Quick Ways to Doctor a Bag of Green Beans

Today's un-recipe: Ways to doctor frozen green beans with ingredients from the pantry and refrigerator.

So it's January 31st and we've been 'cutting back' and 'slimming down' for a month now.

How did we do? How do we feel?

Me, after four straight weeks of (almost) religiously counting Weight Watchers points, I'm finally feeling back in control (except for weekends, my danger zones) and feel new resolve to 'keep counting'. To help out, I've stocked the freezer with no-fuss no-muss frozen vegetables. I got tired of just plain ol' green beans so decided to spice them up a bit and was amazed at how many different ways they could be fixed, just using on-hand ingredients.

So this list is no recipe -- just, I hope, an inspiration to look into the depths of your own pantries. If you've got an idea for doctoring green beans, leave a comment -- we'll inspire one another!

#1 Beans with Mayo & Soy Sauce Toss cooked beans with about 1 tablespoon mayonnaise and 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce.

#2 Beans with Peanut Butter & Soy Sauce Toss cooked beans with about 1 tablespoon peanut butter and 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce (or just plain crunchy peanut butter).

#3 Beans with Orange Toss cooked beans with 1 tablespoon frozen orange juice concentrate.

#4 Beans with Lemon & Honey Toss cooked beans with a tablespoon of fresh lemon juice, a half tablespoon of honey. Season with lemon pepper.

#5 Beans with Popcorn Oil Toss cooked beans with a half tablespoon of flavored popcorn oil. Yum!

#6 Beans with Horseradish Sauce Toss cooked beans with a tablespoon of sour cream and a half tablespoon of horseradish.

#7 Beans with Mustard Toss cooked green beans with a spoonful of good mustard. (Many thanks to Elizabeth from Blog from Our Kitchen for this tip! She likes a coarse mustard.)

NOT SO GOOD
Green beans tossed with black bean sauce

~ recipes for fresh green beans ~

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JANUARY'S FAVORITE RECIPES

Who else pays special attention to recipes that Food & Wine and Cooking Light identify as 'staff favorites'? So here are the 'staff favorites' (ahem, yes my own) for January from A Veggie Venture. They represent the season, yes? with spare, healthful food and a comfort-food soup.

~ Broccoli with Sautéed Garlic, the favorite side vegetable ~
~ Quick 'Massaged' Kale Salad, the favorite vegetable salad ~
~ 15-Bean Soup, January's favorite soup ~

~ Favorite Vegetable Recipes, nearly three years of favorites, just one per month ~

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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Salt-Roasted Beets ♥

Today's (crazy?) beet recipe: Fresh beets roasted in a salty crust, topped with a horseradish sauce. Low carb. Weight Watchers 1 point.

To sell a house, forget baking cookies just before prospective buyers arrive, so last-century passé! Instead, roast beets wrapped in salt and horseradish and citrus zest. Oh my, who knew that horseradish could smell so good? (And besides, how could I resist an addition to all the ways to cook beets?)

The recipe comes from the February 2008 issue of Bon Appetit, bookmarked in a dozen spots for intriguing new ideas for cooking vegetables. This is the first of several, I suspect, to appear here ...

SO IS THIS A NOVELTY or the LATEST & GREATEST? Well, I'm not sure. The aroma while baking was -- wait, you already know that was amazing. And then -- it was easy enough to crack open the salt layer but once that was off, the beets were hard to peel, a real surprise since after beets bake (wrapped in foil, say, like the ones pictured behind the salt mounds), the peels slip off as easily as banana peels, no trouble. (Possible explanation: The skin-level dryness may have been caused by the difficulty I had getting the salt-horseradish mixture to adhere to the entire beet, exposing a band around the middle.) And the salt-roasted beets tasted like, well, roasted beets. (Possible explanation: I didn't have fresh thyme the recipe called for, and only a small amount of lemon zest. So it's possible that these flavors would have infused into the beet flesh.) I'll have to try again, to see. And I'm definitely looking forward to that horseradish scent wafting through the house ... and the horseradish crème fraîche , which was wonderful.

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MORE BEET RECIPES from the ARCHIVES
~ Harvard Beets, an American classic ~
~ Beets & Feta, my favorite beet salad,
the one I serve to people who aren't yet turned onto beet goodness ~

~ Karelian Borscht, from Kitchen Parade, a favorite from my time in Finland ~
~ Those Pink Potatoes, from Kitchen Parade, the casserole that took a party by storm ~

~ still more beet recipes ~

~ one year ago this week, Simple Skillet Green Beans,
what just 1/4 teaspoon of sugar does to beans ~
~ two years ago today, Cashew Chicken Curry, from Kitchen Parade,
a wonderful curry that reminds me of London take-away ~

SALT-ROASTED BEETS

Hands-on time: 10 minutes
Time to table: 2 hours
Serves 4

1 pound fresh beets (about 3), washed well, tail trimmed about an inch long, top trimmed without cutting into the beet itself (this is to keep the beet juice inside)

2 cups kosher salt
5 tablespoons horseradish
2 tablespoons fresh thyme (I recommend trying this, for more special flavor)
1 tablespoon grated orange zest (ditto)

HORSERADISH SAUCE - more than enough for the beets
1 cup crème fraîche (how to make homemade crème fraîche) or sour cream
1 tablespoon horseradish
1 tablespoon chopped chives (the extra color would be nice)
2 teaspoons Sherry wine vinegar (I used a gorgeous port vinegar from O Olive Oil)

Preheat oven to 375F. Mix the salt, horseradish, thyme and zest. On a baking sheet, create a pile of salt mixture for each beet and press beet into it. Cover each beet with the remaining salt, using your hands to encase the beet in salt, covering completely. Roast for 1 3/4 hours. Remove from oven, crack off salt. Peel the beets, slice, place on plates, drizzle with horseradish sauce.

NUTRITION ESTIMATE
(Assumes only a tablespoon of horseradish sauce per serving)
Per Serving: 90 Cal (42% from Fat, 9% from Protein, 48% from Carb); 2 g Protein; 4 g Tot Fat; 3 g Sat Fat; 1 g Mono Fat; 12 g Carb; 3 g Fiber; NetCarb9; 8 g Sugar; 32 mg Calcium; 1 mg Iron; 98 mg Sodium; 13 mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers 1 point

TODAY'S VEGETABLE RECIPE INSPIRATION
Bon Appetit, February 2008

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 2008

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Black Sesame Noodles ♥

Today's quick supper or side recipe: Pasta tossed with an Asian-style sauce of garlic, ginger, sesame seeds, peanut butter, soy sauce. Weeknight quick. Vegan. Low carb (with low-carb pasta). Weight Watchers 5 points.

Who else is prone to this?

Day One. Spy a recipe calling for some obscure (to us) ingredient, fun! Take note.
Day Fifteen. Spot the ingredient in a grocery. Hey! that's what such-n-such recipe called for. Bring it home, add it to the pantry, middle shelf, front row, right in plain sight.
Days Sixteen to Sixty. Life.
Day Sixty-One. Spy the ingredient again, this time at the back of the pantry during the quite-successful-so-far ambition to actually use , not just store, the pantry's contents. Wonder, Now what recipe was that for?

Welcome to my life. And say hello to the black sesame seeds purchased last fall for some now-forgotten recipe but much welcome in this pasta sauce from a brand-new cookbook, Jack Bishop's A Year in a Vegetarian Kitchen, a Christmas surprise from my pal Kalyn from Kalyn's Kitchen.

I loved-loved-loved the sauce -- on the pasta but also, leftover, massaged into another kale salad, my latest daily obsession (at least it's a healthful obsession!). The recipe called for grated radish and cucumber (and carrot which I was out of) so I was expecting a colorful plate. But both looks- and taste-wise, the vegetables somehow disappeared into the pasta, which is perfect of course for sneaking vegetables into a diet. But me, I'd be tempted to skip the vegetables, then serve this pasta as a side dish with a protein and a leafy green vegetable.

To my taste, what's special about this recipe is the great sauce, more than the sauce-pasta-vegetable combination.

WHOLE WHEAT PASTA This is my first time to try whole wheat pasta and honestly, I was unimpressed. It was tough and sticky and didn't offer up the expected nutty flavor. Others are raving about it, so perhaps some brands are better than others? I'd love a recommendation. In the mean time, I'm sticking to the low-carb / low-glycemic Dreamfields Pasta, also recommended by Kalyn!

Note to Vegetarians

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VEGETABLE RECIPES using SESAME SEEDS from the ARCHIVES
~ Sautéed Broccoli with Toasted Garlic, Orange & Sesame ~
~ Carrot & Sesame Salad ~
~ the oh-so-gorgeous Armenian Tahini Bread ~

~ more sesame seed recipes ~

~ one year ago this week, Creamy Spinach with Beets, an expected combination ~
~ two years ago today, Eggplant Lasagna ~

BLACK SESAME NOODLES

Hands-on time: 25 minutes
Time to table: 30 minutes
Serves 8 (if allowing 2 ounces pasta per serving) or 4 (if allowing the standard 4 ounces per serving)

1 pound pasta (recipe called for fresh linguine, I used whole wheat linguine)

VEGETABLES (what the recipe called for)
1/2 an English cucumber, skin on, grated large
1 carrot, grated large
4 radishes, grated large

SAUCE - enough for 1 pound of pasta
1/4 cup black sesame seeds, toasted in a small skillet (carefully! don't let them get away from you and burn them!)
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup hot water
1/4 cup peanut butter
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger (I used ginger from a jar, from an Asian market)
2 garlic cloves (I used 3 large cloves and loved the garlic-y-ness
Hot red pepper flakes - the recipe called for 1 teaspoon, I used just a sprinkling

Fresh chopped cilantro, to garnish
Few reserved toasted sesame seeds, to garnish

Cook the pasta in well-salted water. Drain in a colander and return the pasta to the hot pan.

Meanwhile, grate the vegetables, either by hand or in the food processor.

Meanwhile, mix all the sauce ingredients in a food processor until smooth.

In the hot pan, toss the hot pasta and sauce. Stir in the vegetables. Transfer to plates. Garnish with cilantro and sesame seeds.

NUTRITION ESTIMATES
With traditional Italian pasta
Assumes 2 ounces pasta per serving, Per Serving: 298 Cal (22% from Fat, 14% from Protein, 65% from Carb); 11 g Protein; 7 g Tot Fat; 1 g Sat Fat; 3 g Mono Fat; 50 g Carb; 4 g Fiber; NetCarb 46; 5 g Sugar; 61 mg Calcium; 1 mg Iron; 506 mg Sodium; 0 mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers 5 points

With whole wheat pasta
Assumes 2 ounces pasta per serving, Per Serving: 284 Cal (20% from Fat, 13% from Protein, 67% from Carb); 10 g Protein; 6 g Tot Fat; 1 g Sat Fat; 3 g Mono Fat; 49 g Carb; 7 g Fiber; NetCarb42; 4 g Sugar; 61 mg Calcium; 1 mg Iron; 521 mg Sodium; 0 mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers 5 points

With Dreamfields Pasta
Assumes 2 ounces pasta per serving, Per Serving: 288 Cal (42% from Fat, 27% from Protein, 32% from Carb); 11 g Protein; 7 g Tot Fat; 1 g Sat Fat; 3 g Mono Fat; 13 g Carb; 7 g Fiber; NetCarb6; 5 g Sugar; 61 mg Calcium; 1 mg Iron; 506 mg Sodium; 0 mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers 5 points

TODAY'S VEGETABLE RECIPE INSPIRATION

KITCHEN NOTES
Since the food processor out to make the sauce, I also used it for the vegetables.
The sauce can easily be made ahead, that would further speed the time-to-table on a weeknight.
If you have an electric tea kettle, use it to boil the water for the pasta. Very quick!
The recipe says that white sesame seeds can be easily substituted and I found little difference in taste.
In addition, it was hard to gauge how the dark-colored sesame seeds were toasting -- it would be easy to burn them, I suspect.
The sauce makes enough for a pound of pasta. Since "my definition" of a serving of pasta is only two ounces per serving, that means there's enough sauce for 8 servings.
LEFTOVERS While the sauce will keep over, I don't recommend 'dressing' the pasta to reheat later, especially if using the grated vegetables.

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 2008

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Kitchen Parade: Superbowl Recipes for Hungry Fans

What's the best thing about the Superbowl? (Um, who's playing again? Hmm. Let's see. Green Bay isn't, right?)

Why, the food, of course!

This week's Kitchen Parade column features three favorites: a recipe for Chicken Nachos made with homemade Pickled Jalapeño Rings (they're refrigerator pickles!) plus Game-Day Pretzels, an addictive recipe from family friends in Minnesota.

Dig in -- enjoy!

Note to Vegetarians

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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'. 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, then you'll receive the complete column and recipe directly in your In Box or RSS reader. Just sign up for Kitchen Parade via e-mail or Kitchen Parade via RSS.

A Veggie Venture is home of the Veggie Evangelist Alanna Kellogg and award-winning vegetable inspiration from Asparagus to Zucchini. © Copyright 2008

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10 Best Foods We're Not Eating

Looking for the energy of a puppy in spring? Consider this list from WebMD/Men's Health, the Ten Best Foods You're Not Eating. And tell me, where do you stand?

> A+ to anyone who's tried all 10.
> Kudos to anyone who's heard of all 10.
> Cheers to anyone who commits to find all 10!

1. Beets -- beet recipes, yes, we've got beet recipes

2. Cabbage -- yep, we've got cabbage recipes too

3. Guava -- oops

4. Swiss chard -- of course, Swiss chard recipes

5. Cinnamon -- and yes, recipes with cinnamon too

6. Purslane -- a green, hmm, must keep our eyes peeled for this

7. Pomegranate juice -- yum ...

8. Goji berries -- I keep hearing good things about Goji berries

9. Dried plums -- what 'prunes' are called these days

10. Pumpkin seeds -- a fall favorite, pumpkin seeds are also called pepitas

By the way, the adorable puppy is Sulo from Life of Jalo whose four amazing dogs do deliver dog-smiles every day!

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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 2008

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Recipe for Homemade Guacamole with Tomatillos ♥ Weight Watchers-Friendly!

Today's guacamole recipe: Traditional avocado guacamole lightened with tomatillos. Low-carb. Just one Weight Watchers point per 1/4 cup!

Much as we all might hope (and I might try, say, with guacamole made from broccoli), there's really no replacing real avocados if we want real guacamole. So this year, I switched strategies, trying a recipe that adds bulk from a lower-calorie ingredient to the traditional avocados.

And taste-wise, it works! This is definitely an avocado guacamole but there's a brightness that's just a touch deliciously different. The 'lower-calorie' ingredient is tomatillos, also called a Mexican Green Tomato so in addition to being lower in calories, it also fits the 'theme'.

NUTRITION NOTES So did my strategy work? Well, yes. With tomatillos, the guacamole can't help but have fewer calories for equivalent volume -- and a quarter cup of this guacamole is only 1 Weight Watchers. It's all still a matter of portion control, however, for a half cup is four Weight Watchers points. I'm no expert in low-carb eating so don't know if guacamole is thought good or bad; but math-wise, guacamole has low net carbs. (See avocado nutrition analysis, including carbs & Weight Watchers points.)

WHERE's THE HEAT? Lots of people think that the 'heat' in hot peppers resides in the flesh. Nope. The seeds. Nope again. The skin? Sorry. What's left? The heat in chiles is in the membranes that connect the seeds to the flesh. Let your knife decide what heat to keep and what to cut away.

2010 UPDATE: Check out the collection of recipes for Superbowl parties at my food column, Kitchen Parade.

HOMEMADE GUACAMOLE with TOMATILLOS

Hands-on time: 30 minutes
Time to table: 30 minutes
Makes 2 cups

1/2 pound tomatillos
3 or 4 serrano chiles, halved, seeds and membrane removed

1/2 a small red onion, grated on a hand grater
2 large cloves garlic, grated on a hand grater (this may be my new favorite way to get small but still discernible bits of garlic!)
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Zest & juice of a lime
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 large California avocadoes (about 1 pound), seeds removed, cut into cubes (I use my favorite avocado knife)

CHAR the TOMATILLOS & CHILES Turn on the broiler. Remove the papery husks from tomatillos, then wash. Place on a rimmed baking sheet and place under the broiler, 4 or 5 inches from the heat. Leave there until the tomatillos char, about 7 - 10 minutes or until the skins begin to blacken. Midway, I added the chiles flesh-side down, they're not as thick so don't take as long. Turn the tomatillos over, let the flip side char too. Remove from the broiler, let cool a bit. Remove the core and skins. Chop. (They'll be slippery and seedy, don't worry, this is natural.)

Meanwhile, in a bowl, collect all the ingredients except the avocadoes and stir. Add the avocado and with a fork, mash a bit but still leave chunks of visible avocado.

NUTRITION ESTIMATE
Per tablespoon: 27 Cal (69% from Fat, 5% from Protein, 26% from Carb); 0 g Protein; 2 g Tot Fat; 0 g Sat Fat; 1 g Mono Fat; 2 g Carb; 1 g Fiber; NetCarb1; 0 g Sugar; 4 mg Calcium; 0 mg Iron; 39 mg Sodium; 0 mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers 0 points (right, who ARE we kidding? just one tablespoon?)

Okay, who're we kidding? Per quarter cup: 85 Cal (67% from Fat, 6% from Protein, 28% from Carb); 1 g Protein; 7 g Tot Fat; 1 g Sat Fat; 4 g Mono Fat; 6 g Carb; 4 g Fiber; NetCarb2; 2 g Sugar; 12 mg Calcium; 1 mg Iron; 153 mg Sodium; 0 mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers 1 point

Really? Only a quarter cup? Per half cup: 170 Cal (67% from Fat, 6% from Protein, 28% from Carb); 3 g Protein; 14 g Tot Fat; 2 g Sat Fat; 8 g Mono Fat; 13 g Carb; 8 g Fiber; NetCarb5; 3 g Sugar; 25 mg Calcium; 1 mg Iron; 306 mg Sodium; 0 mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers 4 points

TODAY'S VEGETABLE RECIPE INSPIRATION
Adapted from Gourmet, August 2000

KITCHEN NOTES
Before the cilantro was added, the tomatillos added a sourness that made the guacamole more 'weird' than 'good'. So if you're not a fan of cilantro, I'd maybe look for another recipe.
I did love the charred tomatillos! I charred some extras, hoping to add still more to the guacamole. That didn't turn out so I put them on top of a salad or two. Delicious!

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SUPERBOWL-FRIENDLY RECIPES
For anyone thinking ahead to Super Bowl appetizers, here are a few ideas:

~ Standing Veggies, a great way to present fresh vegetables ~
~ Spinach, Artichoke & Bacon Dip, a crowd favorite ~
~ Beet Pesto, my favorite vegetable appetizer in the longest time ~
~ more appetizer recipes from A Veggie Venture ~

From Kitchen Parade, a few favorite appetizers that are easy to transport and serve:
~ Easy Radish Spread ~
~ Easy Italian Appetizers ~
~ Black Pepper Almonds ~
~ more appetizer recipes from Kitchen Parade ~

~ more avocado recipes ~
~ more tomatillo recipes ~

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 2008

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Green Envy Noodles ♥

Today's vegetable recipe: A quick supper or side dish using a quick-cook technique for low-carb pasta and Trader Joe's 'Greens with Envy' frozen vegetables in a simple sauce. Vegan.

Whether this qualifies as cooking, well, is doubtful. But it does qualify as getting supper on the table in a flash. Some nights, well, that's challenge enough, yes? (Even through the internet-wall, I imagine heads nodding ...)

This is a fast, tasty supper, just Dreamfields Pasta (that's the low-glycemic pasta that carb counters can eat and the rest of us love the taste of) and my new favorite Trader Joe's product, "Green Envy" (correction: "Greens with Envy", thank you readers!), a bag of frozen vegetables. Any frozen vegetable would work but Greens with Envy is a great mix -- broccoli, asparagus tips, spinach, green beans, even edamame beans. These five green vegetables really work beautifully together and I'm so grateful to the mom at Trader Joe's who was emptying the TJ freezer to fill her cart with bags of Greens with Envy and offered me one with the explanation, "My kids love this stuff, maybe yours will too." Thanks!

Two tricks to make meal prep really speed along:

THE TEA KETTLE Up until now, the tea kettle was used only to boil water for tea. But now that Harold McGee has taught me how to boil water faster, the tea kettle is getting a right regular workout. I heat up the pasta pot with a bare inch of water (and the salt, lest I forget) and then put the kettle on. When the water boils, it goes into the already hot pot. Usually I have to cover the pot and let the water return to a boil for just a minute, then I add the pasta. I am soooo excited about this -- I can't tell you how many times I've waiiiiiiiiiiiiited for pasta water to boil.

POST-IT RECIPES Inside a kitchen cupboard is a years-old penciled note of the ingredients for a stir-fry sauce (and a page from a 1967 Gourmet with egg recipes, a flea market find and another source of standby recipes, if you must know). And however we keep our 'supper standards', the recipes that can be made from pantry ingredients, I do recommend keeping them readily at hand -- just in case, you know, "one of those nights" appears.

HOW BIG IS A SERVING OF PASTA? Well, as big as we want of course. Or as small. My personal standard is 2 ounces of pasta per servings. Many will find this skimpy, I know, and at first I did too. Suit your own taste, naturally.

NEW READERS, WELCOME! New e-mail and RSS subscriptions are way up this month, so I'd like to take a quick minute to say hello and thank you and -- to ensure you that 90% of the recipes here at A Veggie Venture are based on fresh vegetables. It's just that January is so ... January. After so much rich cooking and food at the end of the year, I'm still in spartan mode and good frozen veggie recipes somehow fit the bill. This too shall pass, I promise.

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VEGETABLE RECIPES from the ARCHIVES
~ more quick vegetable recipes ~
~ more Weight Watchers recipes ~
~ more low-carb recipes ~

~ a year ago this week, Yummy Lunch Cake, another no-fuss and healthful convenience food ~
~ two years ago today, Weight Watchers Garden Vegetable Soup, the famous no-point vegetable soup ~

Green Envy Noodles

Hands-on time: 5 minutes
Time to table: 15 minutes
Serves 4

1" water for pasta pot
Salt for pasta pot
Water for tea kettle
8 ounces pasta

1 pound frozen vegetables (I used Trader Joe's "Greens with Envy")

SAUCE
3/4 cup vegetable broth (or enough boullion plus the 3/4 cup boiling water from the tea kettle)
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons soy sauce (I skipped this)
1/2 teaspoon sugar
Freshly grated pepper

PASTA: Put water/salt onto boil. Bring water to boil in the tea kettle. Add boiling water to the pot, let return to a boil. Add pasta, cover and cook according to package directions.

VEGETABLES: Place vegetables in skillet on MEDIUM heat, just to heat them up a bit. Meanwhile, whisk the sauce ingredients together. Pour over the vegetables and stir to coat. Cover and let cook, stirring occasionally, until done. Mix with pasta and serve.

NUTRITION ESTIMATE
With 2 oz Dreamfields Pasta per serving
Per Serving: 285 Cal (17% from Fat, 38% from Protein, 45% from Carb); 14 g Protein; 3 g Tot Fat; 0 g Sat Fat; 0 g Mono Fat; 17 g Carb; 9 g Fiber; NetCarb8; 3 g Sugar; 1 mg Calcium; 0 mg Iron; 562 mg Sodium; 0 mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers 5 points

With 4 oz Dreamfields Pasta per serving
Per Serving: 473 Cal (17% from Fat, 41% from Protein, 42% from Carb); 21 g Protein; 4 g Tot Fat; 0 g Sat Fat; 0 g Mono Fat; 21 g Carb; 14 g Fiber; NetCarb7; 4 g Sugar; 0 mg Calcium; 0 mg Iron; 107 mg Sodium; 0 mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers 9 points

With 2 ounces regular Italian pasta per serving
With regular Italian pasta, Per Serving: 295 Cal (9% from Fat, 19% from Protein, 72% from Carb); 14 g Protein; 3 g Tot Fat; 0 g Sat Fat; 0 g Mono Fat; 55 g Carb; 6 g Fiber; NetCarb49; 3 g Sugar; 1 mg Calcium; 0 mg Iron; 562 mg Sodium; 0 mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers 5 points

With 4 ounces regular Italian pasta per serving
Per Serving: 493 Cal (7% from Fat, 17% from Protein, 76% from Carb); 21 g Protein; 4 g Tot Fat; 0 g Sat Fat; 0 g Mono Fat; 96 g Carb; 8 g Fiber; NetCarb 88; 4 g Sugar; 0 mg Calcium; 0 mg Iron; 107 mg Sodium; 0 mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers 9 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.

---

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 2008

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How Many Carbs Are in Vegetables?

Common vegetables, listed by carb count, low-carb vegetables to high-carb vegetables. For low-carb eaters, including South Beach and Atkins dieters, this is an invaluable list to both widen and focus your vegetable choices.

"I am so sick of broccoli!" complains my friend Tom. Like most of us, Tom eats the same three or four vegetables again and again. He's also losing weight with a low-carb diet. To limit his carb intake, he has eliminated high-carb vegetables like potatoes and winter squash from his diet. With this list of low-carb vegetables, I hope to inspire low-carb dieters with new vegetable options.

Take a look at this list of vegetables, sorted low to high by net carbs – what's new to you? There are so many more low-carb vegetables than broccoli!

~ Alanna

Keep Reading ->>>

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Weight Watchers Points for Vegetables

When asked how to succeed with Weight Watchers, my first answer is, "Count points" followed quickly by, "And be sure to memorize points" for favorite foods. To help out with vegetables, here are the Weight Watchers points for common vegetables. I hope that readers find it a useful reference!

BRAND NEW! Now there's a reference list for fruit, too, I call it One-Point Fruit Servings for Weight Watchers

(For readers who don't follow Weight Watchers but are curious about the point system, here's a quick introduction. A point is assigned to a serving based on its calories, fat grams and fiber grams. The lower the calories, the lower the fat, the higher the fiber, the lower the points. A "zero point" food isn't without calories, it just has few enough calories and few enough fat grams and high enough fiber grams, to be considered as "no points". It's kind of a game but for many of us, the point system helps us focus on healthful food choices.)

~ Alanna

Quick List
Weight Watchers Points for Vegetables

Zero Point Vegetables One Point Vegetables
Two Point Vegetables Three+ Point Vegetables

About This List
The vegetable nutrition information on this page was calculated using Accuchef, which relies on the same USDA database used by all similar nutrition analysis programs; still, the information here should be considered estimates.
Unless specified, Weight Watchers points here are based on a serving size of 1/4 pound of the raw vegetable.
This site is not affiliated with Weight Watchers Intl, Inc., more information.

More Nutrition & Weight Watchers Resources
For the nutrition detail on each vegetable, please see nutrition data for common vegetables.
See also Quick List of Low-Carb Vegetables.
See also How to Lose Weight with Weight Watchers, a collection of tips from Kitchen Parade readers and me.

About A Veggie Venture
If you're a first-time visitor and a Weight Watchers dieter on the look-out for new recipes, welcome to A Veggie Venture, where each recipe includes Weight Watchers points and low-point vegetable recipes are easy to find. You'll also want to check out Kitchen Parade, my food column, where all recipes are sorted by Weight Watchers points.

Never miss a recipe! If you like this list and the vegetable recipes on A Veggie Venture, be sure to sign up for a free e-mail subscription. Once or twice a week, a new recipe will be delivered right into your In Box.

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Zero Point Vegetables

Arugula – NetCarb2 Asparagus – NetCarb2 Bell Peppers (1 pepper) – NetCarb3-5-6 (green-red-yellow) Bok Choy – NetCarb1 Broccoli – NetCarb5 Broccoli Raab – NetCarb1 Brussels Sprouts – NetCarb6 Cabbage – NetCarb3-6 Carrots – NetCarb8 Cauliflower – NetCarb3 Celeriac – NetCarb8 Celery – NetCarb1 Chard – NetCarb2 Chayote – NetCarb2 Corn (ear) – NetCarb6 Cucumber – NetCarb3 Daikon – NetCarb3 Eggplant – NetCarb2 Endive – NetCarb0 Fennel – NetCarb4 Green Beans – NetCarb4 Hearts of Palm – NetCarb2 Jicama – NetCarb2 Kohlrabi – NetCarb3 Lettuce – NetCarb2 Mushrooms – NetCarb3-4-5 Okra – NetCarb4 Onion – NetCarb9 Pumpkin – NetCarb6 Pumpkin Puree (1 cup) – NetCarb3 Radicchio – NetCarb4 Radishes – NetCarb2 Rhubarb – NetCarb3 Rutabagas – NetCarb6 Snow Peas – NetCarb6 Spinach – NetCarb2 Sugar Snap Peas – NetCarb6 Summer Squash – NetCarb3 Tomatillo – NetCarb3 Tomatoes – NetCarb4 Turnips – NetCarb5 Zucchini – NetCarb3 Winter Squash (except butternut) – NetCarb 8-10-11

FOR RECIPES
Arugula Asparagus Bell Peppers Bok Choy Broccoli Broccoli Raab Brussels Sprouts Cabbage Carrots Cauliflower Celeriac Celery Chard Chayote Corn (ear) Cucumber Daikon Eggplant Endive Fennel Green Beans Hearts of Palm Jicama Kohlrabi Lettuce Mushrooms Okra Onion Pumpkin Radicchio Radishes Rhubarb Rutabagas Snow Peas Spinach Sugar Snap Peas Summer Squash Tomatillo Tomatoes Turnips Winter Squash (except butternut squash) Zucchini

Complete A - Z of Vegetables
Zero Point Recipes (all vegetables)

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One Point Vegetables

Artichokes (each) – NetCarb6 Corn (1/4 pound) – NetCarb 18 Kale – NetCarb9 Leeks – NetCarb12 Parsnips – NetCarb14 Peas (green) – NetCarb10 Potatoes – NetCarb15-16-19 (white-red-russet) Sweet Potatoes – NetCarb17 Winter Squash (butternut squash) – NetCarb11

FOR RECIPES
Artichokes Corn Kale Leeks Parsnips Peas (green) Potatoes Sweet Potatoes Winter Squash (butternut squash)

Complete A - Z of Vegetables
One Point Recipes (all vegetables)

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Two Point Vegetables

Edamame (1/2 cup) – NetCarb5 Garbanzo Beans – NetCarb21 Lima Beans (fordhook) – NetCarb15

FOR RECIPES
Edamame Garbanzo Beans Lima Beans

Complete A - Z of Vegetables
Two Point Recipes (all vegetables)

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Three+ Point Vegetables

Avocado (1 cup) – WW6 to WW9 – NetCarb4-5 Edamame (1/4 pound) – WW3 – NetCarb8 Lima Beans (baby) – WW3 – NetCarb21 Sun-Dried Tomatoes (no oil) – WW5 – NetCarb49

FOR RECIPES
Avocados Edamame Lima Beans Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Complete A - Z of Vegetables

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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.

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