Trim Down Tuesday: Veggietales

Today we're talking Veggietales. 

But not the "Larry the Cucumber" kind. 

This past weekend I made some pretty unfortunate eating decisions (wamp wamp), and decided that by Sunday night, all I needed was a hearty dose of veggies. 

Now, normally I'm not a "veggie a la carte" girl. I'm more of a meat + veggie + starch/carb kinda girl. You know, based on the food pyramid you learned in 2nd grade. Eating a plate full of veggies as a meal just never really crossed my mind. My Shape magazines tell me that all the skinny people we see on TV (Jennifer, Carrie, Kate, etc.) do this often. So I decided to channel my inner skinny girl (she was on Mars) and give it a go. 

The result? This masterpiece.

What are you looking at? You're looking at sauteed garlic mushrooms on a bed of steamed kale/spinach, roasted butternut squash, and roasted colorful carrots. Yes, people. Orange, yellow, and purple carrots. Lisa introduced me to these puppies the other week, and when I saw them in Trader Joe's, I decided to give them a try. 

Here's another thing: this entire meal was seasoned with nothing but olive oil, salt, and pepper, but it was beyond flavorful and delicious. Like the "eat a little more when you're packing up the leftovers" kind of delicious. And it's easy, too!

What You'll Need:

Organic Colorful Carrots (I use TJs)
Butternut Squash, cubed
Mushrooms
Some type of leafy green (I used a spinach/kale/chard combo)

Garlic, salt, and pepper to taste

What You'll Do:

Carrots: Cut the end off the carrots, cut into halves or thirds (to make the carrots about 3-in long), and then halve each of those carrots lengthwise. Place on a cookie sheet, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and roast at 400 degrees for about 25 minutes. 

Butternut Squash: Since cutting raw butternut squash is about as easy as doing a back-flip on a balance beam, I buy the Trader Joe's pre-cubed butternut squash. Bless the person who thought of that. Once the squash is cubed, just place on a cookie sheet, drizzle with oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and roast at 400 degrees for about 25 minutes. 

Note: I roasted the carrots and squash together - easy peasy!

Mushrooms: In a medium skillet, saute olive oil and garlic clove. Mix in sliced mushrooms and stir until cooked. 

Greens: Place fresh greens in a bowl and microwave for 20 seconds, 3 times, stirring in between. 

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And that's it! A delicious, easy, and extremely healthy meal. All kinds of wins. 

Even if you're a meat-eater, give it a try. You won't be disappointed! And you might even put it in your regular routine. Never know until you try :)

AND - to see other Trim Down Tuesday recipes, click here. 

Have a great Tuesday!

Until next time,
Katy