Now help me get creative w/veggies

[Zooey]

"puzzleannie:

what is courgette?

That is another kind of summer squash, besides zucchini or yellow crookneck. Very sweet. Good squash!!

nopal, no no, like okra, I just can’t take the gumminess, guess it is an aquired taste, too bad it is supposed to be good for you.

Nopal? Isn’t that cactus? I don’t want any, either.
But okra is only gummy if it gets wet. You have to saute it in preheated oil, without letting water touch it (after cutting into it, I mean). As long as it does not toiuch water to the flesh it will not get that ookie texture problem. (Maybe nopal is the same??)

Almost any veggie is better, roasted rather than just boiled.
Also, for peas/beans, all those things that we are told, to use a little water & cover the pan? They lose all the taste!! Get a huge pot of water rapidly boiling & cook till they are just done, still a bit crisp, so much better!!

I like this recipe for greens of any kind:
frugalabundance.com/southerngreens.htm

Best served with this:
frugalabundance.com/familyfavoritepintobeans.htm

Another thing I like, is to saute some yellow crookneck squash with tomatoes, both sliced about the same. (Good with some bacon bits). The flavors blend to another whole new veggie taste.

 

[Lucania]

great ideas on the meat, guys, although in spite of my whining I will probably not load up on alligator and ostrich at HEB this week.

now introduce me to the wide world of veggies. I buy pretty much the same thing all the time
bagged salad mixes
cabbage red and white
seasoning vegs (celery, onion all colors, peppers all colors, parsley, etc.)
herbs I grow
tomato, tomatillo, fresh, canned and sauces
broccoli, cauliflower
carrots, yams, winter and summer squash
some potatoes, not alot
beans of all kinds, usually canned, except for fresh green beans
watercress in season
asparagus and artichoke (usually frozen except when in season)
mushrooms, usually button and portobello

eat much less raw since developing prob w/slow digestion

salads more likely to be “composed” of various cooked veggies, rather than raw w/greens

I buy frozen bagged mixes of various components above since I only cook for one person

so what is new in the veggie world I should know about?

I’ve been making this thing my DH calls a concoction, it’s good alonside Fish, Chicken, Pork or Beef. I sautee Yellow and/or Red Bell Peppers, Onions,Mushrooms, throw in a can or two of Water Chesnuts, drained . I use a little Extra Virgin Olive Oil, season with Mrs. Dash or whatever you prefer. Then I throw in several handfuls of fresh Spinach. It’s really tasty. Sometimes I throw in some peeled Zuchini cut up small. You can put in whatever you like, really.

 

[Jennifer_J]

This is good along with fish or chicken and rice:

Kenyan Nyoyo
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 medium red bell peppers, finely chopped
1 teaspoon paprika
4 large tomatoes, sliced
1 can black-eyed peas
2 cups corn, cooked
Salt and pepper to taste
Sauté onion in oil until browned. Add peppers and sauté until limp. Add paprika. Add tomatoes and simmer for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, drain black-eyed peas and combine with corn. Add to onion mixture and season with salt and pepper to taste. Mix well, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Add water if necessary. Serve hot over rice.

This recipe serves 4 people

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also, roasting sweet potatoes in the oven like oven “fries”–yummy

I also found cauliflower in various colors–yellow and purple and green that the kids thought was great. Tastes the same as white and good steamed or fresh.
Happy cooking!

 

[mary_bobo]

yes the little calabeza come out a bit firmer than zucchini and can be bitter, I remove the strip with most of the seeds.

nopal, no no, like okra, I just can’t take the gumminess, guess it is an aquired taste, too bad it is supposed to be good for you.

The only way to eat okra is to fry it. Cut into slices, marinade in milk for about 30 minutes. Drain off milk and toss with corn meal. Fry in skillet, tossing often to keep from burning. Nothing gummy about toasty fried okra.

 

[Mary_Gail_36]

Artichokes.

Buy a few artichokes, rinse well, cut off stems so they’ll sit up on their bottom in a pan. Put about 1-2" of water in a pan with the chokes. Heat to boiling then turn to a very slow simmer, steam (make sure you keep checking the water level and add more if needed) covered for an hour, or until the leaves pull out of the choke easily. I mean really easily, not a hard tug, but a simple pull.

Make a dip out of 1/4c. mayo and the juice of half a lemon, plus a tsp of dill weed.

Dip artichoke leaves in dip, and eat by placing in mouth, using teeth to pull the flesh of the bottom half of the leaf. Once you get down to the middle you’ll see very thin, inedible leaves, and some flowery strands/strings, clean all those out and discard. Then cut apart and eat the “heart” of the choke where the stem was.

Delicious!

Or, my mom’s Sicilian version…After you put them on to steam take some Italian seasoned breadcrumbs, some grated pecorino or parmigiano cheese, some flat leaf parsley, 1 clove of crushed garlic some salt and pepper. Combine, then drizzle some olive oil just to get it moist. Insert between the leaves of the artichokes and also form a small pile on top of the artichoke. Then drizzle a little more oil on top. Tasty.

I’m not sure of the ratio…but it should be slightly more breadcrumb than the grated cheese .

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Also pasta with cauliflower…

Prepare pasta (rigatoni, penne etc) in salted water with cauliflower, (fresh or frozen) florets. While they are cooking in a small pan put some olive oil (1 or 2 tablespoons), and a garlic clove. When the clove is slightly browned, remove from heat and remove the garlic. Then add Italian Seasoned breadcrumbs to the hot oil, just enough to cover the bottom of the pan and stir, until the crumbs absorb the oil.

Drain the pasta and cauliflower and put into a serving bowl. Top with bread crumbs.

 

[petitfleur]

I like to slice zuchinni yellow squash bell peppers egg-plant and mushrooms spread on a cookie sheet with non-stick spray season with italian seasoning bake at 350 until tender then store in fridge to make sandwhiches or toss in salads.

 

[duskyjewel]

Edamame is yummy and fun to pop out of the pods. It has a kind of nutty taste. (P.S. these are fresh soybeans if you don’t recognize the name… can get them in the freezer case too.)