Vegetable of the Month

It's here, it's here!


This month's veggie is........................

Parsnips!

I love eating root vegetables at this time of year.  They're hearty, comforting, and yummy in your tummy (yes, that's a scientific fact :)!).  Parsnips are a great addition to your root vegetable rotation, along with other veggies you've seen here before (like pumpkin, beets and butternut squash!).

These cream coloured veggies are related to carrots, but they have a sweeter flavour (especially when cooked).  They can be used in similar ways though - including eating parsnips steamed, boiled, baked, roasted, BBQ'ed, in stews and soups, pureed, or even raw.  It can even be used to make wine!  And really, who doesn't love a vegetable that can turn into wine???

 They look like albino carrots.  Why should I eat them?

Like all of the veggies that I've written about before, parsnips are chock full of goodness!  According to the Canadian Nutrient File, 1/2 cup of cooked parsnips will give you:

• about 59 calories
• almost 3g of fibre.  For HALF A CUP! Much of this fibre is soluble fibre, which is the kind that can help to reduce blood cholesterol and help with controlling blood glucose levels.
• 12% of your folate needs, important for heart health and reproductive health (particularly for you women of childbearing age)
• 57% of your niacin needs!
• A surprising 17% of your vitamin C needs (surprising because unlike most other vitamin C-rich foods, parsnips don't have a vibrant colour!).  Vitamin C is helpful in building the immune system's defenses and fighting off infections (no colds for you this winter!)

I'm still suspicious.  How do I cook them so they don't taste gross?

They might not look like the most exciting vegetable, but parsnips have a unique sweet flavour when cooked (because its starches break down into simple sugars, making a tasty treat).  As I mentioned, you can cook parsnips in many ways - pretty well anything you can do to a carrot, you can do to a parsnip.  Here are some of my go-to ways of using this veggie:

• Add a diced parsnip to your beef stew this winter 
• Chop the parsnip into big chunks, and roast with other root veggies (carrots, squash, sweet potato...) with a splash of canola oil and sprinkle of salt and pepper for a great side dish that goes with just about anything
• Puree roasted, boiled, or steamed parnips into soups (much like you would with squash or carrot soups).  Try out combinations of veggies, like cauliflower and parsnip, for a warm winter snuggle-by-the-fire hearty belly-filling soup!

Another great way to prepare your parsnips - CHIPS!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Easy Peasy Parsnip Chips

1. Slice parsnips into thin rounds (use a mandolin if you have one), or you can make stick-chips (like really skinny fries) till you have about 5 cups (5 or 6 parsnips, depending on size).
2. Toss with 2 Tbsp of olive or canola oil, and salt to taste till your chips are lightly coated.  Want to spice things up a bit?  Add some other flavours like cardamom, curry powder, cinnamon, or powdered ginger (about 1/4tsp of these).
3. Lay your chips on a baking sheet in a single layer.
4. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes, flipping them over halfway through.  Watch your chips closer to the end of cooking time - depending on how thick they are, they make not take the whole time to cook (or may need a few minutes more).  They are ready when the chips are crispy and lightly browned.
5. Om nom nom!!

Stay tuned for next month's veggie of the month!

Veggie of the month

Since we're heading into October, it's only right that the veggie of the month this time around iiiissssss......

Pumpkin!

This globular orange gourd is best known for its decorative qualities at Halloween.  But, it's also a nutritional powerhouse!  There's a difference between the pumpkin that you find in the fleshy, little pumpkins and canned pumpkin versus that big jack-o-lantern pumpkin with more goo and seeds than flesh.  And of course, pumpkin pie isn't quite the same thing as cooked pumpkin!

Since when are jack-o-lanterns edible??

Pumpkins are related to other squash, like butternut, acorn and spaghetti squash.  Like its cousins, pumpkins have bright orange flesh, a core filled with pulp and seeds, and a thick orange or yellowish shell (sometimes pumpkins are white, but generally the kind found in grocery stores are orange).  Most parts of the pumpkin are edible, including the flesh, seeds, shell, and even leaves and flowers.

The kind of pumpkin that you get for jack-o-lanterns (big, hollow) aren't as exciting to eat since they don't have much flesh.  Smaller pumpkins will have more flesh than goo inside, and be more worth your while to roast or boil to eat.  However, the seeds that you scoop out from your jack-o-lantern pumpkin are definitely great to eat!  More on that later.

I like pumpkin pie.  But I hate vegetables.

Pumpkin pie is a fun treat on Thanksgiving, sure - but pumpkin on its own without the pie is also delicious and super nutritious!  Check out these stats from the Canadian Nutrient File!

For a 1/2 cup of cooked, mashed pumpkin (1 serving), you get:

• Just 44 calories!
• About 4 grams of fibre!  That's a whole lot of fibre for only a HALF CUP of a vegetable, and will help you to feel full longer, help to stabilize blood glucose levels, and may even help with weight loss.
• 17% of a man's Vitamin K needs, or 22% of a woman's needs.  This vitamin is important for blood coagulation and bone health.
• An amazing 140% of your Vitamin A needs!  Getting enough vitamin A is important for growth and development, maintaining a healthy immune system, and vision health.   
• A crapload (yes, CRAPLOAD!) of beta-carotene!  Beta-carotene is a precursor of Vitamin A, and an important antioxidant that may be helpful in treating some types of cancer.
• 22% of a man's iron needs, or 10% of a woman's needs.  For a veggie to provide that amount of iron in only half a cup is pretty impressive!
• about 6% of your potassium needs, an important electrolyte to maintain fluid balance in the body.  What?  Six percent doesn't sound like much?  Well, per half cup of pumpkin you get about 267mg of potassium - that's about the same as the same volume of bananas!

Wow!  And you thought that pumpkins were only good for pie.

I bought pumpkin seeds at Bulk Barn.  What's the deal with those?

Sweet!  Pumpkin seeds are also a great nutritional powerhouse!  You can find them in grocery stores or bulk stores (look for roasted unsalted seeds), or just roast them up yourself after scooping out the goo from your jack-o-lantern.  The little green kind that you often find in grocery stores/bulk stores are the kernals of the seeds, while the big white flat seeds are the whole seed.  Pumpkin seeds are a great source of zinc, needed for immune system functioning, cell division and growth, wound healing, and other bodily functions.  Zinc is also used in production of testosterone - which many women experience low levels of, contributing to low sex drive.  So ladies.  If you're looking to get your sexy on, toss some pumpkin seeds in your salad every once in a while ;)

I bought a pumpkin.   Now what....?

Hooray!  Let's get cooking! 

One of the easiest ways to use pumpkin's flesh is by roasting or boiling it, and mashing/pureeing.  The puree can then be used in a huge variety of ways.  Of course, if you can't find pumpkin in your grocery store/market, or just don't want to deal with the hassle of cooking a pumpkin just to mash it up anyway, you can get canned puree pumpkin in most grocery stores (sometimes found in the baking needs section rather than canned vegetables section).  Be careful to purchase pure puree pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling.  They're often placed right next to each other and labelled similarly, so take your time picking a can.

I use pumpkin often in breakfast in the fall and winter.  I posted once before a recipe for ridiculously fluffy pumpkin pancakes.  I also often put in about 2-4Tbsp of pumpkin puree into my steel cut oatmeal, along with a sprinkle of brown sugar (not too much, maybe 1/2-1tsp), cinnamon and nutmeg (or if you have it, pumpkin pie spice).  Mmmmmmmmmmm.   Pumpkin puree can also be used in many dessert and baking recipes (like pie, cookies, loaves, muffins, etc etc etc...)

One of my all time favourite ways to use puree pumpkin, though, is CURRY!!!!!!!!!!!!  When pumpkin is added in curries, it takes on a sweeter flavour, helping to balance out the spiciness.  Try out this recipe for Pumpkin Shrimp Curry!

• 2 Tbsp olive oil or canola oil
• 1 cup diced onion
• 1 Tbsp each minced ginger and minced garlic
• 1/2-3/4 cups diced tomatoes (about 2-3 Roma tomatoes - they have more flesh than juice compared to the big hothouse kind of tomatoes!)
• 1 15oz can of puree pumpkin
• 2 cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken stock
• 1 cup coconut milk (** don't want leftover coconut milk?  Just use less stock and toss the whole can of coconut milk in.  Use 1 cup of stock to start, and if needed, add more later in cooking if the curry is too thick)
• 1 1/2tsp curry powder
• cayenne pepper to taste (about 1/8-1/4tsp)
• 1lb peeled, deveined shrimp
• 1 1/2tsp lime juice
• optional: 1 cup diced butternut squash.  No squash around?  Try 1 cup sweet potato, or just add some more diced tomato (about 1 1/2 cups total tomatoes).

Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat, and sautee onion and ginger till soft and fragrant (about 5 minutes), then add garlic and mix another minute.  Add the tomatoes and pumpkin puree, stirring frequently till the pumpkin becomes a golden brown (about 8-10 minutes).

Add broth, coconut milk, curry powder and cayenne pepper, and simmer for about 20 minutes.  Add the squash (if using), shrimp and lime juice, and continue cooking till shrimp is cooked through and squash is tender.

Serve on steamed rice with a sprinkle of fresh chopped cilantro, if desired :)

But wait!  What about all those seeds from my jack-o-lantern!??!

When I was a kid, I loved doing the pumpkin carving and getting covered in the sloppy insides of the pumpkin.  But the best part of jack-o-lantern carving was getting to eat the aftermath by roasting the pumpkin seeds!!!

Get rid of any of the stringy goo that accompanies the seeds, and rinse your seeds to get residual slime off.  Toss your seeds in a bowl with about 1-2Tbsp of olive or canola oil (depends on how many seeds you get out).  You can toss it in the oven as is to just get roasted seeds, or try flavouring with:

• garlic salt (my favourite thing in the world as a kid)
• Sweet seeds: 1 tsp each cinnamon, ground ginger and cloves, and 1Tbsp brown sugar
• Spicy seeds: 1/2 tsp each garlic salt and chili powder (want an extra kick?  Sprinkle in some cayenne too!)  

Spread the seeds out in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (to prevent sticking and dealing with cleaning up later) and roast at 250 degrees for about an hour, till they are crispy and golden.  Stir them around every 10-15 minutes.  After removing from the oven, the seeds will become crunchier as they cool.  Let the seeds cool completely, and eat either whole or shelled.

Veggie of the month

Yes friends, it's that time again!  September's veggie of the month issssss..............




Leeks!!!

This veggie is in the same family as garlic and onions, resembling a gigantic scallion.  Instead of forming a bulb like onions though, leeks create layers by "trenching" through soil, adding layer upon layer of a mild onion-y flavoured stalk.  

What do I do with leeks?
The most important thing to do with leeks is to WASH THEM.  Because of their growing pattern (growing layers by pushing out dirt around them), soil often stays trapped in between layers of the white part of the leek.  There are a few easy ways to clean them:

1. Chop off the root, and slice your leek lengthwise about halfway up the stalk.  Swish it around in a bowlful of water to open up the layers like a broom.  The dirt between layers will fall out and sink to the bottom of the bowl.
2. Chop the edible portion of the leek (see below) into rounds (cutting crossways), and place the rounds in a bowl of water.  Push into the round to separate the layers.  Swish around and watch the dirt fall out!  If your leek is pretty tightly layered, especially in the smallest few layers, you might want to cut them in half to be sure that all the dirt is gone.

The edible portion of the leek includes the white part, and some of the light green portion.  The dark green stems are not considered edible, as they have a tough texture and not as nice a flavour.  However, they can be saved to use in making veggie or chicken stocks, or gather them in a bunch and add to a pot to add flavour to soups.

What's so great about leeks anyway?
Like other onions and members of the allium family, leeks host many health benefits.  These veggies are reported to have antimicrobial properties, and contain nutrients that make them anti-arthritic, hypoglycemic, and possibly anti-tumor agents.  They tend to be milder in flavour than a white onion, so some people find them easier to eat (and they don't make you cry :)!).  This mild and more delicate flavour pairs well with fish, shellfish, potatoes, and white wine sauces; they are also a great choice for casseroles, tarts and soups as they won't overpower other ingredients, but add a subtle oniony taste and hint of sweetness.  They are also reportedly easier to digest than standard onions, and have some laxative, antiseptic and anti-diuretic properties.

For a 1/2 cup serving of leeks (the white and light green portions), you get:

• a mere 29 calories
• 8% of your daily vitamin C needs 
• about 8% of your folate needs, an important nutrient to protect against heart disease and promote cell development
• 1.5g of fibre 

What do I do with leeks?
Leeks can be steamed, pan-fried or sauteed, blended into soups, or added to just about any dish that you would use onions in.  One of my all-time favourite things to do with leeks is potato leek soup, but, I've posted that recipe before :)  Another of my favourite things to do with leeks: make sauces to serve over fish and chicken!  Here is a recipe for a delicious sole filet with leek and white wine sauce - but you could use chicken instead if sole isn't your thing.  Either bake the chicken with the sauce basted on top, or pan-fry the chicken in the same pan that you made the sauce in!

Steamed Sole with Tomato Leek White Wine Sauce*
*credit to AllRecipes.com for this one

1 Tbsp olive oil or canola oil
1 cup cleaned, sliced leeks
1 or 2 cloves minced garlic
1/2 cup dry white wine
3 tomatoes, chopped
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried dill
2 filets sole (about 6oz each)

Heat the oil in a pan, then saute leeks and garlic till fragrant and soft, about 3 minutes.  Add the white wine and simmer.  Add tomatoes, chicken broth, thyme and dill.  Simmer uncovered till the sauce reduces to about half.
Lay the sole filets on top of the veggie mixture and cover the skillet.  Keep simmering about 10 minutes to steam the sole, until it can be flaked easily.
Serve with the sauce ladled over top of the fish.

Vegetable of the Month

This month I asked boyfriend what the vegetable of the month should be.  His random response:

RADICCHIO!

I say that it's a completely random response because a) I'm not sure that he's ever even eaten radicchio, and b) who thinks of radicchio as the first veggie off the top of their head???

In any case, it turns out that radicchio is actually in season in Ontario right now!  Go figure!  

What is radicchio?

Though it looks like a fancy purple lettuce or a miniature cabbage, radicchio is part of the chicory family of leafy veggies, and sometimes known as "Italian chicory".  It has a deep red, purplish colour and tightly held leaves, with white veins running throughout.  The variety most often found in the USA and Canada is round and about the size of a grapefruit, however other varieties can be found that resemble endive (small football-shape)  It's flavour is quite bitter when eaten raw, but mellows when it is cooked.  You may have seen this veggie in salad mixes that have red leaves included.

So why should I eat it?

Lots of reasons!  Like most of the veggies I've written about in these posts, radicchio also boasts a low caloric value and high nutrient, vitamin and mineral content.  Like most other rich coloured veggies, radicchio also holds antioxidants!  Radicchio contains anthocyanin, like red cabbage, a water-soluble pigment and flavanoid that research suggests may be beneficial against cancer cell growth and DNA damage, inflammatory diseases, and diabetes. 

On top of all those disease-fighting properties, according to the Canadian Nutrient File 1 cup of shredded radicchio will give you:

• a mere 10 calories!
• 6% of your daily folate needs
• Over 100% of women's daily Vitamin K need (90% for males)!  Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin needed to produce proteins used in blood coagulation and bone metabolism.
• Lutein, a carotenoid that plays a role in eye health and preventing macular degeneration.

Wow!!!

How do I eat radicchio?

You can eat radicchio raw or cooked.  Raw radicchio can be shredded like cabbage, or torn into smaller leaves and included with your green salad or in lettuce mixes.  It adds a slightly peppery or spicy flavour and bitterness, adding some creativity to your plain old boring salad.

If you're not into the bitter leafy veggies thing though, radicchio can also be cooked, which helps to mellow out the bitter flavour but retain the peppery qualities.  Since it's summertime though, why cook radicchio when you can grill it!

Grilled Radicchio Salad

You can add grilled radicchio to any other ordinary salad for a little something different, or have it all on its own. Simply cut your radicchio heads in half, spray with non-stick cooking spray or rub with a bit of canola oil to prevent sticking to the grill, and plop it on the barbeque for about 2-3 minutes per side until the whole thing is lightly browned.  Chop up the grilled radicchio into bite-sized bits.  From here, anything goes!  I like grilled radicchio salad with a citrusy vinaigrette (see below), a few orange segments, and walnuts or sunflower seeds.

Simple citrusy vinaigrette: combine 2 Tbsp canola oil with 2 Tbsp white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar (more if you like a more vinegary dressing - I like it with an equal oil-to-vinegar ratio).  Add 1/2 to 1 tsp honey (depending on taste), orange zest or lemon zest, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper.  You could also reduce the honey and replace with orange juice if desired.  Try changing up the orange with other citrusy flavours like grapefruit!

Vegetable of the Month

Hey, guess what?  This is Snack Sweat Spirit's 100th post!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What a great day to bring you another tasty Vegetable of the Month :D!




Drumroll please!


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It's RHUBARB!!!

Though this leafy plant is often associated with fruit, it is indeed actually a veggie!  Once revered for its medicinal properties, today rhubarb's fruity flavour is enjoyed during the springtime before most other fruits are available locally.  These ruby red stalks are just coming out of season in Ontario, so get them while they're still available!

According to the Canadian Nutrient File, 1 cup of diced raw rhubarb will yield...

• only 27 calories!  Almost 0 fat, only 5g of carbohydrate, and 1g of protein
• Over 2g of fibre, helping you feel fuller longer!
• About 11% of your daily calcium needs 
• About 8% of your daily potassium needs, an important mineral that aids in digestive and kidney health, and may help to lower blood pressure
• About 13% of your Vitamin C!

EatRightOntario, run by the Dietitians of Canada, and Canadian Living have great articles about the benefits of rhubarb, preparation ideas, how to choose rhubarb, and how to store and freeze it.  Here are a few highlights to help you enjoy this veggie as soon as possible!

Look for rhubarb that is still crisp, not soft or saggy (kind of like when you're looking for celery).  The stalks should be straight, brightly coloured, and (if the leaves are still attached) have bright unblemished leaves.  However, do not eat the leaves.  Rhubarb leaves contain a compound called oxalic acid, which can be harmful or even fatal to humans if consumed.  The leaves can be safely composted though, so no need to worry about tossing them in your pile.  Store your rhubarb in the fridge, or freeze by washing, boiling for about 2 minutes (blanching), chopping into small pieces and store in an airtight bag.

Most people are familiar with rhubarb paired with fruity preparations, like strawberry rhubarb jam, and of course strawberry rhubarb pie (mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm).  But this veggie can be used in many different ways!  It can be baked into muffins or breads, fermented into wine, enjoyed in jams and compotes, and included in desserts like tarts, pies, trifles and cakes.  It also pairs beautifully in sauces and chutneys with pork or chicken.  The recipe below comes to you from Foodland Ontario:

Rhubarb Chutney

3 cups chopped rhubarb stalks
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup water
1 apple, peeled and chopped (about 1 cup)
1/2 cup raisins
1 Tbsp minced ginger
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves

In a medium saucepan, combine the rhubarb, sugar, water, raisins and ginger.  Cook at medium heat, covered and stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes until the sauce is thickened and the fruit has softened. Stir in the salt, cinnamon and cloves.
If you wish to store this chutney, pour it into clean and sterilized jars (run them through the dishwasher) and refrigerate for up to 1 month.  Try this chutney over grilled pork chops or tenderloin for a tangy surprise!

What's your favourite summer veggie?  Leave me a comment, it could be next month's veggie!

Vegetable of the month

It's that time again!  This month's veggie is..........................






.................







................

Fiddleheads!!!

Fiddle whaaaat?

Fiddleheads are in season at this time of year, and won't be around for long!  Get these tasty little ferns while you still can :)

So what is a fiddlehead?  They are the curled up fronds of young ferns - left on their own, they would eventually uncurl and turn into ferns, but when harvested at this stage, they make for a tasty veggie.  The taste and texture somewhat resembles asparagus, though with a bit of leafiness - not everyone is a fan of the taste of fiddleheads, but if you've never tried them it's worth a go!

Fiddleheads are not cultivated through traditional large farming methods, but picked by individuals along the side of rivers and streams.  As a result, they might be a bit tricky to find at grocery stores, but are often found at farmer's markets and your local fruit and vegetable stands.  Look for fiddleheads that are tightly curled, and a bright green colour without much brown spotting.

What's so great about fiddleheads anyway?  Per 1/2 cup serving, according to the Canadian Nutrient File...

• only 21 calories!
• 16% of a woman's vitamin A needs
• over 21% of your vitamin C needs
• over 21% of your niacin needs
• low in sodium, but high in phosphorus, so this veggie can be helpful for people on very low-sodium diets

How do I prepare fiddleheads?

Because fiddleheads are cut close to the ground, they hold the potential to contain bacteria.  As a result, Health Canada recommends that fiddleheads only be consumed when cooked.  Before cooking, brush off any brown scaly bits, then wash thoroughly with cold running water and trim off the bottom of the stems (like asparagus, the ends of the stems can be tough and woody).  

There are many ways to prepare and eat fiddleheads.  Try boiling them in lightly salted water for 10 minutes, then drizzle with olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice.  Or, sautee with garlic and a bit of butter for a flavourful side dish.  Spice it up by adding a sprinkle of red pepper flakes.  Fiddleheads can be used much like asparagus in recipes, such as pastas, omelettes, quiches, and salads.

How can you enjoy the goodness of fiddleheads later in the year when they're so seasonal?  Fear not -- fiddleheads can be frozen too!  Before you freeze your fiddleheads, you'll need to wash them well and boil to prevent bacterial growth.  Cook till fork tender, drain, rinse with cold water and lay them on a paper towel.  When the fiddleheads are completely cooled and dried off, put them into an airtight plastic baggie and try to get all of the air out before you seal it up and freeze.  Enjoy your fiddleheads within a few months for optimal goodness!

Happy eating!

Vegetable of the Month

You've waited so long!  What will it be, what will it be?????

Drrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr....

BRUSSELS SPROUTS!!!

Yes, all that time that your grandma tried to convince you to eat Brussels sprouts was actually for your own good after all.  These little gems are the buds of a type of cabbage, which is why they look like itsy bitsy cabbages too!  They are a member of the Brassica family of plants, which are known for having very highly healthful qualities (including high antioxidant content, fibre content, and folate).  Other Brassica cousins include broccoli, bok choy, kale, other cabbages, and collard greens.  Many Brassica plants contain compounds believed to have anti-cancer properties, such as sulforaphane.  In addition to these chemical compounds though, the other characteristics of these veggies (fibre, antioxidant compounds, etc) also contribute to their disease-preventing nature!

Healthy or not, I hate Brussels sprouts, and you can't convince me otherwise!

Oh yeah?  Get this -- per 76g, or 4 Brussels sprouts (only 4!!!), the Canadian Nutrient File found:

• 33 calories!
• 3 grams of fibre
• 2.5 grams of protein
• About 6% of a female's daily iron needs (13% for men)
• 11% of your daily folate needs
• A whopping 70 (male) to 80% (female) of your Vitamin C needs!!!
• A humongous 112 (male) to 149% (female) of your Vitamin K needs O_O!!

Woweeee!

Grandma always served boiled mushy nasty sprouts, and they were disgusting!

Luckily for you, there are lots of ways that you can use Brussels sprouts that will taste much better than the boiled mush that you might have been subjected to as a kid. When they are overcooked, Brussels sprouts turn a kind of grey colour and develop a very strong, unpleasant taste.  Avoid this with these tips!

To prep your sprouts, trim off the ends and remove the outer leaves (they'll probably fall off when you trim anyway).  Give them a wash and pick off any other leaves that look unpleasant.  Then, you have options:

• Boiling - sure, but why?  In addition to tasting mushy if you overcook them, boiling may also reduce the nutritive quality of your Brussels sprouts.  In particular, sulforaphane (that anti-cancer compount mentioned above) tends to be lost with boiling.
• Steaming - Again be wary of overcooking to prevent mushiness, but luckily, the nutritive quality of sprouts remains when they are steamed instead of boiled!  I like to cut them in half and steam until just fork tender.  Top with a little salt and pepper, or a squeeze of lemon juice.
• Roasting - Best way, in my opinion, to cook a Brussels sprout.  Cut your sprouts in half, and toss in a bowl with oil (olive, canola, whatev), a touch of salt and pepper, and maybe another spice if you want to mix it up a bit (e.g. curry powder, nutmeg, or cumin).  Toss in the oven at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes, then shakes them up to flip around.  Depending on how well-cooked you like them and the size of your sprouts, leave them in for another 5-10 minutes. They should come out with golden brown bits, but not to the point of being burnt (because they get dry, though nice and crunchy).  Excellent as a side dish, or as part of a recipe (like the one below!)
• Stir-frying/sauteeing - Once again, nutritional quality is not lost in this method.  You can sautee your sprouts the same way you would with any other veggie (cut in half or quarters), or make it extra delicious by adding some garlic and/or onions. 

 Very well, I'll try them.  But they'd better be delicious.

Excellent!  Here's one of my faves, a Brussels sprouts salad that I made up after adapting from a Weight Watchers cookbook recipe.

Serves 4

• 1 lb Brussels sprouts (about 4 cups), roasted (as described above)
• 1 shallot, minced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tsp olive or canola oil
• 1/2 - 1tsp dried thyme, or 1Tbsp fresh chopped thyme
• 1 1/2 cups red seedless grapes, halved
• 1/2 cup canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 2 tsp balsamic vinegar
• pinch of salt
• sprinkle of lemon zest (1-2 tsp)

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the shallot, garlic and thyme, cook while stirring constantly till the shallot is softened (about 2 minutes).  Add the grapes and keep cooking till softened, about 3 minutes.

Add the brussels sprouts, chickpeas, balsamic vinegar and salt.  Cook and stir till chickpeas are warmed through, about 3-4 minutes.  Sprinkle with lemon zest.  

You're done!

Other options: this recipe originally called for steamed Brussels sprouts (but at the time that I made it, I didn't have a steamer basket, so I improvised), and 1 Tbsp sherry vinegar (again, didn't have it, improvised).  This dish also tastes awesome as cold leftovers for lunch.

Do you have an idea for a future veggie of the month?  Leave a comment!

Vegetable of the Month

As we head into Thanksgiving weekend (for Canadians, anyway), what better way to celebrate than by featuring this particular veggie of the month:




POTATOES!


Yes, the humble potato will likely make an appearance front and centre on your Thanksgiving table this year, whether mashed, roasted, or scallopped.  This veggie is often shunned as being "too starchy" because it has carbs.  Remember that time when I posted about how carbs aren't the devil in disguise?  Indeed, potatoes do contain carbohydrate, but if you aren't eating a billion of them, I promise, you will live!

So what's so cool about potatoes?  This info is from the Canadian Nutrient File for a medium Russet potato (the kind that's usually used for baked potatoes, fries, etc).  Other potato varieties might have a bit different info, but quite similar in health benefits :)

• 4.5g of protein
• 168 calories (FOR A WHOLE POTATO, skin on!)
• 38g of carbohydrate
• about 3g of fibre (skin on)
• about 2mg of iron, which is about 11% of a woman's daily need (25% for you men!)
• about 15% of a woman's daily magnesium needs, 12% for men
• 17% of your daily phosphorus needs
• 16% of a women's vitamin C needs, 13% for men
• 20% of your daily niacin needs!
• 7% of your daily folate needs
• a mere 11mg of sodium (not including any extras you top it up with :P)

Potatoes are available year round, and in endless varieties.  Depending on what you are using them for, different kinds of potatoes will be best.  For example, russet potatoes are all-purpose, great for baking, roasting, making fries/wedges, putting chunks into stews, etc.  Yukon gold potatoes have a buttery texture and flavour, and are great for making mashed potatoes and soups (so that you can limit the amount of cream and butter that you need - it's already built in!).  New potatoes (the little red ones) are great for mashing, roasting, and in quarters for soups and stews.

But what about all those CARBS!?

Potatoes have a bad reputation for some reason, because everyone is concerned about carbohydrates.  Yes, potatoes have carbs.  The carbohydrate content in potatoes comes mostly from starch (only about 1g of sugar in a potato, 3g of fibre, and the rest from starch).  In humans, extra carbohydrate is stored as glycogen in the liver and muscles, and acts as a reserve energy store for when we do vigorous activity, are in periods of starvation or fasting, etc.  In plants, starch plays the same role.  Both of these compounds are made up of long chains of glucose.  So, when we eat starch, it gets broken up into little glucose molecules to be absorbed by the body.  We turn that glucose into energy (if you remember high school biology, glucose is used in ATP production), or stored as glycogen if our stores are depleted.  If we eat excess carbohydrate (or any other macronutrient, e.g. protein), it will be stored as fat instead.  It's not starch's fault -- it doesn't automatically go to your hips just to make you suffer.  It, and all the other excess macronutrients that you will probably consume over the Thanksgiving weekend, will band together and create adipose tissue - better known as body fat.

Ideally, we should aim to eat no more than one serving of starch at a meal in order to avoid consuming excess carbohydrate.  Notice that I didn't say that you should ideally eat no starches, or no more than one in a day, or something like that.  You can eat starch!  In fact, I encourage you to eat it!  Though starchy foods can increase blood sugar quicker than other foods (so diabetics, this is something you'll need to track carefully), sometimes that's not a bad thing.  If you're starving before your Thanksgiving dinner because you worked out extra hard that morning to make room, that extra surge of blood glucose will help to replenish your glycogen stores that were depleted in your workout.  When we use our muscles, and when we don't eat for extended periods of time (the pre-Thanksgiving fast to save up extra space for turkey.  What?  That's just me who does that?  Oh.), our muscles and/or liver release their glycogen stores in order to create energy.  We need to replenish that in order to keep us running strong :)!

You've convinced me!  Give me a recipe! 

As we are entering fall, one of my favourite things ever at this time of year is SOUP!!!!!  I make potato and leek soup every year, and this is one of my fave recipes:

Potato Leek Soup
4 Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and chopped into evenly-sized chunks
4 leeks, washed* and chopped into rounds
5 cups reduced sodium chicken or veggie broth
pepper to taste

* leeks tend to hold a lot of sand in between their layers around the bottom.  Great washing tip: slice lenthwise into the bottom of a leek so that the layers can fan out.  Dip them in a bowl of water, and swish around so that the layers open up like a broom.  Alternatively, chop them as usual, and place into a deep bowl of water.  Again, swish them around to get the dirt out.

In a big pot, combine potatoes, leeks and stock, and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to simmer.  Cover and simmer till veggies are very soft, about 25 minutes.
Blenderize!  Using either a hand blender (immersion blender) or using a regular blender and splitting the soup into batches, puree until the soup is smooth.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Options: try adding diced ham or bacon for a bit of salty yummyness :)
  

Vegetable of the Month

It's that time again!  Drumroll please.






drrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr........

Yum yum yummmm!

Beets!!!

Beets have a bad reputation with many people, and I have to admit, I was one of them.  I hated beets.  With a passion.  For no good reason at all really, simply because I had a bad childhood memory of once eating some of my mom's favourite thing - pickled beets.  And they were horrific.  I didn't touch beets again for like 20 years, and didn't want anything to do with them.

That changed a couple of years ago when I came to nutrition school, and one of our assignments was to prepare ----- wait for it ---- PICKLED BEETS!  Really????

So I boiled and peeled and chopped and pickled my beets.  Decided to be brave and taste test it.  Huh.  Not as bad as I remembered it being.  In fact... they were kind of delicious.  I wondered what other delicious beety goodness I was missing out on.  I started trying roasted beets, grated beets, pickled beets, and all kinds of beets.  Did you know that there are tons of different varieties of beets, and each of them has a special taste and colour?

Here's some nifty things about beets according to the Canadian Nutrient File.  For one raw beet, you get:

• Only 35 calories!
• 1.6g of fibre
• 266mg of potassium
• about 23% of a woman's vitamin A needs (18% if you're a man)
• 22% of a woman's folate needs
• 20mg of plant sterol, which have been suggested to help lower cholesterol

How did I spend so long ignoring these little gems?!

Tell me more!

Beets can be enjoyed in many ways.  Raw beets can be peeled and grated to toss into salads, for example, or beets can be boiled and sliced and devoured.  My favourite way, though, is roasting beets.  Wash your beets well, keep the skin on, and rub it all over with olive or canola oil.  Cook it in the oven in a roasting pan or baking dish at 400 F for about 45 minutes, till the beet is fork-tender (depends on the size of your beets/power of your oven).  Bring it out of the oven, and wait till it cools enough to be handled.  Use a paper towel and rub the outside of the beet -- the skin should come off fairly easily!  

And FYI, if you want to prevent your hands and cutting board from getting all red-stained and unusable, rub your fingers and plastic (NOT WOOD!) cutting board with oil first.  The redness won't soak through and will wash off easily :)

I mentioned earlier that there are lots of different kinds of beets.  Check out this link to thenibble and see how many you can find in your farmer's market!  Red beets are the most common kind, but I have also had the pleasure of seeing (and eating!) golden beets and candy-cane beets. The flavour is similar, though the golden ones are a bit milder and the candy canes are a bit sweeter.

And don't discount the greens that come with the beets in some stores/markets -- they're edible too!  Just make sure to eat them the day of or maybe the day after, as they won't last very long :(

Enough already!  Give me a recipe!

I made this salad months ago on a whim, and it turned out to be amazing.

Roasted Beet, Apple, and Celery Salad with Horseradish dressing and walnuts

Serves 4

3 beets, roasted as described above and sliced

2 Tbsp vegetable oil or olive oil

1 Tbsp cider vinegar

1 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp prepared horseradish

1/2 tsp salt

1 apple (any variety, but Granny Smith and honeycrisp seem to be good ones), cored and sliced thin

1-2 stalks celery, thinly sliced on the bias (to make it fancy :) )

1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion

1/4 cup walnut pieces (option - replace walnuts with pumpkin seeds! mmm)

Roast beets as described earlier.

In a bowl, combine oil, vinegar, sugar, horseradish and salt.  Toss beets with 1 Tbsp of dressing.

Toss the apple, celery and onion with remaining dressing.  Add the beets.  Sprinkle with walnuts/seeds. 

Eat!

mmmmmmmm.....

Beet salads can be really simple - such as simply combining a handful of mixed greens with sliced roasted beets and maybe topped with some goat cheese.  Or, grate up a beet and serve in a chef salad with chopped cucumber, tomatoes, and maybe shredded carrots (because they too are deeeeelish!)

What's your favourite way to enjoy beets?

Vegetable of the Month

I know, the suspense has been building for almost three weeks now!  What will it be???

Ta daaaaa....

Zucchini!

Since I'm growing it on my balcony, I might as well post about the amazingness of this tasty veggie.  Check out this photo of my very first harvest!

So what's so special about zucchini?  Get this -- according to the Canadian Nutrient File, one medium zucchini (about 196g) will give you...

• only 33 calories!!!
• 2 grams of fibre!
• 2 grams of protein
• not even one gram of fat!
• 11% of your daily folate needs
• 11% of your daily potassium needs
• 47% of your Vitamin C needs
• also contains high levels of lutein and other phytochemicals

What a little powerhouse!!!

Tell me more!

Zucchini and their other squash cousins (like yellow summer squash, pattypan squash, spaghetti squash, acorn squash, etc) are available year round, but are in peak season in the spring and summer.  When choosing zucchini, remember that the small-to-medium sized ones will contain more flavour than the larger varieties, which will hold more water.  Avoid the ones with squishy or wrinkly spots, but superficial scratches or little bruises are ok and perfectly edible.

How do I prepare it?

Cool!!!

You can eat zucchini raw or cooked.  I like my raw zucchini dipped in something, like hummus or bean dips to add a protein punch.  This veggie can be cooked in many different ways, like grilling and roasting (yummmmm!), sauteeing or including in stir fries, boiled (such as in soups or sauces).  A relatively novel way of preparing zucchini is making zucchini pasta, using a Spiralizer (or even just using a vegetable peeler if you're cheap like me!).  It basically makes a pasta that doesn't require cooking, you just blanch it to heat it through (place in boiling water for about 30 seconds).

Enough already, give me a recipe!

Another fun way to cook zucchini - baking.  As in, making a zucchini loaf!  There are many variations on zucchini loaf, including chocolate zucchini loafs, but this is one that I've made before and had it turn out really really tasty.  The website also happens to show a number of other tasty zucchini-containing recipes on the sidebar, such as vegetarian lasagna, pasta with grilled veggies, and grilled zucchini ribbons.

Click here! http://www.canadianliving.com/food/zucchini_loaf.php

Best advice - experiment with your zucchini!  It's  a very versatile ingredient that can be added to just about anything that you would normally put other veggies in (spaghetti sauce, stir fry, roasted veggie sandwich?).  And hey, for only 33 calories for a WHOLE ZUCCHINI, you can't lose :)

Vegetable of the Month

What will it be, what will it be??



*drumroll* drrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr



Broccoli!

Yes, the humble broccoli is in peak season in Ontario this month.  To celebrate, it has earned status as the Veggie of the Month!

These hardy little trees hold an amazing number of nutritional benefits, and they are incredibly versatile.  They can be enjoyed raw, steamed, roasted, boiled, in soups and stews, stir fries, salads, and many more delicious dishes!  This veggie is a member of the brassica family, along with cauliflower, cabbages, bok choy, brussels sprouts, and kale.  Brassica veggies are notable for their health benefits, including having high levels of vitamin C, calcium, and other nutrients and phytochemicals, which may hold potential cancer-preventing properties. 

From the Canadian Nutrient File, a half cup of raw broccoli (one serving in Canada's Food Guide) supplies:

• only 16 calories! And almost 0g of fat!
• 22mg of calcium
• 41mg of vitamin C (about half of your daily need! Also an antioxidant!)
• 168mcg of betacarotene (antioxidant!)
• 47mcg of vitamin K (about 1/2 of a woman's daily need)
• 652mcg of lutein (important in eye health and preventing macular degeneration)

What to do with your broccoli?

Broccoli should be a dark green colour, so try to avoid the broccoli that have yellow or brown patches on their florets (depending on the variety of broccoli, the florets might be a sage colour or a purple-green, and those are totally acceptable!).  The stems should be firm, not slimy or squishy.

When cooking your broccoli, cut the florets into even sized pieces (usually quarters works well) for even cooking.  You can also eat the stems!  For best results, peel the stems to remove the woody outer part and then cut into about 1/2" pieces.

Give me a recipe!

I posted this recipe for a healthier version of Cream of Broccoli soup.  Since broccoli is so ridiculously versatile though, rather than giving you only one recipe, I'm simply going to list some amazing places that you can use these teeny trees today!

• Raw, dipped into your favourite hummus/babaganoush/other veggie dip
• Steamed, eaten plain or with a little bit of butter, margarine, olive oil and/or lemon juice sprinked on top.  Only steam your broccoli until it is fork-tender, as it can be mushy and gross tasting if it is oversteamed.
• Roast on a sheet lined with parchment paper at 400 for about 12-15 minutes.  Sprinkle with lemon, olive oil and sea salt, and/or maybe some parmesan cheese.  Mmmmmmm.
• Add stems to your favourite homemade veggie soup.  They are hardier than the florets, and won't turn mushy when boiled in the soup.  You can also create your own broccoli soup by boiling broccoli (florets and/or stems) in stock and puréeing.
• Add broccoli to your omelette or scrambled eggs.  I cut up my broccoli florets into little bitty pieces, sautée in the pan till they are just fork-tender (takes only a couple of minutes if they are super teeny), and add scrambled eggs.  Also awesome when mixed with other veggies, such as mushrooms, tomatoes and spinach.
• Add steamed broccoli florets to your pasta.  You can add it to your sauce, or simply toss cooked pasta with olive oil, steamed broccoli and pine nuts.  A little cheese wouldn't hurt either :)
• Add broccoli to stews and chili.  Though it's definitely not stew/chili season right now, when it turns to fall, a great way to keep enjoying this great veggie into the winter (*shudder*) is to simply toss it into a big ol' pot. 
• Make a broccoli salad.  A quick Google search revealed hundreds of delicious looking salads, but this one from JamieOliver.com won me over.  I made this one without bacon, and added pumpkin seeds and slivered almonds.

How do you like your broccoli? 
And remember, it's not too late to submit your ideas for future veggies/fruits of the month!  Just leave me a comment!

Vegetable of the Month

Now that we're getting back into summer, the produce available is simply AMAZING!  Lately I've been bringing home one new fruit/veggie every week just to try to make something new out of it.  So, every month, I will bring you a veggie that you may or may not have tried before, and give a recipe (or more than one) to enjoy it!

This month: Chard

Known better as Swiss Chard in grocery stores here, chard comes in many varieties.  The leaves are big and bright green, but stems vary in colour depending on the variety that you choose.  The stems do not contain much nutritional value, but the leaves are LOADED with vitamins and minerals.  A cup of cooked and chopped chard can provide:  (info from the Canadian Nutrient File)

• only about 40 calories!
• 4g of fibre
• about 560mcg of retinol equivalents (Vitamin A), almost your entire daily requirement
• about 4g of iron - if you're a male, this is about 50% of your daily need.  Ladies, it's still about 25% of yours!
• 600mg Vitamin K (about 10x the average Canadian adult's daily need!)
• amost 7mg beta carotene (antioxidant!)
• 1000mg potassium

What to do with it

Chard leaves tend to be bitter, so some recipes will ask for leaves to be blanched before eating to remove the bitterness (many other leafy greens often have this requirement, such as kale).  Blanching is quite easy: Boil water, add your leaves.  Let the leaves sit in hot water for about a minute till they turn a very vibrant bright green colour.  Remove from the water, and dip into an ice bath or run under cold water to stop the cooking process.  You can now use your chard in a salad/whatever you want!
The stems of the white kind of chard are edible when boiled up (chop them into 1" bits), but the coloured kind of stems are too tough and don't taste so great.

Give me a recipe!

I found this easy 3-minute swiss chard salad recipe at www.whfoods.org, and adapted it a bit:

Easy 3-Minute Swiss Chard

• 1bunch of swiss chard
• 1 clove garlic, more if you really like garlic (Yes. Yes I do.)
• 1tsp lemon juice
• 1T lemon zest
• 3T olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
• kalamata olives (optional)

Remove the stems from the chard and wash leaves.  Chop into 1"-ish bits.  Blanch (as described above), and squeeze out as much liquid as possible from the leaves.  I wrapped them up in paper towels and leaned my full body weight on them, repeat a few times with fresh paper towels each time.
Chop up the garlic clove.  Toss leaves with all ingredients except feta cheese and olives (if using).  Once tossed, add your cheese and olives.

Delicious and ridiculously healthy!

Any ideas for future veggies or fruits of the month?  Is there a veggie/fruit that you've been dying to try but just don't know what the heck to do with it?  Leave me a comment!  Your veggie/fruit might be featured in an upcoming post!