Healthy cooking tips, recipes, food facts and more from a Registered Dietitian!
e. Vegetables
Vegetable Sides
Sweet Potato Casserole
Oct 7th
6 sweet potatoes
3 tablespoons light butter
1/4 cup Splenda
1/4 cup brown sugar + extra for the top
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons chopped pecans
Wash sweet potatoes and cut into large sections. Boil sweet potatoes until tender. Drain and slip skins off.
Place sweet potatoes in the bowl of an electric mixer. Add light butter. Beat on medium speed until smooth. Beat in Splenda, brown sugar, and cinnamon until well combined.
Place sweet potato mixture into a greased 9″ square casserole dish (really any similarly sized casserole dish will work). Sprinkle with extra brown sugar and pecans.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or until the brown sugar on top melts and potatoes are again hot all the way through.
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Loading ...Steamed Veggies
Aug 29th
Yet another favorite way to cook broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, and vegetable blends is to steam them. I, thanks to wedding gifts (and a find at Dirt Cheap), I have 3 ways to steam my veggies.
- Electric Vegetable Steamer/Rice Cooker – this was my Dirt Cheap $6 find! My steamer cooks rice to perfection and also steams vegetables wonderfully!
- Steamer Basket – I got a cool green silicone steamer basket as a wedding gift (which I love!), 
.but my mom has always had a metal one from the supermarket which works great, too. What I love about the silicone basket is that it is easier to get out of your pot without getting burned and the food cooks really even. It’s also a cinch to clean.
- Micro-steamer – I also received a really neat Micro-Steamer as a wedding gift from Pampered Chef. I just got it the other day and can’t wait to try it out!
How To:
- To steam with an electric or micro steamer, read the instructions.
- To steam with a steamer that fits in a boiler, fill your boiler with water to the base of the steamer (the STEAM cooks your food, the food shouldn’t be in the water). Place your veggies in the steamer basket, season, and close the lid, allowing your vegetables to cook for about 10 minutes or until tender-crisp.
Seasonings:
- You can choose your seasonings based on what you have a taste for. I’ve known people to put lemon juice, garlic, and other seasonings right into the water. We normally season our steamed vegetables with Seasoning Salt and Lemon Pepper. Basil, Garlic, Oregano, Salt, and Pepper are all great for seasoning, too!
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...The Benefits of Frozen Vegetables
Aug 28th
If you haven’t noticed from reading this newsletter, I have become a huge fan of frozen vegetables. With just Ryan and I in the house, I have nearly cried throwing away several different fresh vegetables that we just couldn’t eat up fast enough!
Buying frozen or freezing vegetables has worked great for us. As soon as I notice onions beginning to wilt, I shoot them through my food processor, place them in bags, and freeze them. Wilting mushrooms, broccoli, carrots, etc work great in the freezer as well. Then, I can pull out these great veggies when I’m ready for them.
Freezing also allows you to catch sales. If you know you can freeze a big bag of onions that’s on sale for half price, you’ll be able to enjoy half price onions much longer!
Check out the prices in the frozen aisle if you’re watching your budget. I’ve found bell pepper, broccoli, and several other vegetables to be much cheaper frozen than fresh. While fresh is still the best for your health most of the time, frozen is better for you than canned foods and won’t spoil as quickly as fresh foods.
Now, if only I could have a second freezer here at the apartment!
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...Easy Veggie Casserole
Aug 27th
1 (16-ounce) bag frozen mixed vegetables
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 cup fat-free sour cream
1/2 cup low-fat cheddar cheese
1/2 cup low-fat mozzarella cheese
Crushed Baked Chips to cover
Place mixed vegetables in 8″ square casserole dish. Sprinkle with salt & pepper. Spread sour cream and cheeses over the top and gently toss with vegetables. Top with baked chips.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes, or until vegetables are cooked through.
NOTE: This recipe works great for using stale, leftover chips. Cooking them in the oven re-crispens them so they’ll be crunchy again. I normally make this using whatever frozen vegetable blend I have on hand – cauliflower & broccoli, winter blend, California blend, etc.
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...Garlic Almond Green Beans
Aug 26th
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon onion, minced (optional)
1 bag (16-ounce) frozen green beans
2 tablespoons sliced almonds
Salt & Pepper to taste
Heat olive oil and garlic in a medium-sized skillet. Add green beans, onion, almonds, salt, and pepper. Cook until green beans are heated through, but slightly crisp.
NOTE: Ryan & I have really enjoyed making this recipe as a substitute for regular green beans from the can, but we just add ingredients “to taste” and make just enough for the two of us for dinner. You can substitute garlic powder for the garlic clove if you want.
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