Tag: vegetables

Vegetables don’t have to be dull; here are 25 alternatives

Eating more vegetables has been a way of life for me the past two and half years since my 2012 angioplasty. Indeed, the first nutritionist I saw wanted me to become a vegetarian. I didn’t go that extreme but I am eating a lot more vegetables and so have been looking for more interesting ways to make the same broccoli, asparagus and green beans. I have some recipes on my recipe page that bring fun twists to these.

But recently I got a posting from thekitchn.com headlined 25 Simple Green Sidedishes that I thought would be worth exploring. It breaks down recipes by grilled, steamed, sauteed and raw so you can match your favorite cooking technique with your favorite veggie and find something new here.

Grilled cabbage with a lime dressing, leave out the salt.
Grilled cabbage with a lime dressing, leave out the salt.

Most of the recipes I scanned include salt. I would simply leave that out. If you’re watching sugar, beware of the ones calling for sugar as well. Some have cheese too, so if you’re watching fat, find fat-free cheese alternatives.

I tended to be most interested in the grilled/roasted category. A garlic broccoli appealed to me as did grilled cabbage wedges. Some recipes included bacon, again leave that out if you’re worried about fat, or a vegetarian like my first nutritionist!

John

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Low-fat mashed potatoes — here’s how

One traditional Thanksgiving dish I’ve largely given up since my angioplasty is mashed potatoes. The milk and butter in them carry too much fat for my low-fat diet.

This year, though, my wife challenged me to make mashed potatoes that were low-fat. And I did with results that pleased her but left me with mixed feelings about their taste.

My low-fat mashed potatoes after whipping them with a hand mixer. Start by skinning and cutting potatoes into chucks to boil. When soft put them ina bowl and add fat-free milk and Smart Balance to reach the desired creaminess.
My low-fat mashed potatoes after whipping them with a hand mixer. Start by skinning and cutting potatoes into chucks to boil. When soft, put them in a bowl and add fat-free milk and Smart Balance to reach the desired creaminess.

I started by using fat-free milk instead of regular or even 1%. Note that a cup of fat-free milk has 135 mgs of sodium for some reason that escapes me, so even there you have salt to deal with. I doubt I used a cup on five pounds of potatoes though. I don’t measure it in, just keep adding to get to the creaminess I want for the potatoes.

Instead of butter, I used Smart Balance which one nutritionist recommended to me. I actually used a variety called Smart Balance Light which has less sodium, only 80 mgs a tablespoon and 5 grams of fat. I used about four tablespoons, so there was still 20 grams of fat in the five pounds of potatoes. Continue reading “Low-fat mashed potatoes — here’s how” →

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Low-Salt Thanskgiving side dishes

So you bought your low-sodium fresh turkey, now what do you pair with it for your low-sodium, low-fat Thanksgiving feast?

Check out the possibilities for low-salt, low-fat side dishes on The No Salt, No Fat, No Sugar recipe page.

Put the trimmed broccoli in the steamer basket, cover and set the timer to the recommended cooking time.
Put the trimmed broccoli in the steamer basket, cover and set the timer to the recommended cooking time.

I’m planning to make broccoli in my large steamer, a must-have appliance for any kitchen trying to cook healthy. Also on the menu will be asparagus, steamed and then topped with low-sodium panko breadcrumbs and some fat-free cheese.

After that, I’ll be tackling a low-salt stuffing, read more about that here Wednesday.
John

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Tunisian peppers: if you like exotic, this could be a dish for you

Grilled peppers and stuffed peppers are among my favorite foods, harkening back to my Italian roots and such familiar Italian-American favorites as grilled peppers and onions.

If you enjoy North African spices, this could be the dish for you.
If you enjoy North African spices, this could be the dish for you.

So I’m intrigued about trying a recipe I saw in the New York Times for Tunisian grilled peppers and couscous. I’d leave out the salt, of course, and am not sure how I’d react to all the other spices included here, but I’m open to trying it sometime.

Among the ingredients are:
1/4 teaspoon ground caraway
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
Pinch of cayenne (more to taste)
1 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice, to taste
2 to 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, to taste
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

This recipe comes from the Times Recipes for Health section, which sometimes has recipes I want to try immediately but other times still has too much salt in recipes for my taste. If you try these peppers before me, let me know how it is.
John

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Simple summer side dishes: tomatoes and beans from your garden

I wrote recently about a Sunday dinner I created using chicken skewered on rosemary sprigs as a main dish.

To accompany that and a salmon I made for the same meal, I went with simple side dishes that included grilled zucchini, tomato slices with basil and olive oil, and green beans freshly picked from my garden and cooked in olive oil and spices.

A simple approach, fresh tomatoes, fresh basil and wonderful olive oil.
A simple approach, fresh tomatoes, fresh basil and wonderful olive oil.

The fresh beans were so flavorful, tasting them reminded me why I plant  a vegetable garden each summer. I went with olive oil on them this time but have also made beans with a a balsamic vinegar glaze that works quite well to add some sweetness to the dish. Continue reading “Simple summer side dishes: tomatoes and beans from your garden” →

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Steamed vegetables: easy to do with a handy steamer

Steamed vegetables supposedly are healthier for us because important nutrients don’t have as much chance to leach out during steaming as they do during heavy boiling. I also find steaming a relatively quick and easy way to prepare the increased amount of veggies I’ve been eating since my angioplasty-induced low-fat, low-salt, low-sugar diet.

A steamer is a must-have kitchen appliance for doing veggies quick and easily. We have two, a smaller steamer for everyday meals and a larger one when we’re cooking ahead or preparing food for guests.

I bought this steamer at a church rummage sale and it works great. I use it almost nightly.
I bought this steamer at a church rummage sale and it works great. I use it almost nightly.

Steaming is simple as you can see in the photos I’ve posted here. The bottom of the steamer is filled with a small amount of water and a plastic plate goes over it. A see-through plastic basket is where you place the veggies. For broccoli, for example, cut off the stems and trim as you like. Put them in the basket, rinse them off a bit, and then cover and set the timer to whatever cooking time your particular steamer recommends. Continue reading “Steamed vegetables: easy to do with a handy steamer” →

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Kale recipes for everyone, or at least where to find a lot

Why is kale the hot veggie these days? I’m a bit mystified by its popularity, I tend to find it a bit bitter to the taste.

But kale every way imaginable, from alone, to made into chips, to in a variety of other dishes, is hot, hot, hot these days.

All hail kale, at least all seem to be hailing it these days.
All hail kale, at least all seem to be hailing it these days.

Here’s what WebMD has to say about kale:

“One cup of chopped kale contains 33 calories and 9% of the daily value of calcium, 206% of vitamin A, 134% of vitamin C, and a whopping 684% of vitamin K. It is also a good source of minerals copper, potassium, iron, manganese, and phosphorus.

“Kale’s health benefits are primarily linked to the high concentration and excellent source of antioxidant vitamins A, C, and K — and sulphur-containing phytonutrients. Continue reading “Kale recipes for everyone, or at least where to find a lot” →

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Roasted vegetables can be fun as side dish or meal

Roasted vegetables, actually grilled vegetables, is something I’ve written about, using vegetables like zucchini and portobella mushrooms, so I was attracted to a recent New York Times story about roasting vegetables.

I’ve been forced to eat more veggies since my angioplasty, so I might as well make the most of it. The recipes in the Times article include root veggies common in winter and also fennel, an Italian veggie I grew up loving which now seems available more times of year than it once was. I think of fennel as a fall veggie. Indeed, we would have it as part of our Thanksgiving table of blended Italian and American dishes.

Grilled veggies with stuffed grape leaves and a salad, yum.
Grilled veggies with stuffed grape leaves and a salad, yum.
Continue reading “Roasted vegetables can be fun as side dish or meal” →

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100 calories: can you fill up on it? Depends on what you pick

Counting calories isn’t all that important to me anymore. That’s because switching to a low-salt, low-fat, low-sugar diet has meant I’ve cut out all the high calorie treats I once ate like cookies, cake, fatty beef, ribs, etc. I routinely eat less than the 2,100 calories a day I’m supposed to eat to maintain my weight these days, which is why I’ve lost 30 ponds in the 18 months since having my angioplasty.

You will not get fat eating fruits and vegetables. Check the chart I've linked to here to see why.
You will not get fat eating fruits and vegetables. Check the chart I’ve linked to here to see why.

I now firmly believe it’s impossible to get fat eating only healthy foods, that is foods without salt, fat or sugar added. You would have to eat prodigious amounts of vegetables and dry white meat chicken to gain any weight. This view was bolstered by a chart I found recently about 100 calorie servings. Continue reading “100 calories: can you fill up on it? Depends on what you pick” →

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