Warm German Potato Salad Recipe ♥

Today's vegetable recipe: A classic German potato salad, served warm tossed in a slightly tart sauce flavored with mustard, vinegar and celery seed.

Talk about a perfect outdoor supper: sliced tomatoes, just-ground sausages hot off the grill -- plus this warm potato salad, a classic German-style potato salad, homey rustic food at its best. Which of the three was the favorite of the meal? A toss-up, they really worked together.

I'd cooked the potatoes ahead of time so the salad itself took just 15 minutes to make. But when the sausages took longer than expected, I was pleased that the salad was patient, I just kept it on low on the stove. This potato salad is made entirely with pantry ingredients so chances are, if you've got potatoes, you can make a German potato salad.

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POTATO RECIPES from the ARCHIVES
~ My Mom's Potato Salad, a classic potato salad recipe ~
~ Bubble & Squeak, the English classic ~
~ Those Pink Potatoes, scalloped potatoes & beets, a great combination ~

~ more potato salad recipes ~
~ more classic vegetable recipes ~
~ more potato recipes ~

WARM GERMAN POTATO SALAD

Hands-on time: 15 minutes (using pre-cooked potatoes)
Time to table: 15 minutes
Serves 8

2 pounds new potatoes, cooked in well-salted water, chopped

SAUCE
1 tablespoon bacon grease (or another oil for a vegetarian version Note to Vegetarians)
1 onion, chopped

2 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon celery seed (I used just a half teaspoon, more would have been better)
1 tablespoon coarse Dijon mustard (the seeds were a good touch)
6 tablespoons vinegar (I used a malt vinegar but any good vinegar would be fine)
Water or broth as needed (I used a half cup)
Salt & pepper to taste

In a large skillet, melt the bacon grease on MEDIUM HIGH until shimmery. Add the onion and stir to coat with fat. Let cook til just beginning to brown, stirring often.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, celery seed and mustard. A tablespoon at a time, stir in the vinegar, incorporating each tablespoon completely before adding the next. (This technique will avoid floury lumps in the sauce.) Stir the mixture into the onion and stir for a minute. It will get quite thick and will 'seize up', this is normal. A tablespoon at a time, add water or broth until a quite liquid consistency is reached. Stir in the potatoes and stir to coat. Let potatoes warm through. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve warm.

NUTRITION ESTIMATE
Per Serving: 128 Cal (13% from Fat, 9% from Protein, 78% from Carb); 3 g Protein; 2 g Tot Fat; 1 g Sat Fat; 1 g Mono Fat; 26 g Carb; 3 g Fiber; NetCarb 23; 4 g Sugar; 25 mg Calcium; 1 mg Iron; 39 mg Sodium; 2 mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers 2 points

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Looking for healthy ways to cook vegetables? A Veggie Venture is home to hundreds of quick, easy and healthful vegetable recipes and the famous Alphabet of Vegetables. Healthy eaters will love the low carb recipes and the Weight Watchers recipes.
© Copyright 2008

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VegetableSpotting: Week 26

In homage to the return! of Tastespotting and all credit to YeastSpotting, say hello to VegetableSpotting, occasional links to inspiring vegetable recipes from my fellow food bloggers spotted while cruising my favorite food blogs this week.

WEEK 26 - Late June

(hover over a link for my take on the recipe, click the link for the recipe)

RSS & e-mail readers: My apologies, these links to vegetable recipes from other food blogs don't display in feed readers or e-mail. Please click through to today's post to view the list.

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MORE VegetableSpotting: VegetableSpotting archive.

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© Copyright 2008

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Kitchen Parade Extra: Grilled Vegetables in Foil ♥

This week's recipe at KitchenParade.com: A recipe that's become a summer staple, vegetables in a soy and ginger vinaigrette, wrapped in foil and then grilled, so you know, Grilled Vegetables in Foil. So colorful! Beautifully balanced flavor and texture.

Surprise, surprise, more vegetables come off my grill than meat but even then, there could be more recipes for grilled vegetables on A Veggie Venture. Is this the summer? It's a good start, these vegetable cooked in foil!

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NEVER MISS A KITCHEN PARADE RECIPE! Kitchen Parade is my food column, the one my mom started when I was a baby and that I started writing after she died - you know, a la Ann Landers and Heloise. The columns are published in my hometown newspapers and online at KitchenParade.com. Where A Veggie Venture is all about vegetable recipes, Kitchen Parade recipes cover all courses -- the Quick Supper recipes are real favorites. But good news: just like here at A Veggie Venture, all Kitchen Parade recipes include nutrition analysis and Weight Watchers points. There's even a special page of Weight Watchers recipes. Kitchen Parade's recipes are easily available too, just sign up for Kitchen Parade via e-mail or Kitchen Parade via RSS. Many thanks!

WHY DOESN'T THIS POST ACCEPT COMMENTS? Because I hope that you'll click through to this week's column to comment there!

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© Copyright 2008

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Greek Zucchini Pie ♥ Recipe

Today's vegetarian recipe: A Greek recipe for Kourkouto with Zucchini (κουρκούτo με κολοκυθάκια), not quite quiche, not quite bread pudding, not quite frittata, served hot or at room temperature so good for brunch or light supper.

Kalofagas means 'gourmet' in Greek and it's the perfect name for the Canadian food blog which celebrates -- make that CELEBRATES! -- traditional Greek food. Kalofagas is a not-to-miss food blog. Peter Minakis lives and breathes Greek cuisine / home cooking in the way some (who?!) live and breathe vegetables. When he described this recipe for a zucchini pie as a "cheater's pita" and "somewhere between a quiche and a frittata, utilizing Greek ingredients" I couldn't wait to make it. (True confession: while this same affect occurs many times a day, perhaps one of a hundred recipes actually get made.)

My own take is that it's as much a bread pudding, especially when baked in a pie plate versus a larger sheet pan. It's also similar to a humble but delicious Bisquick pie such as the Ham & Cheese Bread from my long-time friend Lisa (and now Portland food blogger) which I've made at least once before. Whatever it's like, I love how this zucchini pie uses pantry ingredients and can be served either hot (when it's more quiche-like) or cold (when it's more like bread pudding) and thick (more quiche-like) or thin (more frittata-like). Thank you, Peter, for the inspiration!

GARNISHING THE PIE I covered the top of the pie with rings of mini red peppers and tiny zucchini rounds, adding color and drama to the uncut pie. Peter uses one zucchini round per square serving, which looks really good on the plate. The next time, I'll combine the two ideas with a ring of peppers and zucchini around the edge of a round pie plate, one for each V-shaped slice.

GREEK ZUCCHINI PIE

Hands-on time: 40 minutes
Time to table: 1 hour, 40 minutes
Makes 8 main-dish servings
Adapted from Kalofagas' Kourkouto With Zucchini (κουρκούτo με κολοκυθάκια)

1 tablespoon olive oil (Peter uses 1/2 cup)
1 pound zucchini (Peter dices small, I slice thin, imagining layers of zucchini in the bread after baking, this didn't turn out so dicing would be easier and just fine)
3 bunches green onion, chopped (aha! I used only 3 green onions, not three bunches, more onion is much recommended)
Salt to taste (I used none, some would have been good)

5 eggs
1 cup Greek yogurt (Peter strained, I used it as is)
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon regular salt

4 ounces feta, crumbled
4 ounces Kasseri, cubed or grated (see Kitchen Notes)
1 cup fresh dill, chopped (I used only 1/2 cup, another herb would be good but do use fresh)
Ground pepper to taste

Zucchini rounds (for the top)
Mini pepper rounds
Sweet paprika

Preheat oven to 350F.

In a large skillet, heat the oil til shimmery. Add the zucchini and green onion, cook, stirring often, until cooked nearly through.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs for a couple of minutes until light and fluffy. Whisk in the yogurt and then the flour, baking powder and salt. Stir in the cooked zucchini, cheese and dill.

Transfer to a well-greased baking pie plate. (Peter uses a 15x10 baking sheet with 12 servings.) Garnish the top with zucchini rounds and pepper rings. If you like, sprinkle zucchini rounds with paprika. Bake for 1 hour or until golden. Let rest for 15 minutes before slicing to serve. May be served warm or at room temperature.

NUTRITION ESTIMATE
WITH 8 SERVINGS, Per Serving: 266 Cal (53% from Fat, 21% from Protein, 26% from Carb); 14 g Protein; 16 g Tot Fat; 8 g Sat Fat; 5 g Mono Fat; 17 g Carb; 1 g Fiber; NetCarb16; 3 g Sugar; 298 mg Calcium; 2 mg Iron; 753 mg Sodium; 186 mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers 6 points

WITH 12 SERVINGS, Per Serving: 178 Cal (53% from Fat, 21% from Protein, 26% from Carb); 9 g Protein; 11 g Tot Fat; 5 g Sat Fat; 3 g Mono Fat; 12 g Carb; 1 g Fiber; NetCarb11; 2 g Sugar; 199 mg Calcium; 1 mg Iron; 502 mg Sodium; 124 mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers 4 points (funny, this Weight Watchers point business)

KITCHEN NOTES
I originally intended to use 2x the zucchini but ended up short. The amount of 'bread' would easily handle a full two pounds of zucchini.
Some weeks back, Peter taught me to always buy feta in a block rather than as 'crumbles' -- I recommend it!
Kasseri is a mild Greek cheese with its own particular tang. I found it at an international market (for St. Louisans, at Global Foods in Kirkwood for $7 a pound) but a mild white cheddar or mozzarella would work just as well.

VEGETABLE RECIPES from the ARCHIVES
~ Tomato Basil Quiche, my favorite quiche summer and winter ~
~ Spinach & Feta Quiche, another beautiful quiche ~
~ Roasted Pepper & Cheddar Soufflés ~

~ more breakfast & brunch recipes ~
~ more vegetarian supper recipes ~

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.

Looking for healthy ways to cook vegetables? A Veggie Venture is home to hundreds of quick, easy and healthful vegetable recipes and the famous Alphabet of Vegetables. Healthy eaters will love the low carb recipes and the Weight Watchers recipes.
© Copyright 2008

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Raw Beet, Carrot & Kohlrabi Salad ♥ Colorful Salad Recipe

Today's salad recipe: Colorful salad of raw grated vegetables, raw beet, raw carrot and raw kohlrabi. Low carb. Weight Watchers 1 point.

It's no surprise to regular readers that I love-love-love recipes for beets. (There's even a beet rivalry. Am I the reigning 'beet queen'? Or is my friend the beet princess gaining ground?) In part, it's because once beets (what the beet princess calls beetroot) are cooked (whether roasted, boiled or microwaved), there are so very many different ways to use them. Once they're cooked, beets are the ultimate convenience vegetable. Just look at all the quick recipes which call for cooked beets, each recipe is marked with this symbol .

But -- raw beet? Really?! Last week at the farmers market, Ronnie from On the Wind Farm mentioned that his wife chops up raw beet and carrot for a salad. And here it is -- isn't the color glorious?! Thank you, Ronnie, for the great tip! Because the pieces are so small, if you didn't know the vegetables were raw, well, you wouldn't. This salad lasted for a couple of days, the texture and color stayed good so I wouldn't hesitate to make a big batch. That said, it's easy enough to put together 'just enough' for now.

I brightened the earthy vegetables with fresh dill, to my taste a brilliant choice. No surprise, since Carrot Coins with Dill is so good, so is Beet Röesti.

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FAVORITE RAW SALAD RECIPES
~ Zucchini Carpaccio, so simple, so beautiful ~
~ Celeriac Rémoulade, the French classic ~
~ Salad with Japanese Turnip, the hakurei turnip found at farmers markets ~

~ more "unusually raw" recipes ~
~ more recipes for a mandoline or Benriner ~

RAW BEET, CARROT & KOHLRABI SALAD

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

1 generous pound total of beets, carrot and kohlrabi, trimmed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
Zest and juice of a lemon
Fresh dill, chopped
Few drops of Tabasco

Grate the beet. (There's no need to peel, the grater will just push the skins back.) Grate or chop the carrot using a mandoline / Benriner. (There's no need to peel.) Slice off the thick skin of the kohlrabi with a knife, then grate or chop using a mandoline. Toss with the remaining ingredients.

NUTRITION ESTIMATE
Per Serving: 77 Cal (38% from Fat, 6% from Protein, 56% from Carb); 1 g Protein; 4 g Tot Fat; 0 g Sat Fat; 3 g Mono Fat; 12 g Carb; 3 g Fiber; NetCarb9; 8 g Sugar; 25 mg Calcium; 0 mg Iron; 40 mg Sodium; 0 mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers 1 point

KITCHEN NOTES
My thinking: the smaller the beets, the more tender they'll be and the easier to cut up while raw. That said, I did find the beet fussy to slice on the mandoline and switched to a grater with large holes.
I used kohlrabi to fill out a small supply of carrot and beets. So kohlrabi is optional but it was easier to cut with the mandoline and has the same texture as the beets and carrots so worked quite well, actually. It also picked up the beet color so honestly, there was no telling the salad wasn't half beet and half carrot.
Anyone new to the sharp blade of the slicer called a Benriner or mandoline will want to review tips for safely using a Benriner / mandoline

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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Looking for healthy ways to cook vegetables? A Veggie Venture is home to hundreds of quick, easy and healthful vegetable recipes and the famous Alphabet of Vegetables. Healthy eaters will love the low carb recipes and the Weight Watchers recipes.
© Copyright 2008

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VegetableSpotting: Vegetable Recipes from Food Blogs

Year round, I am inspired by food bloggers from across the world who publish their best vegetable recipes, spring, summer, fall and even winter. This is a collection of their most enticing seasonal vegetable recipes, for your enjoyment, your inspiration. The list is updated nearly every day, so visit often for new and seasonal vegetable recipes from some of my favorite food bloggers.

My Running List of Inspiring Vegetable Recipes

(updated nearly every day)

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© Copyright 2008

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Product Tip: Ajvar Red Pepper & Eggplant Spread on Finncrisp ♥

Today's food tip: Ajvar, a spread made of red peppers and eggplant. Low carb. Weight Watchers 0 points.

Are there days when you 'can't see for looking'? You know, when you're trying to find the car keys, your cell phone, something you need right now and is nowhere to be found? And then, there it is, right under your nose, just like it was the whole time you searched?

So it is with ajvar, one of the rare prepared convenience foods I'm happy to stand up and shout about. There's always a jar in the fridge, my cousins and friends have even carried jars of it home on planes! Why have I not written about it before? Couldn't see for lookin'.

Why ajvar is so good:

Simplicity - nothing more than red pepper, eggplant (in many brands), a little vinegar, a touch of oil and sugar (in some brands).
Color - a smoky orange
Taste & Texture - pure red pepper, smooth but with mouth feel
Heat - mild and hot, usually, I like both
Calories - hardly any, especially the brands without oil
Price - a couple of dollars for a 19-ounce jar
Convenience - open the jar, grab a spoon

Here, I've spread ajvar on farmers cheese (which is like cream cheese with a tang, like milk to buttermilk, with a slightly grainy texture) on Finncrisp crackers which themselves are a great product, made with nothing more than whole grain rye flour, water, yeast and salt -- two crackers have 3 grams of fiber and for Weight Watchers, zero points.

One of the summer's goals: make homemade ajvar.

Where to find ajvar? Ajvar is indigenous to the Balkans so look for it at international markets, especially ones with foods from around the Mediterranean.

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MORE CONVENIENCE FOODS I LIKE
~ jarred peppers & mini peppers ~
~ yummy lunch cake ~
~ canned green beans, yes canned ~

~ more convenience products I've tried ~

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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Do you suffer from lachanophobia? Turn to A Veggie Venture and Veggie Evangelist Alanna Kellogg for the best vegetable recipes online. Find a quick recipe for tonight's vegetable in the Alphabet of Vegetables or plan menus with vegetables in every course. If you're a dieter, turn to hundreds of zero-point, one- and two-point Weight Watchers recipes and many low carb recipes.
© Copyright 2008

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Broccoli & Bok Choy with Coconut & Curry ♥ Recipe

Today's easy vegetable recipe: Broccoli florets and chopped bok choy braised in coconut milk tinged with Thai curry paste. Low carb. Weight Watchers 2 points. Vegan.

Broccoli & bok choy, coconut & curry. Say that three times, then add, distinct and delicious, easy and excellent, fun and flavorful. I could go on with all the letters of the alphabet, but you get the QT, yes?

This was one of those spur of the moment creations, just using up leftovers. But honestly, such creations don't always work out so well for me, I'm more about spotting good recipes than creating great recipes myself. But this one just happened and whoa -- call me glad!

THAI CURRY PASTE This is an amazing product. It comes in small jars, is inexpensive, takes just a smidge, lasts forever in the fridge and packs a real wollop of flavor. It's worth seeking out.

SIDE DISH? Sure, this makes for a great side dish. But the coconut milk is worth sopping up, so the broccoli-bok choy combination has great potential with rice or over pasta. Yumm.

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MORE RECIPES using THAI CURRY PASTE
~ Quick Corn & Coconut Soup, my favorite soup recipe in February 2008 ~
~ Curried Cauliflower ~
~ Broccoli & Tomato Thai Curry ~
~ Spicy Thai Noodle Salad ~

~ more broccoli recipes ~
~ more bok choy recipes ~

~ more Weight Watchers recipes ~
~ more low-carb recipes ~

BROCCOLI & BOK CHOY with COCONUT & CURRY

Hands-on time: 15 minutes
Time to table: 25 minutes
Serves 6

1 tablespoon peanut oil
1 tablespoon garlic (or to taste, I used garlic from a jar which is milder)
12 ounces fresh bok choy, stems chopped, leaves chopped separately and put aside at first
8 ounces broccoli florets
1 cup low-fat coconut milk
1/4 teaspoon green Thai curry paste
1 tablespoon black sesame seeds (optional but I love their drama!)
Drizzle of honey (optional but inspired)

In a large skillet, heat the oil on MEDIUM HIGH til shimmery. Add the garlic and cook for just a minute. Add the chopped bok choy stems and let cook for about 5 minutes, while prepping the broccoli and leaves. Stir in the broccoli, stir to coat with fat. Let cook until broccoli is heated through. Move the vegetables aside with a spatula, add the coconut milk and curry paste, stir to mix. Stir together the bok choy stems, the broccoli and the bok choy leaves, coating with coconut milk. Reduce heat to MEDIUM, cover and let cook, stirring frequently, until broccoli and bok choy are both cooked clear through. Transfer to a serving dish, drizzle with honey.

NUTRITION ESTIMATE
Per Serving: 127 Cal (59% from Fat, 10% from Protein, 31% from Carb); 3 g Protein; 9 g Tot Fat; 4 g Sat Fat; 2 g Mono Fat; 10 g Carb; 3 g Fiber; NetCarb7; 4 g Sugar; 143 mg Calcium; 1 mg Iron; 32 mg Sodium; 0 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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Do you suffer from lachanophobia? Turn to A Veggie Venture and Veggie Evangelist Alanna Kellogg for the best vegetable recipes online. Find a quick recipe for tonight's vegetable in the Alphabet of Vegetables or plan menus with vegetables in every course. If you're a dieter, turn to hundreds of zero-point, one- and two-point Weight Watchers recipes and many low carb recipes.
© Copyright 2008

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Classic Seven-Layer Salad ♥ A Favorite Family Recipe

A classic summer salad, the seven-layer salad, with layers of romaine, peas, bacon, cheese, tomato, cooked eggs. Great for potlucks and a family favorite for holidays year-round. So many people love this salad!

~recipe & photo updated 2011~
~more recently updated recipes~

2008: Last week my favorite Estonian blogger, Pille from the food blog Nami-Nami who also hosts the Estonian equivalent of Epicurious, visited for a few days. Ha! I write that so matter-of-factly, as if her visit all the way from Estonia were no big deal. But the few days we had were special, time spent with someone who, thanks to blogging, I 'already knew', even as we met face-to-face for the first time. Thank you, Pille, for coming to St. Louis!

On the Monday, we invited some St. Louis food bloggers over for a supper potluck. Since this was Pille's first trip to the U.S., "American food" was the theme.

For the first time ever, I made the classic seven-layer salad -- but only because it was so 'American'. You see, I've had seven-layer salads at potlucks -- they're standards, right? doesn't someone always bring a seven-layer salad to a potluck? -- and to my taste, they're too often icky-heavy. But not this time! I used the Buttermilk Garlic Salad Dressing which is sooo much lighter in both texture and calories than the typical mayonnaise versions that other seven-layer recipes call for, some times just plain ol' mayonnaise glopped on. So this salad, this salad was really good!
Keep Reading ->>>

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Bok Choy Salad with Chinese Salad Dressing ♥

Today's salad recipe: A quick salad made with raw bok choy, tossed in a strong-flavored dressing of soy sauce, garlic, ginger, honey, cayenne and sesame seeds. Low carb. Weight Watchers 1 point.

Salad is for wimps, right? So goes the sentiment I still hear occasionally, the one where "real men" eat meat and "the ladies" eat salad. Ha. Whoever thinks that way (not that they're likely reading, but bear with me ...) should try this bok choy salad. Talk about flavor, both from the bok choy's pepper-y bite and the salad dressing's in-your-face flavor.

This is a hearty salad all by itself but by adding other ingredients, snowpeas, bean sprouts, cucumber, perhaps a creamy cheese to contrast, it would make a great supper salad. I wouldn't recommend the dressing for a tender lettuce -- it would likely overwhelm -- but think the dressing would be good tossed into steamed greens like mustard or leafy spinach (not baby spinach which is too tender for steaming) that's next on my list with the leftover dressing.

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MORE BOK CHOY RECIPES from the ARCHIVES
~ Bok Choy Salad with Homemade Creamy Vinaigrette ~
~ Soy-Glazed Bok Choy ~
~ Weight Watchers Asian Zero Points Soup ~

~ still more bok choy recipes ~
~ more Weight Watchers recipes ~
~ more low-carb recipes ~

BOK CHOY SALAD with CHINESE SALAD DRESSING

Hands-on time: 10 minutes for dressing, 5 minutes for salad
Time to table: 15 minutes
Serves 4

DRESSING
Note: I used about half the dressing on a pound of bok choy.

1 tablespoon garlic (or garlic to taste, I used garlic from a jar which is some milder)
1 tablespoon ginger (or ginger to taste, I used ginger from a jar from an international market)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
Juice of a lemon
1 tablespoon honey (or agave syrup for a vegan salad)
1 tablespoon sesame seeds (I used black sesame seeds)
Generous dash of cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil (a little goes a long way)
Peanut oil to taste (I used just 1 tablespoon and was tempted to use none at all, any oil will work but we needn't waste our best olive oil since the other dressing flavors are strong)

Whisk.

ASSEMBLE
1 pound bok choy (for St. Louisans, mine came from Centennial Farms at Tower Grove Farmers Market)

Wash well and trim. Chop the stems into bite size pieces, then the greens. Toss with the salad dressing, just enough to wet.

NUTRITION ESTIMATE
Using half the dressing for a pound of bok choy, Per Serving: 52 Cal (43% from Fat, 15% from Protein, 42% from Carb); 2 g Protein; 3 g Tot Fat; 0 g Sat Fat; 2 g Mono Fat; 6 g Carb; 1 g Fiber; NetCarb5; 2 g Sugar; 135 mg Calcium; 1 mg Iron; 228 mg Sodium; 0 mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers 1 point

TODAY'S VEGETABLE RECIPE INSPIRATION
Dressing adapted from The American Vegetarian Cookbook from the Fit for Life Kitchen by Marilyn Diamond, which was my first (and for the longest time, only) vegetarian cookbook. How it's never reached A Veggie Venture's pages before is incomprehensible. It's filled with notes, "Great" and "We loved this" and "Make this again". More later, I promise.

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.

---

Do you suffer from lachanophobia? Turn to A Veggie Venture and Veggie Evangelist Alanna Kellogg for the best vegetable recipes online. Find a quick recipe for tonight's vegetable in the Alphabet of Vegetables or plan menus with vegetables in every course. If you're a dieter, turn to hundreds of zero-point, one- and two-point Weight Watchers recipes and many low carb recipes.
© Copyright 2008

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Kitchen Parade Extra: Rhubarb Upside-Down Cake Recipe

This week's recipe at KitchenParade.com: My recipe for rhubarb upside-down cake, a classic summer dessert recipe with just a touch of anise. Rustic, homey and delicious.

If you're a rhubarb lover, oh man, the rhubarb upside-down cake is a must-make right now, while the rhubarb's still so good. The column will also catch the eye of gardeners. Who else is battling bunnies?

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NEVER MISS A KITCHEN PARADE RECIPE! Kitchen Parade is my food column, the one my mom started when I was a baby and that I started writing after she died - you know, a la Ann Landers and Heloise. The columns are published in my hometown newspapers and online at KitchenParade.com. Where A Veggie Venture is all about vegetable recipes, Kitchen Parade recipes cover all courses -- the Quick Supper recipes are real favorites. But good news: just like here at A Veggie Venture, all Kitchen Parade recipes include nutrition analysis and Weight Watchers points. There's even a special page of Weight Watchers recipes and for Father's Day, Father's Day recipe ideas. Kitchen Parade's recipes are easily available too, just sign up for Kitchen Parade via e-mail or Kitchen Parade via RSS. Many thanks!

WHY DOESN'T THIS POST ACCEPT COMMENTS? Because I hope that you'll click through to this week's column to comment there!

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© Copyright 2008

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Homemade Cobb Salad ♥ Summer Recipe

Today's recipe: The recipe for a classic Cobb salad made from the traditional Cobb salad ingredients: chicken, bacon, tomato, avocado, hard-cooked egg and blue cheese. Quick to assemble and impressive-looking. Low carb. Weight Watchers 7 points.

A Cobb salad just 'looks' so good, yes? And I was much pleased that a homemade (and much lighter) Cobb salad could taste so good, too.

Like many main dish salads, Cobb salad is an exercise in planning since it calls for cooked chicken, cooked bacon (Note to Vegetarians) plus hard-cooked eggs and a gorgeous buttermilk garlic dressing. THAT said, however, if the ingredients are already cooked, it assembles in minutes. And if they're not cooked, it took less time than I'd have thought to put the whole thing together start-to-finish -- about 30 minutes -- an effort yes, but definitely worth doing.

It's also a lesson in portion size management. Since a Cobb salad includes four proteins -- chicken, bacon, egg and cheese -- plus high-calorie avocado, the calories will really mount up unless small amounts of each of the four add up to just a single portion of protein. To my taste, this salad was extra satisfying and very filling -- even several hours later -- so will definitely make this again.

HISTORY of COBB SALAD The story goes that a hungry owner of the landmark Los Angeles restaurant the Brown Derby threw together this salad after raiding the restaurant fridge. His name was Bob Cobb and suddenly, one of the most famous salads was born. What makes a Cobb salad distinctive, however, is not so much its ingredients (after all, it's much like a BLT, much like a club sandwich) but its distinctive composition, rows of single ingredients rather than one big mash-up. Any mix of ingredients splayed out in even rows would be equally impressive!

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MORE MAIN DISH SALAD RECIPES
~ Roasted Beet Salad Supper ~
~ Arugula Salad with Smoke Trout & Peach Preserve Dressing ~
~ Asian Chicken Salad from Kitchen Parade ~

~ more recipes for salad suppers ~

COBB SALAD

Hands-on time: 10 minutes per salad (with cooked ingredients)
Time to table: 10 minutes
Serves as many as needed

PER SALAD
Lettuce greens
1 tablespoon Buttermilk Garlic Dressing

Toss the greens and dressing together. Arrange in a large flat bowl.

In rows, top the greens with:

1/4 a cooked chicken breast, chopped (I used grilled chicken but you could also poach the chicken as in this recipe for Lemon Chive Chicken Salad)
2 tablespoons cooked bacon (how to make homemade bacon bits)
1/2 hard-cooked egg, chopped (how to cook perfect hard-boiled eggs)
1 Roma tomato, chopped
2 tablespoons blue cheese, crumbled (I substituted feta because it was on hand)
1/4 a ripe avocado, cubed

TIP Arrange the lower-calorie ingredients (tomato, chicken and egg) in the longer inside rows and the higher-calorie ingredients (avocado, bacon, cheese) on the shorter outside rows.

NUTRITION ESTIMATE
Per Salad (not including dressing): 335 Cal (49% from Fat, 36% from Protein, 15% from Carb); 31 g Protein; 19 g Tot Fat; 6 g Sat Fat; 8 g Mono Fat; 13 g Carb; 6 g Fiber; NetCarb 7; 4 g Sugar; 175 mg Calcium; 3 mg Iron; 634 mg Sodium; 188 mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers 7 points

NOW PLEASE, before anyone goes thinking that a Cobb Salad normally racks up only Weight Watchers 7 points, please know that while very filling and satisfying, the portion size allowed here is likely small compared to restaurants. Dressing isn't included in the points to allow for use of either the recommended dressing (for 0 points) or a commercial dressing with higher calories. As a comparison, Ruby Tuesday's Club House Salad which is similar racks up 16 points and likely doesn't include dressing either.

TODAY'S VEGETABLE RECIPE INSPIRATION
Adapted from Simply Salads by Jennifer Chandler, which promises to be one of my favorite cookbooks of the summer, since it's packed with ideas for salads made with lettuce greens.

Many thanks to Laurel Bryant for the cookbook recommendation! Laurel and I chatted briefly while ordering pizza from Racanelli's one Friday evening a year or more ago. It took me awhile to order it but I'm so glad I did! Look for more recipes throughout the summer since one of my summer goals for A Veggie Venture is to share more main dish salad recipes.

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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Do you suffer from lachanophobia? Turn to A Veggie Venture and Veggie Evangelist Alanna Kellogg for the best vegetable recipes online. Find a quick recipe for tonight's vegetable in the Alphabet of Vegetables or plan menus with vegetables in every course. If you're a dieter, turn to hundreds of zero-point, one- and two-point Weight Watchers recipes and many low carb recipes.
© Copyright 2008

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Buttermilk Garlic Salad Dressing ♥ A Homemade Substitute for Store-Bought Ranch Dressing

For anyone who likes ranch dressing, this is my homemade substitute. It's an easy salad dressing made from scratch with on-hand pantry ingredients. Low carb and Weight Watchers friendly!

~recipe & photo updated 2011~
~more recently updated recipes~

REVIEWS
"Oh, yum! This is incredibly good!" ~ T.
"Really good dressing!" ~ BellePlaine
"Wonderful recipe. The paprika is awesome! " ~ Mama Lynn
"Tried it and it tastes great; the house smells good too!" ~ Ron
"So delicious, I could eat it with a spoon!!" ~ Pam

2008: Since throwing down the challenge to Never Buy Salad Dressing Again, call me eagle-eyed for easy make-ahead salad dressings to replace bottled dressings from the supermarket.

This Buttermilk Garlic Salad Dressing recipe is turning out to be so versatile. It's great for dressing lettuce and salad greens but also as a dip (as pictured, used instead of ranch dressing) for raw vegetables. I can also see using it for a homemade coleslaw dressing or as the mayonnaise for tuna salad and egg salad. Plus, the dressing works beautifully in at least two classic summer salads -- check the recipes for classic seven-layer salad and classic Cobb salad.

So yes, mission accomplished: a really good homemade salad dressing, one that's easy to make ahead with just a few simple ingredients, and can be used in many ways. A much-appreciated side benefit is that it's also really low in calories even though it's full of flavor and is made entirely from 'whole' ingredients, no chemicals, no faux-foods.
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