cooking beets

Roasted Asparagus with Anise ♥

By this time of the year, we've all had our fill of asparagus.

Except me! As much as I appreciate the beautiful St. Louis-grown asparagus, I love that good asparagus can be found at the grocery store both "before" and "after" our own growing season. There are just so many great ways to cook asparagus.

And when it comes to fat-fat spears of asparagus, oh they're so good roasted! This is another simple treatment, just anise seed and salt and pepper. The anise draws something unexpected out of the asparagus -- and no, it's not 'licorice' or even licorice flavor. It's a keeper.

See the little white bowl? A year ago Christmas, a very generous Santa gave me a gift certificate to Cornucopia, the kitchen shop located in my little hometown downtown. A gift certificate turned out to be the perfect choice for a 'cook who has everything', or at least, everything she really wants. I've been surprised by the usefulness of the small mortar and pestle I selected: it's just big enough to grind a few spices, perfect for my needs. And it tucks easily into the cupboard for grabbing at the last minute.

FROM THE ARCHIVES Have you checked the Recipe Box for asparagus recipes recently? It's packed!

ROASTED ASPARAGUS with ANISE SEED

Hands-on time: 5 minutes
Time to table: 30 minutes (assumes oven takes 15 minutes to preheat)
Serves 4

1 pound fresh asparagus, preferably thick spears
1 tablespoon olive oil (or use an olive oil mister)
1/2 teaspoon anise seed, ground in a mortar & pestle or in a coffee grinder
Salt & pepper to taste (go light on the salt, it can overpower the anise)

Preheat oven to 450F.

Wash the asparagus, snap off the woody ends. Toss with oil, anise seed and salt and pepper. Arrange on a baking sheet, with space between, and roast for about 10 minutes, turning once.

NUTRITION ESTIMATE
Per Serving: 53 Cal (53% from Fat, 17% from Protein, 30% from Carb); 3 g Protein; 4 g Tot Fat; 1 g Sat Fat; 5 g Carb; 2 g Fiber; NetCarb3; 29 mg Calcium; 3 mg Iron; 2 mg Sodium; 0 mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers 1 point

CREDIT WHERE CREDIT'S DUE
Adapted from Gourmet April 1996

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TAGS
Food Recipes Cooking Vegetable Recipes Weight Watchers Recipes Asparagus Recipes One Point Recipes Low Carb Recipes Side Dish Recipes

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Lima Bean Hummus ♥

Who says hummus must be made from garbanzo beans?

Hummus is such a favorite quick appetizer. And it's so easy to make homemade hummus!

While hummus is typically made with garbanzo beans -- in fact, last week's Kitchen Parade column includes a recipe for traditional homemade hummus -- it needn't be. This version, inspired by Je Mange la Ville, a lovely food blog based in Portland, Oregon, uses lima beans.

Topped with a little goat cheese and fresh thyme: my book club loved it! And the green color is much welcome compared to the muddy gray of hummus made with garbanzo beans. Aren't those little crostini pretty?

THE HEART OF THE MATTER This is my contribution to an event hosted this month by JoAnna's Food -- and this month featuring, um, yes, vegetables. Hmmm. How hard do you think it was to pick a vegetable recipe to participate in the event? Not too hard, since A Veggie Venture is all vegetable recipes, 100% vegetables and nothing-but-vegetables! But the collection of recipes for the event will be great fun since the northern hemisphere is in the height of summer vegetables and the southern hemisphere cooks are enjoying their wintry finds.

FROM THE ARCHIVES The Recipe Box is full of vegetable recipes and includes a growing collection of appetizers made with vegetables. But believe it or not, this is the first time I've cooked lima beans on A Veggie Venture. I need more lima bean recipes!

TWO YEARS AGO Shredded Zucchini with Thyme ... "This zucchini is good -- very good -- and ever so simple."

LIMA BEAN HUMMUS

See Je Mange la Ville's inspiring Greek Lima Bean Dip
Hands-on time: 20 minutes
Time to table: 60 minutes
Makes 2 1/2 cups

Salted water to cover
16 ounces frozen lima beans

4 garlic cloves (I used roasted garlic)
Zest of a lemon
Juice of 3 lemons (Michelle uses 2 lemons, I wanted more lemon flavor in front)
1/4 of a white onion, roughly chopped (this was important, Michelle suggests red onion or a sweet Vidalia onion)
2 tablespoons fresh herbs (Michelle used oregano, I used thyme)
1 tablespoon fresh mint
2 tablespoons olive oil (Michelle uses 1/4 cup and hers was more creamy, of course)
Salt & pepper to taste

Cook the lima beans and drain well. Place all the ingredients in a food processor and process til smooth. Serve on crostini with goat cheese and fresh herbs.

NUTRITION ESTIMATE
Per Tablespoon: 23 Cal (28% from Fat, 15% from Protein, 57% from Carb); 1 g Protein; 1 g Tot Fat; 0 g Sat Fat; 1 g Mono Fat; 3 g Carb; 1 g Fiber; NetCarb2; 0 g Sugar; 6 mg Calcium; 0 mg Iron; 6 mg Sodium; 0 mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers 0

Per 1/4 Cup: 92 Cal (28% from Fat, 15% from Protein, 57% from Carb); 4 g Protein; 3 g Tot Fat; 0 g Sat Fat; 2 g Mono Fat; 14 g Carb; 3 g Fiber; NetCarb11; 1 g Sugar; 24 mg Calcium; 1 mg Iron; 24 mg Sodium; 0 mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers 1 point

TAGS
Food Recipes Cooking Vegetable Recipes Weight Watchers Recipes Easy Appetizers Lima Bean Recipes Hummus Recipes One Point Recipes Low Carb Recipes

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Simple Arugula Salad ♥

When you're gifted with an abundance of just-pulled-from-the-ground arugula, it's not to be squandered. And so I went looking for new ways to enjoy the late-in-the-season so slightly bitter greens.

Instead, I saw something extraordinarily simple and moved straight to the kitchen.

And honestly, even I feel half silly posting this 'recipe'. But I figure if Gourmet can, and 37 people make comments, it's a winner, even if ever so simple.

But another reason to post, it's a zero-point salad for those who follow Weight Watchers -- and there are never enough of these.

FROM THE ARCHIVES For other ways to use arugula, see the Recipe Box.

TWO YEARS AGO Brushed Eggplant ... "addictively good"

SIMPLE ARUGULA SALAD

Hands-on time: 5 minutes
Time to table: 5 minutes
Serves 6 (I adjusted for two, just in the bowl)

6 cups fresh arugula, washed very well, drained on a towel or paper towels (otherwise the dressing won't adhere)

DRESSING
2 tablespoons good olive oil
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon good salt

Whisk the dressing in a small bowl. Just before serving, gently dress the tender greens.

NUTRITION ESTIMATE
Per Serving: 45 Cal (89% from Fat, 4% from Protein, 7% from Carb); 1 g Protein; 5 g Tot Fat; 1 g Sat Fat; 3 g Mono Fat; 1 g Carb; 0 g Fiber; NetCarb0; 0 g Sugar; 32 mg Calcium; 0 mg Iron; 55 mg Sodium; 0 mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers 0 points (yes, it's splitting 2 tablespoons of oil six ways)

CREDIT WHERE CREDIT'S DUE
Gourmet June 2003

TAGS
Food Recipes Cooking Vegetable Recipes Weight Watchers Recipes
Arugula Recipes
Zero Point Recipes
Low Carb Recipes

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Another Kitchen Parade Quick Supper: Chicken Greek Salad ♥

Summer nights create a thousand reasons to skip supper at home in the kitchen. This week's Kitchen Parade column features an antidote, a 'drive-by' quick supper salad that features one of the world's greatest conveniences, rotisserie chickens.

Plus, if you've ever wondered how to make hummus, the column includes a simple recipe for homemade hummus with canned chickpeas.

Perfect, yes, for a quick supper during summer!

SO WHAT IS KITCHEN PARADE, EXACTLY? Kitchen Parade is the food column that my Mom started writing for our family newspaper when I was a baby. Today it's published in my hometown newspapers in suburban St. Louis and features 'fresh seasonal recipes for every-day healthful eating and occasional indulgences'.

Where A Veggie Venture is 'pure food blog', full of experimentation and exploration, Kitchen Parade features recipes a modern cook can count on. All are thoroughly tested by a home cook in a home kitchen and many are family and reader favorites. All recipes feature easy-to-find ingredients, clear instructions and because I believe so strongly in informed food choices, nutrition analysis and Weight Watchers points. Want to know more? Explore Kitchen Parade, including Kitchen Parade's Recipe Box!

WHY CAN'T I COMMENT ON THIS PAGE? Because I hope that you'll click through to the actual column and comment there!

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Garlicky Bok Choy ♥

While developing the Alphabet of Vegetables, call me surprised to find a hundred carrot recipes and a thousand beet recipes, but no recipes for bok choy! Have I ever cooked bok choy? Maybe not.

Seems I'm not alone. While my food blogging pals regularly cook baby bok choy, the big heads of bok choy (also called Chinese cabbage, bai cai, bok choi and pak choi, according to my source, Jack Bishop) are rare.

It's in the cabbage family but is often treated like a leafy green. I chose to 'start' with something simple, something all about the bok choy. So this is a very basic recipe, just bok choy (local, even!) quick-cooked with garlic and for color, some sliced radish (also local!). Bok choy keeps a bit of its bite when cooked even as radishes soften and sweeten during cooking; they were quite perfect together.

UPDATE (6/14/07) After a little sleuthing, I've become convinced that what I cooked here was not actually bok choy (even if that's what the farmer I bought it from called it) but a somewhat different variety of cabbage mostly called Chinese cabbage. Food-wise, it's closer to Napa cabbage which can be eaten raw in salads or cooked, as here, where bok choy is fibrous enough that it's nearly always cooked.

UPDATE (6/16/07) Aha! I got some bok choy - some real bok choy this time - and made this same recipe. It turned out great! Watch for new additions to the bok choy recipes in the Alphabet of Vegetables.

LEFTOVER REPORT
I found this was even better cold the next day, chopped for the top of a salad.

TWO YEARS AGO Sherry Slaw ... "This slaw took a mere 10 minutes and was different than anything tasted before, still slaw, but different somehow. And good!"

A YEAR AGO THIS WEEK In Kitchen Parade, Tropical Salad Supper (made from Napa cabbage!) either stand-alone or paired beautifully with Tropical Pork Tenderloin.

GARLICKY BOY CHOY or CHINESE CABBAGE

Hands-on time: 20 minutes (could be done ahead of time, perhaps even by a day or so)
Time to table: 30 minutes
Serves 6

1 pound head of bok choy or multiple heads of baby bok choy
5 or 6 radishes, trimmed and sliced in half moons (my addition, for color and texture contrast)
1 tablespoon peanut oil (the inspiring recipe called for roasted peanut oil)
6 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 cup vegetable broth or chicken stock
Salt & pepper to taste

Wash the bok choy well. Remove the white stalks with a V cut, then chop. (For the Chinese cabbage, this takes a bit of time but you can start the skillet mid-way through.) Heat the oil in a large skillet til shimmery on MEDIUM. Add the chopped stalks and radishes, cook til just beginning to soften. Add the garlic and let cook for 2-3 minutes.

While stalks cook, roll four or five leaves into a 'cigar'. (No need to roll for baby bok choy, just chop the greens.) Holding the cigar together with your fingers, cut the cigar in half length-wise, then cut every inch or so cross-wise. (Or if you're a knife whiz, just roughly chop.) Add the leaves and broth, stir to wet greens, then cover and let cook, stirring once or twice, for about 10 minutes or til leaves are as soft as you like. Season to taste and serve.

NUTRITION ESTIMATE
Per Serving: 55 Cal (37% from Fat, 9% from Protein, 54% from Carb); 1 g Protein; 2 g Tot Fat; 0 g Sat Fat; 1 g Mono Fat; 8 g Carb; 1 g Fiber; NetCarb7; 1 g Sugar; 39 mg Calcium; 1 mg Iron; 247 mg Sodium; 0 mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers 1 point

CREDIT WHERE CREDIT'S DUE
Everyday Vegetables by Jack Bishop

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Pan-Pickled Beets ♥

A bit ago, I participated in academic research attempting to answer, 'Why do people blog?' I paged through dozens of canned responses, waiting to check off something that reflected my own reason, the wealth of learning that accompanies my own blogging efforts.

The 'I blog because I learn, I learn because I blog' concept returned to me tonight while slipping leftover beets through the Benriner , then moving them to a skillet to create, almost without thought, a quick and entirely new way to enjoy beets.

Aha! If we're bored with vegetables or simply want to experience vegetables in new ways, there are several techniques to turn the comfortable and familiar into the fresh and unexpected, terrific ways to turn vegetables upside down, inside out and sideways.

ISOLATE -- or MAKE FRIENDS If we always 'add flavor' to a vegetable (onion, salt and pepper, for example), try it all by itself, just to remember what the vegetable itself tastes like unadorned and unmasked. Or if we always cook a vegetable by itself, pair it with another vegetable, broccoli with fennel or asparagus with mushrooms or. or. or. Or. Or.
CHANGE the SIZE Just changing size makes a difference in texture and thus taste.

If we always cook a vegetable whole or in big chunks, cut it small-small-small; the Benriner makes this especially easy, but for some vegetables, a garden-variety carrot peeler will work, so will nothing more than a sharp knife. Try cutting 'ribbons' or 'noodles' or grating or shredding.
Or say, if we've only eaten cabbage in slaw, try cooking it in big wedges.

TRY IT RAW, TRY IT COOKED If we always eat a vegetable cooked, instead, try it raw -- or the reverse. Think cooked asparagus vs raw asparagus; think raw radishes versus cooked radishes.
EXPLORE the WORLD (or just the FRIG) If we always season vegetables one way, switch to flavor profiles from other cuisines, Thai, Indian, Mexican, so many more. Or if that's too much, experiment with simple flavors in the frig or pantry -- think broccoli tippled with a bit of mayonnaise or a splash of lemon juice.

Aha. All that from a beet that needed using up. Yes, I do indeed, blog to learn!

FROM THE ARCHIVES Gosh I love beets - some time I'm going to count all the beet recipes in the Recipe Box.

PAN-PICKLED BEETS

Hands-on time: Maybe 10 minutes?
Time to table: Maybe 30 minutes?
Serves 4

Fresh beet, small or medium in size, about 1 pound, trimmed, peeled and 'made small' in some way

1 tablespoon butter
A couple of cloves of garlic, chopped
A hefty splash of good vinegar
Chives or fresh herbs

Prep the beets. In a large non-stick skillet, melt the butter til shimmery on MEDIUM. Add the garlic and let cook a minute. Add the beets and stir to coat with fat. Let cook, stirring often, til beets are mostly cooked. Add the vinegar and let cook into the beets til beets are down. Remove from heat and stir in chives or herbs. Serve hot, warm or at room temperature.

NUTRITION ESTIMATE
Per Serving: 79 Cal (33% from Fat, 10% from Protein, 57% from Carb); 2 g Protein; 3 g Tot Fat; 2 g Sat Fat; 1 g Mono Fat; 12 g Carb; 3 g Fiber; NetCarb9; 8 g Sugar; 24 mg Calcium; 1 mg Iron; 89 mg Sodium; 8 mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers 1 point

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Kitchen Parade Extra: Easy Summer Appetizers ♥

A warm summer evening is good enough reason to share a glass of wine on the patio. And I like add a quick bite to eat, too, something from the frig that requires zero effort.

Easy appetizers are the subject of a 2003 Kitchen Parade column, published online today for the first time. Red Pepper Crostini, Olivada and Parmesan Crisps -- yes, they're that easy to make and easy to keep on hand for impromptu gatherings.

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Pages

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ROASTED ASPARAGUS with ANISE SEED

LIMA BEAN HUMMUS

SIMPLE ARUGULA SALAD

GARLICKY BOY CHOY or CHINESE CABBAGE

PAN-PICKLED BEETS