Veggies Vinaigrette

Green Beans Vinaigrette - I get these beautiful, long
Green Beans from the Freezer at Aldi : )

Have you ever noticed that a lot of Omnivores put a lot of time, effort and money into making meat more attractive than it naturally is. Extravagant and time consuming dishes are created featuring meat - Lobster Thermidor, Beef Stroganoff, Chicken Kiev, Crown Roast. Then, more often than not, the vegetables are served as an afterthought. On a good day, they're steamed. On a bad day, they're dumped out of a can and heated in the microwave. Then, we wonder why so many people think meat is "better" than vegetables!

California Veggies Vinaigrette

The good news is, while it takes a lot of time, effort and money to prepare meat - from raising and butchering livestock, to fancy and time-consuming preparation methods - it doesn't take much to dress up a veggie! They're naturally attractive : ) And, if you're short on time or energy, you can make a vegetable delightfully delicious in a matter of seconds!

This is one of my go-to preparation methods for busy nights. When I prepare the veggies this way, I watch them disappear at about twice the normal rate.

I improvise my own microwave veggie steamer like this
Simply put a couple of tablespoons water in with the
frozen or fresh veggies, slide the plate on top, and microwave
according to package directions (generally 5 to 10 minutes)
on high.

I found this recipe years ago in Food for Life by Dr. Neal Barnard. While his book recommended preparing the recipe for each batch, I prefer to make the dressing in a larger quantity, and store it in a squeeze-bottle in the fridge (like those bottles used to serve ketchup or mustard at picnics). That way, it's a simple matter of steaming the frozen vegetables in the microwave or on the stove top, and pouring the dressing on top. Just add to taste. If you find that you LOVE this flavour, it's an easy matter to double the recipe so you can have it more often. It keeps well in the fridge.

Veggies Vinaigrette Dressing
Pour into bottle:

½ cup Seasoned Rice Vinegar (link gives basic info, as well as how to make your own substitute)

1 to 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

Steaming in a pot on the stovetop is great for those who prefer
not to use the microwave (or, if your microwave already
has something else cooking). Use a metal steamer basket with a
little water beneath it (about 1/2 cup, usually), and steam with a
lid on the pot. After water boils, reduce to simmer & cook to
desired doneness - usually 5 to 10 minutes, depending on your
vegetable.

1 teaspoon Crushed Garlic
Shake well


I like this over non-starchy vegetables. Green Beans and blends like California Vegetables (Broccoli, Cauliflower & Carrots) are some of my favorites.

This is being shared on
Healthy Vegan Fridays and Frugal Tip Tuesday