| I need help with vegetable recipes
Posted: 7/11/2008 6:44:11 AM | | I love to cook healthy and I have some recipes that I enjoy but I am really looking for more moderate or low calorie vegetable recipes. I am trying to maintain my weight, health and appearance and I have discovered that smart eating works. Help! | |
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| I need help with vegetable recipes
Posted: 7/11/2008 7:30:23 AM | Something that I learned while on the South Beach diet was to use fresh as much as possible!  All the nutrients are there, all the flavor is there and I like my veggies to have texture!
On this diet, I was given a whole range of different veggies on any given day - zuccini, yellow squash, asperagus...etc. I learned to grill them, bake them, steam them and combine in dishes to make stir fry. All were easy, tastey and a little (combined) went a long way and I got full fast!
To grill - just slice, brush with combination of EVOO & some garlic powder, season with salt and pepper to taste, don't over cook, but grill to give a bit of colour on both sides (indoor grill or outdoor grill - the same) and make sure to do the veggies last.
To steam - use a colinder insert (or if you don't have this, use a metal strainer over the water) and cover. Don't over cook, just a few minutes to keep that texture, and when the colour deepens, they are done. Still have the crunch! Season with S&P and you can use fresh herbs to this as well, basil, parsley, tyme oregano - whatever type you like to dress it up by sprinkling a little EVOO and stirring together to bind the herbs with the steamed veggies.
In the stirfry - I like to start off with the meat of choice - saute this until ready to add the veggies. Just before adding the veggies, stir in a bit of veg broth, chicken broth or beef broth, depending upon type of meat chosen (only about a 1/4 C. or less, depending upon the amount of veggies in the stirfry), add some soya (you can leave out the salt in this case because the soya sauce has salt in it), pepper, 5 spice mix (if desired) and turn up the heat to mix this together until the veggies are deeper in colour and still crisp in texture. If you like a thicker sauce you can mix together, in a separate small cup, 1T cornstarch to about a 3T water. Add this mixture at very end to thicken the sauce in the stirfry and voila!
If baking potatoes - rinse the outsides and pat dry with towel , quarter them (skin on), put into a large bowl, add some EVOO, S&P, Herbes de Provence (sold in your spice section of store). Combine this by stirring until the potatoes are coated. Place on a flat oven pan and place into the oven at about 400 and bake for about 12 - 18min(depending upon the thickness of the potato wedges) You can use this method with other veggies as well (ie: asparagus, carrots, leeks, yellow squash - separately or combined) Just watch the veggies to be sure they do not over cook (keeping that crunch in the texture) Lining the pan with foil makes clean-up easier as well. If combining veggies - make sure to cut all about the same thickness to keep cooking time uniform.
**Natural sea salt or coarse salt is preferred over table salt as it goes farther using less!
Bon appetite! Enjoy | |
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| I need help with vegetable recipes
Posted: 7/11/2008 7:32:43 AM | what i've been eating alot of latley is just home made vegetable soup
i use chicken broth and just throw in what ever you want
cabbage is very good for you, onion, garlic, zucchini, peppers, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, collards, basically anything. Tomatoes would add an odd taste
If you like you could add some chicken im sure | |
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| I need help with vegetable recipes
Posted: 7/11/2008 7:50:50 AM | IMO, vegetables are often best cooked simply. If you overcook them they get all nasty and mushy and gross. Also the longer you cook em, the worse the nutritional value gets
A really quick and easy way to cook many veggies:
Wash, chop etc veggies into bite sized or 2 bite sized pieces. Drop em into a pot of salted boiling water and boil em for like 1-2 mins depending on the type - you want them barely cooked though and still crisp. Drain. Serve hot or cold with some kind of sauce or dressing.
A popular Chinese side dish is gai-lan (Chinese broccoli) served like this using oyster-flavoured sauce. | |
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| I need help with vegetable recipes
Posted: 7/11/2008 8:25:36 AM | most veggies are low cal to start with, just don't cover them with sauces and you should be good to go.
I am a big veggie fan and don't feel that I've eaten if I don't have at least 2-3 different ones on the dinner table.
Here are some of my fav's-
Fresh green beens, on the small side, wash and trim stems. heat some sesame oil or olive oil in a saute pan or use a tab bit of butter and saute the beans in garlic powder and some sea salt or whatever herb you like, dill is nice too, if using olive oil, sprinkle with sesame seeds ... the beans should still be crunchy.
cucumbers.I slice my cucs very thin sprinkle with salt and let set covered for about 1/2. rinse salt off and squeeze out water. mix together some white rice vinegar. cpl tsp's and a dash of a light oil...almond, grape seed or walnut ( my fav) and a dash of garlic powder, some pepper and pour over cuc's.
cabbage salad- a bag of shredded cabbage with the purple and carrots mixed in. chop up a few green onions tops and all, break up a few broccoli flowerettes , toss in some sunflower seeds and or slivered almonds. break up one dry package of beef flavored ramen noodle toss in. take the seasoning package and pour in a container that you can put a top on to shake. to the seasoning add vinegar and oil to make a dressing then some sugar to sweeten just slightly ...to taste mix up and pour over salad, stir and let sit for awhile.
Can u tell I don't measure alot? lol
I loved cook cabbage too. cheap and easy.... a small tad of butter, a little water, a dash of sugar and steam. | |
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| I need help with vegetable recipes
Posted: 7/11/2008 8:43:43 AM | Look for the cookbook Fresh from the Farmer's Market. Not only does it have easy, simple and delicious veggie recipes, but lots of info about how best to select and store fresh produce. My most used cookbook!
Here's my recipe for Screamin' Greens (named by my friend when she tried them)
1 bunch fresh greens such as mustard, kale, collards or beet (my personal fave)
1 clove garlic, minced
Olive oil
1 T. seasoning such Bernard Jensen's, Bragg Liquid Aminos, or a good soy sauce
Clean greens, remove stem if tough and rough chop. In large skillet or wok add olive oil and garlic and heat til you begin to smell garlic. Turn up heat and add greens with just the water left from washing them. Stir fry on high til they wilt down. Add seasoning and lower heat and cook a few minutes more. Yum! | |
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| I need help with vegetable recipes
Posted: 7/11/2008 10:26:17 PM | | boil brussel sprouts until just tender crisp, stir fry walnut pieces in olive oil then add brussels and sprinkle with sea salt mmmm my fav | |
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| I need help with vegetable recipes
Posted: 7/11/2008 10:53:51 PM | Veggies and grills go together like whipped cream and skin.
Zucchini/Squash: Slice in half long-ways, stir together some olive oil (extra virgin), salt, juice of half a lime, and freshly ground pepper. Roll the halves around to coat them in your dressing. Make sure the grill is HOT! Place them flat side down on the grill at an angle (so you get the lovely grill marks) for a few minutes. The grill will "let them go" when they're ready to flip. Then, just flip them over onto the round side. Grill for the same amount of time, but add an extra minute because less veggie is in contact with the grill.
Then take them off. I like to add the last few drops of the dressing on top of them.
Enjoy! This is the only way I've been able to make zuccs/squashes that have been tasty.
Note: you can do the same thing with asparagus (minus slicing them in half.)
This is outside of the original post question, but pineapple is SINFULLY good when grilled. Its so sweet and delicious the juice will literally squirt out of your mouth. No need for the olive oil dressing with the pineapples though.
Some other things that are good on the grill: half some tomatoes, roll them in dressing and grill them. You can also slice some sweet onions (then stick some toothpicks into the sides to keep them from falling apart, roll them in the olive oil dressing.
Then, I'd take the tomatoes, onions, and zuccs, dice them up and make a little fire roasted veggie salad. Mmmm, RAAAAWWWR!
Have the pineapples for dessert! | |
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| I need help with vegetable recipes
Posted: 7/11/2008 11:00:45 PM | Another good one!
Dice some plum tomatoes (squeeze out the seeds, not all of them, just most)
Dice some red onion
Try to chop up some oven roasted garlic (chop the pointy part off, coat in olive oil, and bake for 15 minutes. Take it out and squeeze the lovely garlicy goodness out)
Chop up a bunch of fresh dill weed
Dice some cucumbers
Throw everything in a plastic dish that has a lid. Add some balsamic vinegar and olive oil (in a 1:3 ratio), fresh ground sea salt and fresh ground black pepper.
Throw a lid on, shake it gently for a few seconds. Let it sit for about 10 minutes.
Note: You can use the juice left over and it works as a MARVELOUS marinade for chicken or pork. | |
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| I need help with vegetable recipes
Posted: 7/12/2008 5:00:40 PM | | ...This may not be the healthiest variation...but I like to drop 1/4 inch slices of zuchinni and yellow summer squash in some sour cream, then bread them with Italian Seasoned bread crumbs, and pan fry them in some olive oil. It takes some practice..because the goal in frying is to get them browned..before the squash goes completely limp. I usually have to add some extra Italian seasoning to store bought packaged bread crumbs...it isn't quite strong enough without. | |
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| I need help with vegetable recipes
Posted: 7/12/2008 7:38:25 PM | I'm another huge fan of grilling veggies. A little Olive oil and garlic is great on pretty much everything. Especially bell peppers and zuchini. Big thick peppers turn a little sweet on the grill and are just amazing. Another one of my favs is asparagus brushed with italian dressing and a little sprinkle of garlic.... mmmmmmm.
A little twist on corn on the cob.... soak a paper towel with anything wet. This can be wine, juice, water, whatever you like. Wrap the paper towel around the corn and wrap that in foil. On the grill 5 minutes flipping 3 times. Steamed and grilled. | |
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| I need help with vegetable recipes
Posted: 7/13/2008 6:02:33 AM | Have you tried lentil soups, which are high in protein and low calories.
My favorite would be lentil soup.
Soak them in water overnight.
Add all the ingredients you would prefer in you any other soup, use the lentils in place of chicken.
You can buy lentils at any food stores 'whole foods','central market' have them. | |
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| I need help with vegetable recipes
Posted: 7/13/2008 6:50:52 AM | When I had my small cafe, I had a group of construction workers come in. I tried an experiment with Eggplant. Most the men said they did not like eggplant but were willing to give it a try....free. A new item I wanted to add to my menu. They loved it and wanted more.
Delicious Egg Plant
TAKE A CAKE PAN. PUT A JAR OR CAN OF ITALIAN SPAGHETTI SAUCE,CHUNKY, IN BOTTOM OF PAN. CHOP LITTLE FRESH ONION AND PUT OVER THAT.
PLACE AND HEAD IN OVEN 350^ WHILE FRYING EGGPLANT.
1. PEEL EGGPLANT
2. SLICE IN ABOUT 1/2 IN SLICES
3. DIP IN MULK
4. DIP IN ITALAIN STYLE BREAD CRUMBS
5. WITHER SPRAY SKILLET WITH PAM OR LIGHT GREASE.
6. FRY EGGPLANT TILL TENDER ON BOTH SIDES.
7. TAKE THE CAKE PAN WITH ITALIAN SPAGHETTI SAUCE OUT OF OVEN.
8. LAY THE EGGPLANT ON TOP OF THE SPAGHETTI SAUCE.
9. PUT A SLICE OF SWISS SHEESE ON EACH EGGPLANT SLICE.
PUT BACK IN OVEN AND COOK UNTIL THROUGHLY HOT AND CHEESE IS MELTED.
SERVE | |
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| I need help with vegetable recipes
Posted: 7/13/2008 7:27:07 AM | I wanted to thank each and everyone who responded to my query. I made up a 3 page list of recipies from your posts and will try everyone of the ones I didnt have before. odinwoden, I use pineapple all the time to sweeten my stirfrys and other mixes .. yours is a great tip I already had but others should really try it if you haven't.
Thank you all again and please feel free to offer or ask for a recipe anytime.
Sandy | |
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| I need help with vegetable recipes
Posted: 7/13/2008 8:38:08 AM | I found an excellent book called “Eat for Life Diet”, [QUOTE], it’s a revolutionary new eating plan based on the findings of the World Health Organisation by Janette Marshall and Anne Heugan [UNQUOTE] – it is on Amazon here in the UK, so I’d have thought available in other places, and it isn't that new as it was published in 1992!
But the reason I find it good is, it not only sets the recipes out simply, but it also gives you the content breakdown for the calories, proteins and carbohydrates and lots of general foody type information that you'd normally only get from specialists and maybe scientific researchers. There's suggestions to protect yourself from diabetes, cancersm cataracts, anemia, stress, osteoporosis – lots of things. With chapters on super-foods and super-nutrients, and advice on how much of what we should be eating, vitamins, beta-carotene, thiamine, riboflavin, calcium and potassium etc.etc.
There’s quite a few veggie dishes, but being honest my favourite is :- Strawberry Yoghurt Ice Cream
225g (8oz) strawberries ~ 75g (3oz) caster or fine sugar ~ 450g (16oz) low fat natural yoghurt ~ 1 egg white optional– Serves 4
Puree the strawberries and sugar, then sieve if preferred. Mix with yoghurt. Freeze in an ice cream maker for 20 minutes. Alternatively, place the mixture in the freezer until just beginning to freeze around the edges. Whisk the egg white and fold into the part frozen mixture. Return the ice cream to the freezer until frozen.
52Kcal/636KJ ~ 6.0g Protein ~ 32.0g Carbohydrate of which 32.0g sugars ~ 1.0g Fat, of which: no saturates ~ trace Sodium ~ 1.2g Dietary Fibre
Norm | |
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| Summer veggie recipe
Posted: 7/13/2008 9:01:24 AM | I made this the other day & it was simple & quite tasty
Cut chunks of Squash, Zucchini & Yellow Onion
Toss in a ziplock with Lime Juice & a few hits of Mrs. Dash Garlic & Herb
Add a table table spoon (or 2) of Olive Oil
Shake until well coated
On a med high to high heat
let those veggies sizzle until they just start to turn a golden brown
(this only takes a few minutes)
Remove & enjoy.
They will be full of flavor & taste great!
If you want to make a complete dish out of it & go a little less healthy
I added the leftovers to bow tie pasta, chicken & Alfredo sauce - what a delicious way to enjoy leftover veggies!!
I'm also a fan of asparagus coated in lemon juice & seasoned with Mrs. dash then grilled on the BBQ - But not too long
Speaking of the BBQ Grill - I recently heard about a chef suggest grilling watermelon. Anyone try it? It seems interesting. Next time I buy a watermelon I might give it a whirl. | |
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| Summer veggie recipe
Posted: 7/13/2008 8:44:09 PM | Should be all fresh veggies, no frozen, Brush the grill with butter and grill the asparagus, suchini, tomatoes, pablano pepper, and whatever veggies one wants, seasoned with little salt or whatever seasoning you want, sprinkle with red pepper if you want it spicy. It's easy, I have a electric grill for inside grilling, doesnt take long, please dont over grill it. lucilou | |
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| I need help with vegetable recipes
Posted: 7/16/2008 11:18:26 AM | Well, try to eat anything green. You can have as much broccoli as u want, fresh green beans, carrots, brussel sprouts, greens, peas, artichoke, pickles, cucumbers, peppers, zucchini. I've found that the best way to do vegetables is to buy the Ziploc Brand "SteamFresh" bags. The directions for each veggie are printed on the side of the bag. Easy as Hell. Just add your seasonings in the bag, seal, microwave, and enjoy. I put Tony Chach. on Everything! | |
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| I need help with vegetable recipes
Posted: 7/17/2008 10:40:46 AM | I discovered edemami, shelled...little butter and salt and steam in microwave... better than lima's.... and I love lima's.
if you like peas.... buy the frozen young peas add some orange zest and some mint, ass a little OJ to the pot and cook them in that. yummmm | |
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| I need help with vegetable recipes
Posted: 7/19/2008 7:40:16 AM | Oven-roasted vegetables are great. You can combine all sorts of them and then roast them with a drizzle of olive oil, balsamic or red wine vinegar (or lemon juice) and your favourite herbs (e.g. rosemary). I'll sometimes roast chunks of sweet potatoes with parsnips and chickpeas, or roast potatoes with carrots, Brussels sprouts and mushrooms. You can mix anything together, and they taste wonderful.
Plain baked sweet potatoes are delicious; just scrub, poke with a fork and bake until done. So are steamed steamed vegetables tossed with a bit of lemon juice, a drizzle of olive oil and pepper.
Raw vegetables with a low-fat dip like fat-free yogurt with fresh chives stirred into it or hummus are also a great choice. | |
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| I need help with vegetable recipes
Posted: 7/19/2008 10:16:53 AM | | Just tried grilled green beans, they were great! just get two sheets of aluminum foil and put in clean green beans, add fresh basil, cilantro, green onion, garlic and chopped celery, drizzle with olive oil, and grill 30 min over medium heat. they really are good! | |
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| I need help with vegetable recipes
Posted: 7/21/2008 8:28:33 AM | | cabbage on the grill is also good. Wrap in aluminum foil and toss on the grill. I guess my favorite is vadalia onions sliced thick. On each slice...dab a bit of butter, seasoning salt and some shredded colbyjack . close foil and grill til onions are just done. YUMMMM | |
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| I need help with vegetable recipes
Posted: 7/21/2008 8:42:11 AM | I love grilled onions, but I don't even slice them. Just peel and core a small crater in top for butter, salt and pepper, then wrap well in foil and into the coals, just like you would with potatoes.
tb | |
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| I need help with vegetable recipes
Posted: 7/22/2008 2:57:24 PM | I love the sound of the onions! That sounds like a winner ... along with many of the other comments ... I want to thank every contributer.
Sandy | |
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