Basil pesto! I throw 1 cup (packed) basil leaves, thawed frozen spinach (I squeeze the liquid out), 1 tbsp olive oil, 3-4 cloves of garlic, salt/pepper, 4-5 walnuts in the food processor and add low sodium chicken broth until I get the desired consistency. I didn't notice a diff between the 100% oil version and mine. It's really delicious! I used it as my pizza sauce last night with olives, feta cheese, onion (heh) and cubed cooked chicken. It was the best pizza I've made!
Another for raw tomatoes. Hated them until I had my first heirloom. I eat regular tomatoes raw now, too, but only local and in season.
A biggy for me is cooked greens. I have traumatic memories of a lunch cafeteria meal -- vienna sausages and cooked spinach. The cafeteria workers put out vinegar for that meal and the entire school reeked of it. Turned my stomach. Now, though, one of my favorite dishes is this stir-fry: Chicken and Greens
Come to think of it, I've recently learned to appreciate vinegar, too.
Tomatoes! Specifically, grape tomatoes. I have never, ever liked raw tomatoes--I could eat them only if they were cooked in spaghetti sauce or something or chopped really super small in salsa (I actually used to blend my salsa so it wasn't so chunky! ).
Now I love them--which makes my mother so very happy as she adores them!
Also on the list, zucchini, summer squash, butternut squash (made a great butternut squash lasagna, it was TDF!!! )...I tried eggplant but ended up over cooking it and while it wasn't horrible, it would definitely be better cooked properly.
I agree for the most part. Instead of putting big slices of onion in salads (which I find quite unattractive) I mix a couple of tablespoons of chopped spring onion or shallot in my dressing and sometimes if I don't want the texture in the salad I will strain them out of the dressing. It adds lots of flavor.
Oh my god -- shallots with olive oil and champagne vinegar is *amazing* on salad. And on blanched sugar snap peas with a little mint mixed in. I'm hungry...
My latest obsession is fresh picked peaches. The only peaches I tried growing up were supermarket peaches - yuck. We picked 10# of peaches earlier in the season. It was sort of a mixed bag, but I didn't feel even the least bit guilty throwing out the losers!
Oh, and everything is better with high quality balsamic vinegar. It is amazing what a difference it makes when you buy the expensive stuff that has been cured for longer. (Is cured the right word? Fermented sounds gross.)
Same here! I buy a 5 lb bag of onions every week and I'm only cooking for two! I like it raw when it's mixed in with something - like guacamole. I don't like the raw slices that are placed on top of salads. Even though they're cut quite thin, it just fills my mouth with onion flavor and ruins the rest of the salad/dish.
I like using RED onions in salads, sliced paper thin. Actually they're called red, but they're really purple. They're sweeter and for me, they add a nice, pungent flavor without overpowering the salad. Lots of my salads are on the sweet side (strawberries, peaches, craisins - along with the greens, pepper, tomatoes), so I really like the combo with the sweet and the onion.
Another fan of balsamic vinegar. Just LOVE it. I use it in those salads I was just speaking about.
And peaches - oh my. SO good. Better then candy.
And lately, I've been making peaches and blueberries cooked. I dice the peaches, add the blueberries and bake them in ramekins. Such a great treat.
raw spinach. I still can't eat COOKED spinach, but I eat a lot of raw spinach salads now and love them. I ordered a side salad at a restaurant the other day and it was at least 1/2 iceburg lettuce. I literally couldn't eat it. I like my DARK green salads now. YUM
Another new favorite - carrots. I still can't eat them raw (texture issues - I'm an oddball ), but I absolutely love them cooked in anything. Yum.
This cracked me up so bad, because I LOVE carrots--but only raw! I cannot stand the taste or texture of cooked carrots. Isn't it funny how everyone is so different?
My latest obsession is fresh picked peaches. The only peaches I tried growing up were supermarket peaches - yuck. We picked 10# of peaches earlier in the season. It was sort of a mixed bag, but I didn't feel even the least bit guilty throwing out the losers!
I have to agree with you there... I'm originally from Ruston, LA and they are known for their peaches. Luckily, my grandparents (in LA) own a peach orchard so they keep me stocked up. I am the same way with tomatoes, I will not eat one from a grocery store, so bland and gross. Actually, pretty much with all vegetables, I don't know what I would do without my garden and local produce market.
oooh lots of good stuff im going to have to try. i admit i know nothing about squash or zucchini. what do you guys put it on and how do you cook it?
its funny how many of us said tomatoes! i guess when your salad is void of a slathering of high fat dressing, you need something to flavor it up. i also used to only like them in a sauce, but now im loving them.
i also cant stand cooked carrots, lol. theyre "mushy" or something! i think onions are good cooked into things, but i also enjoy raw onions on salads and sandwiches.
Arctic 0 Ice cream--oh so wonderful -- entire PINT--125 calories
Butternut squash instead of potatoes..with all the fixin's of a stuffed potato--5 calorie butter, green onions, salt and pepper, diced ham, f-free s cream..MMMM
Alfalfa Sprouts! I remember my parents buying them when I was growing up... to put on sandwiches. I guess we all forgot about them because I haven't seen them in the house in ages! I was craving an egg salad sandwich a few weeks back and went grocery shopping. I saw some and was like YES that would be perfect to put on a sandwich! I've been eating it on sandwiches like crazy!
).
), but I absolutely love them cooked in anything. Yum.
