Vegetables are full of good things: disease-fighting vitamins, minerals and fiber, to name a few. Getting your recommended daily amount of vegetables each day can be tough. Entice your family and your taste buds to eat those veggies with the top five seasonings for tasty cooking.
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Garlic
When looking to torque up the taste of your favorite healthy vegetables, think garlic. Besides being a healthful natural antibacterial, garlic is delicious and full of flavor. Press a clove of garlic into your salad, and then top with a squeeze of lemon and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Sauté a clove or two of garlic in olive oil before adding raw spinach for a snappy and quick side dish full of tasty nutrients. Roast a head of garlic with a drizzle of olive oil until soft for a fantastic nutty bread spread minus all the saturated fat of butter. Roast potato cubes with olive oil and garlic for a delicious and simple side dish.
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Vinegar
When serving roasted or raw veggies, nothing perks up the flavor like vinegar. Many types are available at your local grocery store, so be sure to get creative. Choose from red wine, balsamic and rice wine vinegar, among others, to get the boost you need without unnecessary fat and salt. Be careful of flavored vinegars, as sugar can be hidden inside. Always refrigerate vinegar with herbs after opening to avoid spoilage.
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Salt and pepper
These two seasonings just go together. Salt and pepper are so widely known they’re actually overlooked in their importance. Almost everything you cook benefits from a proper dash of salt and pepper, and vegetables are no exception. There are many kinds of salt and pepper to try if you’re bored with the old standbys. Try Himalayan pink salt and Malabar black pepper for an outstanding outside-the-box seasoning experience.
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Ginger
Ginger root is a tummy-taming, sweetly spicy seasoning that can bring a whole new twist to the usual vegetables. Notable for its use in Asian and Ethiopian cooking, ginger mellows with heat and flavors olive oil for a softer note in any dish. Try ginger dried, ground or ... even better ... sliced or grated fresh with root vegetables. Sauté ginger with broccoli, pea pods, carrots and cauliflower to create a delicious and colorful medley.
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Herbs
Healthy cooking has always touted the benefits of culinary herbs. Tasty cooking is not possible without them. If you haven’t experimented with herbs before, now is the time. Sliver shards of basil, crumple sprigs of rosemary, mince leaves of thyme and rip hunks of parsley. Throw them into your usual veggie fare with wild abandon. You won’t believe the difference they will make.
