Easy Asian-Inspired Roasted Vegetables

This shop { Easy Asian-Inspired Roasted Vegetables } has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #LeanCuisine #CollectiveBias

Every year I make promises to myself to eat better, exercise more and be a better person. Sometimes I achieve really great things and other times I fall a little short. I guess that’s just part of being human.

Thankfully, for this upcoming year I’ve outlined some goals that I know I can achieve. Instead of practicing restricted eating (like I may have done in the past), I’m vowing to practice a “more” mindset, but in a healthier way, of course. I’d like to eat more vegetables, make more time for myself to relax, get to the gym more often and take more classes that’ll keep me interested. Less doesn’t have to be more - more can be more!

Speaking of more, I’d like to start cooking more at home instead of relying on takeout as much as we usually do. I like to attempt a structured “meal prep” every once in awhile, but I know that life gets busy. It always does for me and I know it does for you, too. Even if I can’t prepare a full proper meal from scratch like I would like to, sometimes it’s better to poke around your own refrigerator and freezer for inspiration before picking up that phone to call and order a pizza.

Keeping with the “more” theme we have going today, I’m totally making it one of my goals to save more money this upcoming year. We have a wedding to pay for and we’ve been trying to save as much as possible since we got engaged in August. Thankfully, Target and LEAN CUISINE® just get me. For the whole month of January, Target has Lean Cuisine meals available for $1.99. I don’t know about you, but $1.99 for a (surprisingly delicious!) lunch is a bargain if I’ve ever seen one. For reference, they usually will run you right around $3 per meal.

While I was shopping around at our local target, I popped on down to the freezer aisle to stock up on a bunch of Lean Cuisine meals for those times when I know I’ll be too busy, too stressed, or too tired to cook a full meal from scratch, complete with protein and vegetables. This happens a lot more than I’d like to admit, to be honest! I’m a busy lady with lots of places to be and people to see. Some days I hardly get to sit down after work before I have to get back up and go out someplace else!

In Target, I picked up LEAN CUISINE® Sesame Chicken, Vermont White Cheddar Mac & Cheese, Spicy Penne Arrabiata, Cheese Tortellini and Spinach Artichoke Ravioli because I obviously adore pasta more than any human should. I love that all of their meals are made without any artificial preservatives and that the Sesame Chicken meal is especially protein packed! It's also great that they have gluten free options and options made with organic ingredients. All of the Marketplace meals look really delicious!

Sometimes when I know I won’t have time to prep chicken or chop and was veggies, I like knowing that I have something convenient to reach for in my freezer. Today’s recipe highlights how you can make a quick and easy meal that is bursting with flavor and is definitely a better option than calling for takeout. When paired with Lean Cuisine’s Sesame Chicken meal, these easy Asian-inspired roasted vegetables go perfectly with the Sesame Chicken.

Now there’s two ways you could go about this: purchase each kind of vegetable separately and chop them up small enough to roast or opt for a refrigerated or frozen bag of mixed Asian veggies that you can find at most grocery stores. We all know which option I chose. Remember, we are all busy people. There’s no shame in using pre-cut vegetables! Any vegetables are better than no vegetables at all.

A quick roasting at a higher temperature will impart a slightly nutty flavor on the vegetables, especially if you decide to toss the veggies with a little bit of sesame oil. Serve these tasty roasted vegetables alongside your Lean Cuisine Sesame Chicken meal so you don’t get that guilty feeling after ordering Asian takeout. Your wallet and your stomach will thank you!

What do you reach for when you know you won’t have time to cook?