beetroot recipes

Savory Oatmeal with Scallions & Soy Sauce ♥ Recipe

Today's recipe: Something old, something new. Mark Bittman's savory oatmeal, part of his new diet regime. Weight Watchers 1 point. Vegan.

"Something old, something new. Something borrowed, something blue." If this were a bride's wedding day tradition, she'd be three out of four with today's healthy breakfast recipe.

Something Old: Oatmeal for breakfast. (See How & Why to Cook Oatmeal Every Day. I'm an oatmeal fiend!)

Something New: Oatmeal in a brand-new way, oatmeal with an Asian flair, with green onion and soy sauce. Sound weird? Um, yes. But is it good? Yes!! I'm not giving up my favorite oatmeal with peanut butter (or a new stir-in, tahini!) but I was surprised how hearty and satisfying this oatmeal tasted, and lasted, throughout a cold and blustery morning.

Something Borrowed: Food writer Mark Bittman's diet strategy, Vegan Til Dinner. He used it to drop 35 pounds, lower his cholesterol and blood sugar. It's a simple idea, no counting points, no outlawed foods, just an automatic alteration of the proportions of plant to animal products. More information from the New York Times' Health Blog.

But what do you think, could we go vegan before dinner? I've been doing my own variation, vegetarian before dinner, mostly to get my calcium-important milk, but there's no reason I couldn't drink milk at night, rather than in the morning. For those of us who'd like to eat less meat versus no meat at all, this is an intriguing strategy. (Note to Vegetarians)

Something Blue: No blues today!

SAVORY OATMEAL with SCALLIONS & SOY SAUCE

Hands-on time: 2 minutes
Time to table: 5 minutes
Serves 1

Uncooked oats, for more fiber, preferably old-fashioned oats
2 green onions, white and green parts, chopped
2 teaspoons soy sauce

Cook oatmeal in your favorite way. (See microwave oatmeal, stovetop oatmeal, oven oatmeal or slow cooker oatmeal.) Stir in most of the green onion and the soy sauce. Garnish with remaining green onion. Enjoy!

NUTRITION ESTIMATE
Per Serving, presumes 1/4 cup old-fashioned oats: 88Cal; 2g Tot Fat; 0g Sat Fat; 0mg Cholesterol; 601mg Sodium; 16g Carb; 3g Fiber; 1g Sugar; 4g Protein; Weight Watchers 1 point

A Veggie Venture - Printer Friendly Recipe Graphic

MORE OATMEAL RECIPES
~ Four Ways to Cook Oatmeal (Kitchen Parade) ~
~ Carrot & Oatmeal Slump (A Veggie Venture) ~

~ more oatmeal recipes (Kitchen Parade) ~
~ more breakfast recipes (A Veggie Venture)~

Looking for healthy ways to cook vegetables? A Veggie Venture is home to hundreds of quick, easy and healthful vegetable recipes and the famous Alphabet of Vegetables. Healthy eaters will love the low carb recipes and the Weight Watchers recipes.
© Copyright 2009

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Asparagus Scallion Salad ♥ Recipe

Today's vegetable recipe: Asparagus and scallions gently poached, then drizzled with a simple vinaigrette and tossed with hard-cooked egg. Dreamy good plus low carb and low cal. Weight Watchers 1 point.

How many children have gagged over boiled asparagus? What were we thinking, leeching all color and flavor from the earthy spears, leaving a mushy gushy slimy mess? Ish, no wonder.

So please, stick with me here, I really truly want to sell you on this little salad which I completely adored. These asparagus are not boiled -- nosiree, they are poached. What's the difference? Marketing, people, vegetable marketing.

And one more thing. The asparagus are poached with -- no turning up your nose, please! -- scallions. Yes, other people call those little gems green onions, but me, I'm sticking to scallions if only for the linguistic loveliness of the sibilant alliteration of asparagus scallion salad.

Am I losing you? Then let me pull out a little asparagus capital. There are nearly three dozen asparagus recipes on this website and this little salad makes the Top Five. Still don't believe me? Then believe Heidi from 101 Cookbooks who paired asparagus, green onion and farro in this gorgeous vegetarian supper.

Spring sunshine in a spoon. That's what this is.

ASPARAGUS SCALLION SALAD

Hands-on time: 25 minutes
Time to table: 1 hour
Serves 4

Water to cover for poaching
1 pound fresh asparagus
2 big bunches scallions (about a half pound)
1 tablespoon good red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon good olive oil
Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 hard-cooked egg, see Perfect Hard-Cooked Eggs, chopped

Bring the water to a boil in a vessel as long as the asparagus.

Wash the asparagus, paying special attention to the tips which can be gritty. With a vegetable peeler, peel shave off the skin from the bottom 3 inches of each stalk (this helps them cook evenly). Snap off the ends, they'll break naturally at the right point.

Wash the scallions. Slice off the roots and any wilted leaves, also any loose layers around the bulb.

Drop the asparagus and scallions into the boiling water, leave uncovered and let boil -- I mean, poach -- for about 6 minutes. Lift out of the water and rinse under cold water in a colander. Cut into pieces about one-inch long.

In a bowl, gently toss the poached pieces with the remaining ingredients. Transfer to a serving dish and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.

NUTRITION ESTIMATE
Per Serving: 88 Calories; 5g Tot Fat; 1g Sat Fat; 52mg Cholesterol; 29mg Sodium; 9g Carb; 4g Fiber; 4g Sugar; 5g Protein; Weight Watchers 1 point

TODAY'S VEGETABLE RECIPE INSPIRATION
Adapted from a recipe from Lidia's Family Table published on Epicurious

KITCHEN NOTES

Save the asparagus ends to make Asparagus Soup. I collect them in the freezer until there are enough.

I'd recommend medium-to-fat spears of asparagus and green onions for this recipe. If you have fat asparagus but skinny green onions, consider pulling the green onions out first. You definitely don't want them to get mushy.

To my taste, the egg is optional but it does add good texture contrast.

MORE ASPARAGUS RECIPES
~ Lemon Asparagus ~
~ Roasted Asparagus with Feta ~
~ Gorgeous Raw Asparagus Salad ~

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

RECENT KITCHEN PARADE RECIPES
~ Broccoli Rigatoni with Chickpeas & Lemon ~
~ Homemade Yeast Rolls: My Mom's 'Ice Cream Pail Buns' ~
~ Spinach Soup with Perfect Hard-Cooked Eggs ~
~ Lemon Pudding Cake ~
~ Mexican Gashouse Eggs ~

~ Cooking for One or Two ~
~ Kitchen Parade by Shirley ~
celebrating Kitchen Parade's 50th anniversary

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Quick Radish & White Bean Salad ♥ Recipe

How to fall in love with radishes: Toss together a quick medley of chopped radishes and tomatoes brightened with olives, capers, parsley and lemon juice. Add canned beans for protein. Skip the oil. Swoon.

Turns out, every year I fall in love with a new vegetable. In 2009, the unlikely addiction is the radish.

For the last few months, radishes are such a staple that like lettuce and milk, they need no mention on the grocery list. Texture-wise, I've fallen in love with their crunch, taste-wise with that slight bite of radish pepperiness, visually with those clean white interiors framed by clear red skins. All winter long, one salad after another, radishes add a special oomph.

Forgive me, but am I truly writing an ode to the radish? What crazy person creates room for radishes in her brain? Aren't they always an afterthought, never the star?

In this quick 'n' easy lunch salad, the radishes do take center stage, they're what turn a bean 'n' stuff salad into something just a tad touch different. For anyone willing to open their minds to the idea of falling in love with radishes, this is your recipe.

QUICK RADISH & WHITE BEAN SALAD

Hands-on time: 15 minutes
Time to table: 15 minutes
Makes about 5 cups

SALAD
2 15-ounce cans of white beans, rinsed and drained
1 pound of radishes, trimmed and sliced thin
1 - 2 tomatoes (see NOTES), chopped
8 kalamata olives, pitted
1 tablespoon capers
2 tablespoon chopped parsley
Zest and juice of a lemon
Salt & pepper to taste

Mix all the salad ingredients.

Serving Suggetion: Serve over salad greens with homemade hummus on Wasa crackers.

NUTRITION ESTIMATE
Per Cup: 164Cal; 1g Tot Fat; 1g Sat Fat; 0mg Cholesterol; 612mg Sodium; 30g Carb; 11g Fiber; 4g Sugar; 10g Protein; Weight Watchers 3 points

TODAY'S VEGETABLE RECIPE INSPIRATION
Adapted from A Year in a Vegetarian Kitchen by Jack Bishop

KITCHEN NOTES

The inspiring recipe called for 3 tablespoons of olive oil. I did a taste test before adding: none needed!

Call me surprised. I bought a few Roma tomatoes last week, needing them for garnish. After a day of ripening on the counter, they were really quite good! Not summer tomatoes, not by a long shot, but still, for the cusp of winter and spring, a definite pleasure. How many more days until the first tomatoes ripen? I can get by, for now, with a Roma or two.

MORE RADISH RECIPES
~ Spring & Summer Sliced Salad ~
~ Easy Easy Radish Spread ~
~ Girlie Radish Salad ~

~ more radish recipes ~
~ more recipes with beans, lentils, other legumes ~
~ more Weight Watchers recipes ~
~ more low-carb recipes ~

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Parsnip Pear Purée ♥ Recipe

Today's vegetable recipe: An unusual side dish, a purée of a vegetable and a fruit, here parsnips and pears mellowed with cognac, sour cream and allspice.

Parsnip Pear Purée. Say that three times, fast. Pppppp. Now join me in wondering how to make something that looks so plain -- it's just a blob of white stuff, right? -- look as pretty as it tastes. Perhaps a plump piece of pork perched upon top? and prepared for a party? Enough with the Ps. This stuff is good.

It is also one of the most unusual savory side dishes I've ever tasted -- still, it's not 'weird'. (We know how people hate weird, right? Me too.) Mostly, you take a taste and wonder, What is that? Is it nutmeg? No, it's sweeter than nutmeg, something almost fruity.

It's also a great way to use up a surfeit of pears, 12 pounds of bruised-looking but otherwise perfect fruits purchased over the weekend for $.89. Any ideas on what to do with the rest of those pears?

PARSNIP PEAR PURÉE

Hands-on time: 15 minutes hands-on plus occasional attention throughout
Time to table: 35 minutes
Makes 2 cups

1 pound parsnips, peeled, trimmed, cut into pieces roughly the same size

2 tablespoons butter
2 ripe pears, peeled, cored and chopped
1 tablespoon cognac or a liqueur (I used marsala)
3 tablespoons sour cream (I used Greek yogurt)
1/8 teaspoon allspice
Salt & pepper to taste

Cover the parsnips with water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Cook for 20 minutes or until soft. Drain.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, melt the butter on MEDIUM. Add the pears and cook for 5 minutes. Add the cognac and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. Stir in the sour cream, allspice and salt and pepper.

In a food processor, process the drained parsnips and the pears until smooth. Taste an adjust seasonings.

NUTRITION ESTIMATE
Per Half Cup: 209Cal; 7g Tot Fat; 5g Sat Fat; 19mg Cholesterol; 57mg Sodium; 33g Carb; 8g Fiber; 13g Sugar; 2g Protein; Weight Watchers 4 points

TODAY'S VEGETABLE RECIPE INSPIRATION Adapted from a recipe from my dear cousin Lynda, copied over the phone when we were swapping recipe ideas recently

KITCHEN NOTES

Usually, I recommend removing the woody core from parsnips but that's not necessary here, thanks to the cooking and the puréeing.

MORE PARSNIP RECIPES
~ Parsnip Fries ~
~ more parsnip recipes ~

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Homemade Black Bean Burgers ♥ Recipe

Today's recipe: Quick and easy black bean burgers, made at home with easy pantry ingredients. You can even freeze your own!

For years, I have forsworn veggie burgers. (Ewww, the salty-slimy 'Garden' Burger? To my taste, more like a compost heap.) No more, no more!! I've been missing out, completely, because -- yay, rah! -- we can make homemade black bean burgers.

And it's easy! And cheap! And -- this is the crucial test -- they taste great! And they pull together in a flash. And better than THAT? They freeze! Next time I'll make up a big batch, vacuum pack them with the FoodSaver, to have on hand, pronto, for a quick lunch or light supper.

PS To the punctuation police blinking in disbelief about all the exclamation points? Try one of these black bean burgers, you'll be backflipping too. (!!!!)

RECIPE for HOMEMADE BLACK BEAN BURGERS

Hands-on time: 20 minutes
Time to table: 20 minutes
Serves 4

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup chopped green onion, roughly chopped
1/3 cup finely chopped poblano pepper (I used 2 rings of Pickled Jalapeño Rings)
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

1/2 cup fresh cilantro (I used parsley)
15 ounces canned black beans, rinsed and drained

1/2 cup toasted whole-grain bread crumbs
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
Kosher salt to taste

1 tablespoon olive oil for cooking

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil until shimmery. Stir in the green onion, peppers and garlic and cook until just beginning to turn brown. Transfer to a food processor. Add the cilantro and process until roughly chopped, several pulses. Add the beans and pulse five or six times, so beans are broken up but still in small chunks. (You don't want to overprocess, you're not aiming for a black bean paste.) Transfer to a large bowl, then stir in the remaining ingredients. Form into four patties.

In the same large skillet, heat another tablespoon or so of olive oil until shimmery. Gently add the patties, cook each side until browned, about 5 minutes total.

FREEZING TIPS If freezing, from into patties and let patties chill thoroughly, then transfer to freezer bags or vacuum pack in a FoodSaver. For better results, thaw before frying, just drop the freezer bag into a dish of cold water for 15 minutes.

NUTRITION ESTIMATE
Per Burger: 230Cal; 9g Tot Fat; 2g Sat Fat; 52mg Cholesterol; 449mg Sodium; 28g Carb; 7g Fiber; 2g Sugar; 10g Protein; Weight Watchers 4 points (technically 4.5 points)

TODAY'S VEGETABLE RECIPE INSPIRATION
Adapted from Fine Cooking, July 2008

KITCHEN NOTES

The inspiring recipe says to let the mixture refrigerate for 30 minutes - 4 hours before frying. I cooked two right away, another two an hour later. No difference.

The inspiring recipe says these burgers are too delicate for cooking on a grill. I would think you could get away with it, so long as a cooking basket is used, not the standard grill.

Note to Vegetarians

MORE FAVORITE DRIED BEAN RECIPES
~ 15-Bean Soup ~
~ Chard & Chickpeas with Feta ~
~ Chicka Chicka Chickpea Lunch ~

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

FOR THOSE WHO EAT MEAT
~ Spinach Burgers ~

from Kitchen Parade, my food column
~ Green Chile Burgers ~

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Warm Butternut Squash & Chickpea Salad with Tahini Dressing ♥ Recipe

Today's vegetable recipe: A warm salad, roasted winter squash tossed with chickpeas and a lemon-brightened tahini dressing. Vegan.

Last fall, I asked readers what they wanted 'more of' from A Veggie Venture. The answers came back 'more of the same' (thanks for that vote of confidence!) and 'more vegetarian suppers' (okay, great idea!). But the truth is, at the moment, my diet includes more meat than it has for many years, so vegetarian meals require more planning, less habit. My new tactic, for my own flexitarian lifestyle and to satisfy readers' requests, is to set aside one day a week for a vegetarian meal. With any luck, it'll work out for everyone!

First up, this warm salad made from roasted winter squash. I added a sweet potato -- that's optional, of course. I also lightened the dressing by reducing the olive oil and using only half the dressing, a good idea for anyone who watches calories. Even lightened, the calories add up for a salad. That said, this was an extremely satisfying salad, warm and aromatic, with good texture contrast between the roasted squash and the chickpeas. The tahini dressing is especially good, a definite keeper.

WARM BUTTERNUT SQUASH & CHICKPEA SALAD with TAHINI DRESSING

Hands-on time: 40 minutes
Time to table: 1-1/2 hours
Makes about 5 cups
See the inspiring recipe at Smitten Kitchen

SALAD
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon 'spice to taste' (see TIPS)
2 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt to taste
1 butternut squash, washed, peeled, seeded and cut into bite-size pieces (here's how to peel and cut a butternut squash without losing a finger)
1 large sweet potato, peeled, cut into pieces slightly smaller than the butternut squash, optional (see TIPS)
15 ounces canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley or cilantro

TAHINI DRESSING (see TIPS)
1 clove garlic, minced
Zest and juice of one lemon
1-1/2 tablespoons tahini, stirred well
2 tablespoons water

SALAD Preheat oven to 425F. In a large bowl (see TIPS), whisk the garlic, allspice, olive oil and salt. Stir in the butternut squash and sweet potato and stir well to coat. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet, roast for 25 - 40 minutes, stirring once or twice, until squash and sweet potatoes are fully cooked and beginning to brown. Toss together the squash, sweet potatoes, chickpeas, onion, parsley and dressing. Serve warm.

DRESSING While the squash roasts, whisk all the dressing ingredients.

NUTRITION ESTIMATE, to serve 4: 336Cal; 9g Tot Fat; 1g Sat Fat; 0mg Cholesterol; 361mg Sodium; 59g Carb; 11g Fiber; 7g Sugar; 9g Protein; Weight Watchers 7 points (technically, Weight Watchers 6.5 points)

KITCHEN NOTES

The inspiring recipe calls for allspice and this is what I used. But my favorite spices with butternut squash are curry and ginger so these would be my choices the next time. Really, anything will do -- think of the spice that will best complement the rest of the meal or is your own favorite.

I was short on butternut squash, which is all the inspiring recipe uses, so added a sweet potato. This added both color and flavor variation which I loved. But the squash cooked faster than the sweet potato so to compensate, if using both, make sure the sweet potatoes are cut slightly smaller.

I ended up with about two times as much dressing as needed so give the amount that I would make again, versus the amount specified.

I like to use a really big bowl for tossing vegetables for roasting. It makes it easier to use less oil and still coat the vegetable pieces really well.

LEFTOVERS: The squash and sweet potatoes reheated beautifully in the oven but the chickpeas turned into little bullets. They kind of separate from the squash anyway, next time I'll scoop them out before warming the squash.

MORE WINTER SQUASH RECIPES
~ Butternut Squash with Maple Glaze ~
~ Butternut Mac 'n' Cheese ~
~ Curried Squash ~

~ more winter squash recipes ~
~ more roasted vegetable recipes ~
~ more Weight Watchers recipes ~
~ more low-carb recipes ~

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Roasted Cauliflower with Saffron ♥ Recipe

An interesting way to 'spice up' roasted cauliflower

Today's vegetable recipe: Cauliflower roasted with saffron and spices. Low carb. Weight Watchers 1 point.

So. I'm learning a lot about vegetables these days, though -- get this -- by ~~eating~~, no ~~tasting~~, no, positively hating oxtails. (Note to Vegetarians)

It all started before Christmas when my friend Sharon had a recipe calling for oxtails and wanted to know what they were. My answer -- and I was wrong, to be sure -- was that oxtails were actually not the tails from beef cattle, even if the words made you think so, sort of like a rump roast is actually a shoulder roast. (Go figure.)

But then last week, oxtail stew was on the tasting menu at a local restaurant and -- being an adventurous eater -- I placed my order, looking forward to a delicacy. But OH MY. YUCK.YUCK.YUCK. Now to be fair, the thinking is that the oxtails were no good, past their due date, shall we say. But with one bite, I was ready to gag and now, even nearly a week later, anything remotely close to unusual is creating the same reaction.

And what does this have to do with vegetables?

Let's say you have a bad experience with frozen Brussels sprouts (or canned asparagus or creamed-all-vegetables or ...). I GET IT. I get that you might not want to try Brussels sprouts again. It's almost reflexive, a defense mechanism of some sort. I get that it could take both time and conditioning to become open-minded again.

Those of us who love vegetables, we understand that 99% of the time, our vegetables are just delicious. If something's not to our taste, we've got enough experience to know that something was off, that the next batch of whatever will be good. But if 100% of your experience is that ~~oxtails~~ Brussels sprouts are rotten stinky things? Well, I get it. It's hard to work up the gumption to return.

You will, I think, return again and again to roasted cauliflower, especially the roasted cauliflower made on this site's very first day, almost four years ago now. This treatment uses both a saffron-warmed olive oil and a splash of good vinegar. It's YUM not yuck.

ROASTED CAULIFLOWER with SAFFRON

Hands-on time: 10 minutes up-front plus occasional stirring
Time to table: 45 minutes
Serves 4

1 tablespoon olive oil
Pinch of saffron

1 head cauliflower, cored and cut into small florets
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar (or another flavorful, gentle vinegar)
1 teaspoon dried spices (curry, ras el hanout, I used thyme)
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 400F. Combine the oil and saffron in a small bowl, place on top of the oven near the heat source so that the saffron will warm and its flavor will be transferred into the oil.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, toss the remaining ingredients. Just before the oven is preheated, add the warm olive oil and toss well with a spatula. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet and let roast for about 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes or so, or until the cauliflower reaches the desired doneness. Transfer to a serving dish, serve and enjoy!

NUTRITION ESTIMATE
Per Serving: 60Cal; 3g Tot Fat; 0g Sat Fat; 0mg Cholesterol; 34mg Sodium; 6g Carb; 3g Fiber; 3g Sugar; 2g Protein; Weight Watchers 1 point

TODAY'S VEGETABLE RECIPE INSPIRATION Adapted from Chocolate & Zucchini's Saffron Roasted Cauliflower

KITCHEN NOTES

It's easier to use less oil for roasting vegetables when they're tossed for the first time in a large bowl, rather than drizzled and then tossed on the baking sheet itself.

That said, for roasted cauliflower to be really good, darn it, more than a tablespoon of oil is needed, much as I wish otherwise, two or three or even four tablespoons.

FAVORITE CAULIFLOWER RECIPES
~ Cauliflower Cream ~
~ Cauliflower Tomato Medley ~
~ Curried Cauliflower ~
~ Lighter Mashed 'Potatoes', from Kitchen Parade ~

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

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

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Pages

SAVORY OATMEAL with SCALLIONS & SOY SAUCE

ASPARAGUS SCALLION SALAD

QUICK RADISH & WHITE BEAN SALAD

PARSNIP PEAR PURÉE

RECIPE for HOMEMADE BLACK BEAN BURGERS

WARM BUTTERNUT SQUASH & CHICKPEA SALAD with TAHINI DRESSING

ROASTED CAULIFLOWER with SAFFRON