Quote:
Originally Posted by elle12
I don't cook much but plan to try this.......usually buy the "steam in the bag cauliflower" and have never gotten it soft enough to mash.
Looking forward to boiling the fresh cauliflower till it falls apart!!! Wonder how long that boiling will take?
Nuke your cauliflower in a microwave safe dish, with no added water. In my microwave, it's mash-ready in about 4 minutes.
Yes, there are those who claim microwaving robs antioxidants from most veggies, but the studies they reference were all done using a lot of water in the microwave dish (to presumably create steam) along with the veggies.
You can "steam" veggies in the microwave without any water, because veggies are packed full of water. Microwaves agitate water molecules and that friction causes enough heat to cook them. I wouldn't prepare my veggies in the microwave every time I eat them (eating raw veggies is best -- except for those that need to be cooked, like green peppers), and steaming and roasting might be best cooking methods. But I grill a lot of my veggies, and I tend to saute them as well. I never boil my veggies because many of the water-soluble vitamins leech into the water.
I see no problem, however, with nuking your cauliflower to make it soft enough to mash...
KDWS , 09-09-2010 04:36 PM
From recipe sticky!!!
I went through and only copied the ones I thought I might like I am only on week 2 so they novelty has not worn off....YET!!! I have not tried any of these but they sound YUMMY!
Zucchini Fries
1 pound zucchini, small to medium
2 tablespoons oil, about
Salt and pepper
Cut each zucchini in half crosswise, then into quarters lengthwise. Put in a bowl and toss with the oil to coat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place in a foil-lined baking pan in a single layer. Roast at 400º for 15 minutes; flip and roast another 10 minutes or so until past the soft stage and until crispy.
Spicy Eggplant And Broccoli In Ginger Sauce
2 pounds Japaneses Eggplant, preferably the small dark purple variety
3 tablespoons Olivee Oil
1 tablespoon minced Garlic
1 teaspoon Ground Chili Paste
2 tablespoons minced Fresh Ginger
1/2 small Yellow Onion, cut into thin wedges
3 cups Broccoli Florets, cut into bite-size pieces, blanched, and shocked in ice water
2 tablespoons Soy Sauce
2 tablespoons Vegetarian Oyster Sauce
1/2 cup Water
1/2 Red Bell Pepper, julienned
1/4 cup Fresh Thai Basil Leaves, halved
6 Fresh Cilantro Sprigs, for garnish
Preparation:
1. Mix water with cornstarch. Set aside.
2. Slice eggplant in half lengthwise. Slice eggplant halves into approximately ¾” slices.
3. Soak eggplant in water to prevent discoloration.
4. Remove eggplant from water.
5. Heat oil in wok over medium heat. Add garlic, ground chili paste, and fresh ginger to wok. Stir-fry 20 seconds.
6. Add eggplant to wok. Stir-fry 4 minutes. Add onion wedges, broccoli florets, soy sauce, and oyster sauce, reduce heat and stir-fry 3-4 minutes.
7. Stir cornstarch mixture. Add 1 tablespoon at a time and stir to thicken sauce. Stop when sauce coats back of spoon nicely.
8. Add red bell pepper and basil. Remove from heat.
9. Transfer to serving dish.
10. Garnish with cilantro.
Brussels Sprouts with Mushroom Glaze
8 lg Dried Mushrooms
1 1/3 c Vegetable Broth
2 ts Lemon Juice
2 ts Dijon Mustard
1 ts Dried Thyme
2 lb Brussels Sprouts; stemmed & halved
Soak mushrooms in stock until tender, about 1/2 - 1 hour.
Reserve the stock that the mushrooms have been soaking in. If mushroom stems are tough, remove and discard. Thinly slice mushrooms.
Pour stock into a nonstick frying pan and bring to a boil. Whisk in lemon juice, mustard and thyme. Boil until liquid is reduced by one third, about 3 min. Immediately add mushrooms and brussels sprouts. Toss well.
Egg & Mushroom Soup
5 dried mushrooms.
2 medium eggs.
4 cups of chicken stock.
½ tablespoon of cooking oil.
1 ½ teaspoons of soy sauce.
1 teaspoon of salt.
Instructions:
Wash the mushrooms, then allow to soak in a cup of water. Set aside.
Beat the eggs; then set aside.
Boil the chicken stock, then add the mushrooms (including the water they soaked in).
Boil for about 5 minutes.
Add the soy sauce and the salt.
Stir in the cooking oil and beaten eggs.
Serve hot.
Baked Cabbage
Ingredients:
1 large head cabbage
3 medium tomatoes, diced
1 small white onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon caraway seed
1/8 cup water or chicken stock
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 325°.
Quarter the cabbage and boil it in a large kettle or Dutch oven for 10 minutes. Remove cabbage sections; place in a shallow baking dish. Combine remaining ingredients in small bowl; pour over cabbage. Bake for 30 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed. Turn cabbage pieces about halfway through cooking time so wedges cook evenly.
Baked Radish Chips Recipe
Ingredients
• 10 radishes
• 1 tsp chili powder
• ½ tsp garlic salt
• ½ tsp paprika
Directions
1. Thinly slice radishes
2. Steam in microwave for 5 minutes
3. Put in bowl with spices; stir
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes, flip the chips, and bake for another 10 minutes.
Barbecued Sauerkraut
1 1/2 lbs. hamburger
1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 c. Splenda brown sugar
1 qt. sauerkraut, drained
Brown hamburger lightly, adding a medium onion. Add sauce, sugar and sauerkraut and put into a baking dish. Bake 1 1/2 hours at 350 degrees (uncovered).
Chicken & Spinach Soup
Ingredients:
6 oz of chicken breasts.
6 oz of fresh spinach.
4 cups of chicken stock.
2 tablespoons of soy sauce.
2 tablespoons of spring onions, chopped finely.
1 teaspoon of stevia
Preparation Instructions:
Remove the spinach stems and wash the spinach.
Blanch the leaves for a few seconds in boiling water, until they are just wilted.
Pour cold water over the spinach leaves.
Slice the breasts chicken fairly thinly.
In another pot of boiling water, cook the chicken slices for about 2 minutes, until they are white and have gone slightly firm.
Drain both the spinach and the chicken.
Bring the chicken stock to a simmer. then add the the soy sauce and the sugar.
Add the cooked spinach and chicken.
Bring the soup back to a simmer; then add the spring onions.
Serve hot.
Sauted Spinach
2 large bunches of spinach, about 1 lb
Olive oil, extra virgin
3 cloves garlic, sliced
Salt to taste
1 Cut off the thick stems of the spinach and discard. Clean the spinach by filling up your sink with water and soaking the spinach to loosen any sand or dirt. Drain the spinach and then repeat soaking and draining. Put the spinach in a salad spinner to remove any excess moisture.
2 Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in a large skillet on medium high heat. Add the garlic and sauté for about 1 minute, until the garlic is just beginning to brown.
3 Add the spinach to the pan, packing it down a bit if you need to with your hand. Use a couple spatulas to lift the spinach and turn it over in the pan so that you coat more of it with the olive oil and garlic. Do this a couple of times. Cover the pan and cook for 1 minute. Uncover and turn the spinach over again. Cover the pan and cook for an additional minute.
4 After 2 minutes of covered cooking the spinach should be completely wilted. Remove from heat. Drain any excess moisture from the pan. Add a little more olive oil, sprinkle with salt to taste. Serve immediately.
Vegetable Stir Fry - Great alternative to plain vegetables
1 Large Onion, cut into chunks
1/2 green pepper, cut into chunks or slices
1 package sliced mushrooms (14 oz)
3 cups chopped broccoli
1-2 bunches baby bok choy, large chop
8-12 oz bean sprouts
2 cloves garlic or 1 tablespoon of garlic from a jar (or to taste)
2 tsp minced ginger. Can use fresh, or the kind in a jar.
1/4 cup soy sauce.
1 tsp chili sauce. Adds heat. Found in the Asian Foods aisle. Should be 0 cal, 0 carbs.
All of the vegetables and their quantities can be adjusted based on your taste and preference in vegetables.
Heat large sautee pan over med-high heat. Add 1-2 tbsp olive oil.
Once heated, add onions, mushrooms and peppers. Cook until these begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir frequently.
Add Bok choy, broccoli, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, and chili sauce. Stir to evenly mix. Then cover. Cook about 5 minutes, stirring periodically.
While broccoli is still semi-raw, add bean sprouts.
Cook until broccoli is at desired done-ness, continuing to stir periodically.
Portion into 2 cup quantities for your dinner vegetable, or lunch vegetable.
Grilled Asparagus
Prep: 10min
Cook: 10min
Servings:4
Ingredients
1 1/2lb fresh asaparagus
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp Dijon mustard
salt and pepper
tarragon or French shallots (optional)
Preparation
Preheat oven to 450. Cut and discard tails of asparagus. Place asparagus on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Brush with half the olive oil (1 tbsp) and toss to coat. Make sure asparagus are tightly aligned. Grill in oven for 8-10 min, turn once. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk remaining olive oil (1tbsp), lemon juice and mustard. When asparagus are cooked, place them in a service plate and pour vinaigrette. Garnish with tarragon or French shallots.
* Turn the entree into a main course, top with lobster or crab meat.
Roasted Asparagus Recipe
INGREDIENTS
• 1 lb asparagus spears (thick spears are best for roasting)
• 1-2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Kosher Salt
• Freshly grated black pepper
• Lemon juice
METHOD
1 Preheat oven to 400°F. Rinse clean the asparagus. Break the tough ends off of the asparagus and discard.
2 Lay the asparagus spears out in a single layer in a baking dish or a foil-covered roasting pan. Drizzle olive oil over the spears, roll the asparagus back and forth until they are all covered with a thin layer of olive oil. (Alternatively you can put the asparagus and oil in a plastic bag, and rub the bag so that the oil gets evenly distributed.) Sprinkle with minced garlic, salt, and pepper. Rub over the asparagus so that they are evenly distributed.
3 Place pan in oven and cook for approximately 8-10 minutes, depending on how thick your asparagus spears are, until lightly browned and tender when pierced with a fork. Drizzle with a little fresh lemon juice before serving.
Vegetable Stir Fry - Great alternative to plain vegetables
1 Large Onion, cut into chunks
1/2 green pepper, cut into chunks or slices
1 package sliced mushrooms (14 oz)
3 cups chopped broccoli
1-2 bunches baby bok choy, large chop
8-12 oz bean sprouts
2 cloves garlic or 1 tablespoon of garlic from a jar (or to taste)
2 tsp minced ginger. Can use fresh, or the kind in a jar.
1/4 cup soy sauce.
1 tsp chili sauce. Adds heat. Found in the Asian Foods aisle. Should be 0 cal, 0 carbs.
All of the vegetables and their quantities can be adjusted based on your taste and preference in vegetables.
Heat large sautee pan over med-high heat. Add 1-2 tbsp olive oil.
Once heated, add onions, mushrooms and peppers. Cook until these begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir frequently.
Add Bok choy, broccoli, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, and chili sauce. Stir to evenly mix. Then cover. Cook about 5 minutes, stirring periodically.
While broccoli is still semi-raw, add bean sprouts.
Cook until broccoli is at desired done-ness, continuing to stir periodically.
Portion into 2 cup quantities for your dinner vegetable, or lunch vegetable.
Baked Okra
Ingredients:
1 pound fresh baby okra (no longer than 1-1/2 inches long)
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled and chopped
2 seeded, peeled, and diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 pinch each salt and black pepper
Directions:
Trim the okra by cutting the stem off close to the top. Wash them very well in cold water, and dry them off completely.
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a saucepan. Saute the okra in the oil over high heat for 3-5 minutes, then remove from pan to paper towels.
Heat the other tablespoon olive oil in the saucepan. When hot, add the chopped onion and saute for 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for another 2 minutes. Add the diced tomatoes and stir together until the mixture boils. Turn down to a simmer, add the lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Let simmer for 30 minutes.
Place a spoonful of the sauce on the bottom of a serving dish. Place the okra on the sauce, and cover with the remaining sauce before serving.
Stir-Fried Bean Sprouts
Ingredients:
1 cup (about 2 ounces) mung bean sprouts
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon stevia/splenda
salt to taste
1 tablespoon vegetable oil for stir-frying
few drops of Sesame oil
Preparation:
Wash and drain the bean sprouts, trimming the ends if desired.
Add oil to a heated wok or heavy skillet. When oil is ready, add the bean sprouts and stir-fry briefly. Add the soy sauce, stevia and salt. Stir-fry another few seconds and add the sesame oil. Serve hot.
Zucchini Parmesan
Ingredients
Zucchini, 1 cup, sliced
Parmesan Cheese, grated, 1 tbsp
I Can't Believe It's Not Butter, Original Buttery Spray, 10 sprays
Non-stick cooking spray
Directions
Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil, then coat with some non-stick cooking spray. Place the zucchini slices out on the pan, then spritz with them with the butter spray. Sprinkle on the parmesan cheese and then pop it in the oven. Broil for a few minutes - until the cheese starts to brown. Enjoy it while it's warm!
Popcorn Cauliflower
1 head of cauliflower
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons Mrs. Dash Table Blend
Recipe
1. Preheat oven to 450°F (220°C).
2. Cut out and discard cauliflower core and thick stems. Trim remaining cauliflower into florets the size of popcorn.
3. Toss thoroughly in a bowl with olive oil and Mrs. Dash Table Blend.
4. Spread cauliflower on a sheet pan and roast for approximately 60 minutes, or until nicely browned (that's the carmelization process converting the dormant natural sugars into sweetness). 5. Turn three or four times during roasting. The browner the florets, the sweeter they will taste. Serve immediately.
Spinach Stuffed Mushrooms
Ingredients (use vegan versions):
24 large (but not huge) white mushrooms
1/4 cup chopped shallots or onion
2 large cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup water
2 teaspoon seasoning (recipe follows)
1 pack frozen chopped spinach (about 10 oz?) - thawed and drained
Directions:
Wash mushrooms and carefully remove stems. Lay out caps on nonstick jelly-roll pan and pop in oven for 5-10 minutes to dry out and cook slightly. Set caps aside. Chop the mushroom stems finely.
Saute shallots, garlic, and balsamic vinegar in small saucepan. When onions start to turn translucent add mushroom stems, water, and seasoning. Cook a few minutes. Add spinach and cook till water is almost all absorbed/evaporated.
Mound the spinach mixture onto the the mushroom caps, pressing it into the caps. Lower oven heat to 300-350 and bake for 10-15 minutes until hot and mushroom caps are cooked.
If you leave them slightly undercooked, you can do these ahead and then heat them up in the microwave when needed.
Seasoning
Ingredients (use vegan versions):
1 1/3 cup nutritional yeast flakes
3 tablespoon onion powder
2 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon celery seed
2 1/2 tablespoon Italian seasoning
2 tablespoon parsley, dried
Directions:
Blend smooth all ingredients except parsley. Stir in parsley. Store in airtight container.
Notes:
Use this seasoning to make a quick stock out of water when you have no veggie stock on hand. Excellent for flavoring rice and as a soup base.
Make a very simple, easy, and good-tasting gravy by mixing water, seasoning, and miso (I like the dark brown rice miso). Typical proportions: 1.5 cups water, 1 T seasoning, 2 t miso. Increase/decrease seasonings according your your taste. Right before serving gravy, mix some starch (I frequently use potato starch) in a bit of water till well-blended and add to gravy to thicken (do this over medium heat). Add starch until you reach desired thickness. Quick, easy, and surprisingly tastey.
Eggplant and Portabella Stuffed Peppers
Ingredients (use vegan versions):
2 large red bell peppers, cleaned, halved
1 eggplant, diced into cubes
1 package baby portabellas, sliced
several sprigs basil, chopped into shreds
1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes, julienne cut
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon oregano, dried
1/2 teaspoon fennel, dried
2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon sea / kosher Salt
4 slices vegan mozzarella (optional)
Directions:
Mix diced eggplant, portabellas, basil, sun-dried tomatoes, olive oil, spices and salt in a medium bowl. Make sure to evenly coat all vegetables with the olive oil. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray glass baking dish or cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray. Stuff vegetable mixture (generously) into pepper halves. Place in oven and bake for about 40-45 mins or until light brown on top. Top with vegan cheese, place back in the over for about 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.
JessicaCourez , 08-27-2010 11:01 PM
I'm svelting! , 09-08-2010 08:40 PM
