Yummy collard greens

Collards are a vegetable I've never known anything about or eaten, until recently.  A friend fixed them for us one night at dinner and I've been hooked ever since.  They're incredibly healthy and mild-tasting, and I've noticed they're among the least expensive vegetables we have right now.  Perfect combo!

Prepare the veggies:

• one bunch collard greens, chopped
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2-3 plum tomatoes, diced

In a large skillet, saute the onions and garlic in extra virgin olive oil for a minute or two.  Add the greens and tomatoes, and salt and pepper to taste.  Stir to blend, then cover and turn down heat.  Cook on low, stirring occasionally until tender, about 12 minutes or so.

You can season with a splash of wine vinegar just at serving.

A quick blender lunch

I call it "Avocado Gazpacho" and it only takes minutes to make.  It's wonderfully healthy and satisfying, great for a candida or gluten-free diet, as well as vegetarian.  My recipe is for two servings, and please note --all amounts and ingredients are up to you!  I like mine chunky but just blend it to desired consistency.  It's great cold for a summer soup, but you can use hot water for cold weather eating.


In your blender or VitaMix, cut up and combine:

• 1/2-1 tomato
• 1/2 c. cucumber
• 1/3 c. green pepper
• 1/2-1 green onion
• 1/2-1 stalk celery
• 1 handful cilantro
• 1/2 avocado
• 1-2 T. olive oil
• garlic salt (or if you're brave, fresh garlic and salt)
• approximately 2/3 c. water or chicken broth

M-m-m, good!

Marinated summer salad

I threw this together the other night as an alternative for a regular tossed salad--and we all liked it!   Very colorful and appealing, as well as delicious.  Thought I'd pass it along.
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Use the amounts of each vegetable you want, and vary the seasoning according to taste.

Toss together in a bowl:

• sliced, diced raw zucchini (could also add yellow summer squash)
• diced mixed peppers:  green, red, orange, yellow
• thinly sliced red onion
• sliced hearts of palm
• minced fresh garlic

Mix and pour this marinade over veggies:

• 1/3 c. apple cider vinegar (I like Braggs)
• 1/3 c. olive oil
• 1/2 tsp. to 1 tsp. mixed Italian herbs
• sea salt, a shake of pepper

Blend and chill well before serving.

Quick-and-easy Oven Eggplant

I've never been a real lover of eggplant, but I've been experimenting with various recipes to find something really appealing (it's one of the vegetables I can freely eat on the candida diet).  I did this tonight and it was yummy!  A new favorite. 
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Wash and dice one eggplant, unpeeled.  In a bowl, toss eggplant with 2 or 3 tablespoons good olive oil, garlic salt, and Italian seasoning, coating pieces well.

Spread in a casserole dish, sprayed with non-stick spray, and cover with aluminum foil.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until fork-tender and a bit carmelized on the bottom.  Stir to mix before serving.  Serves 3 or 4, depending on size of eggplant.

Mexican Zucchini Stir-Fry

Believe it or not, this recipe came out of a desperate need to do something different with zucchini!  I like it...and I hope you do, too!  You can do this as a vegetarian main meal, or serve with sausages, hamburger, or other prepared meat.  This makes 2 servings.
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In a small amount of olive oil, begin to saute 1/2 of a diced bell pepper over medium-high heat, then add one medium zucchini, diced.  Stir-fry for 2 or 3 minutes, then add 1 clove of garlic, minced, and 2 diced plum tomatoes.  Sprinkle with 1/2 tsp. of ground cumin and salt to taste, stir well.  Add 1 T. water or so to loosen any residue from bottom of pan, stir well, and continue to cook for another 2 or 3 minutes until tender.

Serve over cooked black beans, top with diced avocado, chopped cilantro, and sour cream. 

A case for two lonely vegetables

 Okay, time to 'fess up...how many of you regularly use rutabagas and parsnips in your diet?!  What?!  You don't?!  Relax...I didn't either for most of my life until health issues in our family drove me to experiment and discover more of the beautiful and nutritious vegetables God gave us to eat.

So I'd like to give you a formal introduction to them and share a yummy recipe we now have as a regular on our table.  You'll find baking the veggies like this brings out their natural sweetness which carmelizes into a wonderful dish.  Vary amounts according to your taste.

Rutabagas are a member of the turnip family, a root vegetable that has a deep yellow flesh.  As with all root crops, they take in lots of nutrients from the soil.  They have an alkaline effect on your body--something you want to fight disease--and are especially known for their cancer-fighting qualities.  They are high in potassium with good amounts of Vitamin C and fiber.

Parsnips are those long, white, carrot-looking things you've seen in the produce section.  They are very high in fiber, rich in potassium and cancer-fighting substances, and have a sweet, nutty taste when cooked.
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Root Vegetable Bake

• 2-3 parsnips, peeled and diced
• rutabagas, peeled and diced to equal 1 1/2 cups
• 2-3 carrots, peeled and sliced, OR 1 1/2 cups baby carrots
• 3 red potatoes, diced
• Optional:  2 turnips, peeled and diced
• Optional:  1-2 cloves garlic, minced

Mix well in large bowl.  Salt and pepper to taste, and add 1 T. dried parsley and a drizzle of olive oil.  Mix well and turn into a sprayed-with-PAM or buttered casserole dish.  Cover with foil, and bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes or until tender when pierced with a fork.