Leave it to that beautiful tropical fish Blake Lively to persuade us to try new things. First, she had us committed to finding the biggest, boldest statement coat. Then she full-on convinced us to put mayonnaise in our hair. Now she’s actually got us wanting to eat vegetables, whether in a salad, side dish or main entrée. Blake’s lifestyle website Preserve has been featuring recipes that skip the meat and embrace colorful veggies instead. Here are nine Blake-approved recipes we can’t wait to whip up.
1. Sweet Corn and Bean Salad: We hope your local farmers’ market is setting up soon, because this salad calls for a little bit of everything: fresh corn, bell peppers, tomatoes, black beans, avocados, berries and more.
2. Roasted Cauliflower With Pomegranate: She’s a whiz in the kitchen, but she also knows when to learn from the pros. This one comes from Top Chef winner Hung Huynh, who tops the roasted cauliflower with a homemade vinaigrette, raisins and pomegranate seeds.
3. Crudités With Roasted Garlic and Herb Dip: For a super easy party platter that goes beyond a store-bought jar of dip, just throw together some basic pantry staples with pre-blended herbs from Preserve’s online store.
4. Shaved Brussel Sprouts, Pomegranate and Apple Salad: How many different ways did mom and dad have to prepare sprouts to get you to even taste them? Turns out all you need is an apple, a pomegranate and seasonings.
5. Intoxicating Detoxification Juice: This one actually comes from The Juice Generation: 100 Recipes for Fresh Juices and Superfood Smoothies. Blake doesn’t go the typical green juice route. Instead, she adds beet and pineapple for a sweet detox + boost in one gulp. (via People)
6. Crispy Fried Baby Yukon Potatoes: Okay, okay, so potatoes are a starchy vegetable, but we say they’re a vegetable nonetheless! This super simple skillet recipe makes for a gourmet French fry replacement.
7. Stuffed Sweet Potatoes With Ricotta and Honey: Stuffed sweet potatoes? More like stuffed bellies, since these are adorned with ricotta, grapes, honey and seasonings.
8. Roasted Pumpkin Soup: Butternut squash is an acceptable replacement in this savory soup, although little hollowed-out sugar pumpkins make for the most impressive bowls.
9. Pumpkin and Kale Focaccia: Yes, you can make your own soft, flaky, to-die-for focaccia bread. Top it with kale, pumpkin and pesto for autumn or get creative with other seasonal vegetables all year long.
Which of these veggie recipes has your mouth watering? Sound off in the comments!
