Green Leafy Vegetables : On a Roll With Escarole

Made a New Year's Resolution to eat more green leafy vegetables.  Been doing pretty good too!  It's September and this is, I confess, the only resolution I have managed to keep.  However, there is one green leafy vegetable I have yet to try.  So I collected some recipes.

Escarole a.k.a. common chicory, broad chicory, or Batavian endive, is a vegetable that I recently discovered can be cooked in a variety of delicious recipes.  Here is my collection.  

How about you?  Are you an escarole lover?  If you have more please feel free to share in the comments.

• TIP: This Green (i.e. Escarole) Can Do Everything Kale Can Do — If You Can Find It.

Here is my recipe collection.

: Escarole and Bell Peppers With Olive Oil

• By MARK BITTMAN
  New York Times Diner’s Journal
  ”This classic braised escarole dish, which uses a series of techniques that can be applied to almost any green vegetable, relies on a hefty amount of garlic and olive oil, which are added both at the beginning and at the end of cooking, the final additions to freshen and intensify flavors.”

: Smoky Paprika Chicken and Crispy Chickpeas Over Escarole Salad Recipe

• By: Jodie Kautzmann: “The contrast between cool, lemony greens, warm spice-rubbed chicken, and crispy oven-baked chickpeas makes this main-course salad especially satisfying.”

: Fettuccine with Pancetta, Brie, Escarole and Pine Nut Bread Crumbs

• “saw a recipe at foodandwine.com … started out planning to make the recipe as written … ended up with adding goat’s cheese and a crunchy Italian breadcrumb and pine nut topping.”

: Escarole Sausage Soup

• “I’m a fan of escarole. It’s a crunchy green with a bit more heft than lettuce, and it makes a great salad: on it’s own simply dressed or tossed with 10 other things to make a grand main course salad. In my heart though I’m a cooked greens fan, always. I like escarole cooked up with garlic in my Standard Cooked Greens Recipe: garlic oil heat cleaned cooking green: apply together and you have a great side dish or taco stuffing.” –Julia

: Escarole Siciliano

• By: Tammy
  “This lemony salad is served hot from the wok. Escarole is a bitter green, but can be less so when grown shielded from the sun. In general, lighter green leaves indicate a milder flavor. Thinly sliced tomatoes are a great accompaniment. This recipe can be doubled. For a larger party, cook in batches.”

* * *  So many fabulous ways to enjoy this vegetable.   * * *  

Oven-Baked Summer Squash Fries (Should Be in Your Winter Recipes)

Summer squash has a strong resemblance, in flavor and texture, to a zucchini. You can, in fact, substitute zucchini in this recipe, but it will probably bake a bit more quickly.

Not sure what the weather is like where you are.  In my city (Austin, TX USA), it's confusingly balmy and breezy, occasionally rainy, comfortably warm with no need for a sweater, and sometimes chilly.  It's climatically perfect! ☺ 

My friends elsewhere around the USA and the world are still complaining that Old Man Winter has overstayed his welcome and refuses to leave!  This recipe is fabulous no matter what the season of the year is or what kind of weather you're experiencing.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:


1 medium summer squash
2 eggs
1 ½ cups breadcrumbs (try panko breadcrumbs for a crunchier texture)
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon mustard powder
Salt and pepper
Olive oil


How to Make It:


Preheat oven to 400 F. Grease a large baking sheet with olive oil and set aside.


Cut your summer squash into wedges. Remove the seeds if they are quite large and set wedges aside.


Whisk the eggs in a dish and set aside.


In another dish, combine the breadcrumbs, paprika, mustard powder and salt and pepper.


Start by dipping the wedges, one by one, into the egg mixture and then the breadcrumb mixture. Place each wedge on the greased baking sheet. Continue until all the wedges are done.


You can bake the wedges as is for about 30-40 (until soft inside and golden brown on the outside) as is, but if you want a more golden texture, drizzle or spray some olive oil on top of the wedges. Flip halfway through baking.


Serve with ranch or another favorite dip.

There are many versions of oven-fried squash recipes?  Find more.

Related articles

• Gluten Free Baked Chicken Katsu (Easy Japanese Recipes)(justonecookbook.com)

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• 19 Dinner Party Ideas That Look Fancy but Don't Take Much Effort(greatist.com)

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• My top favourite squash to grow for flavour - and how to cook them(telegraph.co.uk)

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This post was highlighted at the My Foodie Luv newsletter.

Food Blurb: Why I Like Black Food

Black jobs might be a figment of former President Trump’s imagination but black food is real! It is both delicious and nutritious.

AI_Generated Art Using DreamUp Free Art Tool

I never liked black food. Unless it’s ice cream. Just kidding.

When I used to think of black food I thought people were saying that the food was burnt. But that’s not so. I discovered that there is black ice cream, there are black vegetables, and people intentionally add certain ingredients, like charcoal or squid ink, to make the food black.

Doing research I discovered that in London, they have a Black Food Festival. But don’t be confused. The food isn’t the color “black”. It’s called Black Eats Fest and it celebrates food from Africa, the Caribbean, and beyond. It’s a celebration of culinary diversity.

This content is about food that is the color “black”. It’s a brief introduction by way of sharing fun facts, which are the reasons why I like black food.

(1) Black foods are not just a novelty; they have great nutritional value. So when people tell you “eat the rainbow”, be sure to add black veggies to your diet. Learn more: Exotic Vegetables: Do You Include Black Veggies When You Eat the Rainbow?

(2) At one time, in ancient China, there was black rice (some say dark purple), which was also known as “forbidden rice”. It wasn’t forbidden to everyone. The emperors could have some and of course, the wealthy. But these days, it’s available to the masses and even shows up in U.S. restaurants. Black rice is the “perfect choice for vegetarians and vegans looking for additional protein”. Learn more: What Is Forbidden Rice? | Eating Well

(3) Black sesame seeds are not the lighter sesame seeds that are colored black. The black color comes from anthocyanins, which are a type of flavonoid with antioxidant properties. Plus, they are a great source of calcium and magnesium. Learn more: What is Black Sesame, Actually? | Sporked

22 Black Foods That Taste Amazing And Are Super Good For You
Black foods are anything but bland; they are full of nutrients and antioxidants! So if you're a fan of this classic…www.sidechef.com

Food and Drink : Veggie Spotlight : Veggie Substitutes

Is there a particular dish that you would absolutely love IF ONLY …

If only this particular recipe did not have this particular vegetable, I'd eat it all the time!

Face it. When it comes to vegetables, there are certain veggies you either love 'em or hate 'em.

I'm that way about okra. Oh yeah! I know all about fried okra, gumbo, and all those wonderful recipes where okra is the main ingredient.

For years, there were certain dishes I would avoid just because of the okra. Since I didn't really get into cooking until I got married and had to cook for my family to live, I never really thought too much about varying recipes or changing things up a bit.

Hey! Gumbo is made with okra. IT'S THE LAW!! Right?

Of course, when I look at it I realize that I was just not being flexible. Common sense. Some people have food allergies. They have to learn how to substitute certain foods for other foods.
~ Substitution Guide


But even if you don't have a food allergy, there are just some veggies you don't like! PERIOD!! And you're not flexible when it comes to that specific vegetable.

So! For me … since I don't really like (slimy) okra all that much, I found that zucchini is a great substitute veggie. Whenever I see a dish I want to try and it says okra, I go right out to the grocery store and buy zucchini! LOL.

(NOTE: Others have recommended asparagus or broccoli florets as okra substitutes. I respectfully disagree.)



Which veggies do you like to substitute?

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Original source Forum Coin.

Mushroom: Real Food of Fantasy and Fairy Tales

When one says the word “mushroom” it might provoke various thoughts. Psychedelic dreams.  Fantasy and fairy tales.  Tiny homes for whimsical creatures.  A meat substitute for vegans and vegetarians.

For me, it provokes a memory of a romantic dinner date.  My first experience tasting a mushroom was when my late husband (my fiancé at the time) prepared dinner for me.  Steak with mushroom gravy. 

Before meeting my husband, I avoided mushrooms for two reasons.

~Number 1:  My mother never used them in any of her recipes.  Mom didn’t cook them. (???)  Maybe they don’t taste good.  (O.o)

~Number 2:  The way people describe mushrooms.  Fungus.  Toadstool.  They don’t make the mushroom sound appetizing or visually appealing.

However, many cooks and chefs use the mushroom as the main ingredient in their recipes.  Foodies are happy to share photos of amazing dishes where mushrooms are the star of the show.  

As for being visually appealing, mushrooms are quite beautiful. 

Artists often use them to illustrate fantasies. 

Nature photographers go insane! They capture incredible pics just roaming through the woods or the fields.

My first time eating mushrooms was over 40 years.  But from that day forward, I didn’t need convincing to make mushrooms a part of my diet.  However, in case you do, perhaps this health article by Popular Science will persuade you.  “4 reasons you should eat more mushrooms”.


It's good to know these reasons why, but the most important thing everybody needs to know about mushrooms is that some of them are NOT edible.  No doubt you will find these information links useful.

10 of the World's Deadliest Mushrooms - WorldAtlas.com

14 Types of Mushrooms and their Uses – Epicurious

glitter-graphics.com

Did You Know There is Such a Thing as a BLUE MUSHROOM?

SEPTEMBER IS NATIONAL MUSHROOM MONTH!

Content first appeared at Virily.com

♦

Food Blurb: Much Ado About Mushrooms

If you have been following this foodie blog then you know that my love affair with mushrooms began the same time that I started dating my late husband, I shared those details in this blog post:

• Mushroom: Real Food of Fantasy and Fairy Tale.  

Geyee Vintage Mushroom Poster Fungus Wall Art Prints Rustic Mushroom Wall Hanging

This short post (or food blurb) is just an add-on to tell you more things I have discovered about this wonderful fungi!  Did you know that there is such a thing as a Mushroom of Immortality?

“Reishi/lingzhi has been referenced as far back as 100 B.C. as a supplement used to improve human health.” It is called a Mushroom of Immortality and you can grow it on your own. They're quite tasty. Just don't believe for one minute that they will make you live forever.  

😊  Read more: What Is The 'Mushroom Of Immortality'? 

Here is a wonderful veggie soup will get you through the winter months. Totally comfort food!  It includes a variety of mushrooms:  cremini, shiitake, and reishi. 

Reishi Mushroom Veggie Soup | CBC Life  

Also, if you love Asian noodles, you'll love this Reishi Mushroom Ramen Bowl.

SEPTEMBER IS NATIONAL MUSHROOM MONTH!

Zucchini Flowers Are Edible Wonders

Zucchini flowers are also known as squash blossoms. Ming Tsai was the first TV chef I saw who used them in a recipe. My additional research disclosed that lots of countries include them in their recipes and they have awesome health benefits. 

Zucchini flowers are enjoyed in various cuisines around the world, each with its own unique preparation methods. Here’s a look at how different countries use them:

• The Greeks stuff zucchini flowers with a mixture of rice, herbs, and sometimes meat, and then baked.
• The Italians make a dish known as fiori di zucca fritti. Zucchini flowers are stuffed with ricotta or other cheeses, then battered and fried. Squash flowers are also a key ingredient in many pasta dishes.
• Zee French use zucchini flowers as a garnish, a sort of decorative touch for gourmet dishes. But they also add them to soups.
• Lastly, in United States, zucchini flowers are popular in upscale restaurants and gourmet dishes, which explains why I didn't know about them. Usually not on the menu at fast food restaurants. LOL.

A quick list of some of the health benefits include:

• Low in calories.
• Provide essential vitamins and minerals.
• Rich in antioxidants.
• Anti-Inflammatory.
• Good source of dietary fiber.
• Has vitamin C which helps boost the immune system.
• Has potassium which helps maintain a healthy blood pressure level.

Zucchini Flowers are elegant and every part of the bloom are edible. There are male and female blossoms. You can eat them raw. But most people like to fry them. Be sure to gently wash the flowers under cold water and pat dry before using in a recipe. It's best to eat them fresh but they can be frozen and will keep for several months in the freezer. Below are some recipes from my favorite food blogs.

Traditional Italian Fried Squash Blossoms and Zucchini Blossoms Recipe | Christina Cucina

Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms an Italian Classic | Chef Dennis 

6 Ways to Cook with Zucchini Blossoms | Food & Wine 

QOD (Question of the Day): Homemade Pizza or Buddha's Delight?

Watched parts of two new cooking shows and was torn between the two brand-new episodes because they both came on at the same time, on different channels. (NO! Never learned how to program a VCR!)

- So on one show, the guy lives on a farm and he was making pizza. He milked the cow that morning and used that milk to make fresh mozzarella cheese.

- On the other show, the lady was visiting a farm and planned to prepare dishes using freshly picked produce. She ended up serving a #vegetable platter. All sorts of root veggies are sliced thin like potato chips (raw; not cooked).

QOD (Question of the Day):

- If you have to choose between pizza and a veggie delight*, as your last supper, which would you pick?  (* Some folks call a vegetable platter or plate with all veggies, Buddha's Delight.)

* * *

If it's my last supper, I'm going for the pizza – loaded with meat and veggies!! Extra large.  Extra cheese.  And I'm not sharing!! ☺   

FYI. In America, October is National Pizza Month.

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Originally published at Persona Paper on April 30, 2015.

The Mystery of the Perfect Condiments for Veggie Burgers

For several years we've been adjusting, changing, modifying our diet. "We" meaning my significant other and me. Had you asked me 40 years ago about “veggie burgers”, I probably would have tried to pretend not to hear the question or act like you're weren't talking to me. 

However, beginning in 2015, this is my reality check.

Veggie burgers are a real part of our nutrition plan.

Learned something about myself. Veggie burgers taste pretty good to me! Not all of them. But there is one particular brand that is inexpensive and tasty: Morningstar Farms® Garden Veggie Patties™. They have a variety of flavors: Asian, Spicy Black Bean, Mushroom, Grillers, etc. You eat them just like a regular hamburger.

(This is not affiliate advertisement.  I just like the brand.)

Made an amazing discovery. It sort of makes me feel silly because of its obviousness.

The Garden Veggie Pattie is the one that tastes the best in my opinion.  You don't have to dress it up with condiments. You don't even need to put it on a bun.

But the other ones – the mushroom, the Asian-style, the spicy bean, the chik'n or turkey grillers, etc. - are not so flavorful.  So I avoid them.

One of my daughters fixed a spicy bean burger for lunch but didn't finish the sandwich. She asked me if I wanted her leftovers; otherwise, she'd have to throw it away.

Waste food?!! Not in my house!!

So I ate what was left of her sandwich and … and … It tasted great!

Do you know why?

She put mustard and ketchup on her burger.

Duh! (O.o) That's what was missing from those veggie burgers??

The two most common under-appreciated condiments that are in homes and restaurants gave the veggie burger what it was missing. Flavor!

Why didn't I think of that??!  :)

◊◊◊◊

Marshman, Victoria. "The History of Mustard." The Nibble. Lifestyle Direct, Inc., July 2009. Web. 15 Apr 2017. © Copyright 2005-2017

Wiggins, Jasmine. "How Was Ketchup Invented?" National Geographic: About The Plate. National Geographic Society., 21 Apr. 2014. Web. 05 May 2015.

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Content also appears at Persona Paper.

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Do You Have a Favorite Condiment for Your Food? ~ Whenever I ask this question I get a wide range of responses that went way beyond mustard and ketchup. People started throwing out: salsa, soy sauce, barbecue sauce, different kinds of mustards, chutney, mint sauce, red currant jelly, pickles and paprika, garlic and chives, Chimichurri, fish sauce and shrimp paste, Thai chili, black vinegar and peri-peri.  Talk about food diversity!

Care To Share Your Eggplant (Aubergine) Recipe?

Do you love to watch cooking shows on television?  One of my favorite TV chefs is Nigella Lawson (nigella.com). She taught me what an aubergine was. Aubergine?? Oh! You mean eggplant!! :)

On the hunt for eggplant recipes.

Sharing a few recipes via this foodie blog. But ....

I want more eggplant recipes! More! More!!

Why?

The food experts say that for 2017 and beyond, “purple is the new green” and everybody is supposed to be eating more purple veggies. Sure! Eggplants are not the only purple plants out there. But it's a good purple food to start with! Agree?  :)

One quick question:

• Do you eat eggplant cooked or raw?

I enjoy listening to the music of smooth jazz vocalist Michael Franks. One of his songs that we really like is called “Eggplant”.

When my baby cooks her eggplant.

She don't read no book!

Yeah OK. He's not really singing about eggplant. But the lyrics are inspiring and might make you want to cook eggplant, even if you do have to read “how to” in a book!

* * *

Links of Interest: 

Freedman, Joanna. "Start Eating Purple for Good Health: The Science behind 2017's New Food Trend." The Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group, 19 Dec. 2016. Web. 01 Feb. 2017. (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/food-and-drink/news/start-eating-purple-good-health-science-behind-2017s-new-food/ ).

Davis, Sara. "A History of Eggplant in Four Languages." Table Matters. N.p., 12 Sept. 2016. Web. 01 Feb. 2017. ( http://tablematters.com/2012/10/10/a-history-of-eggplant-in-four-languages/ ).

Ehler, James T. "Eggplant Trivia and Facts." Food Facts & Trivia: Eggplant. Food Reference, n.d. Web. 01 Feb. 2017. ( http://www.foodreference.com/html/feggplant.html ).

Meyer, Megan. "Eight Fascinating Facts About Eggplant." Earth Eats | Real Food | Green Living. The Trustees of Indiana University, 18 Jan. 2010. Web. 01 Feb. 2017. ( http://indianapublicmedia.org/eartheats/eggplant-facts/ ).

"Eggplant Food Facts." Belly Bytes. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Feb. 2017. ( http://www.bellybytes.com/foodfacts/eggplant_facts.html#.WJI-fzjwnIU ).

Below are some recipes you might enjoy.

French style Roasted Eggplant

Ratatouille and Eggplant for Harvest Season

Marinated Eggplant - A Healthy Life For Me

Eggplant Patties with Olives and Herbs | Gourmandelle

Do you have an eggplant recipe that is the best ever?  

If so, please share.

Veggie Spotlight: Scallions

Do you see the image below? What do you call these veggies? Scallions? Green onions? Spring onions?

I am confused because some say scallions are not the same as spring onions. Yet the chefs on TV call them green onions or spring onions ... they call them everything but scallions. Have you noticed that?

The first time I tried them was in a salad. A friend took me to a salad bar at a restaurant. I couldn't believe how those little green and white bits and pieces completely changed the flavor of the salad! Then I went to a Chinese restaurant and ordered the won ton soup with my meal. They had a bowl of chopped scallion on the table, with a bowl of crispy fried noodles and some other garnishes. I didn't know what to do, so I just took a spoonful of the scallions and the crispy noodles and sprinkled it in the soup. It was fantastic! First food experiences can be so wonderful!

But back to the questions.

Scallions? Green onions? Spring onions?

Of course, I decided to ask the experts.
Here is one answer.

Difference Between Scallions and Green & Spring Onions | Kitchn

• "Green onions and scallions are actually the same thing!"

• "Spring onions, on the other hand, look similar to scallions, but you’ll notice that they have small onion bulbs at the base."

Well whatever they are called, I love them! They add a wonderful layer of flavor to a green salad. I also love them chopped and sprinkled on top of a soup made with a clear broth, like won ton soup.

They are super easy to grow. I only mention this because they may not be cheap where you live. At our local grocery store we can get a bunch for about 35 cents. However, a friend in Europe says they are not cheap. But it's OK because they're easy to grow.

• Scallions: Plant Care & Growing Guide

I don't really know many recipes that list them as an ingredient during the cooking. Most of the time, people sprinkle them on the dish after the cooking is done. I'm still learning how to use the scallion as it was not a common cooking ingredient in my mom's dishes.

Anybody else love this flavorful member of the onion family?

Original source

Foodie Friday : YAPAS (Yet Another Post About Spinach)

Tapas is that cool food you get to eat if you go to a restaurant in Spain. YAPAS is yet another post about spinach to try to encourage those who don't care too much for this veggie, to eat it anyway!

There was once a contestant in a beauty pageant and she was asked: “If you have one last thing to do before you die, what would it be?”

Her response was: “She would eat everything!”

That is a sister after my own heart! :)

I love to eat! But no matter how many “first food experiences” I have, I just know that there is a lot of delicious and tasty food in the world that I'm missing out on. :)

For example:

♦ I was either in my late 20s or early 30s before I knew that you could eat spinach raw!

Shocking??!!  I know!!!

More true stories and facts about spinach.

~ Per celebrity TV chef, Rachael Ray, frozen spinach is the best bargain buy for green leafy vegetables!

~ My late mother only ever fed us spinach from the can.

~ Popeye the Sailor Man is the reason one of my brothers starting eating spinach. My mom had tried everything to persuade him. The cartoon did the trick! :)

~ Recollection of my first food experience eating raw spinach?
When traveling on official government business you get a “meal allowance” and so you get the opportunity to eat out at restaurants. Can't remember the restaurant, but when I ordered my dinner, the salad was served first. That's a common practice. What was uncommon is that it was a spinach salad and it was delicious! I'm like: 'Oh my! You can eat spinach raw!'

♦ ♦ ♦
Would like to recommend an online publication called "The Science of Eating". It is loaded with healthy eating tips and information, like this article:

I don't really need to be convinced to eat my green leafy vegetables. But it's great to know that the foods I love are good for me too. Nothing more disheartening than being told you need to eat a certain food because it has what you need and it's a food that you can't stand eating!! Like carrots!  My mom had a rough time trying to get me to eat carrots.  Watching Bugs Bunny did not do the trick!  :) 

Thank goodness you can turn carrots into juice and mix it with other juices to mask the flavor. :)

Eat Your Greens! Drink Your Carrots!

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Previous #FoodieFriday posts? Immune-boosting Smoothie ~ Order at Starbucks  Recipes | Desserts | Pineapple Stuffing and More!  Japan’s 10 weirdest ice cream flavors  The Right Blend of Spices for Cajun Food Lovers  Indian Food: Hot n Spicy Samosas (Reblog)  Candied Jalapeño Peppers  Chinese New Year Recipes and Dishes  Pesto Around the World  Experiencing the Joy of Salsa   Spice Spotlight: Cinnamon  It's Flipping Foodie Friday!  Raw Coconut Fig Slice (Reblog)  Winter Salad Binging  Banana Brownies - Back for Seconds  Cool Foodies and Food Lovers Celebrating Their “Firsts” on Twitter

My Foodie Luv First Food Experiences: Veggie Burger

Veggie burgers look like burgers but they don't contain meat. Do you remember the first time you ate a veggie burger?

Can you remember your first veggie burger experience? I can remember mine. I ran away!  Me? Eat a meatless burger? I think not!

I was working at a state hospital and there was a small restaurant open for breakfast and lunch. Most of the employees and managers ate there. On a certain day of the week, the owner’s special was soy burgers. The burgers looked delicious! I would have eaten it too if she (the owner/manager) had not casually mentioned before I was about to order that it was a meatless burger.

I’m like: No beef! It’s a hamburger with no meat! Forget about it!

She laughed at my reaction and told me that so many people would order those soy burgers that she would run out of them. She never had enough to serve all the customers. If I had not seen it with my own eyes I would have thought she was just kidding me. But she wasn’t kidding! Her customers really loved those veggie burgers. But I wasn’t convinced.

Fast forward about 10 to 15 years later and for personal reasons, major dietary changes had to be made for the sake of a certain family member. I found myself not having to choose whether I would eat a veggie burger, but what kind of veggie burger was I going to eat? Oh my! There are only thousands of recipes and several brands in the store that you can buy ready-made.

Me personally, I like veggie burgers made with mushrooms. They at least have a “meaty” taste. Several years have passed and now I’m perfectly OK with eating veggie burgers. Of course, they don’t taste like a hamburger. But they don’t taste nearly as awful as I imagined that they would. I don’t know what I was thinking when I worked at the state hospital. After all veggie burgers are made out of foods I usually eat anyway: beans, chickpeas, mushrooms, nuts, oats. The only difference is they shape those foods into a patty to make it look like a burger. Duh!

It’s so true. You eat with your mind. LOL.

Do you have a favorite veggie burger?

The 12 Best Veggie Burger Recipes | The Spruce Eats

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Like to know about some of my other “First Food Experiences”?

• Bagels

• Eggplant

• Baked Potato Topping

• Roasted Pig (Lechòn)

• Zucchini Muffins

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Content published elsewhere on the web.

Food and Nutrition: You Must Find Ways to Eat Your Veggies (It's Not That Hard)

Eat your veggies. I know this. But for me, it just required a little creativity. However, I learned that saying it and doing it was easy!

I Ate What My Mom Cooked!

My diet when I was growing up basically consisted of greens or legumes (black-eyed peas or lima beans) seasoned with ham hocks or smoked pork neck bones. That’s how my mother cooked. That’s what my mother cooked. And that’s what we ate. My mother let it be known that if we didn’t like what was on the stove, we were welcome to go out and try to find our own food. Or? We could hold out until we got hungry enough to eat it!!

Most of the time I was hungry enough!

But looking back, when I think about it, had my mother simply not added that one ingredient – the meat for seasoning – we could have been an almost vegetarian family. I say almost because of course for Christmas and Thanksgiving there was always turkey. For Easter, there was a ham. And for most of our Sunday dinners, there was fried chicken. Occasionally during the week we might have smothered pork chops or smothered liver.

I was blessed to receive government grant money which paid for my tuition and books, my dorm room, and my meals at the university cafeteria. It was in the cafeteria that I learned that it was perfectly normal to eat a large bowl of salad for lunch! A large bowl? Loaded with veggies? Really? My mom never served us a big bowl of salad!

Plant-Based Foods and Meatless Mondays

Nowadays plant-based food and meatless meals are all the rage. On Twitter, they circulate lots of recipes and meal ideas and hashtag them #MeatlessMonday. Not only are we treating our bodies well but we’re saving the planet too!

Life events actually forced me to completely change my dietary and eating habits. My late husband was diagnosed with heart disease. Consequently, when making out the grocery list beef and pork was no longer on the list. And we started adding more veggies to our meals. It wasn’t a difficult adjustment to make actually. Lots of times when I was at the grocery store there were certain veggies that I wanted to try. But we had a budget. By the time I finished buying all of the other foods on the list, there was no more money left for trying those veggies. But what do you know? Not buying beef or pork freed up $30 to $35. Now I had the money to buy zucchini, swiss chard, bok choy, cauliflower and lots of other fresh vegetables.

Cooking Tasty Veggie Dishes is Not That Hard

Now my only challenge was how to cook them and make the veggies tasty and not boring. TV cooking shows, food blogs, and Twitter to the rescue! There is no shortage of veggie recipes on the Internet. In fact, if you can find an Indian TV cooking show or YouTube video to watch, an Indian food blogger or an Indian food Twitter account to follow, you can learn all kinds of ways to prepare your veggies as a side dish or as the main meal. The spices they use to add flavor are amazing!!

Top 35 Indian Cooking Blogs For 2020
~ https://t.co/ruxAdER7fl via @flipboard @EverydaySpices
#indianfood #indiancuisine #worldcuisine #cooking #recpes #blogs #foodblogs #food #foodanddrink #cookingtips

— Treathyl Fox (aka cmoneyspinner) ~ #Freelancer (@cmoneyspinner) March 9, 2020

However, if you’re not an adventurous cook and you just want a no-fuss way to cook and eat your veggies here is a way that is quick and easy.

Preheat your oven to 350 F. Chop up some veggies. What kind of veggies? Whatever you want. Pattypan squash (or any other squash), peppers, onions, tomatoes, mushrooms, eggplant, etc. Season with fresh herbs like basil, parsley, oregano – whatever herbs you like. Add chopped garlic, and salt and pepper to taste. Toss them in some olive oil. Mix all your ingredients, wrap in foil on a baking dish. Bake at 350 F for about 40 minutes. You can drizzle the roasted vegetables with your favorite balsamic reduction or not! You can serve over rice, quinoa, crusty bread, etc. or just eat them!

Most dietary experts say that you should eat 5 cups of fruits and veggies per day. Most people don’t have problems finding fruit to eat. We like fruit. It’s sweet! But when it comes to the veggies? We know it’s good for us. But we have to get creative.

10 Easy Ways to Eat More Vegetables Every Day @thekitchn ~ https://t.co/06MhwB3GkH via @flipboard
~ Sharing tips for #healthyeating. #eatyourveggies @EverybodySpices @Rx4Wellness2018

— Treathyl Fox (aka cmoneyspinner) ~ #Freelancer (@cmoneyspinner) March 9, 2020

Content previously published at 100Springs.com