Food Hack: Marinating Your Veggies Makes Them SO Much Tastier

Name: Food Hack: Marinating Your Veggies Makes Them SO Much Tastier
Yield: Serves 6
Ingredients: 3 bell peppers, any color, cut into 1/2-inch strips; 1 yellow onion, cut in large slices; 1 bunch broccolini, thick lower stems removed; 1 zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch medallions; 1 small shallot, finely minced; 5 cloves garlic, grated; 1/2 cup soy sauce; 1/2 cup honey or maple syrup; 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar; 1/4 cup olive oil; salt and pepper to taste

Justina Huddleston

Feb 04, 2018

Marinated vegetables are the way to the heart of even the staunchest carnivores. The first time my mom served them to my brother-in-law and husband, they couldn’t believe that they were piling second helpings onto their plate, especially when there were still burgers on the grill. It’s a versatile recipe that works with almost any veggie, and you can even change up the marinade if you so desire. The key is letting the produce soak up enough of the flavor so that it’s infused in every bite. You also want to make sure you balance your marinade so it’s not too acidic (which can make the veggies mushy) or sweet (which can make them burn). If you’re looking to add more vegetables to your diet, this is the method that’ll make it a pleasure instead of a chore.

Marinated Roasted Vegetables

Recipe from Justina Huddleston, Brit + Co

(Serves 6)

Ingredients:

3 bell peppers, any color, cut into 1/2-inch strips
1 yellow onion, cut in large slices
1 bunch broccolini, thick lower stems removed
1 zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch medallions
1 small shallot, finely minced
5 cloves garlic, grated
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup honey or maple syrup
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Wash and chop the vegetables.

2. Microwave the pepper strips for two minutes, and the zucchini and onions for one minute. This helps them absorb more of the marinade (skip this step for the broccolini).

3. Add the shallot, garlic, soy sauce, honey, balsamic vinegar, and oil to a mason jar. Screw on the lid and shake well until combined. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as desired.

4. Place the vegetables in an airtight plastic container or zip-top container, then pour the marinade over them. Shake things up, and refrigerate for at least an hour and up to overnight before cooking.

4. You can sauté, grill, or roast the veggies. I like to roast them at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 10-15 minutes, flipping them once halfway through cooking. Keep an eye on them so they don’t burn.

Once your marinated veggies are cooked, there are a ton of tasty ways to enjoy them. Use them to make a savory vegan crostini with cashew cheese and lemon zest, add them to a bowl of rice, toss with homemade pasta, or turn into a panini with some cheese and air-fried chicken tenders.

Get even more excited to eat your veggies by peeping the recipes on our Pinterest page.

(Photos via Justina Huddleston / Brit + Co)

7 Simple Travel Hacks That'll Change The Way You Fly

Flying doesn’t always have to be a stressful, chaotic experience. In fact, there are plenty of genius tricks to keep in your back pocket to make traveling as seamless and smooth as possible! From sneaky packing strategies to in-flight essentials you didn’t know you needed, these 7 simple travelhacks might just change the way you fly forever.

Scroll on for our 7 go-to travel hacks for making the trip easier every time.

Timur Weber / PEXELS

1. Roll your clothes.

Rolling your clothes is a huge help in saving space inside your backpack, duffle bag, or suitcase. Rolling garments tightly and packing them in is surprisingly much more efficient than traditional folding methods – plus it reduces wrinkles. Rolling comes in especially handy for bulkier items like maxi dresses, jeans, and jackets.

Timur Weber / PEXELS

2. Use packing cubes.

If you want to maximize even more space within your bag, packing cubes are definitely worth investing in. You can still roll your garments to pack ‘em, but placing them in packing cubes compresses their size down further. Plus, with multiple packing cubes, you can label each one and keep your things organized and easily accessible.

Tima Miroshnichenko / PEXELS

3. Bring an empty water bottle.

If you’re not doing this at the airport, what are you doing?! Probably spending $8 on a single bottled water. C’mon – bringing an empty water bottle is the simplest of all travel hacks. Just arrive with it completely empty to later fill it after passing through the TSA line. You’ll avoid paying for overpriced airport water and have limitless refill opportunities, even after you've arrived at your destination.

Valeriia Miller / PEXELS

4. Stuff small items inside shoes.

In the vein of more space-saving packing tricks, don’t underestimate the power of your shoes! From sneakers to boots, it’s so easy to use the insides of them to pack socks, lip balms, phone chargers, jewelry, or other small items.

Anna Shvets / PEXELS

5. Use a pill organizer for small items.

You can also easily leverage a pill organizer for the smallest of your small items like rings, earrings, earplugs, and more. Of course, you can still use a pill organizer for necessary medications or those ‘just in case’ painkillers.

Samantha Mandato / PEXELS

6. Bring a travel pillow and eye mask.

Travel pillows and eye masks are absolutely essential for long flights, or even shorter trips that you foresee yourself sleeping on. Bring them on your next flight, and you’ll immediately notice the difference from not flying with these must-have accessories.

Anna Gordon / Dupe

7. Download entertainment before you board.

Finally, to avoid risking total in-flight boredom, make sure you plan ahead and download your desired form of entertainment beforehand! Since you can’t always rely on in-flight wifi, pick out and download the movies, music, or audiobooks you want to tune into in advance. For a screen-free moment, you can never go wrong with a book or crossword puzzle booklet!

Subscribe to our newsletter for more travel tips!

hacks life advice travel tips packing tips airport travel

Olivia Munn Just Opened Up About Postpartum: “Harder Than Going Through Cancer”

Olivia Munn recently made refreshingly honest comments about her postpartum experience and it's made us love her even more. Our hearts were broken when the Your Friends and Neighbors actress revealed she'd been diagnosed with breast cancer last year, but she's chosen not to hide her journey as evidenced by a Skims ad she was featured in. The fact she's also being honest about her fertility journey feels like the admirable frankness we've come to expect from her.

Scroll to see everything Olivia Munn said about her postpartum journey!

Neilson Barnard/Getty Images for Vanity Fair

As the cover star of Self Magazine's latest issue, Olivia Munn opened up her career, health, and what it felt like after she had her son Malcolm. Of that time period, she said she was "operating normally" while also "feeling very depressed." However, she said things took a turn after she noticed a couple of things.

"It kicked into high gear when I hadn’t lost the baby weight, and nothing was fitting, and I would see people on social media, people I knew had babies around the same time. I reached out to some of them. And I’m like, ‘How are you in these Valentino shorts and this crop top just running around LA and having the energy to take all these beautiful pictures?'"

As a first-time mom who had tons of negative thoughts about her postpartum body, I totally get it.

However, Olivia didn't feel like pretending things were fine. "I didn’t even have the ability to fake it. I didn’t have the energy to fake anything they were faking." But she also mourned having a different experience with her and John Mulaney's second child, Meí June.

"It was devastating for me not to be able to carry [Méi]. I loved carrying my son. But postpartum was 'brutal,' she admits. Adding that "anxiety hit a month after Malcolm was born," the actress dove into detail about what looked like for her.

"My eyes pop open at 4 a.m. I’m gasping for air. I get the tightness in my chest, and it’s like that all day long. It felt like the end of the world…. It was like when you watch a horror movie—the worst, scariest horror movie you can think of—that’s how my body felt," she said.

It was so debilitating that she'd "have to sometimes hold John's arm from room to room." By that point, there was talks of her becoming medicated to get through her anxiety, but Olivia dropped another bombshell.

"...by the time I was talking about it, I was so far gone that even if you put a pill in my hand, I wouldn’t have taken it. When the depression or the anxiety takes over you so much, it’s almost like you won’t take the things that will help you."

On top of this, Olivia Munn struggled with breastfeeding due to a low milk supply. She said, "When you stop breastfeeding immediately, your hormones drop, and postpartum can come in like a tornado. And I didn’t clock any of that and I didn’t tell anybody about that. Then it was like I fell off a cliff, and I was just falling and falling and falling and falling. It was more difficult than going through cancer."

Oof, I can relate to the sudden change in breastfeeding instead of gradually slowing down. Although every mother's experience is different, it doesn't change the fact postpartum depression is very real and can be caused by a number of factors.

What do you think about Olivia Munn's experience?

Follow us on Facebook for more celebrity parenting stories!

postpartum experience motherhood anxiety celebrity news

10 Low-To-No Caffeine Coffee Alternatives For All Energy & No Buzz

My love for making latte recipes has come to a halt with the news I need to balance my hormones. I could curse the sky for this minor inconvenience, but I've been testing low-to-no caffeine coffee alternatives to curb my sadness. Thanks to Google, I've found 10 of the best products ever created.

I know this sounds far-fetched, but I think I may opt to drink them more often than relying on things full of acidic caffeine!

Scroll to find the best low-to-no caffeine coffee alternatives that boosts your energy without being harsh on your body.

Low Caffeine Coffee Alternatives

Live Conscious

Live Conscious Beyond Brew Vanilla Latte

Starting off with the first coffee alternative I've tried, Live Conscious' Beyond Brew Vanilla Latte is high on my list because almost forgot I wasn't drinking my Nescaf Gold Instant Coffeelatte mix. My favorite thing about it is how easy it is on my tummy. Coffee usually gives me an extreme case of gas cramps, but this doesn't. I think it's because it's filled with ingredients like turkey tail and other probiotics!

Everyday Dose

Everyday Dose Mushroom Coffee

Next up is Everyday Dose's Mushroom Coffee! Made with 80% less coffee than other brands, it's way better than Dr. Robotnik's recipes in Sonic the Hedgehog 2. It's easy on digestive and nervous systems because it's full of ingredients like collagen, chaga, and lion's mane. So, you get the boost of energy without the weird jitters and pained run to the bathroom!

MUD/WTR

MUD/WTR Matcha Starter Kit

Is Matcha coffee-adjacent? It depends on who you ask, but it's technically not. I just love drinking it when I feel like I've exhausted my go-to latte drink. MUD/WTR's starter kit only has 55g of caffeine in it which is a better alternative than your go-to coffee drink. Trust me!

No Caffeine Coffee Alternatives

World Wide Botanicals

World Wide Botanicals French Chicory Root Brew-Like Coffee

Not only is this coffee alternative caffeine free, but it's not acidic either! I especially love that how the chicory breaks down into a healthy prebiotic that helps the right kind of bacteria flourish in your digestive tract. Knowing that most illnesses begin in our stomachs, I love how this promotes a healthy version of what coffee lovers typically drink.

Anthony's Goods

Anthony's Goods Instant Chicory Root

Do you need another reason to drink chicory root? Not really, but Anthony's Goods has another alternative that's just as good as World Wide Botanicals' version. Besides being caffeine-free, this product's also gluten-free and has non-GMO properties. The taste is just an extra benefit!

Rasa Koffee

Rasa Koffee Original Adaptogenic Mushroom Coffee

What I want? More mushroom coffee ASAP! This vegan product is also great for anyone who's following a Whole 30 or Ayurvedic diet. It has 13 natural herbs in it and helps you feel less stressed with each cup you drink. How's that for an incentive to reach for coffee alternatives?

Walmart

Cafix All Natural Instant Beverage Crystals

Calling all barley lovers! I've found instant coffee crystals that are 100% caffeine-free! Amazingly enough, Cafix has figured out how to leave out the ingredient that makes some of us experience a post-coffee crash and I love that. I will say it's a little pricey for Instant Coffee, but you don't need to use that much.

Teeccino

Teeccino Turkey Tail Astragalus — Toasted Maple

The name 'Turkey Tail' may sound hilarious, but this blend is so good it's not funny. It's another acid-free, pre-biotic drink that doesn't taste like raw mushrooms (so important) and it brews like your favorite drink. Not bad.

Banyan Botanicals

Banyan Bitter & Bold Coffee Alternative With Chicory & Dandelion

If you don't need a ton of sugar or caramel syrup in your coffee, you'll enjoy drinking this chicory and dandelion mix. It a;so has adaptogens and prebiotics for a bold flavor you'll enjoy before a busy day. Plus, the fact it's caffeine-free is another added bonus.

Sip Herbals

Sip Herbals Peppermint Mocha Superfood Coffee Alternative

Did you really think I'd forget to include something that tastes festive? I couldn't leave this coffee alternative off the list because it combines "antioxidant-rich carob and soothing peppermint" together for a taste that feels like someone's throwing a Christmas party in your mouth.

Subscribe to our newsletter for more healthy food and drink alternatives!

Brit + Co may at times use affiliate links to promote products sold by others, but always offers genuine editorial recommendations.

peppermint mocha coffee hacks healthy essentials food

Meet The Spectacular 'Étoile' Cast

Étoile, from Gilmore Girls creators Dan Palladino and Amy Sherman-Palladino, premieres on Prime Video April 24. The show follows two dance companies, one in New York and one in Paris, who decide to swap their principal dancers to cross-promote their businesses. Étoile is marked by Amy's iconic witty scripts and fast-paced dialogue, and brings together another group of incredible actors to bring the story to life. It's no surprise the Étoile cast is one of Amy's most memorable yet, so let's get into it.