Vegetables

Polly · Post by **Polly** » Thu Oct 12, 2006 5:53 am

Hi Kitchen Buddies!

I saw Matthew's post where he talked about eating so many veggies. I do too, but the problem is they require so much more preparation in many cases. When time is limited it is so much easier to grab a piece of fruit or handful of nuts.

For example, the dark greens take 1/2 to 1 hour to fully cook. Has anyone found any GOOD frozen veggies? Now that I eat so many fresh ones, I can't seem to find any frozen ones I like....except for Hanover brand baby brussels and broccoli florets.

Just wondering if you have any ideas for having veggies readily at hand? Sometimes I cook up a batch of mixed veggies in the morning, but usually I don't have time. Also, any good recipes for veggie dishes?

Love,

Polly

artteacher · Post by **artteacher** » Thu Oct 12, 2006 11:23 am

I'm with you, I'd eat more if I had some better recipes. But, if I cut up a bunch of vegetables, and store them that way in the fridge, they're faster to cook up. For instance, carrots, celery, onion (chopped and kept in the freezer), and cabbage.

Medium heat a pan with a touch of oil or dairy-free margarine, (soy-free, if you're intolerant of soy), put one handful of carrot, stir for about 2 minutes, then throw in 2 handfuls of cabbage, stir about 4 minutes, throw in celery, stir about 2-3 minutes. Salt, pepper, a couple dashes of curry powder. You could do onion in there, but I don't like onion in stir fry.

Other good additions
red pepper
chicken
water chestnuts
pea pods
zuchini
apple

That's the extent of it! I'll be looking for other people's ideas.
Love, Marsha

harvest_table · Post by **harvest_table** » Fri Oct 13, 2006 11:29 am

I eat lot's of vegies too. My general plan of attack is whatever I make for an evening meal will also be my breakfast and lunch the next day so I prepare extra portions. Thank goodness for microwaves, but I like cold leftovers also.

I do a vegetable stir fry of some sort almost every evening along with a meat, chicken or fish and never seem to tire of it. I like onions, mushrooms, greens, cherry tomatoes, peppers and anything stir fryable I can find fresh. Don't buy frozen often so have no suggestions there.

If you haven't yet, take a look at the link I provided on Pollys creative cook thread that will take you to a Paleo Forum I think anyone interested in learning about Paleo will find inspiring. There are references to meal preperations and also a diet recipe thread somewhere, but you'll have to hunt back a ways to find it.

Love,
Joanna

Matthew · Post by **Matthew** » Fri Oct 13, 2006 8:57 pm

Polly

I haven’t gotten to creative with vegetables this summer. Fresh produce from the farmers market is so good just steamed alone or with some garlic and or onions that I haven’t felt like I had to look much further.

The farmers market season is coming to an end. I will miss it for the winter. I used to eat frozen vegetables and think they were quite good let alone easy. No more. I will do my hunting and gathering from what I can glean form the best of the fresh in a couple of different markets. Yes it takes some time. I guess I am so, so lucky in that I can put things on to cook and slip across the backyard to my shop and do some work. Only to come back to smell all the good things cooking.

Not very creative but then I always come back to the the idea that creativity is so much simper than I think it is.

Love

Matthew

kate_ce1995 · Post by **kate_ce1995** » Mon Oct 16, 2006 10:52 am

I can't really help here because I don't know how to do this myself, but maybe someone has a suggestion for freezing your own veggies after buying them fresh and in season. I just remember my great uncle (who was/is a farmer) used to freeze produce (actually great aunt did the freezing). And I remember how much sweeter and better tasting the corn was than a can of Green Giant corn when it was picked and frozen all in the same day (or couple days). I know the corn analogy isn't the best for you guys, but that is the vivid memory of "fresh" vs. processed in my mind. Perhaps something similar is possible with other veggies.

Katy

harvest_table · Post by **harvest_table** » Mon Oct 16, 2006 12:35 pm

Sunday was our last farmers market here. We bought a 50lb. bag of Yukon Gold potatoes, carrots, cabbage, onions and some greens. Sadly, our vegetable garden didn't do well this year.

Katy- good suggestion about freezing vegetables! Canning is an option too, if you don't have freezer space. Here are a couple links that might be helpful, and inspiring.

http://lancaster.unl.edu/food/foodpres.shtml

http://www.pickyourown.org/canningbooks.htm

I'm going to miss the fresh produce too.

Love,
Joanna

annie oakley · Post by **annie oakley** » Thu Oct 19, 2006 3:14 pm

Large Tomato Cut up/or hollowed out and filled w/ingred below
Whit Albacore in Water
Scallons (chopped)
Shredded Carrots
Bell and / or red pepper chopped
Shitake Mushrooms when I can get them.
I add A dash of Ginger for the stomache or Tumeric for Arthritis depending
on which is hurting.

I mix all ingredients with a Dab of Smart Balance Mayo
no Salt but a small amt of pepper. Add whatever else you want.
You can add ceaser dressing instead of the may or ant dressing you like.
Love Oma

Polly · Post by **Polly** » Thu Oct 19, 2006 5:49 pm

Yum OMA,

Sounds delicious. Thanks.

Love,

Polly

artteacher · Post by **artteacher** » Mon Oct 23, 2006 5:01 pm

I was hoping to keep this thread going . .

Recipe #1
I shred carrots, and slice cabbage as fine as I can (like angel hair cole slaw mix) and chop it so the long strings are only about and inch long, and mix the two. Then I mix mayo, fresh lemon juice, and a little honey or other sweetener, and use that as a dressing.

I don't know if you paleos can do this, but another dressing for the carrot/cabbage mix is canned mandarine oranges with the juice: toss and eat.

Recipe #2 (I think paleo's could eat this)

To make a really good dip for vegetables, mix mayo and fresh lemon juice with a couple pinches of cilantro. Let sit in the fridge for a couple hours, or overnight, to let the cilantro flavor spread and intensify a little. That's optional, though. I usually can't wait that long. It's a really good substitute when people all around you are having chips and dip. I promise you won't even miss the old days when you ate that stuff, the dip is so good.

Recipe #3
Another dip, also really good:
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 c prepared chunky salso
1-2 T chopped fresh cilantro
1 T fresh lemon juice

Love, Marsha

Polly · Post by **Polly** » Mon Oct 23, 2006 8:43 pm

Hi Marsha,

OOOOOh, thanks for those ideas. I also like to mix a little cider vinegar with mayo to use as a dressing or dip. Good idea about the cilantro. What kind do you use - fresh, ground, etc.?

Have you discovered the packaged broccoli/carrot slaw yet?

Love,

Polly

artteacher · Post by **artteacher** » Tue Oct 24, 2006 12:15 pm

Hi Polly,

No I haven't tried that mix. Do you kow how or if the bagged lettuces are preserved to keep from browning?

Have you ever tried shredded carrots, mayo + lemon juice, and a few raisons? My favorite.

Or cooked carrots with a sauce of orange juice & thickener (arrowroot or cornstarch)?

On the paleo diet are you allowed canned fruits or vegetables?

Love, Marsha

harvest_table · Post by **harvest_table** » Wed Oct 25, 2006 2:51 pm

artteacher wrote: On the paleo diet are you allowed canned fruits or vegetables?

Technically, no. Sorry.

This way of eating encourages whole fresh foods, no grains, no dairy, no refined sugars or processed foods.

Love,
Joanna

starfire · Post by **starfire** » Wed Oct 25, 2006 5:44 pm

Even if the food is canned without anything except ..... perhaps salt.
I look for canned tuna, salmon, chicken with and ingredient list of (whatever meat), water, salt. And sometimes I find pears that list just pears and juice. Perhaps the juice has some sugar, I don't know. Anyway when I eat these thing I always think I'm doing good. LOL
I know the "paleo" people didn't have canned goods though.

Love, Shirley

harvest_table · Post by **harvest_table** » Wed Oct 25, 2006 7:53 pm

Shirley,

I'm no Paleo expert but that's sort of my take on the plan. Most canned or prepared foods kind of fall under the processed food no-no. From what I've oberserved on some forums is paleo purists won't eat anything that you would have to open with a can opener.

The health food stores today are offering more and more organic and healthy canned and bottled foods, some of which I use. So technically, am I eating paleo? Maybe more like Paleoish, or Paleolite. I dunno.

Yes, you are doing a good good thing by looking for those kind of products! Keep the faith, we are all in this together (thank goodness) and learn something new everyday. I just may be all wet with that comment.

Love,
Joanna

kate_ce1995 · Post by **kate_ce1995** » Thu Oct 26, 2006 5:13 am

Yup, and I'd rather not do as our paleo ancestors and go all winter without fruit (other than dried which is very high in sugar!). If I lived south of the "optimal climate line" then maybe. But us northerners have it tough in that regard. Besides all the fresh fruit and veggies I'll be able to get in a month or so will have traveled from California or Chilie.

Katy

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