Operation eat more veggies is in full effect! I managed to eat 2 cups of spinach in my eggs this morning, the veggies in my chili this afternoon, and tonight’s dinner was a virtual cavalcade of vegetables.
It was another one of those days where I had no idea what was going to be for dinner because, well, my mind kept changing every few minutes. At 10 a.m, I emailed my friend saying “I’m having steak and roasted brussels sprouts!” Then, when I talked to Adam after work, it was going to be a burger and salads. Then it was going to be steak and salad, then, I went rogue.
I went to our local produce market and just started grabbing stuff: Chinese eggplant, spaghetti squash, baby portabella mushrooms, red peppers, spinach, ground beef, coconut milk… and I still had no idea what I was going to make. On the very short ride home, I decided it was a burger night, but I wanted a new and unique veggie dish to go along with it. New and unique it was!
First I made burgers with:
- ground beef
- garlic powder
- 1 egg
- parsley flakes
- salt & pepper
Then, I started chopping. The Chinese eggplant got peeled and cut into chunks. The red pepper got diced, the mushrooms got sliced, and the spaghetti squash went into the oven to roast at 325 for an hour. When the squash was done, it got dumped into a bowl. Then the recipe started:
Coconut Garden
1 Chinese eggplant, peeled and cut into bite sized pieces
6 mini portabella mushrooms (or half a big one) cut into small pieces
1 red pepper, diced
1 small spaghetti squash, roasted and scooped
1 lb raw baby spinach
1/4 c. coconut milk
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. curry powder
1 Tbsp. oil of your choice
S&P to taste
Directions
Heat a large wok, and once hot, add oil. Add the eggplant first and cook a few minutes. When lightly browned, add in the red peppers, then the mushrooms, and allow them to cook until they’ve released their juices. Sprinkle with garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Add the spinach and cook until wilted. Stir in squash strings, stir a few times to combine, then lower the heat. Add the coconut milk and curry powder, and stir well. Serve.
I call this Cow and a Garden because, well, I had a burger and a garden full of veggies in a CaliBowl.
I finally got my first anonymous question from my “Ask Me” page! Did you even know it was there? What do you want to know about me? There has to be something…
My first and only question so far:
I love you and Adam together. How did you know he was the one?
Well, Adam and I met in the winter of 2004, and not long after that he had a minor surgery that ended up with complications that left him on disability for almost three months. What does this have to do with anything? I knew that Adam and I had something great going pretty much from day one. He called the morning after our first date, and the rest is history. He had this minor surgery on a Wednesday afternoon, and stayed overnight in the hospital until Thursday. After work Thursday, I headed straight for his house to visit and take care of him (I’d taken Friday off work), and a few hours into me being there, Adam started developing spinal headaches as a side effect from the spinal anesthetic from his surgery. Next thing I knew, I was calling an ambulance to take him to the hospital, and spent the evening in the ER. When he was waiting for the doctor to come in and see him, I looked at him and realized that the worst thing I could imagine was losing him… and that’s when I knew 
Have a wonderful Tuesday!
Ooooh operation eat more veggies..don’t come near me.
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Yummy recipe and inspiring quest to eat more veggies! I am hosting Blogger Secret Ingredient this week, and it is coconut milk, one of my fave ingredients!
Meghan@traveleatlove´s last blog ..Blogger Secret Ingredient!
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I love veggies. I try to eat them as much as possible…your recipe looks divine!
Melissa (MelissaLikesToEat)´s last blog ..135.8
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2 cups of spinach in your eggs?!! Way to go!!
Estela @ weekly bite´s last undefined ..If you register your site for free at
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Mara @ What's For Dinner? Reply:
February 1st, 2010 at 9:08 pm
It was raw spinach, which cooked down to about a cup cooked, but it was still a lot
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Glad the veggie addition is a success so far. How could it not be with that meal? Looks amazing!
Love you girl!
Lauren´s last blog ..The Ultimate
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Yay veggies! That looks delicious! And awww… what a cute story…
quix´s last blog ..Second Half Marathon Training: Week 11
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Glad your getting those veggies in! It can be hard sometimes – I know.
Love the story of you and Adam!
Rose´s last blog ..Complaining about stupid things is just stupid.
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awww i love you and adam together too!!!
and SHEESH, a Mara burger. good lordy, they are THE BEST. totes craving one in India! haha
love you soooooo
glidingcalm´s last blog ..India Post #4: So many pictures of Bangalore!!
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That dinner looks amazing!!
Kelly B.´s last blog ..Technology Overload!
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We probably would do this either because of the mushrooms and eggplant, but I love dumping my favorite things together to come up with a scrumptious meal.
Diana´s last blog ..Bring on a Little Heat – Tabasco Superbowl Pizza Recipes
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I’ve definitely got to work on getting more veggies in myself. Spinach with eggs is a great idea. Same with your dinner! YUM!
Aw, adorable love story about you and Adam. Love it!
Amanda (Two Boos Who Eat)´s last blog ..Two Boos Who are Sick
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Isn’t it amazing what you can do with vegetables? This stir-fry mixure sounds great. I rarely think about Chinese eggplant but now I’m going to. Yum!
Rebecca_C´s last blog ..Sugar & Spice: Chocolate Gingerbread Cupcakes
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