I came up with a simple analogy that describes how I create most of my whole plant-based meals. Think of eating plant-based meals as dressing yourself right after a shower.
You start with a naked body (washed vegetables) and put on underwear, a necessity for most (something for flavor such as onions, garlic, herbs, seasonings, hummus, avocado, olives, lemons, limes, salsa). Next you put on some clothes (whole grains such as brown rice, quinoa, barley, whole-grain pasta), and finally, you accessorize (amazing plant-based sauces).
I always keep plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, whole grains, and raw nuts on hand, plus some frozen fruit and vegetables for if I'm in a pinch. To prepare a delicious, satisfying, quick meal, for just myself, I start with at least 2 cups of fresh vegetables, including an absolute minimum of 1 cup of green leafy vegetables (kale and broccoli are my favorite veggies! I also like bell peppers (all colors), cauliflower, carrots, cabbage, spinach, collards, chards, mushrooms, squash, eggplant, corn, etc.), and I wash all the vegetables. I saute some onion and/or garlic in a pan sprayed with olive oil, then add the vegetables, stirring for about 3-5 minutes so that they are still crisp and retain their vibrant colors. I cook whole grains and store them in my fridge so I can grab one of the cooked grains and throw in about 1/2 - 2/3 of a cup with the vegetables (the whole grain you select can also be prepared separately while preparing the vegetables). Finally, I add a plant-based sauce such as an easy home made nut-based sauce (Alfredo sauce, "not cheese" sauce, pesto sauce, creamy red pepper sauce), or an even easier store-bought marinara sauce (read the label). For a quick curry sauce, I stir in about a tablespoon of curry powder, then stir in light coconut milk and continue stirring for another minute or so, to heat the sauce through and blend the flavors. The possibilities are a seemingly endless combination of vegetables, grains, and sauces! And I didn't even mention beans, legumes, potatoes or other root vegetables, which you can certainly also add as you like!
Here's an example - I made the dish shown here with roasted garlic, fresh broccoli and kale, and roasted vegetables that I had in the fridge (eggplant, mushrooms, red bell pepper, onion, and garlic). I sauteed the broccoli & kale, then added the roasted veggies and some whole wheat penne pasta that was cooked and also in the fridge. I topped it with a variation of the Raw Vegan Alfredo sauce I had in the fridge (see "healthy recipes" tab, variation 1) and thinned it with a some coconut milk. The whole thing took about 10 minutes to prepare. Very yummy!!!
The proportions I use can easily be scaled up to serve 2 or more for a delicious and satisfying meal in under 30 minutes. Add a green salad and you're set! If you have kids (or adults who act like kids) who don't like vegetables, puree the vegetables into your sauce and serve it over the grains - they'll never taste the difference and they'll get the nutrition!
The proportions I use can easily be scaled up to serve 2 or more for a delicious and satisfying meal in under 30 minutes. Add a green salad and you're set! If you have kids (or adults who act like kids) who don't like vegetables, puree the vegetables into your sauce and serve it over the grains - they'll never taste the difference and they'll get the nutrition!
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