As the ‘shock’ of getting started has hopefully passed, now is a good time to take a look at what you are eating (instead of what you are not). Personally, I sometimes struggle with different ways to make vegetables to keep it interesting as veggies are the base of this nutrition strategy. I made 2 wonderful mostly vegetable meals this weekend that I thought I’d share with hopes that you all will do the same.
The first was from smittenkitchen.com – I had romano beans delivered in our CSA bag this week so searched google for a recipe.
Braised Romano Beans
Adapted from Laura Sbrana via The NYTimes 08/12/08
Time: 1 1/2 hours
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup minced celery
1/2 cup minced carrot
1 cup minced red onion
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon tomato paste
1 cup peeled, crushed ripe tomatoes, preferably plum tomatoes, with their juices
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 pounds romano beans (flat green beans), ends trimmed (or fresh cranberry beans in their shells). . .Next time think I will cut the beans into bite size pieces prior to cooking as they are a bit ‘unwieldy’ when full length.
1. Heat oil in a deep skillet or a shallow three-quart saucepan. Add celery, carrot and onion and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until vegetables barely begin to brown, about 25 minutes. Add garlic and rosemary and cook until fragrant, a few minutes. Stir in tomato paste and tomatoes. Bring to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer until mixture is well combined, about 5 minutes.
2. Add beans, setting them in pan all in one direction. Add 1/2 cup water. Bring to a simmer. Baste beans, season with salt, reduce heat to low. Cook gently, partly covered, turning beans in sauce from time to time, until beans are very tender, about 40 minutes. Adjust seasoning and serve hot or at room temperature.
Yield: 6 servings.
The other was Sunday breakfast. I had spigarello (again from our CSA) and portabello mushrooms that needed to be used. Stuffed portabello mushrooms it is!
This dish can be made with any greens you have in the fridge – the hearty the green, the longer you will need to cook.
Adapted from Primal Cookbook: Quick and Easy
Ingredients:
2 portabello mushrooms
olive oil
4 strips bacon, cut into small pieces
1 bunch spigarello, or other greens
bacon fat
2 eggs, raw, scrambled
Preheat oven to 425.
coat mushrooms in olive oil
place on baking tray
season with salt and pepper
cook 15 mins
While mushrooms are cooking, remove woody stems from Spigarello by stripping the greens from the stem. Pile all the greens together and chiffonade (cut into thin strips). Rinse in a collander and shake off most of the excess water. Heat large skillet over medium heat. Place wet greens in skillet and cover to let them steam a bit. Once water is mostly evaporated, add 1 tbs of bacon fat or butter and toss greens to coat. Let cook for a minute or two, then add bacon pieces and stir to combine with greens. When bacon is cooked, add eggs, stirring to mix with greens and bacon. Remove from heat once eggs are cooked. Pile mixture on top of mushrooms and enjoy. (If using spinach or arugula, cook bacon first, then add greens as the greens will cook much more quickly than those used here.
Could use some more ideas. Please comment with your favorite ways to incorporate veg into meals and snacks.