cooking beets

Sautéed Okra & Garlic ♥

Do pods of okra call to you? They do to me! I love picking through baskets of okra at the farmers market, selecting the pods about the length of my thumb (and shorter) which are the most tender.

And okra is quick-quick to cook -- adding this recipe to my growing collection of quick vegetable recipes.

And what about the, um, slime factor? Banish the thought! When okra are small and completely fresh - which means they need cooking within a day of finding them perfectly green and unblemished at the farmers market - there's none of that dreaded okra slime.

I loved this quick side dish -- the lemon was a brilliant addition, great contrast. It would be a great way for an okra neophyte to try okra for the first time.

HOW TO TRIM OKRA Cut off the tough stems but do leave a thin slice of the 'cap' which is tender and succulent and helps hold in the okra flavor and moisture.

MAKE IT A MEAL Pair the quick-cooking okra with a Quick Supper from Kitchen Parade, Greek Feta Chicken with Curried Rice. Yum!

FROM THE VEGETABLE RECIPE ARCHIVES See the Recipe Box for more okra recipes.

A YEAR AGO Broccoli & Tomato Thai Curry, "... a satisfying supper with just 3 Weight Watchers points. And if you're a carb watcher, substitute cauliflower for the potatoes to lower the carbs and keep a soft texture."

SAUTÉED OKRA & GARLIC

Hands-on time: 5 minutes (plus occasional attention throughout)
Time to table: 10 minutes
Serves 4

1 pound fresh okra, trimmed
1 tablespoon bacon grease or olive oil
1 large clove garlic, minced
Red pepper flakes
Salt to taste (big flakes of Maldon salt worked great, providing real 'hits' of saltiness without a whole lot of sodium)
Lemon wedges

Trim the okra. (If they've just been washed, let dry on paper towels while continuing to trim. They'll cook more quickly, more evenly, if they hit the hot oil dry.) About halfway through trimming, heat the oil on MEDIUM in a large skillet (large enough to hold all the okra in a single layer) til shimmery. Add the okra to the skillet and toss well to coat with fat. Let cook for about four minutes, stirring often. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for another minute or two, until the garlic is cooked (but be careful not to burn). Season to taste and serve with lemon wedges on the side.

NUTRITION ESTIMATE
Per Serving: 68 Cal (41% from Fat, 13% from Protein, 46% from Carb); 2 g Protein; 3 g Tot Fat; 2 g Sat Fat; 1 g Mono Fat; 9 g Carb; 4 g Fiber; NetCarb5; 1 g Sugar; 96 mg Calcium; 1 mg Iron; 27 mg Sodium; 3 mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers 1 point

TODAY'S VEGETABLE RECIPE
Adapted from Everyday Vegetables by Jack Bishop

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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Eat more vegetables! A Veggie Venture is the home of Veggie Evangelist Alanna Kellogg and is the award-winning source of free vegetable recipes, quick, easy, and yes, delicious. Start with the Alphabet of Vegetables or dive into all the Weight Watchers vegetable recipes or all the low carb vegetable recipes. © Copyright 2007

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How to Stop Inappropriate Ads

If you are using IE (Internet Explorer) as your web browser and are seeing inappropriate ads on A Veggie Venture (and on Kitchen Parade and probably on many other websites you visit), please read this.

A Veggie Venture is a member of Blogher, a top women's website, and participates in its ad network. This week, Blogher is receiving spotty reports that inappropriate ads are occasionally appearing in place of Blogher's legitimate ads from respected advertisers. (NOTE: I believe the inappropriate ads may also be appearing in advertisements provided by Google, whose ads are published on millions and millions of websites.)

I have seen copies of the inappropriate ads that are hijacking the legitimate ads. They are not 'pure porn' but show scantily clad women in suggestive poses. They are completely unseemly for websites like mine.

Blogher is helping publishers like me make our readers aware of the issue by providing this information:

"Blogher believes this issue is caused by a known vulnerability in Microsoft's IE 6.0 (specifically on Windows XP Service Pack 1 and Windows 2000) which exploits the iframe tags, the technology used by ad publishers to 'serve' ads onto websites.

If you have been experiencing this problem, we strongly recommend you both
update your browser to the current version of IE 7 (learn more about and download Windows IE7 here) and
download the most recent security patches for your operating system (learn more about and download Windows security updates).
Alternatively, replace Internet Explorer entirely with a non-IE browser, such as Firefox (download Firefox here, it's my personal recommendation ~ Alanna) to further limit your security risk."

On a personal note, as much as I wish that I or Blogher or even Microsoft could 'magically' fix this situation on readers' behalf, we can't. You'll need to take action on your end -- I know this is a pain and do apologize.

UPDATES
10/10 8:30 am - Other Blogher ad members are welcome to point their readers to this post or to copy/modify the text for their own posts.

Many thanks to the Blogher team for its responsiveness on this issue!

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Plastic-Wrapped Acorn Squash in the Microwave

A rose is a rose is a rose ... but NOT when it comes to "commercial" squash, the ones you pop in the microwave for six minutes. What comes out is NOT squash but ... yuck.

First let me be clear: what I'm talking about in this post is a 'commercial' squash that's been specially processed for cooking in the microwave. And please, before concluding I have some romantic attachment to "fresh only" vegetables, it's just not true.

I support this product on its face. I like the idea that a whole acorn squash can be on the table in about 10 minutes. I like the fact that it's easy to cut the squash in half to serve. I like the fact that it might actually help more people enjoy healthful winter squash. I promote cooking vegetables in the microwave. I don't even mind that the price is 4 times one that requires oven roasting.

What I DO object to is the flavor: NONE. Watery. Wimpy. Like, um, water, wimpy flavorless squash.

What I DO object to is the waste: half the squash was uncooked, so even if you wanted to eat it, you couldn't because it's undone.

Go back to the lab, people. This is not worth a penny, let alone two bucks.

And I promise, it's easy-easy to roast squash in the oven! (And I recommend roasting an extra, there are so many ways to use up leftover squash. All the recipes using cooked squash are specially marked.) That said, I must try microwaving winter squash, I know others have good success.

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Grilled Cheese BLT ♥

Two classics in one, the grilled cheese sandwich & the BLT

OH MY. May I just say that there are far too few sandwiches in this household? Perhaps it's no wonder, then, that on the rare occasion that bread, bacon, cheese and tomatoes were on hand at the same time, there was no deciding whether to make a grilled cheese or a BLT -- and so I combined them. Thank you, Sandwich Gods, thank you.

MAKE IT A MEAL Nothing like soup and a sandwich for lunch, perhaps the light, fresh-tomato Summer's Tomato Soup?

FROM THE VEGETABLE RECIPE ARCHIVES Hmm. I do have bread and tomatoes. Maybe it's time to 'update the photos' (always a good excuse ...) for 2005's luscious Eggplant, Tomato & Mozzarella Sandwiches and Artichoke & Pepper Grilled Cheese Sandwiches.

TWO YEARS AGO Tomato & Rice Salad, a tasty combination that I re-made this summer, still tastes great.

Grilled Cheese BLT

Hands-on time: 10 minutes
Time to table: 15 minutes
Serves 1 (easily multiplied)

2 slices bacon
2 slices bread
Thin slather of mayonnaise
Sprinkling of a good melting cheese (I loved the chipotle cheddar)
Sprinkle of good pepper
1 wonderful tomato
Lettuce if you have it

In a non-stick skillet, cook the bacon til crispy. Pour off the bacon grease into a glass jar. (Save it for another use. If you want ideas, just search on 'bacon grease' or 'bacon fat' in the Search Box on top.) Spread mayonnaise, cheese and pepper on the bread slices. Top one side with bacon, then the tomato and lettuce. Use your best balancing skills to combine the two slices and put in the hot skillet. Cook for a couple of minutes per side, til the bread crisps up and the cheese melts. Slice and chow down.

NUTRITION ESTIMATE
Per Serving: 427 Cal (41% from Fat, 18% from Protein, 41% from Carb); 19 g Protein; 19 g Tot Fat; 6 g Sat Fat; 5 g Mono Fat; 44 g Carb; 6 g Fiber; NetCarb36; 8 g Sugar; 138 mg Calcium; 1 mg Iron; 969 mg Sodium; 40 mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers 9 points (yikes)

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Power Food Broccoli Salad

Power Rangers and broccoli salad: who knew they would meet on the dinner table? They do, in this week's Kitchen Parade column for Power Food Broccoli Salad.

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 KitchenParade.com, including Kitchen Parade's Recipe Box!

WHY DOESN'T THIS POST ACCEPT COMMENTS? Because I hope that you'll click through to the actual column and comment there!

E-MAIL & RSS SUBSCRIBERS You may subscribe to Kitchen Parade directly. Just sign up for Kitchen Parade via e-mail or Kitchen Parade via RSS -- then you'll receive the complete column and recipe directly in your In Box or RSS reader.

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Farmgirl's Swiss Chard Tuna Salad ♥

A simple tuna salad, with Swiss chard tucked in

It's hard - here, anyway, really hard - to eat enough greens. So I'm ever on the look-out for ways to incorporate greens into stuff that we're already eating. This easy tuna salad - it could be your tuna salad recipe, even a tuna salad from the deli - was easily transformed.

And I was quite surprised that even with the addition of three large Swiss chard leaves, this was still 'tuna salad', just a little greener -- and very good, definitely worth a try.

Many thanks for the inspiration to my pal from Farmgirl Fare, whose recipe was featured last spring on NPR's Kitchen Window, Letting Greens into Your Life.

NUTRITION NOTES If you've ever wondered how many Weight Watchers points there are in tuna salad, look out! Even bulked up with greens, a half cup (just a half cup - this recipes makes SEVEN half cups) made with full-fat mayonnaise is four points! (The low-carb people are happy, however, since there are just 2 net carbs, joining a growing collection of low-carb vegetable recipes, too.) Even using low-fat mayonnaise, a half cup still adds up to two points. For salads with low Weight Watchers points, check Kitchen Parade's Weight Watchers recipes and A Veggie Venture's Weight Watchers recipes.

HOMEMADE SANDWICH BREAD My family's recipe for Swedish rye bread, adapted for the bread maker, would make great tuna sandwiches.

MORE VEGETABLE RECIPES See the Recipe Box for more Swiss chard recipes (specifically) but since greens are often interchangeable, check the leafy green recipes too.

A YEAR AGO How funny is this?!! Swiss chard gratin, "one of the most satisfying vegetable dishes I've made in a long while"

TWO YEARS AGO Roasted Eggplant & Tomato Pizza, "the deliciously salty and pungent eggplant, a perfect pizza topping and a definite keeper"

SWISS CHARD TUNA SALAD

Hands-on time: 25 minutes
Time to table: 25 minutes (Susan recommends letting it sit a bit for flavors to meld)
Makes 3-1/2 cups

About 3 large Swiss chard leaves, to yield about 1 cup chopped & tightly packed leaves
About 1 rib from a Swiss chard leaf
Fresh cilantro, about 1/4 cup chopped & loosely packed (Farmgirl uses Italian parsley)
5 small green onions, about 1/2 cup chopped, white & green parts
1/4 cup chopped kalamata olives
8 ounces canned/packaged tuna - have you SEEN what they've done to the tuna 'products' these days?

DRESSING
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (Farmgirl uses 1/2 teaspoon)
1 teaspoon Balsamic vinegar
Salt & pepper to taste

Wash the chard leaves and cilantro well, shake (or run through a salad spinner or dry on paper towels). [I usually start mixing the mayo mixture at this point, to let the greens have a few minutes to dry.] Cut the ribs and "little ribs" (what are they called, the ones that extend into the leaves themselves) from the leaves. Chop one rib very small for the salad. [I found the ribs more fibrous than palatable to use more than one. One was good, however! I saved the others for something else.] Cut the leaves into narrow strips. [Some times it's easier to stack the leaves, then roll into 'cigars', then cut cross-wise.]

Whisk together the dressing ingredients. Add the olives, tuna and green onion. Gently fold in the greens. Season with salt and pepper.

NUTRITION ESTIMATE
Per Half Cup (assumes full-fat mayonnaise, water-packed tuna): 164 Cal (76% from Fat, 20% from Protein, 4% from Carb); 8 g Protein; 14 g Tot Fat; 2 g Sat Fat; 4 g Mono Fat; 2 g Carb; 0 g Fiber; NetCarb2; 0 g Sugar; 21 mg Calcium; 1 mg Iron; 296 mg Sodium; 20 mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers 4 points

Per Half Cup (assumes low-fat mayonnaise, water-packed tuna): 109 Cal (60% from Fat, 30% from Protein, 10% from Carb); 8 g Protein; 7 g Tot Fat; 1 g Sat Fat; 1 g Mono Fat; 3 g Carb; 1 g Fiber; 1 g Sugar; 19 mg Calcium; 1 mg Iron; 344 mg Sodium; 20 mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers 2 points

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Green Beans with Mayo-Soy Sauce ♥

At coffee with a new friend the other day, the conversation leaned to books and recipes. (Yoohoo, a new reading friend, yay, a new foodie friend!)

Marie shared a colleague's recipe from some 25 years ago. It's so simple, it's not even a 'recipe' -- just beans tossed in a sauce of mayonnaise and soy sauce. But I've made it twice now and it's amazing to me that something this easy can be this good.

Would the same mayo-soy sauce work with steamed broccoli? cooked cabbage? Brussels sprouts? cauliflower? I think so. And frozen vegetables? For sure.

The first time, I whipped up enough sauce for it to be clearly visible on the beans - to my taste, this was good but 'too much'. So the second time, I used only a tablespoon of low-fat mayonnaise, which, split four ways, means that a serving yields zero Weight Watchers points -- making this recipe a happy addition to the collection of this website's zero point vegetable recipes in addition to the collection of low-carb vegetable recipes.

MAKE IT A MEAL These simple green beans would pair up with so many of the Quick Supper Recipes but this time of year, I'm partial to the idea of these Thick Chops with Sauerkraut.

FROM THE ARCHIVES See the Recipe Box for more green bean recipes.

A YEAR AGO These pretty little parsnip cupcakes for my contribution to Sugar High Friday, the 'surprise inside' edition hosted by, well, me!

TWO YEARS AGO A cute little Mini Tomato Pesto Torte, made with a sun-dried tomato pesto.

GREEN BEANS with MAYO-SOY SAUCE

Hands-on time: 7 minutes (with fresh beans)
Time to table: 30 minutes
Serves 4

Salted water (1 quart water, 1 tablespoon kosher salt)
1 pound fresh green beans, washed well, stem ends snapped, strings removed if seem 'stringy'
1 tablespoon low-fat mayonnaise (I love Hellman's ...)
Splash of soy sauce

Put the water on to boil, covered. Add the cleaned beans, cover and cook for 7 minutes or until reach the desired amount of doneness. Drain and return to hot pan. Separately, stir together the mayonnaise and soy sauce. (I actually do prefer the mixture/texture better when mixed first OFF the beans but really, save a dish, it's fine either way.) Toss beans with mayonnaise mixture. Serve and enjoy!

NUTRITION ESTIMATE
Per Serving: 49 Calories; 1 g Tot Fat; 0 g Sat Fat; 0 g Mono Fat; 9 g Carb; 4 g Fiber; NetCarb5; 2 g Sugar; 43 mg Calcium; 1 mg Iron; 265 mg Sodium; 1 mg Cholesterol; 2 g Protein; Weight Watchers Old Points 0, PointsPlus 1

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Pages

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SAUTÉED OKRA & GARLIC

Grilled Cheese BLT

SWISS CHARD TUNA SALAD

GREEN BEANS with MAYO-SOY SAUCE