Product Tip: Ajvar Red Pepper & Eggplant Spread on Finncrisp ♥

Today's food tip: Ajvar, a spread made of red peppers and eggplant. Low carb. Weight Watchers 0 points.

Are there days when you 'can't see for looking'? You know, when you're trying to find the car keys, your cell phone, something you need right now and is nowhere to be found? And then, there it is, right under your nose, just like it was the whole time you searched?

So it is with ajvar, one of the rare prepared convenience foods I'm happy to stand up and shout about. There's always a jar in the fridge, my cousins and friends have even carried jars of it home on planes! Why have I not written about it before? Couldn't see for lookin'.

Why ajvar is so good:

Simplicity - nothing more than red pepper, eggplant (in many brands), a little vinegar, a touch of oil and sugar (in some brands).
Color - a smoky orange
Taste & Texture - pure red pepper, smooth but with mouth feel
Heat - mild and hot, usually, I like both
Calories - hardly any, especially the brands without oil
Price - a couple of dollars for a 19-ounce jar
Convenience - open the jar, grab a spoon

Here, I've spread ajvar on farmers cheese (which is like cream cheese with a tang, like milk to buttermilk, with a slightly grainy texture) on Finncrisp crackers which themselves are a great product, made with nothing more than whole grain rye flour, water, yeast and salt -- two crackers have 3 grams of fiber and for Weight Watchers, zero points.

One of the summer's goals: make homemade ajvar.

Where to find ajvar? Ajvar is indigenous to the Balkans so look for it at international markets, especially ones with foods from around the Mediterranean.

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MORE CONVENIENCE FOODS I LIKE
~ jarred peppers & mini peppers ~
~ yummy lunch cake ~
~ canned green beans, yes canned ~

~ more convenience products I've tried ~

NEVER MISS A RECIPE! For 'home delivery' of new recipes from A Veggie Venture, sign up here. Once you do, new recipes will be delivered, automatically, straight to your e-mail In Box.

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Do you suffer from lachanophobia? Turn to A Veggie Venture and Veggie Evangelist Alanna Kellogg for the best vegetable recipes online. Find a quick recipe for tonight's vegetable in the Alphabet of Vegetables or plan menus with vegetables in every course. If you're a dieter, turn to hundreds of zero-point, one- and two-point Weight Watchers recipes and many low carb recipes.
© Copyright 2008

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Broccoli & Bok Choy with Coconut & Curry ♥ Recipe

Today's easy vegetable recipe: Broccoli florets and chopped bok choy braised in coconut milk tinged with Thai curry paste. Low carb. Weight Watchers 2 points. Vegan.

Broccoli & bok choy, coconut & curry. Say that three times, then add, distinct and delicious, easy and excellent, fun and flavorful. I could go on with all the letters of the alphabet, but you get the QT, yes?

This was one of those spur of the moment creations, just using up leftovers. But honestly, such creations don't always work out so well for me, I'm more about spotting good recipes than creating great recipes myself. But this one just happened and whoa -- call me glad!

THAI CURRY PASTE This is an amazing product. It comes in small jars, is inexpensive, takes just a smidge, lasts forever in the fridge and packs a real wollop of flavor. It's worth seeking out.

SIDE DISH? Sure, this makes for a great side dish. But the coconut milk is worth sopping up, so the broccoli-bok choy combination has great potential with rice or over pasta. Yumm.

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MORE RECIPES using THAI CURRY PASTE
~ Quick Corn & Coconut Soup, my favorite soup recipe in February 2008 ~
~ Curried Cauliflower ~
~ Broccoli & Tomato Thai Curry ~
~ Spicy Thai Noodle Salad ~

~ more broccoli recipes ~
~ more bok choy recipes ~

~ more Weight Watchers recipes ~
~ more low-carb recipes ~

BROCCOLI & BOK CHOY with COCONUT & CURRY

Hands-on time: 15 minutes
Time to table: 25 minutes
Serves 6

1 tablespoon peanut oil
1 tablespoon garlic (or to taste, I used garlic from a jar which is milder)
12 ounces fresh bok choy, stems chopped, leaves chopped separately and put aside at first
8 ounces broccoli florets
1 cup low-fat coconut milk
1/4 teaspoon green Thai curry paste
1 tablespoon black sesame seeds (optional but I love their drama!)
Drizzle of honey (optional but inspired)

In a large skillet, heat the oil on MEDIUM HIGH til shimmery. Add the garlic and cook for just a minute. Add the chopped bok choy stems and let cook for about 5 minutes, while prepping the broccoli and leaves. Stir in the broccoli, stir to coat with fat. Let cook until broccoli is heated through. Move the vegetables aside with a spatula, add the coconut milk and curry paste, stir to mix. Stir together the bok choy stems, the broccoli and the bok choy leaves, coating with coconut milk. Reduce heat to MEDIUM, cover and let cook, stirring frequently, until broccoli and bok choy are both cooked clear through. Transfer to a serving dish, drizzle with honey.

NUTRITION ESTIMATE
Per Serving: 127 Cal (59% from Fat, 10% from Protein, 31% from Carb); 3 g Protein; 9 g Tot Fat; 4 g Sat Fat; 2 g Mono Fat; 10 g Carb; 3 g Fiber; NetCarb7; 4 g Sugar; 143 mg Calcium; 1 mg Iron; 32 mg Sodium; 0 mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers 2 points

PRINT JUST A RECIPE! Now you can print a recipe without wasting ink and paper on the header and sidebar. Here's how.

NEVER MISS A RECIPE! For 'home delivery' of new recipes from A Veggie Venture, sign up here. Once you do, new recipes will be delivered, automatically, straight to your e-mail In Box.

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Do you suffer from lachanophobia? Turn to A Veggie Venture and Veggie Evangelist Alanna Kellogg for the best vegetable recipes online. Find a quick recipe for tonight's vegetable in the Alphabet of Vegetables or plan menus with vegetables in every course. If you're a dieter, turn to hundreds of zero-point, one- and two-point Weight Watchers recipes and many low carb recipes.
© Copyright 2008

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Classic Seven-Layer Salad ♥ A Favorite Family Recipe

A classic summer salad, the seven-layer salad, with layers of romaine, peas, bacon, cheese, tomato, cooked eggs. Great for potlucks and a family favorite for holidays year-round. So many people love this salad!

~recipe & photo updated 2011~
~more recently updated recipes~

2008: Last week my favorite Estonian blogger, Pille from the food blog Nami-Nami who also hosts the Estonian equivalent of Epicurious, visited for a few days. Ha! I write that so matter-of-factly, as if her visit all the way from Estonia were no big deal. But the few days we had were special, time spent with someone who, thanks to blogging, I 'already knew', even as we met face-to-face for the first time. Thank you, Pille, for coming to St. Louis!

On the Monday, we invited some St. Louis food bloggers over for a supper potluck. Since this was Pille's first trip to the U.S., "American food" was the theme.

For the first time ever, I made the classic seven-layer salad -- but only because it was so 'American'. You see, I've had seven-layer salads at potlucks -- they're standards, right? doesn't someone always bring a seven-layer salad to a potluck? -- and to my taste, they're too often icky-heavy. But not this time! I used the Buttermilk Garlic Salad Dressing which is sooo much lighter in both texture and calories than the typical mayonnaise versions that other seven-layer recipes call for, some times just plain ol' mayonnaise glopped on. So this salad, this salad was really good!
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Bok Choy Salad with Chinese Salad Dressing ♥

Today's salad recipe: A quick salad made with raw bok choy, tossed in a strong-flavored dressing of soy sauce, garlic, ginger, honey, cayenne and sesame seeds. Low carb. Weight Watchers 1 point.

Salad is for wimps, right? So goes the sentiment I still hear occasionally, the one where "real men" eat meat and "the ladies" eat salad. Ha. Whoever thinks that way (not that they're likely reading, but bear with me ...) should try this bok choy salad. Talk about flavor, both from the bok choy's pepper-y bite and the salad dressing's in-your-face flavor.

This is a hearty salad all by itself but by adding other ingredients, snowpeas, bean sprouts, cucumber, perhaps a creamy cheese to contrast, it would make a great supper salad. I wouldn't recommend the dressing for a tender lettuce -- it would likely overwhelm -- but think the dressing would be good tossed into steamed greens like mustard or leafy spinach (not baby spinach which is too tender for steaming) that's next on my list with the leftover dressing.

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MORE BOK CHOY RECIPES from the ARCHIVES
~ Bok Choy Salad with Homemade Creamy Vinaigrette ~
~ Soy-Glazed Bok Choy ~
~ Weight Watchers Asian Zero Points Soup ~

~ still more bok choy recipes ~
~ more Weight Watchers recipes ~
~ more low-carb recipes ~

BOK CHOY SALAD with CHINESE SALAD DRESSING

Hands-on time: 10 minutes for dressing, 5 minutes for salad
Time to table: 15 minutes
Serves 4

DRESSING
Note: I used about half the dressing on a pound of bok choy.

1 tablespoon garlic (or garlic to taste, I used garlic from a jar which is some milder)
1 tablespoon ginger (or ginger to taste, I used ginger from a jar from an international market)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
Juice of a lemon
1 tablespoon honey (or agave syrup for a vegan salad)
1 tablespoon sesame seeds (I used black sesame seeds)
Generous dash of cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil (a little goes a long way)
Peanut oil to taste (I used just 1 tablespoon and was tempted to use none at all, any oil will work but we needn't waste our best olive oil since the other dressing flavors are strong)

Whisk.

ASSEMBLE
1 pound bok choy (for St. Louisans, mine came from Centennial Farms at Tower Grove Farmers Market)

Wash well and trim. Chop the stems into bite size pieces, then the greens. Toss with the salad dressing, just enough to wet.

NUTRITION ESTIMATE
Using half the dressing for a pound of bok choy, Per Serving: 52 Cal (43% from Fat, 15% from Protein, 42% from Carb); 2 g Protein; 3 g Tot Fat; 0 g Sat Fat; 2 g Mono Fat; 6 g Carb; 1 g Fiber; NetCarb5; 2 g Sugar; 135 mg Calcium; 1 mg Iron; 228 mg Sodium; 0 mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers 1 point

TODAY'S VEGETABLE RECIPE INSPIRATION
Dressing adapted from The American Vegetarian Cookbook from the Fit for Life Kitchen by Marilyn Diamond, which was my first (and for the longest time, only) vegetarian cookbook. How it's never reached A Veggie Venture's pages before is incomprehensible. It's filled with notes, "Great" and "We loved this" and "Make this again". More later, I promise.

PRINT JUST A RECIPE! Now you can print a recipe without wasting ink and paper on the header and sidebar. Here's how.

NEVER MISS A RECIPE! For 'home delivery' of new recipes from A Veggie Venture, sign up here. Once you do, new recipes will be delivered, automatically, straight to your e-mail In Box.

---

Do you suffer from lachanophobia? Turn to A Veggie Venture and Veggie Evangelist Alanna Kellogg for the best vegetable recipes online. Find a quick recipe for tonight's vegetable in the Alphabet of Vegetables or plan menus with vegetables in every course. If you're a dieter, turn to hundreds of zero-point, one- and two-point Weight Watchers recipes and many low carb recipes.
© Copyright 2008

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Kitchen Parade Extra: Rhubarb Upside-Down Cake Recipe

This week's recipe at KitchenParade.com: My recipe for rhubarb upside-down cake, a classic summer dessert recipe with just a touch of anise. Rustic, homey and delicious.

If you're a rhubarb lover, oh man, the rhubarb upside-down cake is a must-make right now, while the rhubarb's still so good. The column will also catch the eye of gardeners. Who else is battling bunnies?

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NEVER MISS A KITCHEN PARADE RECIPE! Kitchen Parade is my food column, the one my mom started when I was a baby and that I started writing after she died - you know, a la Ann Landers and Heloise. The columns are published in my hometown newspapers and online at KitchenParade.com. Where A Veggie Venture is all about vegetable recipes, Kitchen Parade recipes cover all courses -- the Quick Supper recipes are real favorites. But good news: just like here at A Veggie Venture, all Kitchen Parade recipes include nutrition analysis and Weight Watchers points. There's even a special page of Weight Watchers recipes and for Father's Day, Father's Day recipe ideas. Kitchen Parade's recipes are easily available too, just sign up for Kitchen Parade via e-mail or Kitchen Parade via RSS. Many thanks!

WHY DOESN'T THIS POST ACCEPT COMMENTS? Because I hope that you'll click through to this week's column to comment there!

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© Copyright 2008

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Homemade Cobb Salad ♥ Summer Recipe

Today's recipe: The recipe for a classic Cobb salad made from the traditional Cobb salad ingredients: chicken, bacon, tomato, avocado, hard-cooked egg and blue cheese. Quick to assemble and impressive-looking. Low carb. Weight Watchers 7 points.

A Cobb salad just 'looks' so good, yes? And I was much pleased that a homemade (and much lighter) Cobb salad could taste so good, too.

Like many main dish salads, Cobb salad is an exercise in planning since it calls for cooked chicken, cooked bacon (Note to Vegetarians) plus hard-cooked eggs and a gorgeous buttermilk garlic dressing. THAT said, however, if the ingredients are already cooked, it assembles in minutes. And if they're not cooked, it took less time than I'd have thought to put the whole thing together start-to-finish -- about 30 minutes -- an effort yes, but definitely worth doing.

It's also a lesson in portion size management. Since a Cobb salad includes four proteins -- chicken, bacon, egg and cheese -- plus high-calorie avocado, the calories will really mount up unless small amounts of each of the four add up to just a single portion of protein. To my taste, this salad was extra satisfying and very filling -- even several hours later -- so will definitely make this again.

HISTORY of COBB SALAD The story goes that a hungry owner of the landmark Los Angeles restaurant the Brown Derby threw together this salad after raiding the restaurant fridge. His name was Bob Cobb and suddenly, one of the most famous salads was born. What makes a Cobb salad distinctive, however, is not so much its ingredients (after all, it's much like a BLT, much like a club sandwich) but its distinctive composition, rows of single ingredients rather than one big mash-up. Any mix of ingredients splayed out in even rows would be equally impressive!

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MORE MAIN DISH SALAD RECIPES
~ Roasted Beet Salad Supper ~
~ Arugula Salad with Smoke Trout & Peach Preserve Dressing ~
~ Asian Chicken Salad from Kitchen Parade ~

~ more recipes for salad suppers ~

COBB SALAD

Hands-on time: 10 minutes per salad (with cooked ingredients)
Time to table: 10 minutes
Serves as many as needed

PER SALAD
Lettuce greens
1 tablespoon Buttermilk Garlic Dressing

Toss the greens and dressing together. Arrange in a large flat bowl.

In rows, top the greens with:

1/4 a cooked chicken breast, chopped (I used grilled chicken but you could also poach the chicken as in this recipe for Lemon Chive Chicken Salad)
2 tablespoons cooked bacon (how to make homemade bacon bits)
1/2 hard-cooked egg, chopped (how to cook perfect hard-boiled eggs)
1 Roma tomato, chopped
2 tablespoons blue cheese, crumbled (I substituted feta because it was on hand)
1/4 a ripe avocado, cubed

TIP Arrange the lower-calorie ingredients (tomato, chicken and egg) in the longer inside rows and the higher-calorie ingredients (avocado, bacon, cheese) on the shorter outside rows.

NUTRITION ESTIMATE
Per Salad (not including dressing): 335 Cal (49% from Fat, 36% from Protein, 15% from Carb); 31 g Protein; 19 g Tot Fat; 6 g Sat Fat; 8 g Mono Fat; 13 g Carb; 6 g Fiber; NetCarb 7; 4 g Sugar; 175 mg Calcium; 3 mg Iron; 634 mg Sodium; 188 mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers 7 points

NOW PLEASE, before anyone goes thinking that a Cobb Salad normally racks up only Weight Watchers 7 points, please know that while very filling and satisfying, the portion size allowed here is likely small compared to restaurants. Dressing isn't included in the points to allow for use of either the recommended dressing (for 0 points) or a commercial dressing with higher calories. As a comparison, Ruby Tuesday's Club House Salad which is similar racks up 16 points and likely doesn't include dressing either.

TODAY'S VEGETABLE RECIPE INSPIRATION
Adapted from Simply Salads by Jennifer Chandler, which promises to be one of my favorite cookbooks of the summer, since it's packed with ideas for salads made with lettuce greens.

Many thanks to Laurel Bryant for the cookbook recommendation! Laurel and I chatted briefly while ordering pizza from Racanelli's one Friday evening a year or more ago. It took me awhile to order it but I'm so glad I did! Look for more recipes throughout the summer since one of my summer goals for A Veggie Venture is to share more main dish salad recipes.

PRINT JUST A RECIPE! Now you can print a recipe without wasting ink and paper on the header and sidebar. Here's how.

NEVER MISS A RECIPE! For 'home delivery' of new recipes from A Veggie Venture, sign up here. Once you do, new recipes will be delivered, automatically, straight to your e-mail In Box.

---

Do you suffer from lachanophobia? Turn to A Veggie Venture and Veggie Evangelist Alanna Kellogg for the best vegetable recipes online. Find a quick recipe for tonight's vegetable in the Alphabet of Vegetables or plan menus with vegetables in every course. If you're a dieter, turn to hundreds of zero-point, one- and two-point Weight Watchers recipes and many low carb recipes.
© Copyright 2008

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Buttermilk Garlic Salad Dressing ♥ A Homemade Substitute for Store-Bought Ranch Dressing

For anyone who likes ranch dressing, this is my homemade substitute. It's an easy salad dressing made from scratch with on-hand pantry ingredients. Low carb and Weight Watchers friendly!

~recipe & photo updated 2011~
~more recently updated recipes~

REVIEWS
"Oh, yum! This is incredibly good!" ~ T.
"Really good dressing!" ~ BellePlaine
"Wonderful recipe. The paprika is awesome! " ~ Mama Lynn
"Tried it and it tastes great; the house smells good too!" ~ Ron
"So delicious, I could eat it with a spoon!!" ~ Pam

2008: Since throwing down the challenge to Never Buy Salad Dressing Again, call me eagle-eyed for easy make-ahead salad dressings to replace bottled dressings from the supermarket.

This Buttermilk Garlic Salad Dressing recipe is turning out to be so versatile. It's great for dressing lettuce and salad greens but also as a dip (as pictured, used instead of ranch dressing) for raw vegetables. I can also see using it for a homemade coleslaw dressing or as the mayonnaise for tuna salad and egg salad. Plus, the dressing works beautifully in at least two classic summer salads -- check the recipes for classic seven-layer salad and classic Cobb salad.

So yes, mission accomplished: a really good homemade salad dressing, one that's easy to make ahead with just a few simple ingredients, and can be used in many ways. A much-appreciated side benefit is that it's also really low in calories even though it's full of flavor and is made entirely from 'whole' ingredients, no chemicals, no faux-foods.
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