I really enjoy salads for lunch, even in the winter, but sometimes I do like to change things up a bit and this was how I got creative in the kitchen this week. It needed to be easy to make, quick as I haven’t got the inclination to be standing in the kitchen for ages at lunch time, and also cheap to make every day.
I’d seen Joe Wicks making a lunch pasta for his son with a veggie mix from Ocado so I went in search of what Morrisons had to offer like this.It wasn’t the same at all, but actually having the veggies in bigger pieces was better as I had squishy veg. Any kind of mixed frozen veg will do, and if you can’t find the right mix of things already, then get some separate bags of what you do like and decant portions into zip lock bags to store in the freezer for handy grabbing at lunch time. I had a some cooked beetroot in the fridge already cut up so I popped some of that in this too.
The important thing was this was packed full of flavour and nutrients, but you can most definitely bespoke this to your own tastes.
You’ll need
- Frozen mixed vegetables
- 1/2 Vegetable stock cube
- 1.5 tbsp nutritional yeast (I’ll explain what this is later)
- 1tbsp olive oil
Put a portion’s worth of veggies in a pan with the olive oil on a high enough heat to make it sizzle, but not burn. It will depend on how chunky the veg are and what vegetables they are on how long it takes to defrost them and cook them through. The first time you do it you’ll probably need to keep a close eye on it, after that you can walk away and get some jobs done while it does its stuff,like empty the dishwasher, send an email etc. If you have very big chunks (the cauliflower and broccoli can be like this) then break these up with a spatula once its defrosted enough.
When the vegetables have softened crumble in half a stock cube and mix round. The hard OXO type ones are best for this as you can scatter over the whole pan. Add a dash of water if it is dry, but if you have had a lid on it might be wet enough already. Then sprinkle over the nutritional yeast and give it a good mix round.
That’s it! The yeast will coat the vegetables and be absorbed by the liquid in the pan. Add another dash of water if you feel it needs it.
So nutritional yeast, what is it? It is used by vegans to add a cheesy flavour to dishes, and is often referred to as nooch but it absolutely isn’t just for vegans. It has a nutty, cheesy flavour and it packed full of vitamins and minerals. You can add it to soups, veggie mixes, pasta sauces. I got mine at the supermarket, but if you can’t find it then try a health food shop or online. It’s s great addition to your store cupboard.
