|
DNAHelicase -> RE: Know any unusual vegetable recipes? (10/1/2012 8:54:12 AM)
|
quote:
ORIGINAL: AthenaSurrenders
Is eggplant the same as aubergine? I'm fairly sure he's never tried that so it's worth a go. I think he will be put off by the texture since it can be a bit slimy, but maybe if I can ease him into it in some kind of pasta dish.
Yes, they're the same. http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/eggplant-parmesan-10000002011044/ That's a link to my favorite eggplant parm recipe. Believe it or not, it's low calorie, you get a large chunk for the portion size, and it tastes great. Make sure you use Panko and fresh basil leaves--without either of those things, it won't turn out nearly so well. And be sure to salt and drain your eggplant ahead of time so it won't be soggy.
I make a Mexican casserole which has a lot of veggies in it. You'll need 40oz of salsa (it doesn't matter what kind, so this is where you can add in a lot of veggies such as tomatoes, tomatilloes, peppers, etc.), 32 oz of corn, 32 oz of black beans, 12 crunchy taco shells, and 8 oz of Mexican style cheese. Mix corn, beans, and salsa in a 9x13 baking dish. Crumble taco shells on top. Cover shells with cheese. Bake at 400F for about 20 minutes, until cheese is golden brown and salsa mixture is bubbly. Serve with sour cream, saffron rice, more salsa, avocado, green onions, or any other Mexican themed sides you like.
Vegetable lasagna is a good way to add veggies. Instead of loading the lasagna with meat sauce, use a tomato sauce base and add in chunks of roasted tomatoes, red peppers, eggplant, zucchini, carrots, yellow squash, pumpkin--nearly anything you can think of, really. This pumpkin-pesto lasagna recipe isn't exactly healthy because of all the cheese and pesto, but it's loaded with veggies. I've made it before and it's extremely rich and filling.
If he'll eat stir fries, throw in any kind of veggies you can think of. If they're browned, mixed in with other veggies, and served mixed in with rice or rice noodles, would he notice every kind you added? The possibilities are really endless, but some good choices are bok choy (add in in the last two minutes of cooking), bell peppers, mushrooms, edamame, snowpeas, sugar snap peas, carrots, broccoli (make it little so he doesn't notice?), cauliflower, bamboo, and asparagus.
If he isn't turned off asparagus, try roasting it with olive oil and sea salt. Same thing for any of the winter squashes (butternut, acorn, etc.). Roast with olive oil and sea salt until browning around the edges, or roast with honey and butter.
Split a spaghetti squash in half and roast it until fork tender (400F for about 30-45 minutes). Set aside to let cool. Slice summer squash (yellow crookneck/yellow straightneck, zucchini, and/or pattypan squash) into rounds. Cube eggplant into small chunks or slice and cut the pieces small. Peel and coarsely chop a few cloves of garlic and a small sweet onion. Chop a red or yellow bell pepper into small chunks. Spread all the veggies out onto well-greased roasting pans in single layers and roast at 400F for 20-30 minutes, until veggies are soft and getting a little brown (some things might take a little longer than others, so you might want to do one kind of veggie per pan). Toss veggies with a good quality pasta sauce. You can add in some fresh basil, parsley, thyme, oregano, or any other fresh herbs you have on hand at this stage for even more flavor. Scoop spaghetti squash into a large glass baking dish (you might need two baking dishes, depending on how much you have). Break all the strands apart with a fork so that there are no clumps. Cover with sauce-veggie mixture and mix slightly. Top with a good quality Italian cheese (e.g. a melty mozzarella or grated Parmigiano-Reggiano) if you wish. Bake at 350F for half an hour, until top is browning and everything is bubbly.
And finally, a ratatouille-ish thing. You need a large Italian eggplant, 2 or 3 medium slicing tomatoes (get these from a local grower, not a supermarket, so that they have flavor and good texture), 3 medium yellow summer squash, 2 medium zucchini, 1/2 of a small sweet onion, 4 or 5 cloves of garlic, 1.5 to 2 jars (36 to 48 oz) of your favorite smooth spaghetti sauce (chunky brands do not work well for this), or the equivalent amount of homemade, ~6 tablespoons total of fresh basil, thyme, oregano, and parsley, mixed to your liking. Fresh is MUCH better for this recipe, but you can substitute dried if you have to. I suggest using at least 3 tablespoons of fresh basil, then fill in the rest with whatever you have on hand or like the most. You'll also want 1 loaf of yummy, savory bread--a cheese bread or herb bread would be good for this. And optional Italian cheese to sprinkle on top. Preheat oven to 350F. Mince the garlic and onion. Tear the herbs into pieces. Put the sauce in a saucepan on medium low heat, just enough to get it simmering, and add the herbs, onion, and garlic. Stir this occasionally while you chop the veggies. Slice the eggplant, tomatoes, squash, and zucchini into thin slices, no more than about a quarter of an inch thick, and no taller than the walls of a 9x13 glass baking dish. Stand the slices of veggies vertically in the baking dish, alternating the order of the veggies (e.g., tomato, eggplant, squash, zucchini, tomato, eggplant, squash, zucchini, etc.). If you don't have enough to completely fill the baking dish without some of the veggie slices falling over, slice some more and keep adding them until the dish is full. By now, the sauce should have been simmering for a little while and the herbs should be wilted, onions and garlic cooking slightly. Spoon the sauce over the veggies in the baking dish. Use a spoon to gently push the sauce down between cracks in the veggies all over. You want it to be between the veggies and under and over them. You should see sauce at the bottom of the baking dish when you're done. Bake for about 45 minutes, checking occasionally. The sauce should be bubbling and all the veggies should be fork tender when done. If you're adding the optional cheese, cook without cheese for about 30 minutes, then add cheese and cook for another 15 to 20 minutes until the cheese is golden brown and bubbly. Serve with a hunk of bread to sop extra sauce. Filling and delicious and very pretty. And FYI, it's difficult to discern what kind of veggies are in it at the end (because of the sauce and cheese) unless he actually watches you slice them up. He'll know it's veggies, but he might not be able to tell what kind unless he picks the dish apart to inspect the individual slices.
If you're looking for recipes for specific vegetables you have available that you want to try on him, let me know. I like to try unusual veggies and fruits when I get the chance, so I have a lot of recipes saved up.
|
|
|
|
