Learning to Love Veggies

Well, I have been thinking a lot lately about how much I dislike peas, carrots and Brussels sprouts. Why, you say? Well, I watched a lot of the Food Network last week. I was sick and had lots of time to do so. It seemed that the theme all week involved those veggies.  So by the end of the week I started liking them.
For instance roasted Brussels sprouts, which looked really good. I have found that roasting foods does change the taste to something nutty and smoky. I really like carrots, okay, I like them raw with a dip, but now I am going to admit that if they are the tiny ones steamed and glazed I LOVE them.
So that leaves peas. Now this is another odd thing for me. I can eat them if they are fresh, bright green in a salad. Never ever from a can, just typing that makes me wheezy.  The last time I was at Passage to India I had a wonderful tofu and green pea dish. It would be an understatement to say that it was a big surprise.
So what’s my point here? We all have something we won’t eat. I guess I am trying to encourage you to go out of your box with something healthy for you, over the upcoming holidays. I really think I am going to try to find the right dish with Brussels sprouts.  Of course I will roast them.
So of course I have a couple of recipes for you. This first one is easy and looked very inviting to me after it was done.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

(courtesy of Barefoot Contessa,  Food Network)

- 1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts
- 3 tablespoons good olive oil
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Simple to make and stress-free. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Cut off the brown ends of the Brussels sprouts and pull off any yellow outer leaves. Mix them in a bowl with the olive oil, salt and pepper.

Pour them onto a sheet pan and roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. Shake the pan from time to time to brown the sprouts evenly.  Sprinkle with more kosher salt (I like these salty, like French fries), and serve immediately.

Although I could not find a recipe for the tofu and peas, I did find a wonderful recipe for a miso soup that had both the peas and tofu in it, with an added bonus of corn added.

I guess next time I am out at Passage to India, I will ask them how they make it. I am so stuck on miso soup I cannot tell you. In fact I think this is going to be our supper tonight. I have everything for it in my pantry and fridge. Yep, I also have the miso. This is something you can purchase at any Asian market, easy to use and last along time. Remember that you can change this to be all vegetarian using veggie stack and leaving out the fish sauce.

Miso and Corn Soup

(courtesy of Dave Liberman, Food Network)

- 4 shallots, minced
- 2-inch piece ginger, peeled and thickly sliced
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 quart chicken stock
- 4 cups water
- 1/4 cup miso paste
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoons fish sauce
- sugar to taste (about 1 tablespoon)
- 1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
- dash chili flakes
- 5 ounces frozen corn kernels
- 1 package firm tofu
- 2 big handfuls snow peas (or frozen peas if snow peas are too expensive)
-salt

Sweat shallots and ginger in the oil in a large saucepan. Stir in flour and cook until it looks like wet sand. Whisk in stock and water. Add miso paste, soy sauce, fish sauce, sugar, sesame oil and chili flakes. Bring to a simmer and cook 20 minutes. Add corn and tofu and cook 10 minutes longer. Add snow peas or frozen peas and cook until vibrant green. Season, to taste, with salt.
Lastly , the carrots. Here is a recipe that incorporates apple juice, unsweetened. I like that idea. Cutting down on the sugar is always a good thing. It does have honey in it. Again, you could leave that out and make more of a concentrate with the apple juice.  At any rate I like that it is not loaded with sugar, but I would still get that sweet flavor. The other thing I would do is grate some fresh orange peel on them—just an idea.

Honey Apple Glazed Carrots

(courtesy of Sara Moulton, Food Network)

- 1 tablespoon butter

- 10 baby carrots

- 2/3 cup unsweetened apple juice
- 1 teaspoon honey
- salt and pepper

Peel the carrots and trim the tops.

Melt butter in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add carrots to the skillet and saute until the carrots begin to brown slightly, about 8 minutes.

Add apple juice and honey and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until carrots are tender and liquid is reduced to glaze, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.
So there you have it. Mix it up and enjoy all those new taste, I’m going to try.  I would be very interested to know what my friend Jessica is eating this holiday season, hmm.
I’m looking for alternative Holiday meals to share with our readers if you have something please email me.
Be safe; eat well, until next week.

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