Tag: Vegetable

Crunchy Onion Rings

4 servings

Ingredients

1 pound Visalia onions. Cut into 1/3 to 1/2 inch slices and separate into rings

3 C buttermilk

2 C flour

1 C yellow cornmeal

2 T cumin

1 t salt

3 T ancho chili powder

1 t cayenne

4 C peanut oil

Directions

Heat oil to 365 degrees F in large deep skillet. Mix flour, cornmeal, cumin, chili powder,cayenne,salt,and pepper in large bowl.Pour buttermilk into large bowl and add onion rings. Dredge onion rings in flour. Add coated onion rings to oil and cook until golden brown about 2 – 3 minutes. Transfer to cookie rack covered with layer of paper towel to drain. Ready to serve.

White Bean Rosemary Pasta Soup

A delicious,healthy, easy to make soup with lots of beans and pasta with a delightful rosemary garlic broth. P.S. The conchiglie pasta captures the beans.

 Ingredients

1 medium sweet onion chopped

1 cup fine diced carrots

1 cup fine diced celery or 3 stalks

3 T olive oil

2 cans cannellini beans drained and washed

1 can garbanzo beans drained and washed

5 cups vegetable broth* or chicken broth

1/3 cup crushed tomatoes – Pomi Crushed if available

6 rosemary stems tied*

1/4 t crushed red pepper

1 1/2 cup Conchiglie* shells or large shell pasta.

Salt and pepper

Directions

In medium sauce pan sauté onions, carrots, and celery in olive oil for about 5 minutes.

Add 2 cups of broth, beans, rosemary, and crushed red pepper. Cook over medium high heat for 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Add 3 cups of broth and pasta. Bring to boil and simmer for 12-15 minutes.

Remove rosemary stems.

Serve with toasted rosemary bread or sourdough for dipping and a green salad.

Notes

* We use Swanson’s ® vegetable broth when we are having a vegetarian meal. It does not have a heavy carrot influence.

* I love Rosemary. Most people would use 1 or 2 stems.

* Conchiglie shells are usually hard to find in our grocery stores but are preferred in this soup. The on-line stores have them or use large shells.

 

 

E’s Couscous Salad

Ingredients

1 box Near East® Original Couscous

2 cups vegetable broth

1 T olive oil

1 cucumber diced

1 package green onions chopped

1 tomato diced

1 can black olives diced

1/2 cup red pepper diced

1 cup feta crumbled*

2 T olive oil

Paul Newman® Italian Dressing

Salt and pepper

Pine nuts toasted

Directions

Serves 6-8

Bring broth and oil to boil. Add couscous then cover and remove from heat. Let stand for 5 minutes then remove cover and fluff. Concurrently add all vegetables, Feta, and black olives to salad bowl and toss with Italian dressing and set them aside to marinate.  Add couscous to vegetables . Add olive oil and mix. Add additional Italian dressing to sufficiently coat and season salad. I add a few tablespoons at a time so ingredients are coated but not drowning. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve with pine nuts sprinkled on the top.

Note:

We serve this with grilled salmon, corn salsa,and a huge green salad. For dessert frozen raspberry jam with vanilla ice cream.

*President® Feta and Greek fetas are recommended. Drier with a nice crumble for salads. Danish types are creamier

 

My Grandmother’s Summer Salad(Pasta)

Ingredients

3 cups pasta rinsed and drained*

1 cup celery diced

1/2 cup radishes large dice plus 3 for decorating

1/4 cup green onions

1/4 cup carrots diced

1/4 cup new peas

1 t parsley chopped

2 eggs hard boiled diced plus one for decorating

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup sour cream

1 t Dijon or yellow mustard

Salt and pepper

Paprika

Directions

*My Grandmother liked to use bows(Farafalle) or spirals(Fusilli) instead of elbow macaroni.

In small bowl combine mayonnaise, sour cream, and mustard and set aside. In serving bowl add pasta and vegetables and toss. Add the dressing and combine.  Season liberally with salt and pepper. She then dressed her finished salads with rose radishes and egg slices arranged on top and sprinkled paprika on the eggs. I use egg slices and radish slices with chopped parsley or cilantro in place of paprika for dressing up finished salad. Refrigerate a couple hours for ingredients to blend. 6 servings

Note: My Grandmother had three vegetable gardens every summer. She raised food for summer feasting with family and friends but also put away food for the winter months.

 

 

Chunky Cauliflower Potato Smash

Ingredients

1 1/2 pound Yukon Gold potatoes small with skin on

1 shallot chopped

2 cups cauliflower florets

4 T sour cream

2 T butter

1 t salt

Fresh ground pepper

Directions

Wash then cover potatoes and shallots with cold salted water in 4 quart pan.  Bring to boil over high heat. Boil for about 15 -18 minutes. Add cauliflower and boil  until potatoes are fork tender. Drain potatoes into colander and put back into pan. Add sour cream, butter , salt, and pepper then fork smash. Adjust seasoning and serve.

 

Chicken Vegetable Noodle Soup

Ingredients

1 cooked chicken breast cut into bite sized pieces

2 carrots diced

3/4 cup frozen  peas

1/2 cup fresh green beans chopped

2 garlic cloves minced

1 T olive oil

2 t Better Than Bouillon chicken flavor

4,cups organic chicken broth

1/2 t herbs de Provence

Salt and pepper

4 oz or about 1 inch in diameter dry  fettucine

Directions

Bring 4 cups of lightly salted water to boil. Add fettucine and cook until al dente about 8-10 minutes. Drain and save 1/2 cup pasta water.

Mean while add olive oil to large sauce pan over medium heat. Add garlic and cook about 1 minute until fragrant. Add carrots, green beans, broth, bouillon, and herbs de Provence and cook 5-6 minutes. Add peas and cook 2 minutes. Add pasta and cook 2-3 minutes to meld flavors. Season and add pasta water if additional broth is needed. Serve with toasted Rosemary bread.

Asian Style Kale

Ingredients

2 bunches leafy or Tusan style kale, washed, stemmed, and chopped

4 garlic cloves minced

1 T grape seed or olive oil

1 t sesame oil

1 t soy sauce

1/2 t red pepper flakes

2 T vegetable or chicken broth

1 T rice wine vinegar(Mirin)

Salt and pepper

 Directions

Add all ingredients but kale to skillet over medium high heat. Sauté for 2 minutes for flavors to combine. Add kale and toss 3-4 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve

 

 

 

 

Dijon Potato Salad

A simple potato salad with dijon and caper dressing for lunch or weekend barbecue.

Potatoes

2 pounds of Russet potatoes

2 T  cider vinegar

1 T salt

1T sugar

Peel and cube potatoes. Add to 2 quarts cold water with 1 T  cider vinegar, salt, and sugar.Bring to boil and cook for about 10 minutes.  Remove from heat drain and add 1 T cider vinegar and toss gently. Cool potatoes.

Dressing

3/4 cup sour cream

1/3 cup mayonnaise

1 T Dijon mustard

1/2 red onion chopped

3 Claussen mini dill pickles chopped or 1/2 cup green olives chopped

1/2 cup diced celery

3 boiled eggs chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

Mix sour cream, mayonnaise, and mustard together. Add remaining ingredients and toss together. Add to cooled potatoes and adjust seasoning. Refrigerate for at least one hour.

 

 

 

 

 

Flavorful Kale

Ingredients

1 large bunch curly kale, stemmed, rough chopped

3 T olive oil

4 garlic cloves chopped

1/4 t red pepper flakes

1/4 cup vegetable or chicken broth

2 T red wine vinegar

Salt and pepper

Directions 

Check kale for grit, wash and pat dry. I use paper towels. Heat olive oil in large skillet and add pepper flakes for 30 seconds over medium high heat. Add garlic cook until soft. Add in kale and toss using tongs  until coated. Add broth and cook 3 minutes. Add vinegar toss and remove from heat. Salt and pepper to taste. Plate and serve.