Vegepod and National Nutrition Week

From 15 - 21st October it’s National Nutrition Week, a 20-year tradition as part of Nutrition Australia’s healthy eating and awareness campaign.

This year, the theme for NNW is ‘Try for 5’ an initiative the aims to encourage Australians to increase their veggie consumption to a recommended five serves/day. So we thought, what better way to promote ‘Try for 5’ than to give you guys five nutritious, vegetable-filled recipes that can all be grown in the Vegepod! Whether you have a small balcony pod, or a set of large Vegepods, we hope you try out and enjoy these recipes this week, and into the future. Enjoy!

1. Parsley-Potato Salad

Parsley grows all year round for potatoes the last month to plant seeds in temperate regions of Australia is October so get cracking!

Here’s a simple and easy recipe that’s a delicious way to get your veggies in.

Ingredients: 4 potatoes, ¾ tbsp. chopped parsley, mayonnaise (eyeball it), ½ lemon, some lemon rind, extra virgin olive oil (not too much), 4 anchovies, capers, salt & pepper.

Method: Boil the potatoes until soft, about 30 minutes. Chop up the parsley and combine it with lemon peel, lemon juice, capers and set aside. Brush the potatoes with mayonnaise and drizzle over the parsley vinaigrette. Delicious.

2. Bruschetta

This one’s an oldie but a classic. Nothing like using the tomatoes in your Vegepod for a quick toastie that’s full of flavour. Here’s how we do it.

Ingredients: tomatoes (as many as you like), basil, crusty bread, garlic, olive oil, balsamic vinegar (if you have it) salt, pepper.

Method: Toast your bread, rub garlic onto it and drizzle it in olive oil. Cut up your tomatoes and basil on top and season it with salt, pepper, and a little balsamic vinegar. Bellissimo! As the Italians say.

3. Silverbeet Pasta

Silverbeet is a great one for continual harvest in the Vegepod. A bit of a tough vegetable that people can sometimes forget how to use, this recipe shows you how to soften the leafs and eat it with some delicious carbs for perfect nutrition.

Ingredients: 250g pasta (preferably wholemeal), silverbeet, walnuts (or pine nuts), ¼ cup of white wine, parmesan cheese, two red onions and olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste.

Method: Bring a pot to the boil, salt the water and add the pasta. Meanwhile, strip the silverbeet leaves from their stems and chop up both. Add your finely chopped onion and the stems to a medium-heat saucepan for two minutes, then add in the leaves, walnuts and white wine. Turn the saucepan down to low. You know the mixture is done once the leaves have wilted and the nuts are toasting.

Add the pasta and 125ml of reserved pasta water to the mixture and toss gently. Grate over the parmesan cheese, salt and pepper and you’re done.

4. Baked Zucchini Fries

Zucchinis are easy as anything to grow in spring. This recipe is absolutely delicious and healthy, but if you dip them in sour cream at the end, they might be even better.

Ingredients: 4 zucchinis, ½ cup of parmesan cheese, ½ tsp of dried thyme, oregano, and basil, ¼ tsp garlic powder, 2 tbsp parsley, 2 lugs of olive oil, salt and pepper.

Method: Preheat your oven to 176°C. In a small bowl combine the herbs, cheese, S & P. Place the zucchini on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Then sprinkle over the herby-cheesy mixture. Bake until tender, about 15 minutes, and flake some parsley on top. Voila.

5. Spinach Smoothie

Smoothies are one of the easiest ways to get your nutrition in. It’s a salad in a drink and you don’t even notice the leafy greens! As spinach always comes up a treat in the Vegepod, this recipe is the perfect on a Sunday morning, when you’ve got a bit of time on your hands.

Ingredients: 2 handfuls of baby spinach, 1 Lebanese cucumber, ½ lemon, 10 raw cashew nuts, 2 cups of diced watermelon, 1 ½ cups of water.

Method: Blend! Until smooth.