SIMPLE VEGETABLE RECIPES 2

weismarkets.com

Steamed Greens

Greens are the edible leaves of vegetables. They are high in vitamins, antioxidants, and fiber, and very low in calories. The simplest, quickest way to prepare greens is by steaming. Try the following recipe using spinach, beet greens, Swiss chard, or mustard greens. Don’t worry, greens cooked this way will not taste like canned spinach. Take a large handful of fresh greens or 2 cups of frozen greens. If you are using fresh greens, rinse them well. Place in a steamer or in a pan with an inch or two of water. Cover with a lid. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat and simmer until the leaves reach the desired softness (10– 20 minutes). Drain. Salt to taste. Eat with a little vinegar, lemon juice, or plain low-fat yogurt to take away any bitterness that may be present, or with a little olive oil for flavor. Makes 2 servings.

__________

Dipped Vegetables

Fresh, crispy vegetable pieces eaten with a tasty yogurt dip can be almost as tempting as potato chips, and much better for losing weight. Try cherry tomatoes, baby carrots, snow peas, snap peas, cauliflower, broccoli, zucchini, cucumber, celery, or sweet potato. Cut vegetables into bite-sized pieces. Make a dip by mixing ¼ cup of your favori te salad dressing with ½ cup plain low-fat yogurt, or use a yogurt dip recipe from appendix C. (Coming soon)

__________

Stir-Fried Vegetables

Prepare 4 cups of vegetables cut up into pieces less than ½-inch thick. Keep slowcooking vegetables such as onions, carrots, asparagus, broccoli, and bell peppers separate from fast-cooking vegetables such as zucchini, yellow squash, and snow peas. In a wok or large skillet, heat 1½ tabl espoons peanut, sesame, or canola oil over medium-high heat. Peanut or sesame oil will provide more flavor than canola oil. Don’t heat the oil so much that it smokes. Add the slow-cooking vegetables and stir constantly for 1 minute, then add the fast-cooking vegetables and stir for 2 minutes. Add 3 tabl espoons soy sauce or 5 tablespoons teriyaki sauce and continue to stir for 2 more minutes. Eat with pasta or brown rice. Makes 4 servings

Mint and Honey Carrots

Peel 4 medium carrots and cut into bitesized pieces. Steam or simmer in ½ inch o f water until tender. Drain. Add 1 teaspoon oil or butter, 1 teaspoon honey, a pinch of salt, and ¼ teaspoon dried mint leaves. For variety, substitute parsnips, cauliflower, or turnips for the carrots. Makes 3 to 4 servings.

__________

Fun Green Salads

Here’s a simple formula for a fun, healthy, satisfying salad:

Green base + bright color + fun flavor or texture + protein

Start with a green base of lettuce, spinach, cabbage, sprouts, or snow peas. Add a brightly colored fruit or vegetable to make the salad visually appealing. Then add an intense flavor or crunchy, soft, or chewy texture  to make it fun to eat. Finally, add some protein to make it satisfying. You can create an endless variety of fun salads with just four ingredients. Here are some ideas:

1. fresh spinach, sliced strawberries, chopped walnuts, feta

2. lettuce, grated carrots, sliced tomatoes, hard-boiled egg

3.romaine lettuce, dried cranberries, diced celery, Parmesan

4. green leaf lettuce, sliced tomatoes, olives, feta

5.fresh spinach, mandarin orange segments, crunchy chow mein noodles, sliced almonds

6.lettuce, sliced pepperoncini, cucumber, hard-boiled egg

7.fresh spinach, dried cranberries, chopped pecans, feta

8.lettuce, sliced tomatoes, avocado, chopped chicken breast

9.snow peas, sliced apple, mandarin orange sections, peanuts lettuce, purple grapes, feta, chickpeas

10. lettuce, diced red bell pepper, green grapes, feta

Instant Tomato Soup

Pour tomato or vegetable juice, such as V8®, into a pan. Bring to a low boil. Eat topped with whole-grain crackers, a spoonful of yogurt, or a little feta, Parmesan, or grated cheddar.

__________

Garden Vegetable Soup

Try this recipe using any of the following vegetables: onions, celery, sweet potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, zucchini, yellow squash, green beans, corn, or shredded cabbage. Dense, slow-cooking vegetables such as carrots and sweet potatoes should be cut into ¼-inch thick pieces. Most others can be cut into ½-inch thick pieces. Combine 4 cups of vegetables with 6 cups of chicken or vegetable stock. You can buy stock in cans or reconstitute it from base or bullion. Bring the soup to a boil and then simmer until vegetables are tender (20–30 minutes). Salt to taste. For variety, add 1 teaspoon parsley, ½ teaspoon basil, or a pinch of thyme to the simmering soup. Makes about 6 servings.

__________

Baked Winter Squash

Winter squash are hard-skinned varieties of squash such as butternut, delicata, acorn, and banana squash. Cut squash in half lengthwise. Remove the seeds and scrape away any stringy layer with a spoon. Place the two halves cut-side up in a baking dish. Add ¼ inch o f water to the baking dish to keep the squash from drying out. Dab the cut surface with oil or warm butter and sprinkle with brown sugar and a little salt. Bake at 400° until the flesh is soft (about 40–70 minutes). For variety, try cinnamon, cumin, coriander, mustard, or honey instead of brown sugar. Eat as a side dish, plain or topped with yogurt.

Copyright ©Stan Spencer, PhD –Originally appeared in The Diet Dropout's Guide to Natural Weight Loss by Stan Spencer, PhD