Okay, here is the thing. I -hate- celery. Well, I remember hating eating celery when I was a kid and haven't touched it ever since. However, I am trying to turn a new leaf and work my way towards a healthier lifestyle. So that means trying celery again.
So...does anyone have any good recipes on how to cook celery? I don't think I am able to eat it raw...yet...maybe.
Ohh, and does anyone know how to get their hands on edamame? Its a sort of Japanese bean. I am currently living in perth and can't seem to find any. The japanese restaurants sell them but not the grocery shops. And I do really would like cooking them myself. Cheaper on the budget, me thinks.
Okay, here is the thing. I -hate- celery. Well, I remember hating eating celery when I was a kid and haven't touched it ever since. However, I am trying to turn a new leaf and work my way towards a healthier lifestyle. So that means trying celery again.
So...does anyone have any good recipes on how to cook celery? I don't think I am able to eat it raw...yet...maybe.
Ohh, and does anyone know how to get their hands on edamame? Its a sort of Japanese bean. I am currently living in perth and can't seem to find any. The japanese restaurants sell them but not the grocery shops. And I do really would like cooking them myself. Cheaper on the budget, me thinks.
shockingp
As far as edamame, look in the frozen section of your store. Most grocery stores are starting to sell them now. Also, are there any Asian markets near you? You might be able to find them there.
As far a celery, try braising it. Slice it, not too think and not long chunks. Bring some water to a boil, enough to cover the bottom of the pan, and put the celery in. After it starts to get tender, add a little broth. I've even braised it in broth and it works. Be sure and salt and pepper it as it finishes cooking. If you salt it too soon, then as the liquid reduces, you'll get very salty celery.
Have you tried mincing it and putting it in salads or cut up chicken for chicken salad?
It's also great with peanut butter, but then, that would be raw.
It also helps if you de-string celery before you eat it. You can pinch the ends of the strings between your thumb and the edge of a pairing knife, then slowly pull them out. You won't be able to get them all, but you should be able to get the really big, tough ones. Cutting the celery on the diagonal can also help remove the strings.
You also might try fennel/anise bulb instead. It is very similar to celery, but doesn't have the tough strings and has a slight licorice flavor (sounds strange, but it's really good). You can use it in just about any recipe that calls for celery or you can eat it raw (although I'm not sure it would be good with peanut butter ).
And if you really don't like celery, don't eat it. There are literally hundreds of vegetables out there to try, so there's no reason to eat the ones you don't like. I can't even think of anything particularly nutritious about celery. It's certainly not bad for you, but it's mostly water. I use it as a filler vegetable (I add it to soups, stews, stir-frys, and cassoroles) to increase the volume of what I'm eating without impacting the calories much.
I add celery to soup for flavor, and occasionally to omelets for crunch. For some reason the combo of celery and mushroom, salt and black pepper really works for me in an omelet. I add it to stirfry sometimes too.
But echo barbara...its not really THAT nutritious, just low cal fiber source.
I like to fry it in light butter. Usually I mix it with some canned mushrooms and/or canned corn, maybe mixed frozen veggies, green or red pepper, onion - anyway I like to make all sorts of veggie combos and usually I fry it all up in light butter (18 cal a tbsp) add some seasings... maybe some garlic, cajin, or whatever I feel like. Then I mix it up with a salmon burger (all cut up) or cut up turkey sausage, left over chicken, whatever I have. Anyway this is one of my favourite dishes!
I also love celery with some light cream cheese and salsa, or cut up and dipped in hummus - I keep celery in my fridge ALL the time now!
Advice on cooking celery?
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