Meat and seven veg

Food in Santa Marta is definitely yummy.  However, I realise that people here don't seem accustomed to piling a whole lot of vegetables on their plates like I do at home.  A normal lunch plate here seems to be complied of a lot of meat, an equal amount of starch, and then maybe a little salad or a spoonful of veggies on the side. 

A variety of vegetables are definitely available at all of the supermarkets we have been to, and most are extremely cheap compared to Australian prices.  I've been told that some are considered affordable given Colombian salaries as well.  However, it has been explained to me that many families are accustomed to eating more starchy foods (rice, lentils, beans etc) as they are much cheaper and filling compared to other foods.  Having sufficient energy to last the day is especially important for those who are on a tight budget and cannot afford meat.  However, on top of the price issue I am guessing that vegetables may not be too popular anyway.  There may also be fewer veggie recipes around that explain how to make delicious dishes that are also nutritious. 

However, regardless of why I don't see to many people eating their vegetables, I have been making sure that I am eating my 5 serves for the day and have had fun sharing recipes with the family!  Here is one veggie recipe that is quite simple, nutritious, and is very filling (lots of root vegetables).  Enjoy!

Meat and 6 veg (to serve 6 people)

3 beetroot
2 bulbs of garlic (separated but kept in skin)
2 red onions
3 large carrots
1/4 of a medium-sized pumpkin
4 small capsicums
3 large handfuls of beans
1 tbs cinnamon (yes, cinnamon!)
1 tsp mixed Italian herbs
4 tbs olive oil
panfried meat of your choice

Chop all of the beetroot, carrots, and pumpkin so that they look similar in size and shape (I like to chop them thinly so that they come out crunchy).  Chop the onions in half and then into threes (you end up with 6 pieces of onion).  Slice the capsicum into strips (about 4 cm wide).  Chop the beans into 5 cm long pieces.  Arrange the vegetables into sections on a big pyrex dish.  Slide the garlic in between chopped-up veggies.  Sprinkle cinnamon and herbs ontop of everything.  Then sprinkle the oil over the entire dish.  Pop the veggies into a 200C oven for about a 30-45 minutes - if the veggies begin to burn then cover with some aluminium foil.  Serve the veggies with your meat - you can serve them individually or mix everything up and scoop the lot onto plates.

Seven Veg!