Vegetables are versatile, full of essential vitamins, vibrant in colour and very kind to the family purse. They are quite simply victorious! 

I was after a fast, tasty, nutritious lunch so I sautéed 1 cup of button mushrooms in half a tablespoon of unsalted butter. I added a grind of sea salt and black pepper to taste and 1 cup of English spinach halfway through the cooking process. Two pieces of golden wholemeal bread were popped into the toaster, freshly cut from a loaf I had picked up at Rozelle’s Victoire French bakery. The moist mushroom mixture was piled on top, a few shavings of parmesan added and my lunch was ready within 10 minutes. 


These colourful green sugar snap peas were tossed in olive oil and sea salt with bite sized cauliflower florets. I heated up a large frypan and stir-fried them over a medium-high gas flame for 4 minutes, taking care not to overcook the mini morsels, but making sure they developed that appetising touch of golden brown. Use the largest frypan you have on hand because the expansive, flat surface area means your veggies will cook quickly without stewing. You want the veggies to still retain a bit of crunch.

This is a satisfying side dish suitable to serve up alongside your choice of chicken, meat or poultry. Even children who are normally apprehensive about eating anything from the garden will find this dish visually appealing. Plus, the cauliflower develops a sweet flavour when cooked this way and anything sweet is always a hit with little ones. Just look at how shiny and enticing those peas are in particular!