More and more people nowadays eat vegetarian or vegan. They know that you really don't need meat to put a delicious, nutritious dish on the table. What you do need, however, to put a good, nourishing meal on the table for yourself, your family and your friends are high-quality ingredients. And of course the right spices to give these ingredients a delightful touch. With the right spices you can also make your vegetables the star of the show.

In this blog we take you through 3 different preparation methods and ways of seasoning to put a delicious vegetable-filled dish on the table. No doubt you can draw inspiration from this when you head into the kitchen tonight. And even if you don't have time, because besides eating healthy and tasty you already have enough balls in the air, we mention a number of ready-made spice mixes further on in this blog that let you put a delicious vegetable-forward dish on the table in no time. Curious? Then read on quickly!  

Perhaps the tastiest way to prepare vegetables is by roasting them in the oven. The flavors of the vegetables really come out through roasting, maybe even more than when boiling or frying. And besides that it's super simple. Chop the vegetables, drizzle with some oil and a good spice mix, 20 minutes in an oven at 200 degrees and you can sit down at the table. 

But what is a good spice mix? That really doesn't have to be difficult. A mix of dried thyme, dried rosemary and dried basil is a delicious combination to season your roasted vegetables well. And of course you then complete this mix with black pepper and salt. Before the vegetables go into the oven it's a matter of distributing the spice mix evenly over the vegetables. The dried herbs give a lovely Mediterranean twist to the vegetables, and with the black pepper and the salt the natural flavors are really brought out. Whoever said vegetables are boring is definitely wrong…

One small tip from us: if you want your vegetables to need the same amount of time to become tender, make sure the pieces you cut the vegetables into are roughly the same size. That way they'll all need about the same time to cook. Also, you don't want to place the vegetables too close together when roasting them in the oven. That gives your vegetables all the space they need to roast and they cook evenly. You obviously don't want one vegetable to be almost burnt while another still needs time to cook… By giving your vegetables space, checking now and then while roasting and tossing them occasionally you prevent that. 

With these roasted vegetables you put something on the table that your family and friends will undoubtedly enjoy. And you'll see your kids suddenly will eat their plate of vegetables empty!

Besides roasted vegetables from the oven there is a much faster and equally tasty way to prepare your vegetables. By stir-frying vegetables in an Asian style you get a wonderfully healthy and complete dish. But which spices do you use for that? 

By making a spice mix of ground ginger, garlic powder, cumin, paprika powder, turmeric, coriander and chili flakes you get a truly Eastern mix that gives your vegetables that authentic Southeast Asian flavor. A pinch of black pepper and salt to complete this spice mix, mix well, and you have a spice mix that can do it all. A nice combination of vegetables like broccoli, carrot, bell pepper and mushrooms is always a hit. Or try an authentic Asian vegetable combo of sugar snaps, baby corn and shiitake - also delicious!

Once you've sliced your chosen vegetables and have the spice mix ready, we can begin. Step one is to heat your wok pan on high heat. When the wok is very hot add a few tablespoons of oil. Do you see a little smoke? That's the sign the wok is hot enough and the vegetables can go in. Then sprinkle the spice mix over the vegetables. After that it's a matter of stir-frying for 3 to 5 minutes on high heat until the vegetables are cooked but still have a bit of bite — that's how we like stir-fried vegetables best. When your vegetables are ready you can serve them as a side dish, or add them to rice, noodles or quinoa for a complete meal. Delightfully healthy and flavorful! Which vegetable combination will you choose?

When people think of barbecuing many immediately think of a piece of meat, but that's of course not necessary. Vegetables are also delicious on the barbecue! Enjoying time with friends and family in the garden with a drink, and letting the barbecue do the rest. Two top dishes to make on the barbecue are baked potatoes and grilled corn on the cob. If you have a bit of time (which usually isn't a problem when barbecuing) we recommend trying one of these two — or both!

Before they go on the barbecue it's good to coat the corn cobs with some melted butter or oil and a mix of garlic powder, dried parsley and smoked paprika powder. Then wrap them in aluminum foil and grill them on the barbecue until they are soft and slightly charred. In about half an hour your corn cobs are ready. You haven't tasted a corn cob more delicious than that — promised.

And if you're already taking the time to prepare corn cobs you can also fill your barbecue by making baked potatoes. Plus a baked potato with a corn cob is a delightful combination! Prick a few holes in the potatoes and wrap these in aluminum foil as well. Place them next to the corn cobs and let them bake until tender. This also usually takes about half an hour. When they're ready it's a matter of seasoning with black pepper and salt. And with a pinch of curry powder and chili flakes you can give your baked potato a delicious twist, after which it's guaranteed feasting time. That way you can enjoy barbecuing in a healthy, responsible way with your friends and family!

Even if you don't feel like or have time to make a spice mix yourself for your vegetables there are plenty of options. We have done our utmost on the Habibi Veggie, a spice mix that gives your vegetables a delightful Middle Eastern twist. This carefully composed spice mix is a blend of ginger powder, coriander powder, paprika powder, cumin powder, onion flakes, turmeric powder, garlic powder, dried parsley and salt. 100% natural, sustainably packaged and of course with less salt than regular spice mixes. With the Habibi Veggie you give a delicious Middle Eastern flavor to your vegetables in no time. But do watch out with this spice mix, because you may never want your vegetables without the Habibi Veggie spice mix again…

Or maybe after reading this blog you're inspired to bake potatoes on the barbecue. Or something simpler: frying potato slices? Then try Pablo’s Potato! This is an authentic blend of Cajun spices that brings that true Southern American flavor to your baked or fried potatoes. All you need is Pablo’s Potato, and nothing else. Super handy, right?

No matter how you plan to prepare your potatoes, with Pablo’s Potato you turn your potatoes into a culinary treat in no time. And in a healthy, responsible way. That way you can really surprise your friends and family! This spice mix contains onion flakes, paprika powder, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, dried rosemary, dried oregano, dried thyme and pepper and salt. All to easily give that delicious Cajun flavor to the potatoes. It doesn't matter whether you prepare them in the oven, frying pan, airfryer or bake them on the barbecue, Pablo’s Potato helps you out.

For those who say vegetables are boring, we hope we've shown that that's utter nonsense. With the right spices you can turn your vegetables into a party. Whether you want to roast your vegetables in the oven, prefer to stir-fry them in an Asian style or bake potatoes on the barbecue, a good spice mix lets you put your own touch on the dish.

And to make it even easier and just as tasty we've presented the ready-made Habibi Veggie and Pablo’s Potato. Both carefully composed low-salt spice mixes to give your vegetables a delicious touch in a healthy and responsible way. As we said above, be careful, because soon you may not want to eat vegetables without one of these spice mixes… But because our spice mixes contain less salt than other mixes and everything is made with 100% natural herbs you can use them daily with peace of mind, so don't be too afraid!

Will you dive into the kitchen yourself to make your own spice mix? Or will you go for a tasty and responsible ready-made spice mix like Habibi Veggie? With this blog we hope to have given you enough inspiration and valuable tips to turn vegetables into a real culinary party next time. Enjoy, and of course: bon appétit!