Having These Condiments On Hand Will Help You Eat More Veggies

Have you ever been stuck inside cooking for your family when you'd rather be outside enjoying the weather, gardening, or playing with your kids or grandkids?

That's happened to me and here's an important part of how I tackle and overcome it without sacrificing serving good food.

I serve home cooked food exclusively at our house, heavy on the veggies, of course!

Yet, I spend very little time in the kitchen, relatively.

I don't run to the store all the time. (We've all got better things to do, right?!)

I love trying new things, recipes, and making up things with what veggies I've got in my fridge from my year-round CSA shares.

I especially love to have guests over and cook fun new meals to celebrate friendship and home grown food.

When I see a recipe that a CSA member shares or is in my email box, I first quickly scan it to see if I have everything.

And unless it's a complicated fancy recipe that uses pomegranate or galangal root or something exotic like that, I've usually got everything or can substitute for what I don't!

I can get started right away with a new fun recipe without going to the store or spending lots of time in preparation!

Having the right collection of condiments right on hand makes eating more veggies easy, especially when you're busy!

Wait a minute, what do you mean by condiments?

My husband was skeptical of my use of the word condiments. In case you are, too, check this out:

American Heritage Dictionary

condiment /kŏn′də-mənt/

noun

1. A substance, such as a relish, vinegar, or spice, used to flavor or complement food.

2. Something used to give relish to food, and to gratify the taste; a pungment and appetizing substance, as pepper or mustard; seasoning.

Similar: seasoning

3. Something used to enhance the flavor of food; salt or pepper for example

Having these condiments on hand will help you eat more veggies

I aim to have at least one open container of each of these and then one new, unopened container as backup. This is key to being able to make just about any recipe without having to run to the store!

#1 Tahini

This is a big one! If you've never tried tahini, it is sesame seeds ground up into a paste. You can use it to make sauces, salad dressings, hummus, and more.

Here's my favorite salad dressing recipe found on this blog post.

And here's how to use tahini to make hummus with veggies! 

Make anyone of these things ahead of time and voila! You've got a healthy, pre-made and interesting addition to your meals as you throw them together or pre-prep them.

Substitution idea: almond butter

#2 Soy Sauce

Another big one at our house. You can use it alone to put over a quick stir-fry to give it enough flavor to prevent veggie boredom. Or mix it in Gene's favorite quick sauce for stir-fries or roasted veggies or even an Asian flavored slaw. Sweet, salt, sour, and hot:

Gene's recipe:

• 1-2 cloves garlic
• 1-2 tsp ginger root, minced
• 2-3 TBLS soy sauce
• 2 tsp vinegar (rice, apple cider, etc)
• 1 tsp maple syrup
• Pinch of chili flakes (optional)

Substitution idea (if you don't do soy): coconut aminos or fish sauce

#3 Olive oil

A MUST have for us! I use this to drizzle over roasted veggies, and make homemade salad dressings (a must at our house). My current favorite salad dressing is the following ingredients whisked together:

• ½ cup olive oil
• ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
• ½ tsp Dijon mustard
• 1-2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• ¼ tsp salt

I pretty much always have a homemade salad dressing ready in my fridge, which makes eating more salad so easy!

Substitution idea: Avocado oil

#4 Vinegar

Again, we love making homemade salad dressings. I keep a good variety of vinegars on hand for that purpose including: apple cider vinegar, balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar, white balsamic vinegar, and rice vinegar.

Vinegar is also really great as a simple topping to steamed greens like kale, Swiss chard, spinach, and wild/foraged greens like dandelion greens and nettles.

The little bit of extra pizzazz that the splash of vinegar adds makes our kids excited about trying the greens. And gets the adults going back for seconds.

#5 Lemons/lemon juice

The flavor of lemons is so appetizing and refreshing that it helps overcome veggie hesitation at times thanks to a variety of techniques that I detail below.

I do spoil myself here. I keep whole lemons in my fridge at all times, pretty much. I think that the flavor of lemon is unique and can't be substituted for by vinegar. Though in a pinch, I can and will substitute apple cider vinegar.

Lemons are great in fresh homemade dressings.

Here's my favorite lemon juice based homemade dressing over my favorite kale salad (getting super relevant here, friends!)

Also great in our family's favorite coleslaw recipe: Lemony Coleslaw. 

Lemons are also delicious in wedges squeezed over grilled veggies like zucchini or eggplant. Yum!

#6 Fresh Ginger Root

I love the flavor of fresh ginger. It's unique and not replaceable by anything in my opinion, especially the powder. (Which will do in a pinch of course, but totally not the same!)

To get dinner on the table quickly in the summer, a stir-fry is a big go-to at our house. And adding ginger to a stir-fry is a great way to increase the flavor profile of an otherwise potentially repetitive dish. In comes ginger for the win! Here's a link to my blog post on how to make stir-fries more interesting.

#7 Feta and/or soft cheese (cow or goat)

To make a salad more appetizing, the simple addition of soft cheese or feta is incredible. Kids especially love it!

It's also good on lightly sauteed or steamed summer veggies like green beans, summer squash, zucchini.

And it's essential to a cold salad of roasted beets, a staple at our house.  Or with any roasted root veggies, with the salty tanginess of the cheese perfectly offsetting the sweetness of the roasted roots.

#8 Salt

Pretty obvious, right? Or maybe not. It's amazing how just a little salt and butter on really fresh cooked veggies is all you need to love them and want a second helping.

#9 Butter

Tagging off of the above, butter is the most simple seasoning there is besides salt for really fresh veggies. Sometimes that is all you need!

Ideas for really fresh veggies seasoned with only butter and salt:

• broccoli
• spinach/other cooking greens
• green beans
• summer squash
• winter squash (roasted or puree)
• potatoes
• carrots
• peas

#10 Well stocked spices

When making recipes quickly, I really like to have the right spices (or substitutes) on hand easily. I keep dozens of spices around my kitchen so that I can pretty much make any recipe that I want to.

I especially find useful blends like curry powder for curries and soups, cumin and coriander for stir-fries, and English spices like thyme, oregano, and bay for veggie laden soups and stews.

Bottom line is no matter what your favorite go-to condiments are, having them right there will help you get more done faster and not make you have to choose between good fun and good food.

What are your must-have condiments in your cabinet and refrigerator to help you eat more veggies? 

I bet yours are not exactly the same as mine!!!

Please reply and let me know!