Sometimes, we just don’t have a lot of time or energy at the end of the day to make a well rounded meal, but we know we need to eat our veggies, don’t we? This time of year the problem seems to e compounded by the fact that the veggies that are in season can be less than inspiring. Gone are the beautiful tomatoes, asparagus, red pepper and other colorful veggies that made our mouths water. Now, they’ve been replaced by a less colorful palate of veggies, like cabbage, squash and cauliflower. Not to disrespect these delightful fall and winter vegetables, it’s just that it’s a little harder to make a quick and healthy meal with them. Here are a couple recipes that can hopefully help you with your post summer doldrums.

Cabbage with Prosciutto

2 tbs olive oil
1 onion (less if you’re not a big fan of them)
1 head of green cabbage
2 slices of prosciutto cut into matchstick sized pieces
salt & pepper

Slice the onion into ½ circle, thin slices. Remove the core and thinly chop the cabbage. Add the oil to a Dutch oven and heat on a medium flame. When the oil is hot, add the onion and sauté until they start to soften. Add the cabbage and continue cooking for about 10 minutes or until the cabbage is cooked, but not too soggy. If the cabbage starts to stick, just add a little water to the pan. Add the prosciutto and cook until it’s warmed through. Salt and pepper to taste.

Pasta with Zucchini, mushrooms and tuna

3 tbs olive oil
1 clove of garlic, sliced into thin disc
½ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
1 zucchini
6 mushrooms
1 can tuna (in olive oil is best, but in water will work too)
1 tbs chopped fresh parsley
salt & pepper
grated parmesan cheese
¾ package of pasta (spaghetti, linguine, there’s a lot that would work for this)

Put a large sauce pan full of water on to boil. Add pasta and cook for recommended time.
Drain pasta in a colander.

While the pasta’s cooking, quarter the zucchini long ways and slice very thinly. Slice mushrooms thinly. Add oil to a skillet on medium flame and when the oil is hot, add the garlic and pepper flakes. When the garlic turns a pearl color, add the mushroom and zucchini and sauté for about 5 minutes, until the vegetables are soft and the zucchini is translucent. Add the parsley and the drained can of tuna and heat until tuna is warmed through, but don’t over cook the tuna. Salt and pepper to taste. Combine the sauce and the pasta and serve with grated parmesan cheese.