I miss butter!

[HealthyPhD]

So Whole30 isn't terribly different from my "normal" lifestyle (that is, when I'm not cheating or "on vacation" or stress eating...) but the one thing that is new for me is butter elimination. I've just had some steamed broccoli with a pat of ghee and it's just NOT the same.  Any ideas of how to spruce up steamed veggies a bit for variety?  

[GFChris]

Try clarified butter instead. Make your own. I use these directions and Kerrygold unsalted butter - works for me. 

Besides that, yummy olive oil, walnut oil or macadamia nut oil along with salt and pepper (or other seasonings of choice) would be great on broccoli. Romesco sauce, compliant pesto, chimichurri sauce or other sauces (Lots of sauce options here on theclothesmakethegirl.com).  Guacamole.  

Lots of possibilities.

[ShannonM816]

Roast them instead. That's my go-to for preparing vegetables, they're generally so much better than steamed.

 

Other options -- make sauces to go over them. Mayo is easy and good on everything, or try any of these. Or Sunshine Sauce. Or just google Whole30 sauces and dips and see what you find.

[HealthyPhD]

I doubt there would be much difference in the homemade clarified butter and the ghee I found at the store (Organic Valley). I do prefer roasting, but steaming is faster AND I don't have to turn on my oven (hopefully in a few more weeks that won't be such a big deal but in a Georgia summer you'll do anything to avoid adding heat to the house). I guess I'm just going to have to suck it up and either brave the extra heat of the oven or eat the veggies plain. Other options seem to involve additional investment and I am out of money until October. Thanks anyway.  

[Rfisher261]

I sometimes use steamed frozen veg when I'm in a hurry. I dress them up by adding ghee, salt and pepper, and then a spice of my choice. Start with a pinch and work up to your taste. I usually like chili powder, smoked paprika, curry powder, or garlic and onion powders together. Or, instead of the spices, I drizzle the veg with a little compliant balsamic vinegar (YUMMY!).

[texasbred]

I think clarified butter tastes much better than ghee.  I think there is a difference.  It's easy to make.

[ultrarunnergirl]

Agree with texasbred. If I taste ghee right out of the jar, I don't enjoy it. If I taste my clarified butter, it tastes like butter. Even better? Melissa Joulwan's "Better Butter" recipe from Well Fed 2. She makes it zingy with flavor! 

[HealthyPhD]

Thanks! I'll try it when I have money to get some butter to make it from.  

[ShannonM816]

For now, it'll take a little extra time, but you might take some of the ghee you have, throw it in a heated skillet, and throw in some spices to heat up with it. Garlic or onions are obvious options, but even something like cumin or chili powder, heated with the ghee, may change the flavor enough to be more palatable for you.

Or make a vinaigrette type dressing to drizzle over your cooked vegetables, or even just try olive oil instead of butter or ghee, maybe with some lemon juice if you have some.

[HealthyPhD]

Right now my spice cabinet is pretty empty, unfortunately. But again, after payday, maybe, depending on how much my utilities come out to next month.  

[MTNan]

I really find that steamed veggies with ghee and salt are pretty darn close to butter. I usually jazz them up more than that, but it's not too far off for a compliant substitution.