[Lyn2007]

I loved the 101 Ways to make chicken thread! I need some ideas and recipes to make Veggies! I get so tired of plain steamed ones. What's good?

1. Cheesy Butternut Squash
Peel, seed, and cube a butternut squash. Put the cubes in a steamer over boiling water until fork tender. Take a cup or so of squash cubes and place them on a cookie sheet. Salt and pepper them to taste and add a little spray of butter flavored spray. Grate a SMALL amount, an ounce or so, of lowfat cheddar (I love to used smoked cheddar) and sprinkle it over the top. Then crush 3 lowfat Ritz crackers and sprinkle them on the cheese. Spray with Pam or buttery spray, and bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the crumb are browning. VERY yummy.

Lyn
TWENTY SIX pounds gone!
My Blog:
www.escapefromobesity.blogspot.com

[SuchAPrettyFace]

2. Spinach, Italian style

1-2 bunches fresh spinach
1 tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced (1/2 tsp if you are using the bottled kind)
1 tsp salt

Wash spinach in a solution of salted water, let soak for a bit, to get all the ickies off. Prepare a kettle of water, when it comes to a boil, put spinach in for 2-3 minutes. Remove spinach & drain thoroughly. DO NOT throw out all of the spinach water. Save about a third or a quarter (depending on how much was in the pot originally) and bring that to a boil with the oil, garlic, and salt. When it's simmered for 15 minutes, return the drained spinach to the water and simmer for another 20. Remove spinach from water & enjoy.

(I used the leftover spinach broth to make vegetable soup)

[SuchAPrettyFace]

3. Vegetable Soup

Spinach broth from recipe above
1 can cannellini beans, rinsed & drained
1 bag frozen Italian Blend vegetables
1 tbsp Italian seasoning

Bring spinach broth to a boil, add beans and seasoning. simmer 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. At the very tail end (before you are serving) add the bag of vegetables. Simmer until vegetables are heated through. Serve with a sprinkle of parmesan on top.

[maryblu]

K, Lyn, I love this idea. I have posted this recipe before. Apologies to South Beach Diet, as it is a recipe from there, but I have simplified and offer some modification.

Bake a bunch of Sweet Potatoes. Cool, peel, and mash. Throw in some grated fresh ginger root (I use a lot!) grated peel from one orange, some cinnamon, some Spenda if you think you want it (I don't). At this point, you can throw some chopped pecans on top and bake til hot......or.......you can do what the South Beach recipe says to do:

add a half cup of skim milk, and one or two beaten egg yolks. If you do this, be sure to reheat long enough and hot enough to thoroughly kill any salmonella that might be in the eggs yolks. Either way is sooooooooo good.

[txangelgirl]

hmmm I'm so glad I am cooking dinner, cause this is making me hungry! Something simple over my way.... something easy. Get a couple bags of frozen sliced carrots (or fresh if you want) and steam them. When they are done, drain them and spray them with I Can't Believe Its Not Butter spray. Then sprinkle some cinnamon - as much as you like. Stir and enjoy!

[Rhighlan86]

Lasagna of sorts, I guess a casserole

My mom made this for me once and I absolutely loved it, she took potatoes and zucchini and sliced them up in the little circles (just regular slicing not lengthwise is what i'm trying to say) and then started layering. She took a little bit of spagetti sauce and put it on the bottom and then layered zucchini, on top of that potatoes, and sauce, this continue for a couple of layers and then was topped of with mozzarella cheese. She baked it at 350 for about 15 or so minutes.

I thought it was amazing. You could even add your own kick by cooking the veggies first in olive oil and garlic and then layer, and you can do many different veggies if you please.

[Sheila53]

7. Carrot & Raisin Salad
- Makes four half-cup servings

2 cups carrots
1 single serving box raisins
1 cup pineapple chunks & a little juice
1 Tbsp. low-fat mayo
desired sweetener

In a small bowl, cover raisins with water and set aside until they plump up.

Shred carrots. Chop or shred pineapple chunks. Mix carrots, raisins, pineapple, and mayo together. Add sweetner to taste. Refrigerate.

8. Herbed Broccoli

4 servings

4 cups broccoli flowerets -- cut in 1" pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil -- or vegetable oil
1/4 teaspoon basil
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 clove garlic -- finely chopped
2 roma tomato -- seeded and chopped

1. Heat 1-inch water to boiling in 10-inch skillet. Add broccoli. Heat to boiling. Boil 5 to 7 minutes or until crisp-tender; drain and set aside. Wipe out and dry skillet with paper towel.

2. Heat oil in same skillet over medium heat. Stir in remaining ingredients. Heat about 1 minute, stirring frequently, until hot. Add broccoli; toss gently.

Per serving: 65 calories; 5 gms fat; 0 mgs cholesterol; 320 mgs sodium; 5 gms carbohydrates; 2 gms dietary fiber; 2 gms protein.

9.Glazed Carrots (Simply the Best)

4 tsp reduced calorie margarine
1/4 red onion chopped
1 T fresh lemon juice
2 tsp honey
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp salt
4 carrots, sliced and steamed

In a medium nonstick saucepan, melt the margarine. Add the onion and cook, stirring as needed, until softened. Add the lemon juice, honey, cinnamon and salt; cook, stirring constantly, until heated through and well mixed. Add the carrots and toss to coat.

Serves 4: 74 calories, 2g Total Fat, 3 g Dietary Fiber

10. Cauliflower Poppers

1 head cauliflower, cleaned and cut into bite size pieces
1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder (or normal chili powder for less heat)
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp olive oil

Preheat oven to 400
put cauliflower in a big baggie, add oil. Zip closed and shake to evenly distribute oil. Combine spices and add to cauliflower, close bag, shake. Bake on a baking sheet until tender, about 10-15 minutes.

11. Warm Cauliflower in Oil and Vinegar

Serves 4

1 large head of cauliflower, broken into florets
2 TB red wine vinegar
1.5 TB olive oil
salt (preferably sea salt) and pepper
Optional add-ins: chopped parsley, or other herbs, capers, chopped olives, minced shallot, etc.

Steam the cauliflower florets till tender. Place in a bowl with vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper; toss to combine. Let sit at room temperature for about 1/2 hr or so to let flavors meld. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.

12. Spicy String Beans

2/3 pound green beans, trimmed
1/3 pound wax beans, trimmed
1 Tbl. olive oil
4 cups (1/3 inch thick) vertically sliced sweet onion (about 1 large)
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 Tbl. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. dried oregano
½ tsp. crushed red pepper
1 Tbl. capers
½ tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp freshly ground pepper

Cook beans in boiling water 2 minutes or until crisp-tender; drain. Rinse under cold water; drain. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and saute 3 minutes or until onion begins to brown. Add garlic, sauté 1 minute. Add beans, juice, oregano, and red pepper. Cook for 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Remove from heat. Add capers, salt, and black pepper, tossing to coat. Yield 6 servings (serving size: 1 cup)
Cal 73, 2.4 g fat, 1.7 g protein, 11.1 g carb, 3.4 g fiber

13. Roasted Brussels Sprouts

1 ½ c thinly sliced oinion
¾ c julienne-cut red bell pepper (1/2 X 1 ½ inch)
3 Tbl. olive oil
1 ¼ tsp salt
½ tsp freshly ground pepper
½ tsp caraway seeds
3 lbs. sprouts, trimmed and halved (about 10 cups)
8 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

Preheat oven to 400. Combine ingredients in a large bowl, tossing to coat. Spread onto a large roasting pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400 for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until veggies are tender. Serve immediately. Yield: 12 servings (serving size: 2/3 cup)
Cal 129, fat 4, protein 5, carb 21.6, fiber 4.7

[phantastica]

Cut up several sweet potatoes, yams, onions, carrots, and regular potatoes into bite-size chunks. Use more of the ones you like best.

Stir them in a little bit of olive oil and a few shakes of rosemary, thyme, black pepper and oregano ("italian seasoning" will do).

Insert several peeled garlic cloves here and there (smashing them makes peeling easy and releases more flavor).

Put in a casserole dish or foil-covered pan and bake at 400 degrees for 35-45 minutes.

When everything's golden brown and soft, drizzle some honey and sprinkle a little soy sauce on top.

[phantastica]

* 1 large eggplant
* 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
* 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
* 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
* 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
* 1 tablespoon curry powder
* 1 tomato, diced
* 1/2 cup plain yogurt
* 1 fresh jalapeno chile pepper, finely chopped
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 bunch cilantro, finely chopped

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
2. Place eggplant on a medium baking sheet. Bake 20 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until tender. Remove from heat, cool, peel, and chop.
3. Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Mix in cumin seeds and onion. Cook and stir until onion is tender.
4. Mix ginger garlic paste, curry powder, and tomato into the saucepan, and cook about 1 minute. Stir in yogurt. Mix in eggplant and jalapeno pepper, and season with salt. Cover, and cook 10 minutes over high heat. Remove cover, reduce heat to low, and continue cooking about 5 minutes. Garnish with cilantro to serve.

[phantastica]

1 tbsp. olive oil
1 1/2 tsp. curry powder
1 med. onion, thinly sliced
4 cups shredded green cabbage
1 1/2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp. plain yogurt

Heat oil in a skillet, over medium heat. Add curry powder. Cook 30 seconds.
Add onion and cook until translucent. Add cabbage and cook, stirring occasionally
until wilted and soft. Remove from heat. Stir in lemon juice and yogurt until
cabbage is coated.

[Lyn2007]

Oh my GOSH!!!!! These all sound fantastic!!!!!! I am so happy I started this thread Keep em coming!

Lyn
TWENTY SIX pounds gone!
My Blog:
www.escapefromobesity.blogspot.com

[Marseille]

17. I just made a stir-fry tonight... broccoli, carrots, onions, red peppers, jicama, and mushrooms with a handful of almonds on super high heat with a splash of olive oil.
I served them with 2 sauces on the side... one teriyaki and the other a spicy peanut sauce. I like to put it on the side and dip so I can alternate flavors and keep tabs on the calories.

[Glory87]

A few of my favorites:

Spinach Chickpea Leek Soup

This is SO good and so fast and easy to make - makes plenty for several days. Great to make on a Sunday and eat all week.

1 tbs olive oil
2 leeks, sliced thinly (circles)
1 zuchini, chopped
minced garlic (I use tons)
2 14 oz cans tomatoes
small can tomato paste
1 bay leaf
3 3/4 cup veg broth
1 14 oz can chickpeas (gabanzo beans) drained
block of frozen spinach (thawed, drained)
1 tbs oregano
1/2 tsp white pepper
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
fresh parm cheese for topping (if desired)

Heat the oil in a large sauce pan, add leeks and zucchini and cook briskly for 5 minutes.

Add the garlic, tomatoes, tomato paste, bay leaf, vegetable broth, chickpeas and spices. Bring to a boil and simmer 5 minutes.

Shred the spinach finely, add to the soup and boil for 2 minutes. Season to taste. (the longer it cooks on the stove, the better it is). Remove the bay leaf, sprinkle with parmesan cheese (if desired).

Quinoa Sweet Potato Quesadillas

1 cup quinoa, washed/drained (use brown rice if you can't find quinoa)
1 large sweet potato
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic (I used more)
1 14 oz can of tomatoes
1 can black beans, drained
1 can green chiles
2 tbs minced cilantro
Some low fat cheese
Whole wheat, low fat tortillas (I like the 50 calorie La Tortilla brand)
Salsa

Cook quinoa in 2 cups of water. When done, set aside.

While the quinoa is simmering, I cut up the sweet potatoes into small pieces (dice sized) and spray a cookie sheet with PAM. I bake the potatoes for around 20 minutes (shaking often) until they are soft and getting crispy. (if I don't have time, I nuke them for 5 minutes!)

Saute onion, garlic. Stir in tomato (crushed, with juice), black beans, chiles, cilantro. Add quinoa, potatoes. Season with salt and pepper (I added some red pepper flakes, because i like spicy). Stir and heat through.

Put in tortillas, add some cheese so it sticks together, grill on both sides. Top with lots of salsa (I use the 2 small tortilla - sandwich method, you can use the 1 large tortilla folded method too!). Made enough for 3 nights! (I just grilled a new one each night. Last time I made it, I added some spinach leaves, it was pretty good.

[mandalinn82]

20. Amanda Style Green Beans

6 cups fresh green beans, trimmed
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1 lemon, zest and juice
1/3 cup low sodium chicken broth

Spray a large skillet with cooking spray. Add the green beans over medium high heat, toss to coat. Cook about 5 minutes, add chicken broth, and cover. Allow to steam until green beans are almost cooked through.

Meanwhile, on your cutting board, sprinkle the minced garlic with the salt. Using the side of your knife, mash the garlic and salt together until they make a paste. Add the lemon zest, mash again, then sprinkle with the pepper.

When the green beans are almost done, add the paste and toss. Squeeze with the lemon juice and serve.

21. Quick Italian Zucchini
6 medium zucchini, sliced lengthwise into long strips
2 tbsp parmesan cheese, freshly grated
1/2 tsp italian seasoning
salt and pepper
cooking spray.

Spray a large sheet pan with cooking spray. Lay out the zucchini slices in a single layer. Spray very lightly with cooking spray, then sprinkle with the cheese, italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Bake 10-15 minutes at 375, until the zucchini is cooked through.

22. Squash Bake

(makes 4 generous servings)
2-3 lb summer squash, cut into bite-sized pieces no more than 1/3 in. thick
1 cup diced fresh tomato (squeeze them first to get most of the seeds/water out, then dice the flesh)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp fresh basil, minced
8 tbsp grated parmesan
1/2 cup reduced fat or part skim mozzarella cheese
salt and pepper (to taste)

Combine the squash, tomato, garlic, basil, 4 tbsp of the parmesan, and salt and pepper - mix well. Pour into a PAM-sprayed (optional) casserole dish big enough that the squash layer is about 2 inches thick. Sprinkle the top with the mozzarella and remaining parmesan.

Bake in a 400 degree oven for 40-45 min, until cheese on top is bubbly and golden, and squash is cooked through.

23. Stuffed Zucchini (2-4 servings, depending on size of zucchini)

1 extra-large zucchini (if only smaller zucchini are available, use 2 medium zucchini instead)
3/4 c. cooked whole wheat couscous
1/4 c. minced fresh tomato
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp fresh minced basil
salt and pepper
4 tbsp fresh minced parmesan cheese

Cut zucchini in half lengthwise. Using a spoon, scoop out some of the zucchini insides, leaving 1/4 in. or so of the flesh attached to the skin. Chop removed flesh finely.

Mix the chopped zucchini flesh with the couscous, tomato, basil, and half of the parmesan cheese. Salt and pepper the zucchini "shells" and the filling mixture to taste. Fill both halves of the zucchini with the filling mixture, and sprinkle 1 tbsp grated parmesan cheese on each.

Bake at 400 degrees until zucchini shells can be easily pierced with a fork (this depends a lot on the zucchini thickness/variety, but generally about 25-30 min).

24. Basic Roasted Asparagus

1 lb asparagus, trimmed
1 tsp olive oil
salt and pepper

Lay the asparagus in a single layer on a sheet pan. Toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast in a single layer for 10-15 min, depending on asparagus thickness, at 400 degrees. Simple and delicious.

[nicolen]

25. Roasted broccoli

1 head broccoli, broken into bite size florets
2 cloves garlic, chopped.
juice and zest of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon low fat spread

Preheat oven to 220 deg C / approx 450 deg F

Place broccoli on baking tray and sprinkle with garlic. Roast in oven for approx 10 minutes.

Place lemon juice, zest and low fat spread in a pot and heat till the spread has melted. Pour over broccoli and serve.

***

The original recipe called for 1/4 cup butter. I've subbed low fat spread for the butter, but you do need to use it to cut through the sharpness of the lemon juice.