28 Different Fruits and Vegetables/1 Week

My friend Candice started doing a 28 fruits and vegetables challenge. The idea is that eating 28 servings of all different types of fruits and vegetables per week is supposed to be really good for you. I love food challenges. I was voluntarily vegan for quite a while before I had to give up gluten for health reasons. Not only was the vegan challenge fun, but I felt like it was pretty good for me and forced me to become a better cook (although there were plenty of nights where I drowned in an entire Essential Bakery seeded baguette and a Trader Joe's Hummus Quartet - something I'd later find out was part of the way untreated celiacs "medicate"). I got really involved in an iron chef type vegan community and made some of the most tasty things in the world (chipotle pepper and raspberry chocolate mouse in little semi-sweet chocolate cups, I totally won that week). My point here is, I love a food challenge and that's exactly what I'm doing now. I've been logging every serving of different fruits and vegetables that I eat. I like it because it's not difficult but it's totally motivating me to try new vegetables. I had delicata squash and beet greens for the first time, and tonight, I'll try dandelion greens. I'm finding that with a little bit of butter, salt, pepper, and garlic, every vegetable can be delicious with one exception; beet greens. I love beets but when I sautéed some beet greens with butter and garlic they turned out awful. I legit gagged. I'd love to hear your favorite beet green recipes.

As a total aside, I've been trying to cook with "mise en place", which is something I've never heard of until I read my friend Monika's blog. Mise en place basically means, get everything in order before you start cooking (food chopped, oven preheated, etc). It's super helpful and forces me to cook more thoughtfully.


So here's a brunch that is not un-typical since the fruit and veggie challenge began.
One fried egg, mashed delicata squash, broiled beets, sauteed beet greens, and a cherry-peach yogurt smoothie. Pretty tasty, yeah? Minus the beet greens of course.

Tonight I'll be making Arroz Caldo from Candice's home made chicken stock, with lightly sauteed dandelion greens and lemon juice everywhere. Possibly some roasted carrots, even though they've made it on the list this week.

Have a happy, healthy new year!