Tag: vegetables
Quick Garlicky Spinach
I love the creamed spinach at steak houses but it has loads of calories. I make my spinach usually just with a bit of olive oil and garlic- it does the trick for me.. I will sometimes add a splash of half and half to the creamy effect. It is a great, quick side to make…
- 8 cups baby spinach
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- Salt
Heat a large frying pan with the olive oil. Add the garlic and sauté on low heat for a minute. Add the spinach and sauté on medium heat till the greens have wilted. Add salt and serve.
Broccoli Rabe with Kalamata Olives
Broccoli rabe is by far one of my favorite vegetables. I love the earthy bitterness the leafy greens have. I usually cook them with pasta and some sausage. I add some pine nuts, garlic and basil and top it off with lots of parmesan cheese. It is the most delicious thing to have. Unfortunately my husband and daughter don’t love the pasta dish as much as I do. They prefer pasta with red sauce- I think a lot of people feel the same. I like pasta with all sorts of sauces and toppings but I have to say, I do like the sauceless ones the best. I like to be able to taste all the ingredients in my pasta.
Anyway, as usual I digress. I decided to use the broccoli rabe as a side dish. I like to pair the bitterness of the greens with super salty ingredients like olives and anchovies. I started with blanching the broccoli rabe and sauteed some garlic in olive oil. I melted anchovies into the mix and added the olives.
The dish was delicious with all the ingredients but I decided to take it to another level and added some crumbled feta on top. It made the dish come alive and gave it a creamy texture.
I could have eaten the whole dish by myself. All I needed was some warm crusty bread and a glass of red wine…
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South Indian Style Cabbage and Broccoli with Coconut
I made this dish with the south Indian style chicken I made for my husband the other day. Since I was making dinner, I had to come up with some vegetables to serve with the protein.
I wanted to echo the same flavors I added to the chicken tikkas. I bought a bag of shredded cabbage and I had a head of broccoli. I decided to cook them together and add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and curry leaves. I also added shredded coconut that I buy frozen from the Indian stores on Oak Tree road in Edison. They package and freeze fresh, grated coconut- it is great to have on hand for sauteed vegetables or meats and even desserts.
The vegetables took about 20 minutes to cook- so ideal for the summer. I finished the dish off with a good squirt of lemon juice. It wakes up all the flavors and makes everything delicious.
The chicken and the cabbage went really well together. I grilled some corn on the side and also made a garlic bread. It was perfect- we opened a Rose and enjoyed the meal outside….
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Grilled Vegetables with Peanut Sauce
My daughter loves going to Thai restaurants. Her favorite thing to eat are the gyozas and chicken satay. She can really pack away a number of skewers- if I let her. What she doesn’t like is the peanut sauce- very strange! For me it’s the peanut sauce that is the interesting part- like the rest of Thai cuisine- it really assaults your palette. Sweet, salty, sour and spice happening at the same time. I think that is why I love the cuisine so much. I love anything that has the peanut sauce. I usually make a whole lot and keep in my fridge. It is very versatile- it is a great dipping sauce; it goes really well in cold noodles with shrimp and vegetables; it makes a delicious salad dressing- the sky is the limit! One of my favorite things to eat in the summer months is grilled vegetables. I like to grill all sorts of different veggies and serve them with different marinades. This particular one is my favorite way to eat them. The creamy peanut sauce goes really well with the smoky grilled vegetables. In this case I used red peppers, zucchini and a japanese eggplant. I loved the combination of all the veggies- the peppers bring a subtle sweetness; the zucchini is creamy and the eggplant is like a sponge- absorbing all the peanut goodness! I made this with the shrimp fried rice but the dish goes really well with burgers, hot dogs and steaks.
If your kids like peanut sauce, this dish is a great way to give them vegetables- especially if they are grilled- I feel grilling and roasting brings out the natural sweetness of everything. In our case, I gave Sia the vegetables without the peanut sauce- I think she is a bit strange- but then I can’t really complain, she is a very good eater and loves food!
Monica’s Veggie Sandwich
I am a creature of habit. I eat the same lunch everyday- well, almost! The interesting thing is that I don’t like to eat the same thing for dinner everyday… when someone asks what my favorite thing to cook is- I can never come up with an answer. I am always looking to make something different or cook the same thing in a different way. Somehow this need never spills over to breakfast or lunch. I have been eating the same energy bar for breakfast everyday- for almost 2 years now- and I look forward to it! Same thing with my lunch- I have a veggie sandwich made the same way without getting sick of it. It is very healthy and delicious. I start with whole-wheat bread, and add lots of crunchy vegetables. The cheese provides a decent amount of protein with out going over board. The key ingredients are the tomato chutney and the wasabi mayonnaise. The mayo definitely has a kick to it- so if you are not too inclined to make the sandwich spicy, eliminate it. The tomato chutney can be substituted with hummus but I love the tartness of the chutney! It is very important to add salt to your sandwich, a lot of people forget to do that- and a bland sandwich is definitely not a tasty one! I add garlic and onion powder as well – they give the sandwich a nice earthy element without overpowering it. I love potato chips with my sandwiches and have found some really nice ones that are low in fat but definitely high in flavor. Portion control is of course the key when it comes to potato chips… and I am not sure if I have mastered that art yet!
- 2 slices whole-wheat bread
- 1 tablespoon tomato chutney- from Trader Joe’s
- 1 teaspoon wasabi mayonnaise
- 1 carrot, shredded or 1/3 cup pre-shredded
- ¼ red bell pepper, sliced
- 1 small tomato, sliced
- ¼ cup sliced English cucumber
- 1 slice spicy Monterey Jack cheese
- Sprinkle of salt
- Sprinkle of garlic powder
- Sprinkle of onion powder
Spread the tomato chutney on one slice and the mayo on the other. Working on one slice, add the cheese, carrot, red pepper, tomato and cucumber. Sprinkle the salt, garlic powder and onion powder. Place the other slice on top and press down gently with palm of your hand. Cut in half and serve.