The best vegetable recipes of 2010, just one per month, all in one handy spot for easy reference.
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Minty Swiss chard smoothie
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| Minty Swiss chard smoothie |
Swiss chard is part of the beet family of vegetables. In this smoothie, I have used what is commonly known as rhubarb Swiss chard; 'rhubarb' because of the betain-saturated red stalk. It certainly tastes nothing like rhubarb.
Make a complete small meal of this smoothie by adding a teaspoon of olive oil and ¼ cup of tofu for the protein portion. You can punch up the flavours even more by adding a peeled, ripe, green Kiwi fruit.
Yield: 2 cups, approximately
Ingredients:
1 Swiss chard leaf
fresh mung bean sprouts, 1 - 2 cups
½ Granny Smith apple, washed, chunked
½ avocado, peeled
½ fresh lime, peeled
a handful of fresh mint leaves
¼ cup cold water
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| Clockwise: Swiss chard, mint, bean sprouts, lime, avocado, and Granny Smith apple |
Preparation:
1. Clean the fruits and vegetables.
2. Place the bean sprouts and ¼ cup water into the blender. Puree the sprouts.
3. Cut away the central rib of the Swiss chard leaf, keeping the dark green leaf portions. Slice these into pieces about 2.5 cm. (1 in.) wide. Place the slices into the blender. Puree.
4. Cut the unpeeled apple half into chunks. Remove core and seeds. Add the apple chunks to the blender.
5. Cut ½ of the lime. Using a sharp paring knife, sever the pulp away from the skin. Discard the skin. Cut the pulp into chunks and add them to the blender.
6. Add the flesh of ½ avocado and a handful of fresh mint leaves. Blend on 'High' until the ingredients are pureed.
Decant into two glasses.
Spring Garden Vegetable Soup with Asparagus, Artichokes, Peas & Spinach ♥ Recipe
Today's spring soup recipe: A bowlful of our favorite spring vegetables, especially artichokes and asparagus.
The seductress that is Spring is toying with us here in St. Louis. For a few days, she taunted us with warm – hot, even – days, luring us into the impression that 'Spring is really here!" For years, I've tracked the very day in my estimation when spring 'really' arrived and 2011 was looking record early by some days.
But no. The real spring has yet to arrive. As I write, there is new snow on the ground and tomorrow's outdoor birthday party is being moved inside.
Still, spring WILL come and it helps to bridge the seasons with what I think of as 'bridge foods' – in this case, a big potful of soup that simmered on the stove but not the heavy stews and meaty soups of winter but a potful of spring vegetables. I envisioned an all-green soup – thus the celery, asparagus, artichokes, peas and spinach – but then thought better of myself and chopped in some carrot for color. With a little help, patience will pay off and spring will make herself known, this time for real.
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Beet, mango, tomato and red bell pepper juice
Enjoy the healthiest beet juice in town when it comes straight from your own garden or refrigerator via your juicer. This juice is simple and easy to prepare when you use the freshest possible fruits and vegetables.
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| Beet, mango, tomato and sweet red bell pepper juice |
Ingredients:
1 medium-sized beet root, washed, peeled
½ ripe mango
1 plum (Roma) tomato
½ sweet red bell pepper
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| Beet, tomato, mango and sweet red bell pepper |
Preparation:
1. Wash all the fruit and vegetables.
2. Cut the beet root into small chunks. Put these chunks into the juicer and juice them.
3. Slice half of the mango away from its large seed, length-wise. Score the flesh into chunks, then cut them away from the skin using a sharp paring knife. Put these into the juicer and juice them.
4. Chunk the tomato, then juice it.
5. Slice the sweet red bell pepper in half length-wise. Discard the core and seeds. Chop the prepared portion into chunks. Juice them.
6. Decant the juice into a glass. Enjoy!
The nutritional value of beets - Part 13: Carotene-B
Beets are a nutrient-rich source of antioxidants; Carotene-B is one of them. You can enhance your health and vitality by eating beets.
Carotene-B is commonly known as beta-carotene. As the name indicates, it is a carotenoid; it is one of the more than 600 Carotenoids that scientists have revealed are in our highly coloured foods.
Carotene-B is commonly known as beta-carotene. As the name indicates, it is a carotenoid; it is one of the more than 600 Carotenoids that scientists have revealed are in our highly coloured foods.
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| A beet, a good source of Carotene-B |
Beta-carotene is an antioxidant. One of its functions in our bodies is to provide protection against the development of heart disease and cancers, especially lung cancer. Both raw and cooked beets -- the roots, the stalks and the leaves -- are good sources of Carotene-B.
Why is this important for you?
It is important because your body, your liver, converts beta-carotene into retinol: Vitamin A.
And why is this great news?
It is great news because Vitamin A supports your vitality, inside and out (see Part 6, where one aspect of the nutritional value of raw beet greens is discussed). Vitamin A enables you to grow healthy, glowing skin.
Antioxidants, such as beta-carotene, provide you with defences against the ravages of the natural processes of oxidation which result in the production of free radicals. From freckles to 'age spots' and 'liver spots', the unsightly brown patches often seen on sun-exposed parts of white skin -- hands, faces, arms, necks, feet, ankles -- are the result of internal skin cell damage caused by free radicals. Of course, the sun's energy penetrates fabrics, so it isn't only exposed skin that exhibits free radical damage.
Antioxidants neutralize free radicals. Although there are some external applications, such as sun screens, that provide some topical protection, many sunscreens do not provide both UV-A and UV-B protection. Both are essential. The primary -- and the best -- protection is gained by eating a diet rich in antioxidants. Carotene-B is one of those antioxidants.
Your immune system and normal cell replication is enhanced when your body transforms Carotene-B into Vitamin A. In addition, the integrity of your sight, internal membranes, and skin is maintained. Deficiency results in scaly skin, visual deficiencies such as night blindness, compromised immunity, and decreased resistance to infection.
In Part 1 of this series of discussions about the nutritional value of beets, we saw that 100g of raw beet root (approximately ½ cup) provides 20 micrograms (mcg) of Carotene-B.
In comparison, in Part 12, the table of nutrients shows that 100g of cooked beet root (approximately ¾ cup) provides 21 mcg of Carotene-B.
Concerning beet greens, the USDA National Nutrient database informs us that:
- 100 g. (approximately 2½ cups) of raw, fresh beet greens provides 3794 mcg of Carotene-B. Thus, 1 cup (38g) provides1442 mcg of same.
- 100 g (approximately ⅔ cup) of cooked beet greens provides 4590 mcg of beta-carotene.
According to the Journal of Nutrition*, the current recommended beta-carotene intake is 2 - 4 milligrams (mg) daily. Some professors have concluded that the recommended daily intake should be raised to 7 mg. Since this opinion was expressed at a conference co-sponsored by DSM Nutritional Products Ltd., where the professors also stated that there is no difference between natural beta-carotene and the synthesized version, I am deeply sceptical of the veracity of the opinions expressed.
It is well known that phytonutrients do not function in isolation, so I will not be adding beta-carotene supplements to my dietary intake. In addition, during the era when the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) was considered valid, the USDA National Nutrient database never specified an RDA for Carotene-B (as far as I am aware) although it did specify an RDA for Vitamin A.
* The Journal of Nutrition
Published ahead of print, doi: 10.3945/jn.109.119024
“b-Carotene Is an Important Vitamin A Source for Humans”
Authors: T. Grune, G. Lietz, A. Palou, A.C. Ross, W. Stahl, G. Tang, D. Thurnham, S. Yin, H.K. Biesalski
“b-Carotene Is an Important Vitamin A Source for Humans”
Authors: T. Grune, G. Lietz, A. Palou, A.C. Ross, W. Stahl, G. Tang, D. Thurnham, S. Yin, H.K. Biesalski
How to Eat More Vegetables: Tip #7
We all know we should eat more vegetables. But how, how do we do that, really? What real-life tips and ideas work? How can we build our lives around the healthiest of all foods, vegetables? Every Saturday, the 'veggie evangelist' shares practical tips and ideas from the experience of herself, her readers and other bloggers.
And now for this week's tip:
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Chickpea, Butternut Squash and Sausage Soup
There I was with 2 quarts of celery root stock in my fridge, a desire to cook some chickpeas (not from a can - although I won't dis' you if you use canned but you're missing out on so much! Who am I kidding? I'm definitely going to judge you if you don't cook your own chickpeas at least once.), a need use up a couple of sweet Italian sausage and a couple of chorizo sausages, a little butternut squash and some of the sauteed kale, onion and roasted lemon dish I made a few days ago. Oh - and leeks.
Back to the chickpeas. Just as I was very pleasantly surprised when I made the celery root stock, the pot liquor from the first time I cooked chickpeas was a delicious revelation! I generally soak mine overnight and then simmer them with a couple of bay leaves until they are tender - not completely mushy - add a little salt to the water, stir then turn off the heat and leave the cover on until they cool down. I started with two cups (dried) chickpeas. Those I didn't use for the soup will be roasted for a snack.
I sliced each of the chorizo sausages in half length-wise and cut half-coins and browned those. Then I crumbled up and browned the two sweet Italian sausage links. I removed them from the pan, drained off all but a little bit of the oil and threw about 2 cups of chopped leaks in the pan with a pinch of salt. I cooked those on medium-low until translucent then added a (very) generous pinch of red pepper flakes and added-back the sausage and chorizo. I ran the leeks around the pot with a pair of tongs to de-glaze the sausage/chorizo fond. I added about two cups diced butternut squash, about 4 cups of the cooked chickpeas then I added the two quarts of celery root stock and the (about) 1-2 quarts of pot liquor from cooking the chickpeas and simmered it for about 30-ish minutes. I added about 2 cups of the previously cooked kale which had onions, garlic and chopped up roasted Meyer lemon and simmered just a few more minutes.
It was (and is) delicious, hearty and warming.
Steamed beets Provencal
This simple, nutritious steamed beet dish makes a great accompaniment to roasted meats.
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| Beets Provencal |
Yield: 2 - 4 servings
Ingredients:
2 medium-sized beet roots
1 bay leaf
2-3 cups water
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon ghee (clarified butter)
2 teaspoons Herbes de Provence
sea salt and black pepper, to taste
Preparation:
1. Thoroughly wash beet roots. Place whole beets and bay leaf in steamer basket in a pressure cooker. Add 2-3 cups water. Bring the pressure cooker to a boil (following instructions in your manual). Reduce heat to medium and cook beets for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave pressure cooker to rest until the safety latch is released. Remove beets to an air-tight container to cool. Discard bay leaf and pot liquor.
2. Slip skin off beets. Slice beets into rounds.
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| Herbes de Provence warming in a saute pan |
3. Heat Herbes de Provence in a saute pan over medium heat until the spices release their fragrance, approximately 2 minutes. Add olive oil and ghee to saute pan. Stir.
4. Add beet slices to ghee mixture. Stir to cover beet slices with Herbes de Provence and oil/ghee.
5. Add sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste. Serve immediately.
Sushi Salad ♥ Recipe
Turning sushi inside out and upside down, all the familiar sushi ingredients, turned into a salad. A sushi salad, really? Who's ever heard of a sushi salad?!! But it's another concept recipe – have fun with this one!
Tried and true is good and all. But just for fun, isn't it a kick to turn our favorite foods upside down? That's the premise of Sushi Salad, just a few familiar sushi ingredients but in salad form, not small bites. And to my taste, it really does taste like sushi! (Please know, I'm no expert. I have "real sushi" every so often but mostly, it's the packages from the supermarket ..)
This Sushi Salad recipe calls for quinoa instead of rice and skips the nori (though there's no reason to not use some) – this was really fun, it's definitely a keeper, taste-wise, but also for ease of preparation and for flexibility.
Keep Reading ->>>
Nutritional value of beets - Part 12: Cooked beet root
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| Steamed beet roots |
Cooked beet root is very low in fats and registers no cholesterol. It is a good source of potassium, and provides a significant amount of calcium, which enables magnesium to provide essential heart health support.
Cooked beet root carries a low Glycemic Load despite having a high sugar content; this is because the sugars are mostly indigestible dietary fibre, which are complex carbohydrates. In addition, cooked beet root is a very good source of folates and manganese.
Beets (beta vulgaris)
Nutritional value per 100g (approximately 3/4 cup) of cooked beet root
Source: USDA National Nutrient database
Table of nutritional values of cooked beet root
Principle | Nutrient value |
Energy | 44 kcal |
Carbohydrates | 9.96 g |
Protein | 1.68 g |
Total fat | 0.18 g |
Cholesterol | 0 mg |
Dietary fibre | 2.0 g |
Sugars | 7.96 g |
Vitamins | |
Folates | 80 mcg |
Niacin | 0.331 mg |
Pantothenic acid | 0.145 mg |
Pyridoxine (Vit B6) | 0.067 mg |
Thiamin | 0.027 mg |
Riboflavin | 0.040 mg |
Vitamin A | 33 IU |
Vitamin C | 3.6 mg |
Vitamin E | 0.00 mg |
Vitamin K | 0.2 mcg |
Electrolytes | |
Sodium | 77 mg |
305 mg | |
Minerals | |
Calcium | 16 mg |
Copper | 0.074 mg |
Iron | 0.79 mg |
23 mg | |
0.326 mg | |
Phosphorous, P | 38 mg |
Zinc | 0.35 mg |
Phyto-nutrients | |
21 mcg | |
Betaine | 0 |
See the following post for more information on the health benefits of beets:
Manganese (Beet greens - raw)
Steamed beet with black quinoa
Enjoy all the health benefits of cooked beets along with the protein and other nutrients of quinoa in this easy-to-make, colourful dish which can be used as a meal in itself, as well as a side dish. Despite the ease, once again, this is slow cooking, with preparations requiring planning and time.
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| Steamed beet with black quinoa |
Yield: 2 - 4 servings
Ingredients:
1 medium-sized beet, stalks removed
1 bay leaf
2-3 cups water
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| Hydrating celeriac |
1 large sweet white onion
1 hydrated celeriac with stalks and leaves attached
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon ghee (clarified butter)
½ cup black quinoa
¾ cup water
Dressing
2 tbsp. chopped celeriac stalks and leaves
2 tbsp. chopped cilantro
3-4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
¼ teaspoon brown sugar
sea salt and black pepper, to taste
Preparation:
1. Thoroughly wash whole celeriac. Immerse celeriac in a deep container of cold water to hydrate. (It is preferable that this is done the day prior to making this recipe.)
2. Thoroughly wash beet. Place whole beet root and bay leaf in steamer basket in a pressure cooker. Add 2-3 cups water. Bring the pressure cooker to a boil (following instructions in your manual). Reduce heat to medium and cook beet for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave pressure cooker to rest until the safety latch is released. Remove beet to an air-tight container to cool. Discard bay leaf and pot liquor.
3. Meanwhile, rinse quinoa. Bring ¾ cup water to boil in a small pot. Add quinoa. Return to the boil, then reduce heat to simmer. Simmer, covered, for 15 - 20 minutes. Turn heat off, leaving quinoa to cook and absorb the remaining water.
4. Cut away ¼ of a large sweet white onion. Peel. Chop into a small dice, producing approximately ½ cup.
5. Cut away ¼ of the celeriac (the root only). Peel. Chop into a small dice, producing approximately ½ cup. Add to onion dice.
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| Diced steamed beet root |
6. Slip skin off beet. Cut beet into small dice.
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| Sauteing onion and celeriac dice |
7. Heat olive oil and ghee in saute pan over medium heat. Add onion and celery root dice. Saute until onion turns translucent.
8. Fold 1 cup cooked quinoa into the onion and celery root mixture. Heat through.
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| 1 cup cooked black quinoa |
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| Black quinoa, onion and celeriac |
9. Add diced beet. Raise heat to medium. Cook and stir for 5 minutes.
10. Turn out into a serving dish.
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| Steamed beet root with black quinoa |
Dressing:
Snip away two stalks with leaves from celeriac. Chop into small dice. Chop cilantro. Add to diced celeriac leaves and stalks. Add vinegar, brown sugar, sea salt and pepper. Stir. Serve as an accompaniment in a small bowl.
How to Eat More Vegetables: Tip #6
We all know we should eat more vegetables. But how, how do we do that, really? What real-life tips and ideas work? How can we build our lives around the healthiest of all foods, vegetables? Every Saturday, the 'veggie evangelist' shares practical tips and ideas from her own experience, her readers and other bloggers.
FIRST, MORE ABOUT SMOOTHIES Last week's tips came from two readers who are serious about their smoothies. In an e-mail exchange afterward, Kathleen H from New Mexico explained why smoothies are so very important to her health. I've updated the post, How to Eat More Vegetables Tip #5.
AND NOW For this week's tip:
Keep Reading ->>>
Celery Root Stock
Whoa.
So I had two celery roots in my crisper and decided to cube and roast them up. Celery root is the hairless cat of vegetables. While a hairless cat may be a lovable, sweet kitteh, you kind of have to WANT to love it when you see it in its original form. You can see a picture of it (celery root, a/k/a celeraic and not a hairless cat), pre-trimming here - thanks to H-bomb's Flickr pic. In fact the celeraic shown in this photo aren't as gnarly looking as some I've seen.
I took it off heat at about 3.5 hours in, removed the schmutz and when it cooled down a little, strained it through a quadruple layer of cheesecloth (I scrubbed the celery root before trimming but there was still some dirt in the nooks and crannies - make sure there are no darker particulates in your stock). I thought about reducing it but I like the delicate flavor.
reade more...
So I had two celery roots in my crisper and decided to cube and roast them up. Celery root is the hairless cat of vegetables. While a hairless cat may be a lovable, sweet kitteh, you kind of have to WANT to love it when you see it in its original form. You can see a picture of it (celery root, a/k/a celeraic and not a hairless cat), pre-trimming here - thanks to H-bomb's Flickr pic. In fact the celeraic shown in this photo aren't as gnarly looking as some I've seen.
I trimmed and cubed them and was getting ready to dump the decidedly un-lovely trimmings in the compost bin when I thought, "Hey, would this make good stock?". I heated up some olive oil in my 5-qt. Le Creuset, threw the trimmings in with a pinch of salt and caramelized them a bit. After a while I added a couple of quarts plus some extra of near-boiling water, brought it to a boil, turned it down to a simmer and popped the lid on. That was about 2 hours ago.
I took it off heat at about 3.5 hours in, removed the schmutz and when it cooled down a little, strained it through a quadruple layer of cheesecloth (I scrubbed the celery root before trimming but there was still some dirt in the nooks and crannies - make sure there are no darker particulates in your stock). I thought about reducing it but I like the delicate flavor.
Pressure-cooker borscht
The borscht produced by this recipe is actually quite different from Borsht No.1. The beet is cooked first, then the remaining root vegetables and cabbage. All the ingredients are brought together just before the borscht is eaten. Aficionados of borscht will certainly notice the difference. They'll love it anyway.
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| Pressure-cooker borscht |
Yield: 4 - 6 servings
Ingredients:
1 medium-sized beet, about 7.5 cm. (3 in) in diameter
3 cups water
1 cup purple cabbage, grated
½ cup red onion, diced
1 carrot, grated
½ cup rutabaga, diced
1 clove fresh garlic, minced
3 sprigs fresh dill (whole)
2 - 3 cups pot liquor from steaming the beet
1 tablespoon lemon juice
sea salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons commercial soured cream for each bowl of borscht
 |
| Chopped beet (center), chopped rutabaga (top right), grated carrot (bottom right), and grated purple cabbage |
Preparation:
1. Thoroughly wash the vegetables.
2. Place beet in pressure cooker with 3 cups of water. Raise temperature to boiling on 'High' heat, then reduce heat to 'Medium' and cook for 10 minutes. Turn off heat, leaving the pressure cooker as it is to steam until the safety lock releases.
3. Meanwhile, prepare the remaining vegetables as indicated above, i.e., grate the cabbage and carrot, peel and dice the rutabaga and red onion, and mince the garlic.
4. When the pressure cooker's safety lock releases, remove beet to an air-tight container and leave to cool. Pour the liquid from the pressure cooker into a heat-proof container and reserve.
5. Place a steamer basket inside the pressure cooker. (See Pressure cooker - Part 2 to see what a steamer basket looks like if you don't know). Add three cups of water to the pressure cooker, just enough to touch the bottom of the a heat-proof, non-reactive dish, such as Pyrex™ or Corning Ware™, which you will place inside the steamer basket.
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| Chopped and grated vegetables, except beets, ready for cooking in the pressure cooker |
5. Add the fresh dill and prepared vegetables, except the beet, to the dish inside the pressure cooker. Place the lid on the pressure cooker and cook these vegetables as you did the beet.
6. Meanwhile, peel and dice the beet, making a small dice.
7. When the pressure cooker's safety lock releases, the prepared vegetables are finished cooking. Remove them to a non-reactive* soup pot, such as the glass pot shown in the image below.
8. Add diced beet, and the pot liquor reserved from cooking the beet. Bring to boil, then remove from the heat.
9. Add lemon juice and stir.
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| Beets and all borscht ingredients melding flavours prior to serving |
10. Ladle into soup bowls and top each with commercial soured cream.
* The purpose of using a non-reactive cooking pot is to retain as much colour -- and therefore, phyto-nutrients -- as possible in borscht.
* The purpose of using a non-reactive cooking pot is to retain as much colour -- and therefore, phyto-nutrients -- as possible in borscht.
Baked Sweet Potatoes ♥ Recipe & Temperature
Back to Basics: How to roast or bake sweet potatoes in the oven. It's as easy as easy can be: just rub the sweet potatoes with a little oil and bake. (We're baking whole sweet potatoes here, no need for any knife work at all!) This is a great way to cook a lot of sweet potatoes at once, also my favorite way to cook just a couple of sweet potatoes for dinner or for later when the oven is already on. Not just vegan, "Vegan Done Real".
The other day, I needed to cook a pile of sweet potatoes for a recipe calling for cooked sweet potatoes. (The recipe's not ready for posting but shows much promise!) My choices were:
Steaming or boiling – but I thought the sweet potatoes would be too wet. Cooking the sweet potatoes in the microwave – it's a good technique for one or two sweet potatoes, not so much for a bunch. Roasting chopped sweet potatoes wouldn't work either, I didn't want the crispy caramelized edges that develop. So instead, I baked a trayful of whole sweet potatoes, then stripped off the skins to yield beautiful cooked sweet potatoes. Baked Sweet Potatoes were the perfect solution!
Keep Reading ->>>
Wilted beet greens with garlic
This small serving of wilted beet greens is a wonderful pick-me-up of delightful flavours. The quantities are only roughly provided since each bunch of whole beet greens will yield a different measure of chopped beet greens.
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| Wilted beet greens with garlic |
Yield: 1 serving
Ingredients:
1 bunch of beet greens, about 6 - 8 whole leaves with stalks
1 large or 2 small cloves of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ghee (clarified butter)*
1 lemon wedge
Freshly ground black pepper and sea salt, if desired
Preparation:
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| Beet leaves, washed and spun |
1. Sever the stalks and leaves from one or more beet roots. cut away the stalks and retain the beet greens. Wash the leaves, rinse, and spin them out in a vegetable spinner to remove as much water as possible.
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| Beet greens, sliced |
2. Slice the leaves crosswise, to produce strips about 2 cm. (¾ in.) wide.
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| Garlic, minced, sauteing in ghee |
3. In a saute pan, heat the ghee to bubbling over high heat. Add minced garlic. Stir and cook until the garlic releases its fragrance.
4. Add the beet greens. Stir or toss with two forks and cook for about 2 minutes, until the leaves are wilted.
5. Remove from heat.Turn out into a small dish together with lemon wedge. Grind sea salt and black pepper over the mixture, if desired.
* Ghee is clarified butter, i.e., butter from which milk residue has been removed. Yes, it is saturated fat but that is okay. Saturated fat is acceptable so long as you don't overdo it. The maximum intake of saturated fats (on average) should not exceed 7% of your daily calorie intake which, for an average woman, is approximately 2000 calories. That equals approximately 16 grams of saturated fat. One tablespoon of butter equals 7 grams of saturated fat; therefore, one teaspoon of ghee is well within the bounds of safety. In addition, should you choose to saute a larger quantity of beet greens than indicated in this recipe, they can still be wilted in the same single teaspoon of ghee. Or you can reduce the amount of ghee to, perhaps, half a teaspoon. As always, the choice is yours.