As we enter the final stretch of the spring semester, our schedules feel busier each day. With time being a precious commodity, I encourage you to try these quick dinner recipes centered around vegetables.
Spaghetti Squash — If you enjoy spaghetti and meat sauce then you ought to try this version of it. Instead of pasta, the starch vegetable spaghetti squash will be your base. For this recipe you will need one spaghetti squash, a pasta sauce and the garnish of your choice.
- Stand your squash up vertically and carefully cut your spaghetti squash in half from the top to bottom. Scoop the seeds out of the middle of each side of squash and drizzle the hollow inside with olive oil, salt and pepper.
- Position the outer half of the squash facing upwards on a sheet pan. Poke a couple of holes on the outside of the squash to allow steam to escape the vegetable.
- Cook the squash for 30-40 minutes at 400 degrees. The outside of the squash should be browned but firm.
- Once the squash is fully cooked, scrape the inside of the squash to create the look of spaghetti. The strands of squash should resemble thin yellow strands of spaghetti.
- Gather a serving of spaghetti squash in a bowl and top with your choice of sauce and garnishes.
Sheet Pan Eggplant Parmesan — This creative dish only requires one sheet pan and will add an Italian flavor to your weekly meal rotation. For this recipe you will need an eggplant, 2 cups of breadcrumbs, 2 Roma tomatoes and mozzarella cheese.
- Cut your eggplant into thick round slices and salt each side of the circle. Allow the eggplant rounds to sit for 30 minutes to ensure the excess liquid is drained from the vegetable.
- Brown your breadcrumbs on medium-high on the stove top for 5 minutes. Season the breadcrumbs with minced garlic and lemon zest.
- After drying the eggplant, drizzle olive oil and salt and pepper on a sheet pan and place into the oven on the broiler setting.
- Broil each side of the eggplant rounds for four minutes and then take the pan out of the oven and allow it to cool for 10 minutes.
- Once the pan is cool, top the roasted eggplant with slices of tomatoes, mozzarella cheese and breadcrumbs.
- Put the pan back into the oven for 15 minutes at 425 degrees. The cheese should be melted and browned.
Kale Balsamic Vinegar Salad — This bittersweet salad is extremely easy to assemble and can be topped with grilled salmon or chicken. For this recipe you will need kale, olive oil, balsamic vinegar and the protein of your choice.
- Combine 3 tablespoons of olive oil, 3 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar and a sprinkle of salt and pepper into a bowl. Mix the liquid until it is one consistency.
- Massage your kale and top it with the homemade dressing. If you would like, you can add protein or pine nuts to spruce up your salad.
Asian Cucumber Salad — This recipe satisfies any sensation for a refreshing and crunchy snack. For this recipe you will need cucumbers, soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey and sesame oil.
- Thinly chop your cucumbers and salt them to allow the vegetable to dispense water. Without rinsing the cucumbers, let the chopped cucumbers sit for 5 minutes. This will reduce the moisture inside of the cucumber and allow the cucumbers to absorb more of the dressing.
- Place the cucumbers in a bowl and slowly pour each sauce into the bowl. Allow a one second pour of soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil and maple syrup into the bowl.
- You can choose to top the salad with sesame seeds if you would like to add some crunch to your meal.
These quick and nutritious meals can fuel you throughout the final stretch of the semester. Enjoy!
