Vegetables Archives – Page 2 of 10

Delicious, Slow Cooked Lamb Shank is Easy to Prepare

For flavor and tenderness, you can’t beat a slow cooked lamb shank.

Lamb shank is one of the easiest cuts to prepare and it’s absolutely delicious. An economical choice, it responds well to low and slow cooking until it’s so tender it falls off the bone. Will you braise it in the oven for a couple hours or put it into the slow cooker for four? Either way works for me. The main thing is to find the way that works best for you so that everyone enjoys sitting down together to enjoy it.

braised lamb shanks on a white platter. red wine in the background

After trimming away the excess fat and connective tissue, I chose to sear the salted shanks quickly in a hot skillet before putting into a slow cooker. Then I sautéed some chopped onion in olive oil along with carrots, celery, garlic and canned tomatoes. There are so many herbs that would work well here. I added some of my all-time favorite, Herbs de Provence.

What would you like to accompany this dish? So many choices! How about making polenta in another slow cooker or on the stove top? That’s comfort food in a bowl right there.

During the winter time, braising in the oven heats up my home beautifully. In warmer weather, I prefer to put this in the slow cooker because it kicks out less heat. Plug it in outside to keep things cool inside. Which option suits you best today? Perhaps quick cooking chops are more your style? There’s lots to love about lamb rib chops.

Red Lentils and Veggie Scraps Were Made For Frugal Meals

Learn to create flavorful, frugal meals using basic pantry items and practicing no waste cooking.

Stocking a pantry with nutritional, dried foods and making sure to use everything you buy lead to frugal meals and zero waste cooking. Combining with fresh and frozen ingredients, using whatever is readily available will make you a better cook and save you money. What do you do with vegetable scraps like the ends of carrots, celery, onions and various stems? It might not seem like much to toss a few away each time you prepare a meal, but you would be surprised how useful they are if you collect them. Keep a big, zippered plastic bag in the freezer for this purpose. Toss all your scraps in there each day and before long, you will find that you have a bag full of free flavor waiting to happen.

Once your freezer bag is full, dump it in a stockpot and fill with water. Let it boil away until you have a rich, flavorful veggie stock. Cool and freeze for later or use in soup, rice or beans. The possibilities are endless. How about cooking a bag of red lentils with it? No waste cooking never tasted so good.

Your imagination is the only limit on how to season the lentils. In this case, I decided that my homemade veggie stock was so full of flavor that I simply added some turmeric and saffron and simmered for 20 minutes. Salt to taste before serving.

A Note on Frugal Meals

Pictured above, I plated the lentils with sautéed fresh spinach and sea scallops. I wouldn’t exactly call the scallops an inexpensive protein, but relying on pantry staples like legumes or rice to bulk up your meal means that you can serve fewer of them per person. Therefore you stretch your dollar on the more indulgent items. I finished these seared scallops with a drizzle of truffle oil, which is another splurge, but a little goes a long way. So I think it deserves an honored place in my pantry as well.

While being very low in fat, a quarter cup of dry red lentils offers 4 grams of dietary fiber and 8 grams of protein. They’re quick cooking and require no soaking, which makes them a cinch to cook up anytime and serve throughout the week. Add them to a salad or turn them into burgers.

For a very frugal, vegan meal using red lentils, try this easy and filling stew.

Quickly Brighten Your Day With Zippy Ginger Chicken

Transport yourself to a sunnier place with this quick ginger chicken.

With all the extreme weather being experienced elsewhere, I don’t feel justified in complaining about the ever present gloomy skies we’ve had lately. Instead, I chose to cook something zippy to put a little spring in our step. What better to do that than ginger chicken topped with a tangy, savory sauce?

Turning to my treasure chest of freezer flavor gems, I pulled out some ginger root and broke off a couple of 1 inch chunks and peeled them. After mincing in the food processor along with a couple of cloves of garlic, I coated 5 chicken thighs with a touch of grapeseed oil and smeared them with the ginger and garlic. Covered and refrigerated for a few hours. I don’t suppose it’s necessary to start ahead this way, but it seemed the thing to do while waiting for laundry to finish the wash cycle. How did 24 pairs of my husband’s underwear pile up while I wasn’t looking? I’m sure it hasn’t been 3 weeks since I did laundry…

Anyway, now that I had started with my anchor ingredient, I was free to create using veggies on hand. I had purchased these darling pre-packaged snow peas on clearance, so I figured we couldn’t go wrong with an Asian theme here. After blanching and putting in an ice bath, they got tossed with a few drops of sesame oil, a sprinkle of salt and sesame seeds. I love them when they’re bright green and crisp.

Cooking the Ginger Chicken

While baking chicken in a preheated 425 degree oven for 35-40 minutes, I made a quick sauce of equal parts lime juice and soy sauce. I love the bold combination of umami and citrus, but you could absolutely cut it with a little water or chicken broth to mellow it a bit. Then you just need to thicken it up on the stovetop for a couple minutes. I used about half a teaspoon of rice flour because it was handy, but cornstarch would work just as well. Heat while whisking and take it off the heat once it has reached the desired consistency.

Given the combination of spicy, tangy and salty flavors going on here, I thought some fresh cilantro would top things off with a fresh herbal component. Is it Vietnamese inspired? I’m not going to claim to be an expert on that cuisine, but it did transport us to a sunnier place if only for a short time. Food has a way of doing that, don’t you agree?

Ingredients for This Ginger Chicken:

minced ginger
minced garlic
chicken thighs
grapeseed oil
soy sauce
lime juice
rice flour

Is it true that food can affect your mood for better or worse? If you’ve ever crashed after a sugar high, you can answer that. I was curious and decided to see what the internet had to say about ginger in this regard. I found this interesting article.

To be sure, ginger is an acquired taste. Perhaps it’s new to your palate. You could certainly cut down on the amount I used above. You might start by adding it in small amounts in combination with other spices. Fall is just around the corner. You may enjoy this sunny, squash stew with just a hint of ginger in the background.

Cold Soba Is the Perfect Picnic Food To Pack

Packing a picnic is simple with cold soba noodles and veggies.

Ready to pack a picnic? Try cold soba, Japanese buckwheat noodles. Preparing the noodles and sauce the day before makes for a deliciously simple picnic lunch. Remember to pack some wasabi, furikake (seasoning of sesame seeds and seaweed) and green onions for serving.

You can buy both dried soba and the appropriate tsuyu (soup base) at an Asian market or you can easily make your own sauce with a few basic ingredients. Find out how in this previous post. After rinsing cooked noodles in cold water and draining, I would toss the noodles in a little sauce and green onions before refrigerating for a picnic. Pack additional sauce on the side.

a table set for two with cold soba, panko crusted seafood and green beans

Blanched green beans, refrigerated after tossing with sesame oil and sesame seeds are a nice colorful veggie accompaniment. Panko crusted fried shrimp, scallops and squid rounded out the dish pictured here, but for a picnic I would be just as happy with cold citrus marinated seafood or even a can of sardines or smoked herring. Keep it as simple as possible when packing a picnic. That’s what makes it fun!

In case soba is new to you, here’s a picture of a package.

Shopping List for Cold Soba Picnic:

soba noodles
tsuyu
green onions
wasabi
furikake
green beans
sesame oil
sesame seeds
cold or canned seafood of your choice

What’s your favorite cold picnic food to pack?

Hatching an Easy Plan for Hatch Chiles

Enjoy seasonal produce with this simple hatch chile casserole.

When I saw hatch chiles on sale at the market, I grabbed a handful without knowing what I would do with them. Beautiful, fresh, seasonal produce has a way of seducing me and I always find a delicious way to use it. What’s your favorite preparation for these big, mildly hot peppers?

How about making a simple casserole? When I was first married, my mother-in-law gave me a recipe for a chili relleno casserole using canned chilies, cream, eggs and cheese. I used to serve it with a big pot of chili along with a salad to feed a house full of guests without a lot of fuss. So that was my inspiration for this easy weeknight dinner.

baked hatch chiles in a glass casserole dish

After cutting the tops off the chiles, splitting them in half and removing the seeds, I placed them in a greased casserole dish. Poured in a mixture of beaten eggs and half and half, topped with grated colby jack cheese and baked at 350 for 45 minutes. Sprinkled toasted panko crumbs on top to add a bit of texture in lieu of frying.

Learn to develop your intuition in the kitchen as you get inspired by seasonal produce and start cooking without a recipe. Adjust proportions to suit your needs and let me know what you add or subtract to make a similar casserole.

Ingredients for Hatch Chile Casserole:

3 1/2 hatch chiles, halved
4 eggs
1 cup half and half
pinch of salt
4-5 ounces colby jack cheese
handful of toasted panko crumbs

hatch chile relleno casserole with black beans and rice on a white plate on a table set for two.

Why did I use 3 1/2 chiles? Because I had already greased a casserole dish that turned out to be a tad too small for 4. After baking, I thought that I could have just topped the casserole with the remaining half, but no worries. The remainder will go into another dish this week. Maybe an omelet? Who knows?!

What if you have leftover casserole? I reheated it and put into a burrito with pinto beans and salsa for lunch the next day. I don’t claim to make it the way our favorite Mexican restaurant does, but it was delicious and as easy as can be…just like a pot of my Wicked Quick Chili. How will you make it your own?

Want to Know How to Cook Turnip Greens?

Develop your intuition in the kitchen as you learn how to cook turnip greens without a recipe.

Without a suitable place to grow vegetables, I rely on local markets for fresh produce UNLESS a friend shares their bounty. Imagine how thrilled I was to receive a newly harvested turnip from a friend’s garden! I have never seen one so fresh with leaves still attached. A gorgeous green crown with a little sparkling gem at the bottom. Isn’t it darling? Are you wondering how to cook turnip greens?

fresh turnip with greens attached lying in a basket

Never having purchased such a fresh turnip, I had also never had the opportunity to prepare the greens. That was my first order of business, as with other root vegetables: Eat the greens first and the root later. What’s your favorite way to prepare turnip greens?

After washing and roughly chopping the greens, I sautéed them briefly in olive oil with minced garlic and tasted. Deciding they could be sweetened up a bit, I took an ice cube of tomato preserves out of my treasure chest of flavor gems and mixed that in. Grated asiago cheese on top added a saltiness and richer mouthfeel. I enjoyed them this way, but my husband is less a fan of bitter greens than I am. So, next time I might consider starting with some bacon or sausage to balance that out a bit more. More fat mellows the flavor. Or these greens could be combined with milder greens such as beet greens or spinach. How about tossing some raisins or apples in there instead?

turnip greens on a white plate. a slice of pizza and a wedge of asiago in the background

Another idea is to quickly blanch them first as I often do with rapini. That’s delicious with sausage and pasta. Hmm…maybe I could try that dish with the turnip greens next time.

What about the root? Usually I cook turnips, but this one was so fresh and petite that I decided to slice it super thin and put it into a salad raw. Shaved asiago balanced out the sharpness of the turnip. Freshly picked produce is the best!

romaine salad with turnips and asiago on a white plate. Asiago and peeler on the side

Developing your intuition in the kitchen while practicing zero waste cooking without a recipe is so gratifying. Who’s with me?

Look to Italy for Unique Pizza Ideas

You can make Quattro Stagioni pizza at home with a few basic ingredients.

Looking for unique pizza ideas? The beauty of making them at home is that you can create something delicious based on ingredients you have available. Start with a good, store bought pizza dough. Roll it out as thin as you like while preheating your pizza stones in a 500 degree oven. We routinely make two pizzas from one pound of dough. I keep a couple balls of dough in the freezer so we can make them whenever the mood strikes. If you would like to make your own dough from scratch, here’s a recipe from dishcrawl.com.

One of my favorites that can be made with basics I usually have on hand is Quattro Stagioni, meaning the 4 seasons represented by each of the ingredients. We first had it in Venice at one of the few places that was open while everyone else was enjoying siesta. We hadn’t adapted to local time/customs yet that early in the trip.

You can decide if you want to arrange the ingredients separately on each quadrant of the pizza or distribute them evenly, which is the way we often do it.

quattro stagioni pizza on a white plate. red wine on the side

Once you have rolled out the dough and placed on a preheated pizza stone, top with red sauce. Sometimes we use store bought sauce and sometimes I make it myself. Top with mozzarella and follow with the ingredients listed below.

Toppings For Quattro Stagioni Pizza

sliced capicola ham or prosciutto
chopped black olives such as Kalamata
sliced mushrooms
artichoke hearts

Why do I say this is one of those unique pizza ideas that you can make from ingredients on hand? Because even if you don’t have fresh mushrooms or artichokes, you can always keep some in the freezer and canned in the pantry. That’s one of my strategies for being prepared and shopping less often while always having the makings of a great meal.

We don’t buy capicola often, but prosciutto makes a regular appearance at our place, so even if I didn’t buy it for this pizza in particular, it’s likely that I have a few slices sitting in the refrigerator. And guess what? Using even 3 out of 4 of these items still makes a great pizza.

Bake for 10 minutes or until crust is golden.

Ingredients for Basic Red Pizza Sauce:

a few cloves of garlic
canned tomatoes
basil (dried or fresh)
oregano (dried or fresh)
French thyme (dried or fresh)
olive oil

Chop the garlic first and then add the other ingredients to taste and puree. Buon appetito!

By the way, fantastic pizza doesn’t always require red sauce. Learn step by step how to make our favorite pizza without it.

Start Your Party With Easy Cheesy Corn Dip

Try this easy cheesy corn dip for a no-fuss crowd pleaser.

Dips are a great way to start a party or to snack on anytime. There are endless possibilities as far as dips are concerned. Roasted vegetables such as eggplant or red bell pepper make a great base. How many fresh vegetables have you experimented with? How about sweet summer corn? It’s on sale and it’s amazing this time of year. I enjoy roasting more than I need for one meal and finding fun ways to incorporate it into future meals, such as an easy cheesy corn dip.

Of course you could boil the corn or put it on the grill. Here’s how I roast corn in the oven: Leave it in the husk, rinse with water and put into preheated 425 degree oven for 45 minutes. It’s delicious with shrimp and okra for dinner. But be sure to save some corn for dip the next day!

corn dip in red cabbage bowl with celery on a white platter. tortilla chips and olives on the side with a cocktail.

Here I started with 3 roasted corncobs. Cutting off the kernels yielded just over 2 cups. Pulsing it in the food processor, I added 16 ounces of Greek yogurt, 4 ounces blue cheese, one chipotle pepper and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Pureed until smooth. How long did that take? All of 2 minutes?!

This dip could serve 8 people as a starter, but I could make a meal of it myself! How about a bit of it as a topping for steak with a salad? Serve it with chips, crackers, toasted bread, shrimp or my personal favorite: celery. Who doesn’t love blue cheese with celery? Not a fan of blue cheese? Try it with feta instead. Want to sweeten things up a bit? How about adding some figs?

Ingredients for Corn Dip:

2+ cups of roasted corn
16 ounces of Greek yogurt (2 %)
4 ounces blue cheese
one chipotle pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt

If you make this a few hours ahead, it will give the flavors a chance to meld and will taste even better.

What else do you like to do with corn? Try serving it with red beans and rice. It’s a simple meal that can feed an army.

You can’t go wrong eating with the seasons. A visit to your local farmers market will show you what’s in abundance and at its peak in quality. At the supermarket, take note of what’s on sale as it often reflects the same. My favorite way to shop is without a list, taking note of what looks fresh and vibrant in the produce department. That’s where I spend most of my time before moving on to the rest of the perimeter of the store for fresh meats and seafood, dairy etc. Are you shopping without a list yet? Here’s the story behind how I got started with this method. Shop smart, work smarter not harder and enjoy each meal because food brings us together.

Simple Meals and Fresh Produce Define Summer

What’s at your local farmers market that will inspire simple meals this season?

Part of the beauty of summer is its produce and how they combine for delicious, simple meals. Take corn for example. It’s sweet, it’s on sale and who doesn’t love it? Serve it on the cob after roasting in the oven or grilling. Cook more than you need for one meal and cut the kernels off for another meal a couple days later. Whole grains, like barley, are another thing I often cook extra of in order to toss together a quick meal another day. Work smarter, not harder as you develop confidence in the kitchen.

I hear that some cultures prepare okra whole and I’m interested to try it that way. Does anyone have a suggestion? I usually slice it into half inch pieces and sauté in olive oil until the goo inside cooks out. That’s what I know about cooking okra so that it doesn’t have a slimy texture. It’s delicious, in case you were unsure about okra until now…After that, you can add the other vegetables you desire, such as onion and celery. Maybe a tomato or a pepper? What’s in your garden? Season it up with some garlic, French thyme or oregano…or what else?

a simple meal of shrimp with barley and seasonal vegetables on a white plate

Cooking without a recipe is simple if you stock basic pantry items, proteins in the freezer and combine with fresh seasonal produce. After defrosting shrimp and tossing in olive oil and garlic powder, they cooked in the skillet with the vegetables and barley. Put them in once everything else is tender so they don’t overcook. They only need a few minutes to turn pink. Topped off with an avocado and hot sauce, this was a delightful meal requiring very little prep. More time for the ones you love, I say.

And please remember to boil the shrimp shells for zero waste cooking. You will thank yourself later for thinking ahead and simplifying future meal prep with free flavor gems.

Which simple meals define summer for you? Please leave a comment and share using buttons below if you found anything useful here.

Cream of Mushroom Soup to the Rescue

Make a quick and easy meal with a few basic ingredients.

What can you do with a can of cream of mushroom soup? What other ingredients do you have on hand? Grab a protein, a vegetable and a starch because here’s what to cook for dinner tonight. Easy. No recipe required.

After watching one of Jacques Pepin’s brief videos on budget friendly meals to help those struggling with food insecurity, I developed a craving for cream of mushroom soup. He used it to make a tuna casserole with rice and canned green beans. Simple, cheap and filling. Nothing fancy, but it served its purpose. How about trying it with fresh or frozen fish and fresh or frozen green beans rather than canned? Simply thin out the soup with just enough water to give it a saucy consistency and poach the fish in it.

Maybe it’s a throwback to the 70’s, but when I was a kid, we always had a canned cream of something in the pantry. Would I use it every day? No, I don’t open cans often, but once in a while it makes pulling together a simple meal quickly a no-brainer.

Pasta Is Just As Easy

I remember having a friend over once in my late teens and we were talking about getting a place together as roommates. She was so worried about who would do the cooking. I laughed and said we would. She had never cooked before and I didn’t have a lot of experience either, but I had no doubt that we could learn to feed ourselves. That night I made pasta with some chicken and cream of mushroom soup. She thought I was a genius. I laughed again. 3 simple ingredients, folks. That’s all you need.

Hey, start by browning some ground beef, turkey or tofu instead. Add some fresh asparagus at the end when you toss it all together. Make it look a little more elegant by making meatballs if you like. What other vegetables do you have on hand? Try snow peas or broccoli. You’re only limited by your imagination and what’s on hand. Getting dinner on the table tonight can be this easy.

Want more veg and less starch? Think Spring With Asparagus and Farro.