cooking beets: June 2008

Warm German Potato Salad Recipe ♥

Today's vegetable recipe: A classic German potato salad, served warm tossed in a slightly tart sauce flavored with mustard, vinegar and celery seed.

Talk about a perfect outdoor supper: sliced tomatoes, just-ground sausages hot off the grill -- plus this warm potato salad, a classic German-style potato salad, homey rustic food at its best. Which of the three was the favorite of the meal? A toss-up, they really worked together.

I'd cooked the potatoes ahead of time so the salad itself took just 15 minutes to make. But when the sausages took longer than expected, I was pleased that the salad was patient, I just kept it on low on the stove. This potato salad is made entirely with pantry ingredients so chances are, if you've got potatoes, you can make a German potato salad.

POTATO RECIPES from the ARCHIVES
~ My Mom's Potato Salad, a classic potato salad recipe ~
~ Bubble & Squeak, the English classic ~
~ Those Pink Potatoes, scalloped potatoes & beets, a great combination ~

~ more potato salad recipes ~
~ more classic vegetable recipes ~
~ more potato recipes ~

WARM GERMAN POTATO SALAD

Hands-on time: 15 minutes (using pre-cooked potatoes)
Time to table: 15 minutes
Serves 8

2 pounds new potatoes, cooked in well-salted water, chopped

SAUCE
1 tablespoon bacon grease (or another oil for a vegetarian version Note to Vegetarians)
1 onion, chopped

2 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon celery seed (I used just a half teaspoon, more would have been better)
1 tablespoon coarse Dijon mustard (the seeds were a good touch)
6 tablespoons vinegar (I used a malt vinegar but any good vinegar would be fine)
Water or broth as needed (I used a half cup)
Salt & pepper to taste

In a large skillet, melt the bacon grease on MEDIUM HIGH until shimmery. Add the onion and stir to coat with fat. Let cook til just beginning to brown, stirring often.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, celery seed and mustard. A tablespoon at a time, stir in the vinegar, incorporating each tablespoon completely before adding the next. (This technique will avoid floury lumps in the sauce.) Stir the mixture into the onion and stir for a minute. It will get quite thick and will 'seize up', this is normal. A tablespoon at a time, add water or broth until a quite liquid consistency is reached. Stir in the potatoes and stir to coat. Let potatoes warm through. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve warm.

NUTRITION ESTIMATE
Per Serving: 128 Cal (13% from Fat, 9% from Protein, 78% from Carb); 3 g Protein; 2 g Tot Fat; 1 g Sat Fat; 1 g Mono Fat; 26 g Carb; 3 g Fiber; NetCarb 23; 4 g Sugar; 25 mg Calcium; 1 mg Iron; 39 mg Sodium; 2 mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers 2 points

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Looking for healthy ways to cook vegetables? A Veggie Venture is home to hundreds of quick, easy and healthful vegetable recipes and the famous Alphabet of Vegetables. Healthy eaters will love the low carb recipes and the Weight Watchers recipes.
© Copyright 2008

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VegetableSpotting: Week 26

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In homage to the return! of Tastespotting and all credit to YeastSpotting, say hello to VegetableSpotting, occasional links to inspiring vegetable recipes from my fellow food bloggers spotted while cruising my favorite food blogs this week.

WEEK 26 - Late June

(hover over a link for my take on the recipe, click the link for the recipe)

RSS & e-mail readers: My apologies, these links to vegetable recipes from other food blogs don't display in feed readers or e-mail. Please click through to today's post to view the list.

MORE VegetableSpotting: VegetableSpotting archive.

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Baba Restaurant in Worcester, MA

Baba is not only one of my favorite restaurants, but it is a favorite of many in the city. They won the 2007 Worcester's Best Chef award, when the restaurant had only been open for three weeks.

On their site, they describe the food as Asian fusion. I describe it as the freshest sushi in Worcester, and the most innovative. Do know, however, that they serve more than sushi. There is a selection of cooked items as well. And that was a good thing, because I don't have too many sushi-eating friends. Because they had cooked items, my friend Karen was excited about meeting me for lunch there.

That's a photo of the main room. I took the picture from my seat, one of 4 small tables at the front of the restaurant. Straight ahead, in the back, there is the sushi bar. I believe there is more seating around the corner to the left, as I saw a group of people leaving from that direction. But it is a small place, so I'd definitely make a reservation if you are planning on going during a busy time of day. I had lunch there around 1:30 on a Friday and, as you can see, seating was not a problem.

My friend, Karen, who had lunch with me today wanted to make sure that I write that the music was great. During our lunch they were playing reggae, and it did sound good.

We sat down and began with drinks. She got a diet coke and I went hard-core, ordering a pear Grey Goose with cranberry juice, seltzer, and lime. They didn't skimp on the Grey Goose, and it's a good thing because it was a bit expensive, at $9.00!

But let's get to the food.

Karen got an appetizer: the Shrimp Shumai ($5). I wouldn't let her eat it till I got a pic:

Karen was generous and let me try one. It was yummy. I'm used to the Shumai that I get frozen in a bag at Trader Joe's. I seem to always be in a rush when I eat it, and I try to save calories, so I've never had pan-fried shumai. This shumai was a special treat! Karen really enjoyed it too.

For her entree, she ordered the Yaki Tori ($7). I took a picture of it, but it came out blurry. I must have gotten side-tracked in conversation, because I never got back to taking another pic! But let me say that the presentation was beautiful, and Karen very much liked her meal.

I have gotten takeout at Baba numerous times. I've ordered the spicy tuna rolls, the Mango Tuna appetizer (ceviche), and the Cajun Salmon appetizer (ceviche). Today, I wanted to try new items from the menu. So I ordered two appetizers. This first picture is the Jalapeño Yellowtail ($10).

Wikipedia says that in the context of sushi, yellowtail refers to the Japanese amberjack. I didn't know that, and I got yellowtail mixed-up with yellowfin, and was expecting to see tuna. But this was delightful and I'm so glad it was a fish I'd never tried! It was in a light lime and jalapeño liquid. Each slice of yellowtail had a sliver of serrano chile (it was smaller than jalapeño) topped with some roe.

Below is my photo of the Tuna Tataki ($10). OMG, this was the best tuna I've ever had! Their menu describes it as a pan seared tuna with a light wasabi sauce. It was barely seared, and I liked it that way. I thought I tasted a bit of peanut in the wasabi sauce. But I was on the sauce (Grey Goose), so I could have been wrong. Either way, just look at the marvelous presentation!

I even got Karen to take a bite. I forgot to pay her the $5.00 I offered if she'd try it. Sorry, Karen. ;-) I think she was okay with it. She's not a sushi person, so I was impressed with her spirit!

I also ordered a spicy salmon roll ($6.50). I thought I might take one or two bites and get the rest to go, but I didn't! I ate the entire thing. Their sushi is the best. It's always fresh, and always tastes so good.

We both left with full bellies and happy hearts. I always look forward to my next visit to Baba.

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Capri Goat Cheese

There are some appealling aspects to life in my part of Massachusetts. I don't usually think of them, as I wish I lived in a more urban area. But there are some nice little surprises. One of them is being near the company Westfield Farm) that produces Capri Goat Cheeses.

Westfield Farm is a little gem located on route 68 in Hubbardston, MA (specifically, 28 Worcester Road). It is on the premises with the home of one of the owners (I'm guessing that's who owns it). You drive up a sort of long, curvy, steep driveway when you see this sign:

At the top of the driveway, you see their shop/factory.

I asked them once where the goats were. They are actually in a town about an hour from here, Westfield.

As I arrived on this particular day about a week ago, the milk was being delivered.

You may see their cheeses in specialty stores, but if you don't, you can order them at their yahoo merchant site! And you should try them! They have award-winning cheeses and offer a variety of interesting cheese flavors (blue goat cheese, white (similar to blue), camambert, wasabi, herb, herb garlic, hickory smoked, chive, pepper, and chocolate). If you aren't quite sure what to do with the different cheeses, you can look through the number of recipes they posted on their site on the home page, toward the bottom.

You can also see my posts on:

I got home and unwrapped my cheeses. Here they are:

I bought regular, wasabi, and chocolate! They are awesome!

I can't recommend visiting their site and trying their cheese enough!

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What To Do With Chocolate Goat Cheese

My Capri chocolate goat cheese from Westfield Farm is scrumptious! If you order it online or buy it in a specialty store, then you could be enjoying this:

That's a slice of brioche, toasted, with the chocolate goat cheese and honey drizzled on top. I've also had it on crusty bread in the same style. It was good that way too.

Westfield Farm offers these recipes:

Chocolate Goat Cheese Canape

Chocolate Capri Cheesecake

And I bet you could make the Goat Cheese Pound Cake with the chocolate cheese!

Here's a link to my post on Capri cheeses made by Westfield Farm.

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What To Do With Wasabi Goat Cheese

I saw the Capri wasabi-flavored goat cheese when I was shopping at my favorite specialty store, Idlewylde farms. I was tempted to get it, but I figured I'd get it fresher if I went to their production facility near my home. Plus I could get pictures and do posts!

At the shop/production facility, I asked about the cheese, wondering about the strength of the wasabi. They told me that the strength gets mellowed-out by the milk.

So here's what I've been doing with my wasabi goat cheese:

Mmm, a baguette, olive oil, roast beef, wasabi goat cheese, lettuce, red onion, and tomato. That's good stuff!

Here's an idea offered on the Westfield Farm Yahoo Merchant Site:

Wasabi Goat Cheese Canape

Here's a link to my post about Westfield Farm and Capri goat cheese. It's worth a look!

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Kitchen Parade Extra: Grilled Vegetables in Foil ♥

This week's recipe at KitchenParade.com: A recipe that's become a summer staple, vegetables in a soy and ginger vinaigrette, wrapped in foil and then grilled, so you know, Grilled Vegetables in Foil. So colorful! Beautifully balanced flavor and texture.

Surprise, surprise, more vegetables come off my grill than meat but even then, there could be more recipes for grilled vegetables on A Veggie Venture. Is this the summer? It's a good start, these vegetable cooked in foil!

NEVER MISS A KITCHEN PARADE RECIPE! Kitchen Parade is my food column, the one my mom started when I was a baby and that I started writing after she died - you know, a la Ann Landers and Heloise. The columns are published in my hometown newspapers and online at KitchenParade.com. Where A Veggie Venture is all about vegetable recipes, Kitchen Parade recipes cover all courses -- the Quick Supper recipes are real favorites. But good news: just like here at A Veggie Venture, all Kitchen Parade recipes include nutrition analysis and Weight Watchers points. There's even a special page of Weight Watchers recipes. Kitchen Parade's recipes are easily available too, just sign up for Kitchen Parade via e-mail or Kitchen Parade via RSS. Many thanks!

WHY DOESN'T THIS POST ACCEPT COMMENTS? Because I hope that you'll click through to this week's column to comment there!

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Chocolate Chambord Parfaits Done Light

Mmmm, doesn't that look good? Oh, it is good, real good! You don't have to sit there drooling over it, you can make it yourself. It's a pretty easy recipe that I'm able to make and assemble within a half hour. And I'm hoping to help with pictures so that making it will be a breeze for you.

Not only is it incredibly delicious, it's not totally bad for you! Oh, and you may even get a slight buzz eating it! Both the chocolate part of the parfait and the cream part are spiked with Chambord. I felt very pleasant after having a parfait this evening.

By the way, these parfaits in the picture were in tall shot glasses. I happen to have gotten a deal on them at Pier 1 this past week. The set was only $10. They are the perfect sized glasses for this dessert.

Now, if you are looking at the ingredient list, wincing, just stop! You and the people you serve would never know the secret by tasting this luscious dessert. I'm not exaggerating, honest!

Getting down to the details, the base for the chocolate part of the parfait comes from my adaptation to an Alton Brown recipe called Mooless Chocolate Pie. Well, the chocolate base remains mooless, but I added in the "Moo" with the Chambord-flavored mascarpone cream.

The mascarpone cream is basically the same recipe I used with the corncakes that I made in May. But instead of rum I used Chambord, and I doubled the amount of it! Yum!

Hey, there's plenty of calories and fat in the chocolate, cheese, and cream in this recipe. So I reasoned that it was enough, and I could spare a few extra calories and fat by using tofu instead of more cream in the chocolate base.

If you want to know why I sometimes cook with tofu, then follow the link!

If you are used to using tofu, and you want to save even more calories, you can use the light silken tofu. These parfaits in the picture use the light. In the entire brick of tofu, there are only 150 calories and 5 grams fat.

Look at these parfaits! They are every bit as wonderful as they look. Go ahead, try it!

Chocolate Chambord Parfaits Done Light

Ingredients for the chocolate

2 cups chocolate chips
1/3 cup Chambord Raspberry Liqueur
1 block Silken Tofu
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Ingredients for the mascarpone cream

1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
3 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons Chambord

You will need to melt the chocolate to begin this recipe. If you are unfamiliar with melting chocolate, this next section should be helpful.

Chocolate is a fussy ingredient. The best way to melt it is to use a double boiler. But hey, not all of us have a double boiler (myself included). So here's what to do.

Add 1/2-1 inch water to a small pot. Have a glass or metal bowl that comes close to fitting on top of it. You will notice in the picture below that my glass bowl is too small. It would fall right in if I let go, so I have a trick that I learned somewhere along the line (probably from Alton Brown).

Take a big piece of tin foil and loosely bunch it up into a snake-ish figure. put it on the rim of the pot. Now when I put the glass bowl on the rim it fits great! It's good and sturdy and I'm ready to melt chocolate.

Here's the ingredients that are going to make my parfaits totally tasty:

Heat up the assembled double boiler on a medium-low flame. Add the chocolate chips to the top of your double boiler. Begin stirring almost immediately and continue to stir till you have nice, smooth, melted chocolate.

Add the Chambord and vanilla. Stir into the chocolate and remove it from the stove top.

Cut a slit in the plastic cover of the tofu and let the water (there won't be much) drain out of it. Then place the tofu in the blender. Scrape the chocolate mixture in on top of the tofu. Pulse the blender to blend it all into a smooth, thick, pudding-like substance. To get the mixture to blend, you will need to scrape the sides with a rubber spatula. You may also need to add a tablespoon or two of milk if it is too thick.

This is what the mixture look like. Notice how not smooth the mixture is that is on the upper part of the glass. It's the stuff that is lower in the blender that is totally smooth and creamy - just like pudding.

For the Mascarpone Cream

Whip the heavy cream in a metal or glass bowl until firm peaks form. Add in the mascarpone and beat until you have smooth peaks. Add in the sugar and Chambord. Beat until blended.

Now you are ready to assemble.

I recommend using a pastry bag. By doing so, you won't get pudding all over the glass and your parfaits will look more attractive. But I didn't have a pastry bag, so I made one with wax paper. Was it ideal? No. But it did the trick:

Without getting the chocolate on the edges of the glass, pipe it into the glass.

You may have some air bubbles. If so, try tapping the bottom of the parfait glass onto a firm, but soft surface. You need to tap hard enough so that the air bubble collapses, but you don't want to break your glass.

Now pipe in the mascarpone cream in the same way.

Garnish with fresh raspberries and mint.

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Greek Zucchini Pie ♥ Recipe

Today's vegetarian recipe: A Greek recipe for Kourkouto with Zucchini (κουρκούτo με κολοκυθάκια), not quite quiche, not quite bread pudding, not quite frittata, served hot or at room temperature so good for brunch or light supper.

Kalofagas means 'gourmet' in Greek and it's the perfect name for the Canadian food blog which celebrates -- make that CELEBRATES! -- traditional Greek food. Kalofagas is a not-to-miss food blog. Peter Minakis lives and breathes Greek cuisine / home cooking in the way some (who?!) live and breathe vegetables. When he described this recipe for a zucchini pie as a "cheater's pita" and "somewhere between a quiche and a frittata, utilizing Greek ingredients" I couldn't wait to make it. (True confession: while this same affect occurs many times a day, perhaps one of a hundred recipes actually get made.)

My own take is that it's as much a bread pudding, especially when baked in a pie plate versus a larger sheet pan. It's also similar to a humble but delicious Bisquick pie such as the Ham & Cheese Bread from my long-time friend Lisa (and now Portland food blogger) which I've made at least once before. Whatever it's like, I love how this zucchini pie uses pantry ingredients and can be served either hot (when it's more quiche-like) or cold (when it's more like bread pudding) and thick (more quiche-like) or thin (more frittata-like). Thank you, Peter, for the inspiration!

GARNISHING THE PIE I covered the top of the pie with rings of mini red peppers and tiny zucchini rounds, adding color and drama to the uncut pie. Peter uses one zucchini round per square serving, which looks really good on the plate. The next time, I'll combine the two ideas with a ring of peppers and zucchini around the edge of a round pie plate, one for each V-shaped slice.

GREEK ZUCCHINI PIE

Hands-on time: 40 minutes
Time to table: 1 hour, 40 minutes
Makes 8 main-dish servings
Adapted from Kalofagas' Kourkouto With Zucchini (κουρκούτo με κολοκυθάκια)

1 tablespoon olive oil (Peter uses 1/2 cup)
1 pound zucchini (Peter dices small, I slice thin, imagining layers of zucchini in the bread after baking, this didn't turn out so dicing would be easier and just fine)
3 bunches green onion, chopped (aha! I used only 3 green onions, not three bunches, more onion is much recommended)
Salt to taste (I used none, some would have been good)

5 eggs
1 cup Greek yogurt (Peter strained, I used it as is)
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon regular salt

4 ounces feta, crumbled
4 ounces Kasseri, cubed or grated (see Kitchen Notes)
1 cup fresh dill, chopped (I used only 1/2 cup, another herb would be good but do use fresh)
Ground pepper to taste

Zucchini rounds (for the top)
Mini pepper rounds
Sweet paprika

Preheat oven to 350F.

In a large skillet, heat the oil til shimmery. Add the zucchini and green onion, cook, stirring often, until cooked nearly through.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs for a couple of minutes until light and fluffy. Whisk in the yogurt and then the flour, baking powder and salt. Stir in the cooked zucchini, cheese and dill.

Transfer to a well-greased baking pie plate. (Peter uses a 15x10 baking sheet with 12 servings.) Garnish the top with zucchini rounds and pepper rings. If you like, sprinkle zucchini rounds with paprika. Bake for 1 hour or until golden. Let rest for 15 minutes before slicing to serve. May be served warm or at room temperature.

NUTRITION ESTIMATE
WITH 8 SERVINGS, Per Serving: 266 Cal (53% from Fat, 21% from Protein, 26% from Carb); 14 g Protein; 16 g Tot Fat; 8 g Sat Fat; 5 g Mono Fat; 17 g Carb; 1 g Fiber; NetCarb16; 3 g Sugar; 298 mg Calcium; 2 mg Iron; 753 mg Sodium; 186 mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers 6 points

WITH 12 SERVINGS, Per Serving: 178 Cal (53% from Fat, 21% from Protein, 26% from Carb); 9 g Protein; 11 g Tot Fat; 5 g Sat Fat; 3 g Mono Fat; 12 g Carb; 1 g Fiber; NetCarb11; 2 g Sugar; 199 mg Calcium; 1 mg Iron; 502 mg Sodium; 124 mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers 4 points (funny, this Weight Watchers point business)

KITCHEN NOTES

I originally intended to use 2x the zucchini but ended up short. The amount of 'bread' would easily handle a full two pounds of zucchini.

Some weeks back, Peter taught me to always buy feta in a block rather than as 'crumbles' -- I recommend it!

Kasseri is a mild Greek cheese with its own particular tang. I found it at an international market (for St. Louisans, at Global Foods in Kirkwood for $7 a pound) but a mild white cheddar or mozzarella would work just as well.

VEGETABLE RECIPES from the ARCHIVES
~ Tomato Basil Quiche, my favorite quiche summer and winter ~
~ Spinach & Feta Quiche, another beautiful quiche ~
~ Roasted Pepper & Cheddar Soufflés ~

~ more breakfast & brunch recipes ~
~ more vegetarian supper recipes ~

PRINT JUST A RECIPE! Now you can print a recipe without wasting ink and paper on the header and sidebar. Here's how.

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Bistro 63 at the Monkey Bar

My friend, Maureen, and I took a ride out to Amherst and then Northampton, Massachusetts today. The towns are in an area known for its five-college system: Smith, Amherst College, University of Massachusetts (my alma mater and the wonderful place where I met Joe), Mount Holyoke, and Hampshire College.

Amherst and Northampton are great places to visit in the summer. Why, do you ask? There are no crowds. You don't have to drive around endlessly looking for parking (especially in Northampton), and you can walk right into a restaurant and be served! Perhaps the only thing that isn't great is the lack of good people-watching. But it's good enough in my book.

It's been a while since I last walked up and down the streets of Amherst. I saw some old hang-outs and found a new, cool place to eat with a funky name: Bistro 63 at the Monkey Bar. It's right on the main drag in town, 63 North Pleasant Street. For anyone familiar with Amherst center, it's across the street from CVS and next to Judy's (not a favorite of mine).

This was the beautiful dining area as you walk into the restaurant. There's a bar on the other side of the room. I loved the blue mosaic tile.

But it was a perfect day outside, so when asked for our preference, we chose outside.

We were led down a hallway and past this next dining area (which I think is for functions during the day, and perhaps dancing at times):

Then we reached the beautiful covered porch area outside.

The menu had a good variety of dishes - especially for lunch. One of the specials was something that I see on their dinner menu online, and it is what I got for $13.95.

Seared Ahi - sushi grade blackened Tuna with vegetable slaw and Tofu Spring Roll with Dipping sauces

Here's a different view (but missing one piece of tuna!):

Now, that's a thing of beauty! And the taste was equal to the presentation. It was totally delicious, and I'd go back any day just to get it again.

I didn't want to intrude on Maureen's lunch so I have no pictures. But her fish sandwich with fries looked really tasty! It must have been a special because I don't see it on the menu.

There was another item I couldn't resist getting, but I knew I didn't have room for it, so I got it to go:

Lobster Corn Chowder - Creamy New England Classic, with red bliss potatoes, bacon, corn and fresh thyme.

The cup was only 2.95 and as you can see, it was a substantial amount. And it tastes fantastic! Dieters beware! It's loaded with cream.

I am going to have to find a friend to bring to the Monkey Bar as soon as possible. That was good stuff!

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Tropical Egg White Omelet

What to do with leftover Spicy Peach Salsa? How about a delicious breakfast?

Oh, I know what some of you are thinking. Why egg whites? Why not just make an omelet? To understand the answer to that question, please see my post In Defense of Tofu and Egg Whites.

Now, I've made egg white omelets before, but this is definitely the best one of the bunch and worthy of sharing. Oh, and I think it is safe to say that not only is it extremely tasty, but it is healthy! I will go even further and say that it is satisfying. After I ate it I took a 2-1/4 mile walk in the heat, and didn't feel weak or hungry when I came back.

I served it with toasted crusty bread with just a smidgen of butter. As I ate, I began piling pieces of the omelet and fruit onto the bread. It was crunchy and made me feel special.

Tropical Egg White Omelet

3 egg whites
2 Tbs. chopped fresh cilantro
1 small jalapeño, minced
1/4 cup chopped sweet onion
1 small garlic clove, minced
2 Tbs. crumbled goat cheese (that's going easy on the cheese - just enough for flavor here)
salt
pepper
cooking oil spray

Spicy Peach Salsa

Spray the pan with cooking oil spray. Sauté the jalapeño and onion in the cooking spray over medium-high heat with salt and pepper. Once I added the onions and chiles to the pan, I sprayed them again. When it's almost done, add the garlic and cilantro. Cook one minute longer. Set aside.

Add the egg whites to the pan. Salt and pepper the surface.

When it's ready, try to flip it so it remains in one piece. Then top 1/2 of it with the sauteed onions and chile mixture.

Sprinkle with the cheese and turn off the flame.

Fold it over so the toppings are covered.

Plate the omelet and top with the Spicy Peach Salsa.

Mmmm, yummy.

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In Defense of Tofu and Egg Whites

Before I post my Tropical Egg White Omelet recipe, I am going to head off some foreseen criticism.

After my Coconut-Crusted Tofu with Spicy Peach Salsa experience, I got a lot of commentary from friends and family. I don't want to say it was negative, it wasn't. But when I talk about eating tofu, and edamame, and things like that, people make faces. In response to my mentioning the Coconut-Crusted Tofu my niece actually said to me, "why not Coconut-Crusted Shrimp?" Because we were sitting together at a party, I got to see her WTF face, too.

My first gut response would have been to say, "because I felt like it, jerk." But I know that's not the right thing to say, so I bit my tongue and pondered on it until I composed my thoughts today. I have four good reasons why I cook and eat tofu and egg-white omelets.

Reason #1: It's Healthy
Hey, I'm overweight and my cholesterol is a fairly high number. Granted, my good cholesterol is off the charts as well, but the main number is sort of scary. So, with tofu and egg whites, I'm avoiding saturated fats. There were other elements to each of these dishes that weren't the most healthy, so these were the sacrifices I was willing to make.

Reason #2: Even if you disagree with the health factor, it makes me feel good.
Isn't that what it's all about? To be able to eat good food and feel good?

Reason #3: It tasted good.
Yes, I like tofu. And I like egg white omelets. As I was finishing my breakfast this morning my husband walked in from an errand and commented on how good my breakfast smelled. In fact, this breakfast was so good, I'm going to make the Spicy Peach Salsa again, just to have this breakfast again.

Reason #4: Variety is the spice of life.
Wouldn't it be boring to always eat chicken, or beef, or fish? I think so.

So there you have it. Those are my deep thoughts for the day.

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Raw Beet, Carrot & Kohlrabi Salad ♥ Colorful Salad Recipe

Today's salad recipe: Colorful salad of raw grated vegetables, raw beet, raw carrot and raw kohlrabi. Low carb. Weight Watchers 1 point.

It's no surprise to regular readers that I love-love-love recipes for beets. (There's even a beet rivalry. Am I the reigning 'beet queen'? Or is my friend the beet princess gaining ground?) In part, it's because once beets (what the beet princess calls beetroot) are cooked (whether roasted, boiled or microwaved), there are so very many different ways to use them. Once they're cooked, beets are the ultimate convenience vegetable. Just look at all the quick recipes which call for cooked beets, each recipe is marked with this symbol

.

But -- raw beet? Really?! Last week at the farmers market, Ronnie from On the Wind Farm mentioned that his wife chops up raw beet and carrot for a salad. And here it is -- isn't the color glorious?! Thank you, Ronnie, for the great tip! Because the pieces are so small, if you didn't know the vegetables were raw, well, you wouldn't. This salad lasted for a couple of days, the texture and color stayed good so I wouldn't hesitate to make a big batch. That said, it's easy enough to put together 'just enough' for now.

I brightened the earthy vegetables with fresh dill, to my taste a brilliant choice. No surprise, since Carrot Coins with Dill is so good, so is Beet Röesti.

FAVORITE RAW SALAD RECIPES
~ Zucchini Carpaccio, so simple, so beautiful ~
~ Celeriac Rémoulade, the French classic ~
~ Salad with Japanese Turnip, the hakurei turnip found at farmers markets ~

~ more "unusually raw" recipes ~
~ more recipes for a mandoline or Benriner ~

RAW BEET, CARROT & KOHLRABI SALAD

Hands-on time: 15 minutes
Time to table: 15 minutes
Serves 4

1 generous pound total of beets, carrot and kohlrabi, trimmed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
Zest and juice of a lemon
Fresh dill, chopped
Few drops of Tabasco

Grate the beet. (There's no need to peel, the grater will just push the skins back.) Grate or chop the carrot using a mandoline / Benriner. (There's no need to peel.) Slice off the thick skin of the kohlrabi with a knife, then grate or chop using a mandoline. Toss with the remaining ingredients.

NUTRITION ESTIMATE
Per Serving: 77 Cal (38% from Fat, 6% from Protein, 56% from Carb); 1 g Protein; 4 g Tot Fat; 0 g Sat Fat; 3 g Mono Fat; 12 g Carb; 3 g Fiber; NetCarb9; 8 g Sugar; 25 mg Calcium; 0 mg Iron; 40 mg Sodium; 0 mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers 1 point

KITCHEN NOTES

My thinking: the smaller the beets, the more tender they'll be and the easier to cut up while raw. That said, I did find the beet fussy to slice on the mandoline and switched to a grater with large holes.

I used kohlrabi to fill out a small supply of carrot and beets. So kohlrabi is optional but it was easier to cut with the mandoline and has the same texture as the beets and carrots so worked quite well, actually. It also picked up the beet color so honestly, there was no telling the salad wasn't half beet and half carrot.

Anyone new to the sharp blade of the slicer called a Benriner or mandoline will want to review tips for safely using a Benriner / mandoline

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WARM GERMAN POTATO SALAD

WEEK 26 - Late June

GREEK ZUCCHINI PIE

RAW BEET, CARROT & KOHLRABI SALAD