Category: Recipes (Page 5 of 8)

Bean and Vegetable Reunion Salad – Veggie Challenge

July 2, 2019 / Chris Brown / 0 Comments

Bean and Vegetable Reunion Salad

This salad was made for the family reunion I attended on Saturday. Of course I made something for the veggie challenge. Although there are not any new vegetables in this salad, all the fresh vegetables are balanced with lots of protein with many types of beans. It makes the salad more colorful, too!

Delicious, pretty and healthy!

I made a whole lot of this salad and only about half of it was eaten. There were about 75 people there, so I expected to see more of it gone. My son said that people are “afraid” of vegetables. I’m not quite sure what he means by that. I think maybe they were more afraid of the beans and the potential for gas. I do know some people don’t each much fiber and something that has as much fiber as this salad is too much of a risk for them. Meanwhile, all the fried chicken, sausage with sauerkraut, sloppy joe, pulled pork, pizza and fudge was devoured.

I like to prepare this salad in a huge bowl so it is easy to mix, without all the ingredients falling onto the counter top. I open the cans (for the beans) or chop (for the vegetables) and add each item as I go. Because I find that it is too easy to mix too vigorously and break the beans or mush the vegetables, I like to remind myself to just “turn” the ingredients, instead of mixing the ingredients.

Beans:
Open each of the 15 oz cans, drain, rinse and rinse again.
Pat dry the beans to eliminate the extra water before adding to the mixing bowl.

Black beans
Kidney beans
Garbonzo beans – also known as Chick peas. I used 2 cans in this salad
Cannellini beans – Put these in last because they break if they are stirred too much

Vegetables:
Chop each vegetable so it is smaller than bite size.

Sweet onion
Red pepper
Yellow pepper
Orange pepper
Green pepper
Celery
One can of corn

Usually I don’t add corn to a veggie salad, but for this bean and vegetable reunion salad, I think it needed the color. Corn looks good against the black and kidney beans.

If I was going to do it again, I’d add a peeled and seeded chopped cucumber, along with chopped olives and grape tomatoes quartered.

Dressing:

Olive Oil
Cider Vinegar
Lemon Juice

Generously pepper the top. I skipped the salt because there were so many items from cans which tend to have lots of sodium.

Mix (turn) it all together and refrigerate overnight. This gets all the flavors melding together. Place into a pretty bowl. This salad traveled well sitting on an ice pack with another ice pack on the top. While this salad doesn’t technically have to be refrigerated, I think this bean and vegetable reunion salad tastes better when it is somewhat chilled.

The temperature at the outdoor family reunion was in the high 80’s, so I was glad I brought something that could be on the table without worrying if the dressing had turned.

What is your favorite dish to bring to a family reunion?

Snap Peas – Veggie Challenge

April 29, 2019 / Chris Brown / 0 Comments

Snap Peas are crunchy and delicious. Although the peas are inside, you can eat the pea pod as well.

I think their name comes from the way you prepare them. It doesn’t take much. You snap the stem off and pull the thread like fiber that runs down the side of the pea pod to prepare them. I also cut them into four pieces or so to make their size more like a bite size and match the rest of the salad.

I put them in my potluck salad and they added a perfect crunchy texture.

Here’s what is in the salad:

Celery
Carrots
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Blueberries
Yellow peppers
Cucumbers
Olives
Snap peas

Dressing: Olive oil, cider vinegar, and lemon juice. I don’t usually measure carefully, but put enough into the bowl to coat the vegetables without drowning them!

Salt and pepper to taste. I think having it sit in the refrigerator for a few hours made it absorb more of the dressing. The beauty of this potluck salad is that you don’t have to worry about refrigerating it and things going bad. It makes a great salad to put out on the table for the afternoon buffet at a potluck.

Gotta admit I love, love, love this salad! And I think I know why: it has all the taste sensations! Bitter – salty – savory – sweet – sour… Plus zesty, zippy, crunchy, and the blueberries even added a little bit of creamy.

Next time I will consider adding some protein with maybe tuna, walnuts or quinoa.

Veggie Challenge with Sauerkraut

April 24, 2019 / Jill McCauslin / 1 Comment

Yes, my entry this week in the veggie challenge involves sauerkraut. I think fermented vegetables can count for the challenge. I’ve certainly eaten sauerkraut before but I came up with a new way to eat it.

I know this is not a pretty dish. In fact, the photo is pretty bad but it ended up tasting better than it looks.

I thought of this and then I googled it. I discovered that I’m not the first person to think of it but I did think of it without prompting.

We’ve talked about fermented vegetables before and I’m trying to add at least one serving of fermented food into my day.

Sauerkraut with Sardines

This is a simple recipe.

Mash up some sardines and mix them with some sauerkraut.

That’s it. When I made it, I used about a cup of sauerkraut and a full can of sardines. The nutrition label on the sardines said the can was one serving so I used all of it.6

I think that mixing the sauerkraut with the sardines really made two servings. I couldn’t finish the whole serving. Let’s face it, a cup of sauerkraut is a lot of sauerkraut.

I usually buy sardines with the bones but this time I ended up with skinless and boneless sardines. They mixed well with the sauerkraut.

This recipe includes fermented cabbage which is supposed to be good for you and sardines which are also supposed to be good for you. Sardines are small fish so are unlikely to have mercury in them and have lots of good Omega 3 fats for you.

So, how was it? Actually, pretty good. The two ingredients both have strong flavors but combined together well.

I think this would be great on some pumpernickel rye bread because it also has a strong flavor that would complement this dish.

Next time, I’ll try wrapping it up in some romaine leaves to add a bit more crunch to it.

dirty dozen and clean 15 or clean fifteen

Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen

April 6, 2019 / Chris Brown / 0 Comments

Since I’m trying to do a new veggie each week, I’d be remiss not to talk about the Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen.

Although this has been a thing for a while, I’m still trying to get on board. The “dirty dozen” and the “clean fifteen” are ways to deal with the about pesticides that are so difficult to wash off of the fruits and vegetables. These guidelines (which basically is just a list of foods) are a great place to know when to buy organic and when it is safe to buy regular.

Today’s post was prompted by a recent food report that found some multiple samples of kale with 18 types of pesticide residue. Yikes! And kale is listed as number 3, meaning strawberries and spinach are worse offenders.

This list of dirty dozen is actually what I call a baker’s dozen with 13 different fruits and vegetables

The dirty dozen are the fruits and vegetables that have too much pesticide residue, washing doesn’t remove it and buying organic is a better solution. The clean 15 are okay to buy non-organic.

Dirty Dozen (buy organic)

Strawberries
Spinach
Kale
Nectarines
Apples
Grapes
Peaches
Cherries
Pears
Tomatoes
Celery
Potatoes
Sweet Bell Peppers

Clean 15

Avocados
Sweet Corn
Pineapples
Sweet Peas Frozen
Onions
Papayas
Eggplants
Asparagus
Kiwi
Cabbage
Cauliflower
Cantaloupe
Broccoli
Mushrooms
Honeydew Melons

I live in an area that has many choices of fruits and vegetables year round. And it’s not always apparent which ones to buy. Just like most things, price is one of the biggest factors. But now, as I continue to commit myself to getting fit and strong, keeping poisons out of my system has become more important.

It’s hard to realize the huge role pesticides play because it’s very cumulative.

Animals eat treated food. Genetically modified foods have some sort of effect. Pesticide residue is difficult to remove from some foods. I try not to be crazy about my food, but even if this was exaggerated and there are only 4 types of pesticides, that has got to do something to my body!! (Some of the grapes and strawberries I have seen in the stores are two or three times the size we grow at my house!)

Okay, so if you have trouble remember which fruits and vegetables are on which list, you may download this list of the Dirty Dozen and Clean 15 I typed up for myself. It is not a PDF, it is in Word. That way you can change it around as suits your shopping list! On my personal shopping list, I like to highlight what I’m going to buy. Either way, you can also cut out the list of the Dirty Dozen/Clean 15 and carry the little chart when you’re shopping.

The photo I used was from a salad I had a few weeks ago. (Full disclosure, the only thing I bought organic was the avocado because they were ripe. But I’m trying to do better.) Notice the cucumber and the lemon didn’t make the list. Although I’m guessing it would be better to peel the cucumber and not zest the lemon. Just guessing here.

Do you follow the Dirty Dozen/Clean 15 recommendations? Do you have a good way to remember them? Maybe a little song or something?

Watercress Salad for Veggie Challenge

April 3, 2019 / Jill McCauslin / 0 Comments

Watercress is a green that can be used in salads, sandwiches, soup, and anywhere else where you might use arugula, spinach, and other greens.

I just recently heard what a nutritional powerhouse watercress is so thought I’d give it a try. I found it at a local grocery store in a plastic tub similar to what the other greens I buy come in. The watercress that I bought was grown locally. Given that I bought it in March, it must be grown hydroponically or in a green house. There are no greens growing in fields in northeast Ohio this March.The cost was comparable to buying baby kale, spinach, and spring mix.

I liked the flavor of watercress. It’s has a bit of a bite to it, though not as strong as arugula. It’s good. It stands up against other flavors without being overwhelming. As you can see in the photo, watercress has long stems on it. Recipes all said to remove stems, at least the thick ones. That is a long, slow chore so I sort of skipped it.

According to the USDA food composition datatbase, watercress is very low in calories. Actually, it’s very low in fat, protein, and carbohydrates so you can eat a lot of watercress. It has a lot of vitamins and minerals, including potassium, Vitamin A, Vitamin K, and calcium.

Watercress Salad

Here’s a salad to make with watercress.

Ingredients

juice from one lemon

1 T minced onion

3 T extra-virgin olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup raw mixed nuts

1 ripe avocado, peeled and cut into wedges

4 cups watercress, thick stems removed

Directions

Preheat oven to 350.
Salad Dressing: Mix lemon juice and minced onion. Whisk in olive oil and season the dressing with salt and pepper.
Spread mixed nuts on a baking sheet and bake in oven for about 5 to 7 minutes. The nuts should be golden brown and fragrant. Watch them carefully so they don’t burn. Let the nuts cool and then chop them coarsely.
Salt the avocado wedges.
In a good-sized salad bowl, toss the watercress, nuts, and salad dressing until coated. Add the avocado wedges. Serve immediately.

Note: You can use one type of nut. I had the raw mixed nuts that contained walnuts, cashes, and macadamia nuts so used that.

Spicy Cabbage in the Crockpot – Veggie Challenge

April 2, 2019 / Chris Brown / 0 Comments

Today’s Veggie Challenge recipe is an easy one! Add a little water to the bottom of the crock pot with two teaspoons of olive oil. Chop up two cabbages and place inside the crock pot. Sprinkle liberally with ground cayenne pepper.

Put the lid on and cook on low for about 4 hours. Stir after a couple of hours if you are home.

This makes a great side dish. The spicy ground cayenne pepper gives a kick to the smooth texture and flavor of the spicy cabbage.

Sherry’s Favorite Potato and Kale Soup

March 26, 2019 / Jill McCauslin / 1 Comment

Sherry Chlysta was kind enough to share a recipe for her favorite vegetable soup when she was talking to us on episode 30 of the Fit Strong Women Over 50 podcast. Her recipe was adapted from a recipe she found on cookingcannuck.com

Sherry’s Favorite Potato and Kale Soup

Ingredients

2 tsp olive oil

3/4 cup of frozen chopped onion

2 large stalk celery, diced

2 medium carrot, diced

6 garlic cloves, minced

1 T crushed dried rosemary

1 1/2 tsp crushed dried thyme

1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

6 oz can tomato paste

1 1/2 pounds of little potatoes, cut in 1/2 inch pieces

8 cups low sodium vegetable broth

3 T vegetable boullion

6 cups water

1 (14 oz) can of garbanzo beans, drained & rinsed

4 Cups kale, chopped

6 oz frozen spinach

Salt to taste

Directions

Heat olive oil in large sauce pan or dutch oven over medium heat.

Add onion, celery and carrot. Cook until vegetables begin to soften about 5 minutes.

Stir in garlic, rosemary, thyme red pepper flakes and black pepper. Cook one minute.

Add potatoes and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Decrease heat to a lively simmer and cook for 15 minutes.

Add beans. Cook until potatoes are tender, usually 10 or 15 minutes.

Stir in Kale and spinach. Cook until just wilted about one minute.

Season with salt and serve.

Collard Greens Rainbow Wrap – New Veggie Challenge

March 19, 2019 / Chris Brown / 0 Comments

Last week I took a grocery store tour with Revitalize, a functional group that focuses on women’s health. Today’s recipe is from Beth Kaczmar who told me it was okay to “cheat” and use her photo of her Collard Greens Rainbow Wrap.

It looks delicious, doesn’t it? This is a photo of the photo on her phone!

I think it’s a great way to swap out the 200 calorie spinach herb wrap that has 34 grams of carbohydrates for something REAL that has more like 11 calories, only 2 carbs and less than 10% of the sugar!

Here’s what Beth says about rainbow collard greens wrap veggie sandwich:

“My Collard Green Rainbow Wrap is something different from your ordinary wrap. It’s low in carbs, packed with vitamins A,C,K, B12, B6, calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, folate and rounded out with monounsaturated fat, fiber and protein to give you a feeling of fullness and satisfaction!”

Collard Green Rainbow Wrap
Several large Collard Green leaves (washed and dried)
1/2 Cup Cherry Tomato, diced
1 Large Carrot, diced
1/4 Cup Yellow Corn
1 Whole Ripe Avocado, mashed
1/4 Cup Black Beans, rinsed
4 T Purple Onion, diced
1 Cup Shredded Chicken Breast (can leave out if desired)
1 T Fresh Lemon Juice
1/4 tsp Garlic Salt
1/4 tsp Fresh Ground Pepper

*In a medium size bowl, add all ingredients. (Mash avocado well before mixing in). Mix everything together well. Lay collard green leaves out flat. Add about 1/2 cup of mixture to each leaf. Roll as you were rolling a burrito.

Thank you Beth! This is MMMMMmmmm healthy!

What’s your new veggie of the week?

Vegetable Challenge: Cousa Squash

March 18, 2019 / Jill McCauslin / 0 Comments

I wandered into a local neighborhood produce store, hoping to find something unique for our vegetable challenge. The selection was fine if I just wanted to buy some produce but trying to find something unique proved to be a challenge in itself. After wandering through the produce aisles two or three times, I spied some cousa squash on the shelf above the zucchini and yellow summer squash. I was way too excited to find a squash, let’s just say that.

I knew nothing about cousa squash so I searched on Google for it. Apparently, the cousa squash is from the Middle East and is similar to zucchini and other summer squash. I think it’s a bit sweeter and its shape is shorter and a bit fatter than zucchini but it is indeed very similar. I’m sure you could substitute zucchini and cousa squash for each other in any recipe.

Recipe for Cousa Squash

I saw lots of recipes for stuffed cousa squash. Basically you stuff them with a mixture of meat, rice, spices, and some other vegetables. I didn’t have the ingredients or the patience to make stuffed squash so I opted for a simpler dish.

Ingredients

1 to 2 Cousa Squash, roughly diced

1/2 onion, diced

1/2 red pepper, diced

Garlic (1 to 2 cloves if using fresh. A generous sprinkle if using garlic powder)

Salt and pepper to taste

Oil of choice. You could use olive oil. I chose to use avocado oil because that’s what I had on hand.

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Line baking sheet with parchment paper and add a bit of oil.

Dice the vegetables and mix together. Add a bit more oil directly to the vegetables and mix.

Sprinkle the spices on and then pour out onto the baking sheet.

Bake for about 20 minutes, stirring the vegetables about half way through.

Notes

Even though you’re roasting these vegetables, the squash has a lot more liquid in it than you find in many vegetables. So this dish won’t roast in the same way as the vegetables we often roast such as winter squash, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower and so on. Instead, this is more similar to a sauteed dish. The squash will be soft.

Variations

I chose to roast this in the oven but you could make the same dish and saute it instead in a good sized saute pan.

You could also add a bit of cayenne pepper to the seasonings.

Once you’ve cooked this, you can serve it as is for a side dish or sprinkle a little parmesan cheese on it. You can also add this to an omelet or frittata or add it to some rice or quinoa to make a pilaf.

Shredded Zucchini – Veggie Recipe of the Week

March 4, 2019 / Chris Brown / 0 Comments

I love zucchini and usually slice it into rounds. Today I used a grater and shredded it into bits. I added it into my salad to bulk it up with more vegetables.

Besides adding it to a salad, zucchini is also good to add to a stew or a soup.

Other people like make it into a side dish. It is easy, just saute the shredded zucchini in olive oil, scramble an egg into it and stir in some freshly ground Parmesan cheese.

I may try shredding some apples and combining the shredded zucchini with a tart dressing for an apple-zucchini slaw.

This week’s veggie challenge brings ways to use the zucchini with several ideas for shredded zucchinis including salads, stews, soups and with eggs.