A Spoonful of Flavor
Let me be honest— I’m a foodie at heart. I know the struggle of trying to eat well while also enjoying a meal that is full of flavor!
I grew up in a home where we had a small garden of veggies and my Dad was quite the greene thumb. We lived on the Oneida River in upstate New York, and every spring my brother and I would help Dad plant the veggies and partake in the arduous watering of the plot. As a tidbit there— if you need a good combo isotonic/isometric exercise— try carrying multiple buckets of water from a river and watering a 15 x 15 plot! Hahaha!
But let me tell you— fresh veggies are the best! Homemade tomato sauce with beautiful crisy bell peppers and long vibrant carrots often decorated the dinner table! As odd as it sounds, though, my parents weren’t big on variety— if Dad wasn’t a fan, it wasn’t part of the meal. In comparison to some dreaded fears of my peers, brussels sprouts, asparagus, beans and peas were seldom on the menu.
I’ll never forget the time my brother came home during his time in the Air Force, and told my mother he liked artichoke! She just about fainted! But indeed— he and I have expanded our palettes, learned the proper way to cook them (imperative!), and eat those green veggies more as adults than we ever did as children!!
Let me share with you a favorite recipe that I came across a couple years ago— incredibly easily to prep, minutes to cook— and tasty as ever!! It make a great side for really any protein! I’ve eaten the entire thing myself! Shhhh!
Roasted Asparagus with Bell Pepper
Ingredients:
1 pound fresh asparagus, stems of comparable diameter
1 bell pepper, preferably colored, seeded and chopped
1/3 c feta cheese, crumbled
~2 Tbsp olive oil
Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions:
Trim asparagus and chop in small segments (I like 1-2 inches) and if you want to be fancy, cut at a small angle!
Chop the bell pepper into ~1/2 inch cubes.
Mix the veggies together and drizzle with the olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Place on foil lined baking sheet and roast in oven at 350 degrees for ~8 minutes.
Top with crumbled feta to serve!
Tidbits on the prep: Asparagus is naturally “woody” at the bottom. To trim, bend it gently at the bottom and it will naturally snap off at the tough part and leave the tender top stalk. For bell peppers, the easiest way I like to chop them is to turn the pepper on it’s side, slice off the top and pop the stem off the top (don’t let it go to waste!). Then remove the seeds, slice it into slices, and chop into chunks.
Enjoy!
