Month: June 2017

Eating Vegetables

Published on by Kim

So, entrees aren’t everything. Most of us want to keep up or increase the level of fresh vegetables in our diet, but they can get old without variety. And it can be hard to convince some family members to enjoy them!

Steamed

You can use the same principle as the pre-packaged frozen steamer packs of veggies with fresh vegetables from the store or farmers market. Green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, medleys with peppers and carrots all work well with this. Use a saucepan with an inch of water and a tool like this or a metal colander, to keep the vegetables all out of the water and only in the steam as the water boils. Boil just until vegetables are done. Serve with a little butter or olive oil and seasoning.

Roasted

We have already mentioned this, but I’d like to bring it up again as a reminder.

Line a cookie sheet with foil, coat chopped (or smaller, like broccoli florets or Brussel sprouts) vegetables with olive oil, spread out on cookie sheet, sprinkle with seasoning, and place in a pre-heated oven at 425 degrees. Timing depends on your oven and the thickness of the vegetables, but it is generally around 15-20 minutes, so experiment until you are comfortable.

Play around with combinations and seasoning blends, or find one or two that work for you and use them regularly. A balsamic vinaigrette can also jazz up the taste. Either way, make the option work for you.

This is a great way to try vegetables that are new to you or you may have tried other ways before and didn’t like. (For example, I hear radishes are good this way.) I can’t stand Brussel sprouts usually, but a friend roasted some to share one evening. Ever since, I could devour the whole pan myself. They are so good!

Slow Cooker

It is also an option to cook root vegetables in your slow cooker. You can mix them with meat (like a roast) or just cook them with seasoning for a side dish. Put some liquid in with them, to prevent drying out, but you do not need to cover them with water or broth.

Sauté

A little butter or olive oil, a nonstick sauté or frying pan, and you are good to go. You can throw in a little minced garlic or chopped onion as you warm up the butter or oil. When the butter is melted or the oil is warm, add your clean and chopped veggies. This is good for fresh green beans, sugar snap peas, and asparagus.

Salad

The combinations are almost endless when it comes to salads. Chop up what you have, whatever is in season, and enjoy! With fresh vegetables, you don’t even need lettuce to have a great mix. You can even branch out into fruits (dried or fresh) and nuts.

Cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, and balsamic vinegar or Italian dressing are delicious. Basil or dill can be fresh herbal seasoning for that mix also.

Kids often love dipping, so pile up the fresh vegetables, set out a good dressing and let them go to town.

Simple Solutions for Meals

Published on by Kim2 Comments

Knowledge is power. Knowing a few basic methods of cooking will empower you to compose a simple, delicious meal for your family quickly and easily with what you have on hand. Today we will discuss a couple of these methods.

Slow Cooker

Every mother’s favorite, right? So many wonderful recipes available, but you can also use it simply, without having to look up a recipe.

Most pieces of chicken, pork or beef can be cooked easily with water or broth and some seasoning. If you keep seasoned salt on hand, you will always have that to use. There are also many seasoning mixes available or you can experiment with your own tastes. Adding fresh root vegetables (onions, carrots, potatoes) adds flavor, but remember that they will absorb the seasoning and meat flavor. Also be careful to include enough liquid to keep the meat moist.

Note: A whole chicken can give you cooked chicken in the freezer for future meals, like chicken divan or poppyseed chicken. A pork roast today can yield pulled pork sandwiches another day.  It will also help your budget if you stretch the meat by portioning it out before it is on the table.

There are also plenty of marinades available off the shelf, so you can throw chicken breasts in the cooker with a bottle of Hawaiian teriyaki to enjoy later with rice. A bottle of Italian dressing, soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, or even barbecue sauce does the same thing. Cream soups and some water will also provide a simple sauce.

Finally, if you simply want cooked chicken or pork for other recipes later, you can just put in plenty of water with the meat and cook all day. Seasoning will happen with the recipes when you assemble them.

Oven Roasting

High heat, butter or olive oil, and a little spice or garlic — voila! You have your entree.

Line a cookie sheet with foil, place the meat on it, drizzle the oil or dab the butter, sprinkle with seasoning, and place in a pre-heated oven at 425 degrees. Fish usually takes 15-20 minutes. Chicken is more like 25-30 minutes. Timing depends a great deal on your oven and the thickness of the meat, so experiment until you are comfortable.

Vegetables work the same way, usually around 15-20 minutes, so you can expand your menu to roasted vegetables as well. I personally recommend Brussel sprouts and sliced sweet potatoes this way. Yum!

Or you can cut up chicken or smoked sausage with vegetable chunks and have a complete, delicious meal in one pan and fairly quickly. Play around with combinations and seasoning blends, or find one or two that work for you and use them regularly. Either way, make the option work for you.

Bon appetit!

 

Bonus

One recipe I’ve found useful is slightly more involved than simply roasting — but not much! It is easy and delicious; let me know if you agree. Click here for the recipe.