Cooking with Karina: Steamy Summer Veggies

Steamed Beet Pasta with Garlic Bread (Photo: Karina Arnold) 

Karina Arnold is a rising junior at the University of Oklahoma who’s passionate about healthy cooking. She provides creative, healthy recipes and tips on clean eating.

I am a little obsessed with vegetables. If you have been reading my blog posts, you know I tend to highlight vegetables’ benefits, taste and versatility. I love vegetables as much as Kanye loves Kanye. Recently, I posted a yummy zoodle recipe that will add some spice to your spuds.

But you do not have to change the shape with a fancy spiralizer to enjoy vegetables. These roasted rosemary veggies make a wholesome side dish to your favorite entrée. Roasting vegetables, results in a crisp texture and adds a crunch. As a busy college student, I find this the easiest way to roast vegetables when I’m in a time crunch but need to make a lunch.

Roasting is also ideal to making kale or apple chips or sweet potato fries. Swapping your potato chips for kale chips and fast-food fries for sweet potato fries adds nutritional and natural foods into your diet.

In addition to baking or roasting your vegetables, you can toast. This sweet potato toast is perfect way to get a jump start on your day and your daily vegetable intake. Besides sweet potatoes, I do not like grilling vegetables. Grilling is more time-consuming because you have to use a lower heat in order to evenly cook your vegetables. Furthermore, grilled vegetable leftovers are soggy and bland. Unless I have ample time and plan on no leftovers, I usually steam.

Steaming vegetables can be done with a steamer or in the microwave. Steaming is ideal because it retains and adds water to the vegetable, thus it is easier to digest. Steamed vegetables are also slightly sweeter taste and store well. They last for up to a week in the refrigerator and retain their flavor well. One of my favorite servings of steamed veggies is my Steamed Beet Pasta with Garlic Bread. With a nod to Italian cuisine, this vegetable overload will keep you full and make your body feel good. Unlike breads, which are also fiber-rich, vegetables do not make you drowsy or feel heavy afterword, so load your plate!

Note: the garlic bread in this recipe tastes great dipped in a chunky marina sauce. Since marinara has tomatoes, it counts as a serving of vegetables!

Did I mention how easy and tasty it is to add more vegetables to your diet? Try this recipe and tell me what you think! Comment below!