Category: Vegetables

Crispy Roasted Garbanzo Beans – A Simply Delicious Healthy Snack

Tom

Crispy Roasted Garbanzo BeansThese are addictive…healthy, crunchy and deliciously addictive…and very easy to make. All you do is:

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees
  • Drain one 15 oz can of garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
  • Rinse with water and dry thoroughly with paper towels
  • Toss the dried garbanzos with 1½ Tbsps of olive oil
  • Roast on a sheet pan for 25-35 minutes until the beans are golden brown and crunchy (start checking at 20 minutes)
  • Sprinkle with salt and whatever spices you like (try a little cayenne, garlic powder and onion powder…Spicy!)
  • Let cool and serve…Simply delicious!

Vegetarian Kung Pao with Broccoli and Peanuts

Tom

Vegetarian Kung Pao with Broccoli and PeanutsThis fantastic recipe is originally from A Spoonful of Ginger by Nina Simonds, a cookbook based on the Asian philosophy of food as a health-giving entity. According to the author, the secret is in the Chinese holistic approach to food and its balance: countering yin, or cooling, foods, with yang, or hot, foods and neutralizers like rice and noodles.  But don’t just try this recipe because you buy into the Chinese philosophy (although a lot of it makes sense…I mean, they have been cooking for over 4,000 years.  In 2005, the oldest intact noodles yet discovered were found in Lajia, China and were estimated to be over 4,000 years old…but I digress)… just make it because it is one of the most delicious, satisfying and authentic tasting recipes I’ve found for homemade Chinese food, while still being relatively easy to prepare…and, believe it or not, it even manages to make tofu taste great!

Please click here for the  printable recipe.

Smashed Baby Red Potatoes…Crunchy & Delicious

Tom

Smashed Baby Red PotatoesSmashed Baby Red Potatoes! If your tired of the same old baked potatoes or french fries (although I don’t understand how anyone could get tired of french fries) here is a simple recipe for preparing this amazing dish. These baby red potatoes that not only taste incredible…moist and creamy on the inside and crunchy on the outside…but also look really great on your plate. Try and get the smallest red potatoes you can find…that way you have a much larger crispy to creamy ratio in each bite! And although they’re delicious right out of the oven, definitely try them with a dollop of sour cream and sprinkling of green onions…it really rounds out the flavor.

These amazing Smashed Baby Reds are a festive, delicious, impressive-looking appetizer to pass around at you next cocktail party (or any party for that matter). They also go perfectly with just about any dish, from burgers and steaks to salads.

Please click here for the Delicious Crunchy Smashed Baby Red Potatoes printable recipe.

The Best Way to Peel a Potato

Tom

Leave it to Mary Ann from Gilligan’s Island to show us the best way to peel a potato. Every Thanksgiving, we make a ton of mashed potatoes for 40 people and the only thing we don’t look forward to is peeling all those potatoes. Well thanks to this video from Mary Ann, it looks like next Thanksgiving that won’t be a problem. Now if we can just get the Professor to invent an easy way to deep fry a turkey without burning down the entire neighborhood.

BTW, if you really want to do it the authentic “Mary Ann” way, here are the Red Silicon Gripper Tongs she uses in the video. They’re great for using with non-stick cookware and they’re heat resistant up to 600° and dishwasher safe.

Crustless Broccoli Quiche….Low Carb and Still Delicious

Tom

OK…I personally could care less whether this is high-carb, low-carb or no-carb…all I know is that it tastes (and looks) great, is really simple to prepare and you can just pop a slice in the microwave for a quick breakfast. If you happen to live with someone who cares about carbs (like I do), the best thing about this dish is that you can really enjoy it together (you don’t have to fake it)…it’s that good! If you want an even healthier version, just substitute Eggbeaters for the eggs. And for a great variation, replace the onions with a cup or two of caramelized onions…it really adds a ton of flavor to the quiche.

Please click here for a printable copy of the recipe.

Simply Sensational Caramelized Onions

Tom

Caramelized onions are terrific on everything… pizza, burgers, hotdogs, chops, steaks, brisket and are delicious in scrambled eggs, quiche or mashed potatoes….they even make an interesting (and delicious) dessert when served on sliced apples with a side of cheese. In fact, they’re great all by themselves…I guarantee you’ll find yourself eating them right out of the pan.

I think that I first read about this technique for caramelizing onions in Cook’s Illustrated Magazine years ago and have been using it ever since.

When onions are cooked low and slow for an extended period of time, the natural sugars in the onions caramelize, imparting an intense sweet flavor and a beautiful deep mahogany color.

Caramelized onions can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks or they can be frozen for up to 3 months.

Please click here for the printable recipe.

OXO Pop Up Vegetable (and Chicken Wing) Steamer

Tom

OXO Vegetable SteamerAlthough I did post a technique a while back for simply steaming a small quantity of vegetables, there are times when that method isn’t practical (like for prepping my Oven Baked Buffalo Chicken Wings). For these times, I highly recommend the Oxo Good Grips Pop-Up Steamer.

All you have to do is press on the handle and it pops up to make it safe and easy to insert into and remove from a steaming pot. One of the best feature is that you can unscrew the handle and it’s then perfect for steaming larger items like fish fillets (or huge batches of chicken wings!). It has foldable feet to keep the basket above the boiling water and it also expands to fit just about any pot. It’s a really cool kitchen tool with multiple uses…a practical (and inexpensive) addition to any kitchen!

And, if you really want to steam a huge batch of wings this simple, Asian-style 3 Tiered Aluminum steamer is great…it’s also perfect for steaming a couple of different vegetables (or a variety of seafood) all at the same time for a quick, healthy dinner.

Grandma Molly’s Legendary Cole Slaw

Tom

Grandma Molly's Cole Slaw We all grew up loving this cole slaw that my grandmother made…of course, she never wrote anything down, so it was up to my mother to perfect it and record it for posterity. The recipe has been passed down and now it’s become an essential ingredient in the perfect Slow Cooked Pulled Pork Sandwich that I wrote about awhile back. Although the cole slaw tastes great as soon as it’s made, the flavor definitely improves over time, so the best thing to do is to make it a day before you want to eat it. The slaw makes a great addition to any meal, but it’s really incredible on a sandwich of that leftover Thanksgiving turkey (or even store bought turkey breast) on a couple of slices of good Jewish rye bread, or even better, on my Sourdough Whole Wheat No Knead Pumpkin Seed Bread.

Please click here for the printable recipe.

One Dish Steamed Vegetables (with easy cleanup!)

Tom

This is a simple one dish, easy clean-up technique to steam a serving or two of vegetables. I’m using broccoli here, but it works with anything. Cut the broccoli into bite size pieces, place them into a microwaveable bowl with 1/2 cup of warm water and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Take a knife and poke a few holes in one side of the plastic wrap. This is to let the steam out and, after microwaving, to strain the water through. Microwave on high for about 1½ minutes. Take the bowl out of the microwave (careful…it will be hot) and tilt it over the sink to drain the water out through the poked holes. Then just take off the plastic wrap, drop in a tablespoon of butter, some seasoning (I love a pinch of kosher salt and a shake or two of McCormick Lemon & Pepper seasoning), give it a stir and it’s ready to eat. Fast, simple, tasty and best of all, easy to clean  up!