet. Bake at 375 for 45 minutes, then open them up and let them cool for 10-20 minutes. Peel the skin off and you’re good to go. Pro tip: throw these babies on a salad with some goat cheese and then immediately die happy.
GAH. Big shocker here again! Roasted Broccoli is my fav and you can find my favorite way to prepare it here. I never steam it because if I want just plain, steamed broccoli, I just use frozen and I nuke it. I’ll use Coconut-Roasted Broccoli for #BabeBowls or a side dish and I’ll use the frozen broccoli for scrambled eggs or if I want pasta or rice, I’ll use half the amount I normally would fill the rest of my bowl with broccoli (sweet low carb trick for ya).
Butter lettuce, spinach, collard greens, mustard greens, Swiss chard, radicchio – so many lettuce varieties are in season now. I love to mix and match them for salads. But they are so hard to keep fresh…until now. The Kitchn gave me the BEST idea to store greens that totally works. Just line a big storage container with paper towels, put your greens in, and top with paper towels. It’ll last the week. Eat with salads, throw into smoothies – greens are SO good for you and when you have on hand like this, it’s so much easier to incorporate them.
This is two steps which is very not me, but it’s all in one bowl and turns out is the most efficient way to make green beans that I’ve found.
Chop the end off of 2 lbs of green beans, sautee them with 2 tsp Prohibited Provisions Citrus Herb Garlic and salt in a little avocado oil for 5 minutes, then add 3/4 c water and simmer for 3 minutes. Done. (you can also use regular chopped garlic, but why???)
I LOVE Vidalia onion and I load up on them when they’re in season. Which, by the way, they’re not quite yet. But keep an eye out for them. These are just sweet yellow onions so I’m a fraud, but I needed a picture.
Even if you don’t like onions, try a Vidalia. They’re sweet that can be eaten raw, even by those who would claim they could never eat a raw onion. To prep, slice these really thin and keep them in a ziplock. Pull out as needed for salads, scrambles, stir-frys – absolutely anything. It’s so easy when they’re already sliced up.