Plastic-Wrapped Acorn Squash in the Microwave

A rose is a rose is a rose ... but NOT when it comes to "commercial" squash, the ones you pop in the microwave for six minutes. What comes out is NOT squash but ... yuck.

First let me be clear: what I'm talking about in this post is a 'commercial' squash that's been specially processed for cooking in the microwave. And please, before concluding I have some romantic attachment to "fresh only" vegetables, it's just not true.

I support this product on its face. I like the idea that a whole acorn squash can be on the table in about 10 minutes. I like the fact that it's easy to cut the squash in half to serve. I like the fact that it might actually help more people enjoy healthful winter squash. I promote cooking vegetables in the microwave. I don't even mind that the price is 4 times one that requires oven roasting.

What I DO object to is the flavor: NONE. Watery. Wimpy. Like, um, water, wimpy flavorless squash.

What I DO object to is the waste: half the squash was uncooked, so even if you wanted to eat it, you couldn't because it's undone.

Go back to the lab, people. This is not worth a penny, let alone two bucks.

And I promise, it's easy-easy to roast squash in the oven! (And I recommend roasting an extra, there are so many ways to use up leftover squash. All the recipes using cooked squash are specially marked.) That said, I must try microwaving winter squash, I know others have good success.

Eat more vegetables! A Veggie Venture is the home of Veggie Evangelist Alanna Kellogg and is the award-winning source of free vegetable recipes, quick, easy, and yes, delicious. Start with the Alphabet of Vegetables or dive into all the Weight Watchers vegetable recipes or all the low carb vegetable recipes. © Copyright 2007

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Grilled Cheese BLT ♥

OH MY. May I just say that there are far too few sandwiches in this household? Perhaps it's no wonder, then, that on the rare occasion that bread, bacon, cheese and tomatoes were on hand at the same time, there was no deciding whether to make a grilled cheese or a BLT -- and so I combined them. Thank you, Sandwich Gods, thank you.

MAKE IT A MEAL Nothing like soup and a sandwich for lunch, perhaps the light, fresh-tomato Summer's Tomato Soup?

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FROM THE VEGETABLE RECIPE ARCHIVES Hmm. I do have bread and tomatoes. Maybe it's time to 'update the photos' (always a good excuse ...) for 2005's luscious Eggplant, Tomato & Mozzarella Sandwiches and Artichoke & Pepper Grilled Cheese Sandwiches.

TWO YEARS AGO Tomato & Rice Salad, a tasty combination that I re-made this summer, still tastes great.

Grilled Cheese BLT

Hands-on time: 10 minutes
Time to table: 15 minutes
Serves 1 (easily multiplied)

2 slices bacon
2 slices bread
Thin slather of mayonnaise
Sprinkling of a good melting cheese (I loved the chipotle cheddar)
Sprinkle of good pepper
1 wonderful tomato
Lettuce if you have it

In a non-stick skillet, cook the bacon til crispy. Pour off the bacon grease into a glass jar. (Save it for another use. If you want ideas, just search on 'bacon grease' or 'bacon fat' in the Search Box on top.) Spread mayonnaise, cheese and pepper on the bread slices. Top one side with bacon, then the tomato and lettuce. Use your best balancing skills to combine the two slices and put in the hot skillet. Cook for a couple of minutes per side, til the bread crisps up and the cheese melts. Slice and chow down.

NUTRITION ESTIMATE
Per Serving: 427 Cal (41% from Fat, 18% from Protein, 41% from Carb); 19 g Protein; 19 g Tot Fat; 6 g Sat Fat; 5 g Mono Fat; 44 g Carb; 6 g Fiber; NetCarb36; 8 g Sugar; 138 mg Calcium; 1 mg Iron; 969 mg Sodium; 40 mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers 9 points (yikes)

PRINT JUST A RECIPE! Now you can print a recipe without wasting ink and paper on the header and sidebar. Here's how.

NEVER MISS A RECIPE! For 'home delivery' of new recipes from A Veggie Venture, sign up here. Once you do, new recipes will be delivered, automatically, straight to your e-mail In Box.

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Eat more vegetables! A Veggie Venture is the home of Veggie Evangelist Alanna Kellogg and is the award-winning source of free vegetable recipes, quick, easy, and yes, delicious. Start with the Alphabet of Vegetables or dive into all the Weight Watchers vegetable recipes or all the low carb vegetable recipes. © Copyright 2007

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Power Food Broccoli Salad

Power Rangers and broccoli salad: who knew they would meet on the dinner table? They do, in this week's Kitchen Parade column for Power Food Broccoli Salad.

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SO WHAT IS KITCHEN PARADE, EXACTLY? Kitchen Parade is the food column that my Mom started writing for our family newspaper when I was a baby. Today it's published in my hometown newspapers in suburban St. Louis and features 'fresh seasonal recipes for every-day healthful eating and occasional indulgences'.

Where A Veggie Venture is 'pure food blog', full of experimentation and exploration, Kitchen Parade features recipes a modern cook can count on. All are thoroughly tested by a home cook in a home kitchen and many are family and reader favorites. All recipes feature easy-to-find ingredients, clear instructions and because I believe so strongly in informed food choices, nutrition analysis and Weight Watchers points. Want to know more? Explore KitchenParade.com, including Kitchen Parade's Recipe Box!

WHY DOESN'T THIS POST ACCEPT COMMENTS? Because I hope that you'll click through to the actual column and comment there!

E-MAIL & RSS SUBSCRIBERS You may subscribe to Kitchen Parade directly. Just sign up for Kitchen Parade via e-mail or Kitchen Parade via RSS -- then you'll receive the complete column and recipe directly in your In Box or RSS reader.

A Veggie Venture is home of the Veggie Evangelist Alanna Kellogg and award-winning vegetable inspiration from Asparagus to Zucchini. © Copyright 2007

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Farmgirl's Swiss Chard Tuna Salad ♥

It's hard - here, anyway, really hard - to eat enough greens. So I'm ever on the look-out for ways to incorporate greens into stuff that we're already eating. This easy tuna salad - it could be your tuna salad recipe, even a tuna salad from the deli - was easily transformed.

And I was quite surprised that even with the addition of three large Swiss chard leaves, this was still 'tuna salad', just a little greener -- and very good, definitely worth a try.

Many thanks for the inspiration to my pal from Farmgirl Fare, whose recipe was featured last spring on NPR's Kitchen Window, Letting Greens into Your Life.

NUTRITION NOTES If you've ever wondered how many Weight Watchers points there are in tuna salad, look out! Even bulked up with greens, a half cup (just a half cup - this recipes makes SEVEN half cups) made with full-fat mayonnaise is four points! (The low-carb people are happy, however, since there are just 2 net carbs, joining a growing collection of low-carb vegetable recipes, too.) Even using low-fat mayonnaise, a half cup still adds up to two points. For salads with low Weight Watchers points, check Kitchen Parade's Weight Watchers recipes and A Veggie Venture's Weight Watchers recipes.

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HOMEMADE SANDWICH BREAD My family's recipe for Swedish rye bread, adapted for the bread maker, would make great tuna sandwiches.

MORE VEGETABLE RECIPES See the Recipe Box for more Swiss chard recipes (specifically) but since greens are often interchangeable, check the leafy green recipes too.

A YEAR AGO How funny is this?!! Swiss chard gratin, "one of the most satisfying vegetable dishes I've made in a long while"

TWO YEARS AGO Roasted Eggplant & Tomato Pizza, "the deliciously salty and pungent eggplant, a perfect pizza topping and a definite keeper"

SWISS CHARD TUNA SALAD

Hands-on time: 25 minutes
Time to table: 25 minutes (Susan recommends letting it sit a bit for flavors to meld)
Makes 3-1/2 cups

About 3 large Swiss chard leaves, to yield about 1 cup chopped & tightly packed leaves
About 1 rib from a Swiss chard leaf
Fresh cilantro, about 1/4 cup chopped & loosely packed (Farmgirl uses Italian parsley)
5 small green onions, about 1/2 cup chopped, white & green parts
1/4 cup chopped kalamata olives
8 ounces canned/packaged tuna - have you SEEN what they've done to the tuna 'products' these days?

DRESSING
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (Farmgirl uses 1/2 teaspoon)
1 teaspoon Balsamic vinegar
Salt & pepper to taste

Wash the chard leaves and cilantro well, shake (or run through a salad spinner or dry on paper towels). [I usually start mixing the mayo mixture at this point, to let the greens have a few minutes to dry.] Cut the ribs and "little ribs" (what are they called, the ones that extend into the leaves themselves) from the leaves. Chop one rib very small for the salad. [I found the ribs more fibrous than palatable to use more than one. One was good, however! I saved the others for something else.] Cut the leaves into narrow strips. [Some times it's easier to stack the leaves, then roll into 'cigars', then cut cross-wise.]

Whisk together the dressing ingredients. Add the olives, tuna and green onion. Gently fold in the greens. Season with salt and pepper.

NUTRITION ESTIMATE
Per Half Cup (assumes full-fat mayonnaise, water-packed tuna): 164 Cal (76% from Fat, 20% from Protein, 4% from Carb); 8 g Protein; 14 g Tot Fat; 2 g Sat Fat; 4 g Mono Fat; 2 g Carb; 0 g Fiber; NetCarb2; 0 g Sugar; 21 mg Calcium; 1 mg Iron; 296 mg Sodium; 20 mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers 4 points

Per Half Cup (assumes low-fat mayonnaise, water-packed tuna): 109 Cal (60% from Fat, 30% from Protein, 10% from Carb); 8 g Protein; 7 g Tot Fat; 1 g Sat Fat; 1 g Mono Fat; 3 g Carb; 1 g Fiber; 1 g Sugar; 19 mg Calcium; 1 mg Iron; 344 mg Sodium; 20 mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers 2 points

PRINT JUST A RECIPE! Now you can print a recipe without wasting ink and paper on the header and sidebar. Here's how.

NEVER MISS A RECIPE! For 'home delivery' of new recipes from A Veggie Venture, sign up here. Once you do, new recipes will be delivered, automatically, straight to your e-mail In Box.

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Eat more vegetables! A Veggie Venture is the home of Veggie Evangelist Alanna Kellogg and is the award-winning source of free vegetable recipes, quick, easy, and yes, delicious. Start with the Alphabet of Vegetables or dive into all the Weight Watchers vegetable recipes or all the low carb vegetable recipes. © Copyright 2007

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Green Beans with Mayo-Soy Sauce ♥

At coffee with a new friend the other day, the conversation leaned to books and recipes. (Yoohoo, a new reading friend, yay, a new foodie friend!)

Marie shared a colleague's recipe from some 25 years ago. It's so simple, it's not even a 'recipe' -- just beans tossed in a sauce of mayonnaise and soy sauce. But I've made it twice now and it's amazing to me that something this easy can be this good.

Would the same mayo-soy sauce work with steamed broccoli? cooked cabbage? Brussels sprouts? cauliflower? I think so. And frozen vegetables? For sure.

The first time, I whipped up enough sauce for it to be clearly visible on the beans - to my taste, this was good but 'too much'. So the second time, I used only a tablespoon of low-fat mayonnaise, which, split four ways, means that a serving yields zero Weight Watchers points -- making this recipe a happy addition to the collection of this website's zero point vegetable recipes in addition to the collection of low-carb vegetable recipes.

MAKE IT A MEAL These simple green beans would pair up with so many of the Quick Supper Recipes but this time of year, I'm partial to the idea of these Thick Chops with Sauerkraut.

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FROM THE ARCHIVES See the Recipe Box for more green bean recipes.

A YEAR AGO These pretty little parsnip cupcakes for my contribution to Sugar High Friday, the 'surprise inside' edition hosted by, well, me!

TWO YEARS AGO A cute little Mini Tomato Pesto Torte, made with a sun-dried tomato pesto.

GREEN BEANS with MAYO-SOY SAUCE

Hands-on time: 7 minutes (with fresh beans)
Time to table: 30 minutes
Serves 4

Salted water (1 quart water, 1 tablespoon kosher salt)
1 pound fresh green beans, washed well, stem ends snapped, strings removed if seem 'stringy'
1 tablespoon low-fat mayonnaise (I love Hellman's ...)
Splash of soy sauce

Put the water on to boil, covered. Add the cleaned beans, cover and cook for 7 minutes or until reach the desired amount of doneness. Drain and return to hot pan. Separately, stir together the mayonnaise and soy sauce. (I actually do prefer the mixture/texture better when mixed first OFF the beans but really, save a dish, it's fine either way.) Toss beans with mayonnaise mixture. Serve and enjoy!

NUTRITION ESTIMATE
Per Serving: 49 Calories; 1 g Tot Fat; 0 g Sat Fat; 0 g Mono Fat; 9 g Carb; 4 g Fiber; NetCarb5; 2 g Sugar; 43 mg Calcium; 1 mg Iron; 265 mg Sodium; 1 mg Cholesterol; 2 g Protein; Weight Watchers Old Points 0, PointsPlus 1

PRINT JUST A RECIPE! Now you can print a recipe without wasting ink and paper on the header and sidebar. Here's how.

NEVER MISS A RECIPE! For 'home delivery' of new recipes from A Veggie Venture, sign up here. Once you do, new recipes will be delivered, automatically, straight to your e-mail In Box.

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Eat more vegetables! A Veggie Venture is the home of Veggie Evangelist Alanna Kellogg and is the award-winning source of free vegetable recipes, quick, easy, and yes, delicious. Start with the Alphabet of Vegetables or dive into all the Weight Watchers vegetable recipes or all the low carb vegetable recipes. © Copyright 2007

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The Heartbeat of Iowa

It's a special day over at Kitchen Parade, an introduction to Iowa 'pioneers' who are raising pork for Niman Ranch with new-but-old practices.

For me, it's been an emotional return to a place where I lived for 14 years. Today, for the first time in many years, I hear The Heartbeat of Iowa.

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SO WHAT IS KITCHEN PARADE, EXACTLY? Kitchen Parade is the food column that my Mom started writing for our family newspaper when I was a baby. Today it's published in my hometown newspapers in suburban St. Louis and features 'fresh seasonal recipes for every-day healthful eating and occasional indulgences'.

Where A Veggie Venture is 'pure food blog', full of experimentation and exploration, Kitchen Parade features recipes a modern cook can count on. All are thoroughly tested by a home cook in a home kitchen and many are family and reader favorites. All recipes feature easy-to-find ingredients, clear instructions and because I believe so strongly in informed food choices, nutrition analysis and Weight Watchers points. Want to know more? Explore KitchenParade.com, including Kitchen Parade's Recipe Box!

WHY DOESN'T THIS POST ACCEPT COMMENTS? Because I hope that you'll click through to the actual column and comment there!

A Veggie Venture is home of the Veggie Evangelist Alanna Kellogg and award-winning vegetable inspiration from Asparagus to Zucchini. © Copyright 2007

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(Sloooow) Baked Potatoes ♥ How Long to Bake a Baked Potato

The accepted practice is to bake potatoes for an hour. But here's how long to bake a baked potato if you want it to be nutty and soft: three hours, yes, that's no typo, it really is 'three' hours. The skin and flesh are both completely delicious when slow-baked for a long time. Read on.

The pregnant pause. I've learned to wait expectantly (ahem) when it occurs in a conversation with my friend Anne, who just happens to own Kitchen Conservatory, St. Louis' great kitchen store (bakers, especially, check out the great selection of hard-to-find cake pans and baking ingredients) and cooking school. You see, she's got big ideas about food that are some times contrary to conventional wisdom: I always learn something. Take the latest lesson, how to make the best baked potatoes.

Her father married late in life. [An addendum from Anne: 'The reason that fact is important is because he ate 3 meals out for 20 years so never wanted to eat out again. His restaurant experience meant he was also suspicious of sauces and believed that all food must be indentifiable. Mashed potatoes are not identifiable, they might have come from a box! A baked potato is.'] So one of the great benefits of a family was home-cooked food. In a Father-Knows-Best way, he insisted on a baked potato every single night, not just a wimpy or soggy foil-wrapped baked potato, mind you, but a slow-baked potato, one baked in the oven for three hours.

Yes, three hours. The family kitchen even housed a special oven, just for baking potatoes for Father & Family.

This may be the easiest vegetable you ever make. Just rub Idaho potatoes with olive oil, then pop into a 350F oven for three hours. The hardest thing about these baked potatoes? Not snatching one from the oven about half-way through, when the potato aroma throughout the house will begin to tempt ...

But it's worth the wait! Once the full three hours has passed, dig into creamy-smooth and nutty-roasted flesh that can be 'mashed' with a fork right there in the skin. And the skins? Oh my, the skins! They're stiff and crackly and completely delicious.

To contrast, compare the two photos. The top photo is the three-hour baked potato -- doesn't it look good?! The texture of the one-hour potato (below) is entirely blotchy, the skin looks positively raw. What a difference! If the photos don't persuade you, let your own side-by-side potato-baking and potato-tasting!

(SLOOOOW) BAKED POTATOES

Hands-on time: 5 minutes
Time to table: 3 hours
Serves -- well, you decide

1 russet potato, scrubbed well, rubbed with olive oil

Set oven to 350F. Place potatoes directly on the oven rack. There's no need to prick the potatoes, at least in my experience (just twice). If you do prick them, place a baking sheet on the rack below to catch any juices. Bake for 3 hours. Remove from the oven, slice open pole to pole with a knife.

ALANNA's TIPS & KITCHEN NOTES
For baking, choose a russet potato, some times called an 'Idaho potato' (which is actually a brand name for potatoes grown in Idaho along the lines of Parmesan Reggiano). It's a so-called 'mealy' potato' with relatively thick, brown and rough skin. It's high in starch and low in moisture so perfect for creating fluffy potato texture.
With any luck, the skin will be without blemishes but if there are rough spots, slice them off with a knife then proceed the same; I baked one potato that had an open cut and it baked just fine.

NUTRITION ESTIMATE
Idaho potatoes can weigh a half pound (and more) so if that's a 'serving', so be it. I'll do nutrition information by weight.

A 1/4 pound russet potato, with skin, weighed raw: 90 Cal (1% from Fat, 10% from Protein, 89% from Carb); 2 g Protein; 0 g Tot Fat; 0 g Sat Fat; 0 g Mono Fat; 20 g Carb; 1 g Fiber; NetCarb19; 1 g Sugar; 15 mg Calcium; 1 mg Iron; 6 mg Sodium; 0 mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers 1 point

1/2 pound russet potato, with skin, weighed raw: 179 Cal (1% from Fat, 10% from Protein, 89% from Carb); 5 g Protein; 0 g Tot Fat; 0 g Sat Fat; 0 g Mono Fat; 41 g Carb; 3 g Fiber; NetCarb38; 1 g Sugar; 29 mg Calcium; 2 mg Iron; 11 mg Sodium; 0 mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers 3 points

3/4 pound russet potato, with skin, weighed raw: 269 Cal (1% from Fat, 10% from Protein, 89% from Carb); 7 g Protein; 0 g Tot Fat; 0 g Sat Fat; 0 g Mono Fat; 61 g Carb; 4 g Fiber; NetCarb57; 2 g Sugar; 44 mg Calcium; 3 mg Iron; 17 mg Sodium; 0 mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers 5 points

1 pound russet potato, with skin, weighed raw: 358 Cal (1% from Fat, 10% from Protein, 89% from Carb); 10 g Protein; 0 g Tot Fat; 0 g Sat Fat; 0 g Mono Fat; 82 g Carb; 6 g Fiber; NetCarb76; 3 g Sugar; 59 mg Calcium; 4 mg Iron; 23 mg Sodium; 0 mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers 7 points (yikes)

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MORE FAVORITE POTATO RECIPES
~ How to Roast Potatoes to Perfection ~
~ Rosemary Potatoes ~
~ Best-Ever New Potatoes & Green Beans ~
~ more potato recipes ~
from A Veggie Venture

~ Those Pink Potatoes ~
~ Mashed Potatoes & Carrots ~
~ Smashed Potatoes & Broccoli ~
~ more potato recipes ~
from Kitchen Parade, my food column

NEVER MISS A RECIPE! For 'home delivery' of new recipes from A Veggie Venture, sign up here. Once you do, new recipes will be delivered, automatically, straight to your e-mail In Box.

Eat more vegetables! A Veggie Venture is the home of Veggie Evangelist Alanna Kellogg and is the award-winning source of free vegetable recipes, quick, easy, and yes, delicious. Start with the Alphabet of Vegetables or dive into all the Weight Watchers vegetable recipes or all the low carb vegetable recipes. © Copyright 2007

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Bitter Melon Sauté ♥

So if we need any more signs of the globalization of our planet, check out the Des Moines Farmers Market smack dab in the middle of the corn and bean fields of central Iowa.

What a fabulous farmers market - the best I've seen, bar none. And mine is no solo act singing the market's praises. At least one of the chefs for the Niman Ranch annual hog producers appreciation dinner weekend before last agrees. "The farmers market is spectacular," he told me just as I was heading there, "way better than anything in Chicago."

The market is huge, as much a street festival with booth after booth of locally raised produce, meat, honey and fresh flowers along with artisan cheese and bread -- plus food stalls (have you had a pupusa, yet? delicious! or what about homemade biscuits and sausage gravy? swoon!) and market-appropriate crafts like bird houses made from gourds and t-shirts that read, "I'm an Iowa Girl". We were especially lucky to get the grand tour from market master Kelly Foss but my goodness - what a spread.

For vegetables, I expected typical farmers market fare for this time of year - corn, peppers, tomatoes, onions, winter squash and all the other fresh Midwestern produce that bridges late summer and early fall - but by serendipity, sat in the shade (with a glass of rosemary-infused lemonade that still has me wishing for more) near a booth selling fresh long beans, lemon grass and bitter melon, all staples of Asian cooking.

And by further serendipity, another shopper told me how to cook the bitter melon! Thank you, Carol Williams! (This is Iowa, folks, it's a friendly place!)

ACQUIRED TASTE Bitter melon is an acquired taste. Raw, it is pucker-up bitter and spit-it-out sour. To make it palatable, at least to my taste, you need to remove much of the bitterness -- scrape off the tips of the prickles, leach out some of the liquid, cook with something else (here, onion) and cook til WELL done. After that, it was good -- but I'm not really sure, honestly, it was still bitter melon.

MAKE IT A MEAL Bitter melon seem to be often paired with eggs, to further soften the bitterness so for this I recommend Alex's French Eggs.

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MORE VEGETABLE RECIPES See the Recipe Box for nearly 30 months worth of new-to-me vegetables.

TWO YEARS AGO My very first time to unveil that year's obsession, slow-roasted tomatoes.

A YEAR AGO Potato Okra Curry, "Twenty minutes. One skillet. Truly tasty."

BITTER MELON SAUTÉ

Hands-on time: 15 minutes
Time to table: 90 minutes
Serves 4

1 pound bitter melon
turmeric
kosher salt

Bacon grease or other oil
Chopped onion

While the melons are still whole, use a knife to scrape off the points of the skin. Slice in half, lengthwise, then scoop out center material and seeds, leaving just the outside flesh. Chop into small pieces. Toss with plenty of turmeric and salt. Let rest for an hour or more. Rinse well.

In a large skillet, heat the bacon grease on MEDIUM till shimmery. Add the bitter melon and cook til beginning to soften. Add the onion and cook til the onions are done and the bitter melon no longer bitter.

NUTRITION ESTIMATE
I could find no nutrition information on bitter melon but suspect that it's got virtually no calories.

NEVER MISS A RECIPE! For 'home delivery' of new recipes from A Veggie Venture, sign up here. Once you do, new recipes will be delivered, automatically, straight to your e-mail In Box.

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Eat more vegetables! A Veggie Venture is the home of Veggie Evangelist Alanna Kellogg and is the award-winning source of free vegetable recipes, quick, easy, and yes, delicious. Start with the Alphabet of Vegetables or dive into all the Weight Watchers vegetable recipes or all the low carb vegetable recipes. © Copyright 2007

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Foodie Fight! A Trivia Game for Food Lovers

Question: What are Chocolate & Zucchini and Gastropoda?

Answer: Food blogs, of course, as many food-blog enthusiasts will recognize!

What's new, however, is the source of the Q&A, the great new trivia game for food lovers called Foodie Fight. (Yes, my fellow food bloggers, we have indeed all arrived when even two of our number are mentioned in a food trivia game!)

The game comes with 168 trivia cards (each with questions in six food-fun categories) plus game boards (for individuals or teams) and playing tokens. Use the boards and tokens or just fly through the question cards.

The questions are a perfect mix of the obscure (Q. How many bubbles in a bottle of champagne, anyone?) and the familiar (Q. What vegetable is some times referred to as "Swiss", after a 16th-century botanist?) -- so you'll be stumped often enough to learn something but not so often as to feel stupid.

And when you know the answers -- and you will, I promise -- you'll feel like a culinary brainiac.

Such fun -- for dinner parties, diversions during long car trips, conversation starters to kick-off meetings, even ice-breakers when strangers make long bus rides, a kick-off to food-related meetings?

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FULL DISCLOSURE I met Joyce Lord, Foodie Fight's developer, last week but honestly, had already fallen head-over-heels in laughter for it before knowing she was the mastermind behind the game and she'd given me a complimentary box.

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Eat more vegetables! A Veggie Venture is the home of Veggie Evangelist Alanna Kellogg and is the award-winning source of free vegetable recipes, quick, easy, and yes, delicious. Start with the Alphabet of Vegetables or dive into all the Weight Watchers vegetable recipes or all the low carb vegetable recipes. © Copyright 2007

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Steamed Butternut Squash ♥

So what self-respecting vegetable-recipe website takes 2-1/2 years to figure out how to steam winter squash? Oooops.

No question what held me back: I like ten fingers and was unwilling to sacrifice a single one to a squash, no-siree.

Here's the trick - and it took all of six minutes, definitely a good investment of time for how gorgeous steamed winter squash turns out. Better yet? I checked: yep, all fingers present and accounted for.

IN WORDS Slice off the 'neck', first, of a butternut squash (those are the pale brown ones with a round bulb on one end and a long neck) -- not hard with a sharp knife. Then use a vegetable peeler to take off the skin -- or in my case, a knife since the vegetable peeler wasn't up to the job, taking care to keep the neck's flat end of the neck steady on a cutting board, slicing top to bottom. Then cut the neck into rounds about an inch thick, then stack a couple at a time to cut into cubes.

IN PICTURES See how to cut, peel & cube a butternut squash and keep all ten fingers for step-by-step photo illustrations of this technique.

STEAMED BUTTERNUT SQUASH

Hands-on time: 10 minutes
Time to table: 40 minutes
Serves 4

About 4-pound butternut squash, washed well, neck sliced from main portion (this yields about a pound of squash, you could also cube/cook the rest for later but the cooking time will be longer)

1 tablespoon butter
Salt & pepper

Set water to boil in a steamer. After slicing off the neck, remove the skin of the neck, either by slicing off with a vegetable peeler or a knife. Cut cross-wise into one-inch thick rounds, then two rounds at a time, cut into cubes.

Place in the steamer (if doing more than a pound, may need to do several batches). Cover and let steam until done, about 30 minutes. Drain water, return squash to steamer and toss with butter and seasonings.

NUTRITION ESTIMATE
Per Serving: 76 Cal (32% from Fat, 6% from Protein, 63% from Carb); 1 g Protein; 3 g Tot Fat; 2 g Sat Fat; 1 g Mono Fat; 13 g Carb; 2 g Fiber; NetCarb11; 2 g Sugar; 55 mg Calcium; 1 mg Iron; 25 mg Sodium; 8 mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers 1 point

CREDIT WHERE CREDIT'S DUE
Adapted from Vegetable Love by Barbara Kafka

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MORE FAVORITE WINTER SQUASH RECIPES
~ My Favorite Winter Squash Recipes ~
~ How to Roast a Whole Butternut Squash ~
~ Butternut Mac 'n' Cheese ~
~ Acorn Squash with Mustard & Honey ~
~ Delicata Squash with Hot Pepper Glaze ~
~ more winter squash recipes ~
from A Veggie Venture

~ Squash Puff ~
~ Winter Stew ~
~ Acorn Squash with Quinoa & Dried Cherries ~
~ more winter squash recipes ~
from Kitchen Parade

NEVER MISS A RECIPE! For 'home delivery' of new recipes from A Veggie Venture, sign up here. Once you do, new recipes will be delivered, automatically, straight to your e-mail In Box.

© Copyright Kitchen Parade 2007

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Kitchen Parade Extra: Banana Oatmeal Cookies♥

Oatmeal cookies with a banana twist!

Okay, I've got your complete attention now, right? I thought so -- check out this week's Kitchen Parade column for a great home-style cookie recipe Banana Oatmeal Cookies — plus two quick banana desserts, too!

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SO WHAT IS KITCHEN PARADE, EXACTLY? Kitchen Parade is the food column that my Mom started writing for our family newspaper when I was a baby. Today it's published in my hometown newspapers in suburban St. Louis and features 'fresh seasonal recipes for every-day healthful eating and occasional indulgences'.

Where A Veggie Venture is 'pure food blog', full of experimentation and exploration, Kitchen Parade features recipes a modern cook can count on. All are thoroughly tested by a home cook in a home kitchen and many are family and reader favorites. All recipes feature easy-to-find ingredients, clear instructions and because I believe so strongly in informed food choices, nutrition analysis and Weight Watchers points. Want to know more? Explore KitchenParade.com, including Kitchen Parade's Recipe Box!

WHY CAN'T I COMMENT ON THIS PAGE? Because I hope that you'll click through to the actual column and comment there!

A Veggie Venture is home of the Veggie Evangelist Alanna Kellogg and vegetable inspiration from Asparagus to Zucchini. © Copyright 2007

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Quick Supper: Bolognese Sauce with Slow-Roasted Tomatoes ♥

Yes, it's THAT time of year again. ("What? Time of year? What time of year is it?" I just know you're wondering.) But this is a most pivotal time of year, the few weeks at the cusp of summer and autumn when we must-must-must slow-roast tomatoes so that for the rest of the year, we're able to pull the taste of sweet summer from our freezers on mere whim or sheer inspiration.

(My apologies to regular readers, you know this story. But new readers? Slow-roased tomatoes bear repeating!) In 2005, I became curious about -- okay, obsessed with -- slow-roasted tomatoes. I roasted, well, 15 batches. No wonder I've collected so many recipes for using slow-roasted tomatoes!

And don't let anyone lead you astray thinking that a mere four hours or so will 'slow-roast' tomatoes. Nope. You see, I've tested. From much trial, much error, I know that it takes 10 - 12 hours, yes hours! at 200F to create the real essence of slow-roasting.

So if you're wondering how to roast tomatoes, how to slow-roast tomatoes, how to really truly sloooooooooooow roast tomatoes -- and how to taste 'summer' in the middle of winter -- this, my friends, is how. And the recipe that follows is just one more reason, WHY.

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Twenty-five minutes to a one-skillet, simple supper.

Yes, it's one of the best things about slow-roasted tomatoes: so much flavor is already roasted in that all you really need to do is heat them up and serve. This is a bolognese sauce. It's "quick" to make on the spot but it's got the flavor of the "slow" cooked versions.

I tucked some leftover ham into it (and most bolognese sauces are heavy on meat, light on tomato) but honestly, it had so much flavor, so much tomato meatiness, it would have been completely delicious as a vegetarian bolognese.

FOR LOW-CARB EATERS If you're watch the carbs, Dreamfield's low-glycemic / low-carb pasta is now sold through Amazon, including the spaghetti, the penne and the linguine, the much-awaited lasagna, even elbows! Dreamfields is truly a wonder product for low-carb eaters who miss eating pasta. There's always a box or two in my pantry. And I promise, if you're been disappointed by other flavorless, low-carb cardboard pastas, Dreamfields is very good. You won't even know ... except you will!

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FROM THE ARCHIVES The Recipe Box has a collection of recipes for slow-roasted tomatoes.

TWO YEARS AGO Hurricane Rice, food blogging in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina

GREAT FOOD BLOGS share BOLOGNESE RECIPES
Champaign Taste ... Marcella Hazan's Bolognese Sauce
Simply Recipes ... Slow and Quick Bolognese Sauce
Seriously Good ... Ragu Bolognese

BOLOGNESE SAUCE with SLOW-ROASTED TOMATOES

Hands-on time: 20 minutes
Time to table: 20 minutes
Serves 4

Salted water for pasta
Fresh or Dried Pasta

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 carrot, diced small
1 onion, diced small
2 stalks celery, diced small
6 garlic cloves, minced small
2 cups slow-roasted tomatoes (from 4 pounds) or 1 - 2 cans diced tomatoes
1/2 pound ham (or other meat)
Freshly grated Parmesan

Start the water for the pasta. (Salt later if you can remember to do that. I always forget, so salt first, though this can damage your pans over the long-term.)

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil til shimmery. Add the carrot, onion, celery and garlic til they're softening. Add the tomatoes and meat and heat through. Serve over pasta topped with freshly grated Parmesan.

NUTRITION ESTIMATE
With Meat & Pasta (assumes 2 oz pasta per serving) Per Serving: 494 Cal (25% from Fat, 21% from Protein, 54% from Carb); 27 g Protein; 14 g Tot Fat; 3 g Sat Fat; 69 g Carb; 8 g Fiber; NetCarb 61; 78 mg Calcium; 4 mg Iron; 842 mg Sodium; 85 mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers 10 points

With No Meat, With Pasta (2 oz pasta per serving) Per Serving: 405 Cal (23% from Fat, 12% from Protein, 65% from Carb); 13 g Protein; 11 g Tot Fat; 2 g Sat Fat; 69 g Carb; 8 g Fiber; NetCarb61; 74 mg Calcium; 3 mg Iron; 90 mg Sodium; 54 mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers 8 points

CREDIT WHERE CREDIT'S DUE
Very adapted from Giada's Family Dinners by Giada De Laurentiis

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Eat more vegetables! A Veggie Venture is the home of Veggie Evangelist Alanna Kellogg and is the award-winning source of free vegetable recipes, quick, easy, and yes, delicious. Start with the Alphabet of Vegetables or dive into all the Weight Watchers vegetable recipes or all the low carb vegetable recipes. © Copyright 2007

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Smoked Potatoes ♥

When I became the unexpected owner of a Camerons stovetop smoker last spring, naturally, I wondered about the potential of smoked vegetables. What would emerge?

First up, lovely woody nutty smoked potatoes. "Tastes like bacon," remarked one taste tester -- thus proving that bacon tastes like smoke, not bacon, yes?

And just like smoking trout, shrimp and scallops (my favorites on the smoker and the real reason to buy a smoker if considering one), smoked potatoes are easy-easy cooking. Just slice and season, arrange in the smoker, then walk away. In fact, the recipe I followed specified smoking the potatoes for 45 minutes. But I forgot to set the timer and so these cooked for almost twice that: no problem. (I do recommend paying attention to the timer, however.)

NUTRITION NOTES These were smoked with zero fat -- but still were absolutely delicious, especially smeared with good mustard. That said, my chef friend tells me that slathered in duck fat beforehand (since it won't burn like butter would) before smoking, smoked potatoes move to a whole new plane.

LEFTOVER REPORT I used the leftovers to make a mustard-y vinegar-y potato salad with fresh herbs, again, just great.

WHY ARE THOSE POTATOES PINK? The variety has red skins that stains the flesh. It's pretty in raw form but decidedly not when cooked. Don't plan on a pretty pink plate with these!

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MAKE IT A MEAL Smoked potatoes would go great with the very fall-ish Buffalo Ragout.

MORE VEGETABLE RECIPES See the Recipe Box for all the potato recipes but if you've got access to just-dug new potatoes, think about our family favorite, mashed potatoes & carrots, the oh-so-lovely lavender potatoes, the classic new potatoes with browned butter, the delicious roasted potatoes and red onion or this quick potato okra curry.

A YEAR AGO Cornmeal Catfish with Warm Potato Salad, one of Kitchen Parade's famous Quick Suppers (yes, September is prime potato season!!)

SMOKED POTATOES

Hands-on time: 5 minutes
Time to table: 50 minutes? 90 minutes?
Serves 8

2 pounds potatoes (the inspiring recipe called for baking potatoes, 2 pounds exactly filled the smoker)
Salt & pepper

Place 1 tablespoon wood chips in the stovetop smoker (I used cherry, the inspiring recipe said oak or apple) and set on the stove over medium flame. Wash potatoes (or if they're already washed, wet again, the moisture is important). Slice 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch thick. (I cut these length-wise so they wouldn't fall through the grill.) Season both sides with salt and pepper. Close the smoker and cook til done (the inspiring recipe said 45 minutes, mine cooked for 1 hour, 40 minutes.

NUTRITION ESTIMATE
Per Serving: Per Serving: 82 Cal (2% from Fat, 10% from Protein, 88% from Carb); 2 g Protein; 0 g Tot Fat; 0 g Sat Fat; 0 g Mono Fat; 18 g Carb; 2 g Fiber; 1 g Sugar; 11 mg Calcium; 1 mg Iron; 7 mg Sodium; 0 mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers 1 point

HOW MANY CALORIES, CARBS & WEIGHT WATCHERS POINTS IN RED POTATOES Nutrition Information Per 1/4 pound of raw red potatoes, the flesh and the skins, 82 Cal (2% from Fat, 10% from Protein, 88% from Carb); 2 g Protein; 0 g Tot Fat; 0 g Sat Fat; 0 g Mono Fat; 18 g Carb; 2 g Fiber; 1 g Sugar; 11 mg Calcium; 1 mg Iron; 7 mg Sodium; 0 mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers 1 point

CREDIT WHERE CREDIT'S DUE
Adapted from the Camerons Stovetop Smoker 'Cooking Guide' that accompanied the smoker, there's also an occasional newsletter that includes several recipes, when I registered the produce, they sent several back issues which was great

SHORTHAND RECIPE
SMOKED POTATOES Slice ½ - ¾ “ thick, S&P, (duck fat?), 1T chips, 45-90min on med. VV07

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Eat more vegetables! A Veggie Venture is the home of Veggie Evangelist Alanna Kellogg and is the award-winning source of free vegetable recipes, quick, easy, and yes, delicious. Start with the Alphabet of Vegetables or dive into all the Weight Watchers vegetable recipes or all the low carb vegetable recipes. © Copyright 2007

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How to Freeze Corn ♥

On Saturday, I had the great pleasure of sharing a table and an evening's worth of conversation with Niman Ranch pork producers Richard and Delores Blackford whose central-Iowa farm is only a tractor's ride from where my great-grandparents once were townies raising strawberries on a corner lot.

And when an Iowa farmwife shares the technique she uses to put up 120 quarts of corn every summer, you just know this Veggie Evangelist is grabbing a pen to take furious notes -- not that notes are required, the technique is dead simple.

So on the drive back to St. Louis, I picked up a 'farmers dozen' ears of corn whose fourteen ears yielded only a scant six cups of corn -- about 1 percent of what Mrs. Blackford puts up -- but I promise to enjoy every single kernel. Here's her recipe - farm-tested, farm-loved, farm-sweet.

Here Mr. and Mrs. Blackford enjoy the first page of Pig Perfect by the ever-so-charming Peter Kaminsky who in his book weaves tales of 'Encounters with Remarkable Swine and Some Great Ways to Cook Them' and was the keynote speaker at the 2007 annual Hog Farmer Appreciation Dinner. More on THAT, later!

MAKE IT A MEAL Corn and pork (and soybeans) are the primary agricultural products of Iowa so let's serve today's frozen corn (rewarmed briefly in the microwave) with a Kitchen Parade Quick Supper, Tender Pork Tenderloin.

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FROM THE ARCHIVES See the Recipe Box for plenty more great corn recipes, including how to cook corn in the microwave.

A YEAR AGO A September 11th Remembrance and a simple arugula salad.

TWO YEARS AGO Roasted Tomatoes with Herbed Ricotta, just a terrific appetizer.

MORE CORN RECIPES from FAVORITE FOOD BLOGS
From Simply Recipes, Arugula Corn Salad with Bacon
From La Tartine Gourmande, Corn Soup
From Smitten Kitchen, Corn Muffins

HOW TO FREEZE CORN

Hands-on time: 30 minutes
Time to freezer: 2 hours

Water to cover
Fresh sweet corn

Bring water to boil in a large pot - enough to 'wet' the corn and leave room to move around but not have the kernels floating aimlessly around.

Meanwhile, shuck the corn, leaving the 'handles' on, rubbing off the corn silk with your hands under running water. In a large broad bowl, hold the corn upright in one hand, tip down. Top to bottom, slice off the the kernels in broad swaths.

Drop corn into boiling water and let return to a boil. Cook for 4 - 5 minutes, just enough to burn off the starch but not completely 'cook'. Drain well in a colander. Spread the corn evenly on a baking sheet and refrigerate for an hour or so, just enough to chill the corn and to slightly dry it. Transfer to freezer bags, squeezing out the air before sealing. If you like, you can 'double bag' (which will help prevent freezer burn) by placing smaller bags (quart-size, say) in large ones (gallon bags).

Freeze. To serve, transfer corn to a microwave-safe dish and warm for 2 - 3 minutes in the microwave.

NUTRITION ESTIMATE
Nutrition Information Per 1/4 pound of raw corn: 98 Cal (11% from Fat, 13% from Protein, 76% from Carb); 4 g Protein; 1 g Tot Fat; 0 g Sat Fat; 0 g Mono Fat; 22 g Carb; 3 g Fiber; NetCarb19; 4 g Sugar; 2 mg Calcium; 1 mg Iron; 17 mg Sodium; 0 mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers 1 point

Nutrition Information Per ear of raw corn (about 1/2 cup): 31 Cal (11% from Fat, 13% from Protein, 76% from Carb); 1 g Protein; 0 g Tot Fat; 0 g Sat Fat; 0 g Mono Fat; 7 g Carb; 1 g Fiber; NetCarb6; 1 g Sugar; 1 mg Calcium; 0 mg Iron; 5 mg Sodium; 0 mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers 0 points

NEVER MISS A RECIPE! For 'home delivery' of new recipes from A Veggie Venture, sign up here. Once you do, new recipes will be delivered, automatically, straight to your e-mail In Box.

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Eat more vegetables! A Veggie Venture is the home of Veggie Evangelist Alanna Kellogg and is the award-winning source of free vegetable recipes, quick, easy, and yes, delicious. Start with the Alphabet of Vegetables or dive into all the Weight Watchers vegetable recipes or all the low carb vegetable recipes. © Copyright 2007

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Yellow Squash Coconut Soup ♥ Recipe

Today's vegetable soup recipe: A riff on a Julia Child’s master soup recipe, thickened with a starch like rice (or here, farro) instead of flour.

~recipe & photo updated 2013~
~more recently updated recipes~

2007 Original Post: Would Julia Child be pleased? Will StephenCooks be pleased? Yes and yes, I think. You see, this soup is a variation on on last month's Cream of Zucchini Soup, a 'master recipe' from Julia Child's The Way to Cook but is also inspired by Stephen's Summer Squash & Fresh Corn Soup. I especially like Stephen's idea that some times we cook with our 'left hands', almost without thought while cooking something else, because it's that simple or flexible or forgiving.

So rather than use rice and sour cream like before, I used farro and coconut milk. And instead of the blender (or Stephen's faster food processor) to process, I used the Braun immersion blender, saving space in the dishwasher. And I used bacon grease instead of butter for more meaty flavor and substituted cabbage for onion since that's all that was on hand – there you go! an entirely different soup.

It'll work the same for you, too, just cook with your 'left hand'.

WHAT IS FARRO? It's a high-protein, high-fiber grain that is sometimes called 'emmer wheat' and is much-appreciated in Italian cuisine. I fell in love with this grain, its nutty and hearty puff, last spring. I don't quite know how to explain how it's different but I do recommend that you look for it. If you like, Amazon sells Farro Perlato. In St. Louis, I find it at Global Foods, in the rice section). The 'pearled' or 'semi-pearled' farro has some of the husk removed and cooks more quickly.

YELLOW SQUASH COCONUT SOUP

Hands-on time: maybe 30 minutes?
Time to table: maybe 90 minutes?
Makes 10 cups

8 cups vegetable broth

1 tablespoon bacon grease (or butter or olive oil for vegan soup)
1 small onion, diced
1/2 a medium cabbage, chopped
1/2 cup farro (or rice, brown rice works fine)
1 teaspoon turmeric, for color

1 1/2 pounds yellow squash, trimmed and grated (set aside about 1/4)
15 ounces low-fat coconut milk (or some other creamy liquid such as sour cream)
Salt & pepper to taste

Unsweetened toasted coconut, to garnish, optional

Bring 4 cups of broth to a boil in the microwave. Meanwhile, in a very large pot or Dutch oven, melt the bacon grease on MEDIUM HIGH til shimmery, then add the onion and cabbage as it’s prepped, stirring to coat and then stirring often. Add the farro and turmeric, and stir to coat, let cook for about 5 minutes until cabbage is beginning to soften. Add 3/4 of the squash, stir to coat. Add the 4 cups hot broth and bring to a boil. Adjust heat to maintain a slow simmer, cover and let cook for 15 - 30 minutes until the farro and squash are cooked. (While this happens, heat the remaining 4 cups broth, add it to the pot too.) With an immersion blender, process soup until it’s as smooth as desired. Add remaining 1/4 squash and coconut milk and warm completely through. Season to taste. Spoon into bowls and garnish with coconut.

ALANNA’s TIPS & KITCHEN NOTES
2007: This soup was good both hot and cold but the coconut flavor was more pronounced when hot. The immersion blender didn't yield the same unctuous smoothness as the blender but honestly, I loved the bits of nutty farro and chunks of squash though it's decidedly more rustic.

2013: This time, I used yellow squash from the garden and oh my, but the skins were tough and the centers seedy. I did carve out the seeds before chopping – there was no grating these – and in retrospect, I should have used a vegetable peeler to remove the skins. The tough skins made two big differences, the cooking time was longer and I really had to pur´e the soup in the blender, no “rustic texture” this time.

2013: I also used a full-fat coconut milk because that’s what was on hand and this made for a very rich soup, too rich for my taste especially since the chicken stock was also quite rich.

NUTRITION INFORMATION Per Cup: 108 Calories; 4 g Tot Fat; 3 g Sat Fat; 12 g Carb; 1 g Fiber; NetCarb 11; 3 g Sugar; 478 mg Sodium; 1 mg Cholesterol; 5 g Protein. WEIGHT WATCHERS POINTS: WW Old Points 2 & WW PointsPlus 3 CALORIE COUNTERS & MEDIFAST REAL FOOD 100-calorie serving, scant 1 cup.

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MORE FAVORITE RECIPES ESPECIALLY FOR YELLOW SQUASH
~ Yellow Squash Soup with Spinach: Early Autumn Leaves in Soup ~
~ Israeli Couscous Salad with Yellow Squash & Sun-Dried Tomatoes ~
~ Yellow Summer Squash Casserole ~
~ more summer squash recipes ~
from A Veggie Venture

MORE FAVORITE RECIPES FOR SUMMER SQUASH
~ Mediterranean Eggplant ~
~ Finnish Summer Soup ~
~ Ratatouille ~
~ more summer squash recipes ~
from Kitchen Parade, my food column

How to eat more vegetables? A Veggie Venture is the home of Veggie Evangelist Alanna Kellogg and the award-winning source of free vegetable recipes with hundreds of well-organized, quick and easy favorite vegetable recipes, the Alphabet of Vegetables, Weight Watchers low-point recipes and microwave vegetable recipes.

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Green Smoothies ♥

How to make green smoothies, lots of tips and ideas and recipes.

So far, my response to the mere mention of green smoothies has ranged from 'polite' to "Ewww". But that's without tasting one!

A confession: While I wanted to 'try' a green smoothie, I really didn't expect to like it. But I do! I've been experimenting with 'how much green' tastes good – I like more than less but not a lot. And for the last couple of weeks, my morning routine has included a green smoothie – often, with milk to fulfill the Weight Watchers milk/calcium requirement, so 'breakfast in a glass'. They're fast, easy, very pretty! I've collected some combinations here, just to inspire.

GREEN SMOOTHIE TIPS
The trick seems to be to start with fruit, then add green to taste. The first smoothie, I started with a single leaf of Swiss chard - and the taste was all fruit. For the second, I used two leaves of chard, brightened with lemon juice -- and this tasted decidedly bright and green and VERY alive. I loved it. The third, I used three leaves of chard, that was a bit much.
If you can, keep to 'whole' fruit (versus juice) so that you get the full benefit of fiber:calories. If need be, thin with water or milk.
Citrus juice is an important brightener.
Banana tastes 'familiar' and adds creaminess.
Milk of course adds creaminess too, even skim milk. Buttermilk adds a little 'tang'.
Try to avoid adding processed sugar, teach your tastebuds to appreciate things sweetened only with fruit.
It takes a LOT of fresh herbs (like mint, say) to be equivalent taste-wise and color-wise of a single leaf of chard, say. So I use fresh herbs just as a flavor accent, not as the "green".
If extra calories are important, add an egg. This may be raw food but feel free to skip the shell. :-)
UPDATE Don't be surprised when green smoothies don't always turn out a pretty green color. This from my clever cousin Barb, who makes smoothies in a Vitamix. She says, "When the smoothie looks like poop, you put it in a solid glass. When it's a pretty color, you put it in a clear glass."
UPDATE Here's a revelation, smoothies keep! So now I make a blenderful, drink a glass and put the rest into one-cup glass jars for the fridge. Later on, a quick stir and my smoothie is good to go.
If you create your own green smoothie - leave the magic recipe in a comment! UPDATE And do read the comments, they are full of great tips and ideas.
NUTRITION NOTE When Weight Watchers launched PointsPlus in 2010, fruit servings became "free". That means that technically, if you choose, the smoothies made with just fruit and vegetables could be considered "free". But I'm choosing to calculate calories and points the way I always do, because fruit calories can add up really fast for those of us who really love fruit.

GREEN SMOOTHIE I

ORANGE - BANANA - CHARD
Hands-on time: 10 minutes
Time to table: 10 minutes
Makes about 8 ounces (about 1 cup)

Zest of an orange
1 whole seedless orange, cut in quarters, flesh and sections (yes, pith and all, for fiber)
1/2 banana
1 large Swiss chard leaf (ribs sliced away)
Water to thin
1 tablespoon Estonian kama (which I'm completely addicted to, but wheat germ would work too)

Blend all ingredients in the blender. Taste and adjust.

NUTRITION ESTIMATE Per Cup (using wheat germ): 187 Calories; 1 g Tot Fat; 0 g Sat Fat; 44 g Carb; 8 g Fiber; NetCarb36; 27 g Sugar; 62 mg Sodium; 0 mg Cholesterol; 5 g Protein. WEIGHT WATCHERS Old Points 3, PointsPlus 5

GREEN SMOOTHIE II

ORANGE - BANANA - PLUM - LEMON - MORE CHARD
Hands-on time: 10 minutes
Time to table: 10 minutes
Makes about 8 ounces (about 1 cup)

Zest of an orange
1 whole seedless orange, cut in quarters, flesh and sections (yes, pith and all, for fiber)
1/2 banana
1 Italian plum
Juice of a lemon - an important brightener
3 large Swiss chard leaves (ribs sliced away)

Blend all ingredients in the blender. Taste and adjust.

NUTRITION ESTIMATE Per Cup: 159 Calories; 1g Tot Fat; 0g Sat Fat; 40g Carb; 7g Fiber; 25g Sugar; 122mg Sodium; 0mg Cholesterol; 3g Protein. WEIGHT WATCHERS Old Points 2.5, PointsPlus 5

GREEN SMOOTHIE III

BANANA - LIME - APPLE - MILK - CHARD (pretty pale green color!)
Hands-on time: 10 minutes
Time to table: 10 minutes
Makes about 16 ounces (about 2 cups)

1/2 banana
Zest & juice of a lime
2 large Swiss chard leaves (center ribs sliced away)
1 small apple (4 ounces), cored but skin on
1 cup skim milk

Blend all ingredients in the blender. Taste and adjust.

NUTRITION ESTIMATE Per Cup: 110 Calories; 0g Tot Fat; 0g Sat Fat; 24g Carb; 3g Fiber; 17g Sugar; 166mg Sodium; 2mg Cholesterol; 6g Protein. WEIGHT WATCHERS Old Points 1.5, PointsPlus 3 (including milk)

GREEN SMOOTHIE IV

BANANA - LEMON - APPLE - MILK - PLUM - MINT (a soggy green)
Hands-on time: 10 minutes
Time to table: 10 minutes
Makes about 16 ounces (about 2 cups)

1/2 banana
Zest & juice of a lemon
1 small apple (4 ounces), cored but skin on
2 Italian plums, pitted, skins on
1 cup skim milk
About 1/2 cup loosely packed fresh mint, leaves only

Blend all ingredients in the blender. Taste and adjust.

NUTRITION ESTIMATE Per Cup: 141 Calories; 1g Tot Fat; 0g Sat Fat; 2mg Cholesterol; 70mg Sodium; 31g Carb; 5g Fiber; 23g Sugar; 6g Protein. WEIGHT WATCHERS Old Points 2, PointsPlus 4

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MORE FAVORITE SMOOTHIE RECIPES
~ Beet Smoothies ~
~ Green Smoothies ~
~ Strawberry Rhubarb Smoothies ~
~ Tomato Smoothie ~
~ Weight Watchers Smoothie Recipes ~
~ more drinks & smoothie recipes ~
from A Veggie Venture

~ Cantaloupe Smoothie ~
~ Mango Lassi with Fresh Mint ~
~ Mango & Beet Smoothies ~
~ more smoothie recipes ~
from Kitchen Parade, my food column

Eat more vegetables! A Veggie Venture is the home of Veggie Evangelist Alanna Kellogg and is the award-winning source of free vegetable recipes, quick, easy, and yes, delicious. Start with the Alphabet of Vegetables or dive into all the Weight Watchers vegetable recipes or all the low carb vegetable recipes. © Copyright 2007

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