Honeybuns with sugar on top,
o help me out here. What are some of your favorite low-sodium and vegetable-oriented recipes?
I know Jesus said that we are the salt of the earth, but we don’t have to eat so much of it!
Kiss of peace, and of health,
PB
[Update of 11/19 6 pm:
Thank you for all the comments, and keep them coming! I think the issue is that I hate preparing salads and have not expanded my thinking often enough beyond Salad Is Our Only Vegetable Option mentality.
It’s a weird thing. I love to cook but HATE preparing salads. I think I associate salad with my mom and feel emotionally poverty-stricken preparing them for myself when Mom does it so much better. My salads seem bland and dirt-tasting compared to hers, and I HATE eating cold lettuce. HATE it with an irrational hate! In the summer I’ll keep a little basket of farmers market cherry tomatoes on the counter and eat them for snacks, but in the winter I don’t keep any vegetables around to snack on (and I’m afraid that even fruit gets ignored in the bowl). So I appreciate the reminder of how much I love roasted root vegetables and am going to get some and cook ’em up. To the reader who suggested frozen veggies, ABSOLUTELY. They are quite healthy because they’re flash frozen immediately upon harvest and since I buy organics, they’re pesticide free. I need to put them at the front of the freezer and incorporate more of them into my chilis and casseroles. Kiss of peace and love, PB]
I pack a smoothie for lunch every morning (and then feel quietly sanctimonious about it the rest of the day, I’m sorry to tell you). We use a small carton of vanilla yogurt, about a1/4 c. of oat milk (blended regular milk gets weird to me), and then whatever fruit is handy. (My personal favorite is the Elvis smoothie: same base, but with a banana and some peanut butter!)
OK, PB, I live with a vegetarian who’s an amazing cook– I need a better idea of what you like so I can narrow down the options.
Along with your pots of something you can just microwave when you’re hungry, you could make a big salad – leave off juicy (cut) tomatoes if you even eat those – and that will keep nicely in your fridge right next to your pot of stuff for 3-4 days so that having a salad along side isn’t a time sink.
[I’m really weird about salad — I love salads when someone else makes them but for some reason I hate preparing them myself and I HATE cold salad! It hurts my teeth. Also, I’m a Tomato Snob and won’t eat any that aren’t garden ripe. We get such amazing tomatoes here in the summer that they don’t even seem to be the same vegetable to me other times of year. Boy, do I have excuses or what? 😉 – PB]
I love roasted vegetables at this time of year. [Me, too!! Thanks for reminding me! Great recipes!! – PB]
For regular roasted veggies, peel and chop into fairly large bite size cubes any or all of the following: sweet potatoes, carrots, potatoes, fennel (yummy), rutabega and whole peeled garlic cloves. Drizzle olive oil and sprinkle with a little kosher salt and some rosemary. bake at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes covered, then remove cover, stir, and return to oven for another 30 minutes or so. This is tasty reheated.
Another thing I like is roasted brussell sprouts. wash, remove ends & cut in half. Add a tablespoon or so of olive oil and some kosher salt. Roast at 400 degrees uncovered for 30 minutes or so, stiring once or twice. They should be a little crispy & so good.
More on the roasted veggie idea: I love these too, and add onion wedges, parsnips, peppers, winter squash as the whim strikes. I leave them uncovered the whole time because I love the crispy brown edges. Curry, garam masala, thyme, cinnamon or cumin make nice variants on the rosemary.
A big batch of these can last me a week or more, and is a great starting material for frittatas, soft tacos, pasta topping, or just topped with some chevre. Puree into a soup with some stock and yogurt or sour cream (fat free, of course).
I know it’s not very gourmet, but frozen veggies are so EASY! They come in all kinds of varieties and combos, and you just dump a serving into a bowl and heat.
And they DO make low-sodium soy sauce…
Another easy way to get your veggies- make soup or veggie chili.
(Also easy to reheat, and great for this time of year!)
My favorite new healthy snack is cherry or grape tomatoes. Buy a pack, rinse ’em off, leave ’em on the counter to nibble on. No fridge necessary. Bonus: because of the way they are packaged, they aren’t harvested while rock hard, like full-sized tomatoes. So they are more nicely ripe. [I’m a fiend for small tomatoes in the summer, warm off the vine! -PB]
Other good veggies to nibble on: red bell peppers, “baby” carrots, and celery. I eat them with hummus, yummy! I need small crunchy foods in my life and crisp veggies help curb the urge for salty snacks…
Peacebang — Love your blogs!
Roasted veggies suggested above sound great — we do the brussels sprouts one as well, only we rub them with garlic. Yummmmm. It’s the only way I’ll eat b. sprouts.
Also, my husband, who is a Southerner, makes a vegetarian version of greens (turnip greens, mustard greens, collard greens, spinach), if you like bitter southern-style greens. This also works well for broccoli di rabe (sp?) if you like that. They keep nicely in the fridge and would be a good zingy contrast to sweeter veggies like roasted squash and root vegetables.
Here’s how:
Dean’s Greens
-wash greens (chards, collards, spinach, turnip greens), get rid of all grit
-coarsely chop them
-parboil the greens in about 4 cups of salted boiling water for five minutes, which sets them a beautiful green color
-after they are parboiled, drain them and reserve 2 cups of cooking water, & set greens and cooking water aside
In another pan, heat 2 Tbs olive oil. Saute 2-3 minced garlic cloves and a sprinkling of red pepper flakes for about thirty seconds, enough to bring the flavor out, but not so long that you scorch them
add greens and liquid, a few grinds of fresh pepper, salt to taste, cook for about 1/2 hour
Very good eaten with a few dashes of vinegar.
I’ll second the thing about frozen veggies. The seasoned ones have a lot of sodium, but the plain one seem healthier to me than typical grocery store veggies.
P.S. re salted water on above greens recipe — most of that is thrown out, but I believe the salt is what sets the green color — final version shouldn’t be too salty.
Cheers
A.K.
Quitting the oversalting habit can take a while. I’m a big ol’ salt lick, too, and I find that increasing the spice or sweet content of food helps. Chili powder is just as good on popcorn or edamame as salt (popcorn w/butter-flavored Pam & chili powder = yum). Sriracha on otherwise-bland food, like broccoli and brown rice. And greens, roasted veg, and other veggie savories are also good with just a tracing of real maple syrup.
Two wonderful cookbooks, if you like to cook at all, you might consider are:
The Mediterranean Vegan Kitchen
A Year in a Vegetarian Kitchen
Also, how marvelous! Someone else who does NOT LIKE SALAD! I am delighted to know.
I’ve had to deal with high blood pressure lately, too, so I’ve been thinking about this a lot. I second the ideas offered about about frozen veggies, greens, roasted veggies, etc. On seasoning alternatives: Onion powder (esp. Penzey’s toasted onion powder) is great on popcorn. And get some smoked paprika (again, Penzey’s if possible). That stuff is almost as good as adding bacon to a dish. Well, okay, that’s an exaggeration, but if you’re determined to reduce sodium, smoked paprika could be your new friend. I love it.
I’m with you on salads. They are tedious to make and they just bore me. Steaming or sauteeing up a bunch of mustard greens is so much easier and way more nutritious anyway.
Are you familiar with the D.A.S.H. diet? It stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension or something prosaic like that. You can google it. It’s pretty much what we’ve been told for years that we should all be eating anyway. Just brushing up on the DASH guidelines may be somewhat inspiring as you think about making changes.
Do you like V8? They make a good low-sodium version. There’s a couple veggie servings right there, in a glass of that. Knudsen makes a low-sodium version of their organic Very Veggie juice.
Dried fruits? Easy to snack on, more satisfying than celery sticks. But kind of high in sugar content, so keep that in mind.
Italian Parsley (flat kind) and celery seem to add salty flavor. Maybe they have salt in them. Include beets in the roasted veggies. Artichokes are good for a dinner party…lots of show. “Baby carrots” taste as if they’ve been floating in water for weeks, and probably have. Get good fresh carrots. Good quality sea salt — more satisfying that the typical type. I haven’t needed to cut back on sodium, but when a family member did, it was really a challenge to my high salt habits. Bok Choy, esp. baby bok choy, very good winter vegetable — saute in some veg broth.
My favorite salad, so easy and so yummy–
Romaine or Red Lettuce + Avocado (cut the avocado in half and scoop it out in little dollops with a spoon)
Dressing: equal parts olive oil and balsamic vinegar, mix in some high quality mustard (brown and/or seedy) to taste
Commercial salad dressing = yuck! So many of them are full of preservatives. It is so fast and easy and much yummier to make your own, oil + acid + creativity.
oops sorry just read the addendum re. cold-lettuce-aversion. Please disregard above!
I second the recommendation for “A Year in a Vegetarian Kitchen” by Jack Bishop. My husband is a big carnivore, and I have high cholesterol, so I cope by making vegetarian recipes every time it’s my turn to cook. Somehow Bishop makes these veg recipes that are really filling and crazy flavorful. Sunday night we had black bean soup with jalepeno, chili powder, cilantro, lime and yogurt. Last night we had pasta with a pumpkin seed/parsley pesto and broccoli. SO YUMMY and both are really easy. Like under 30 minutes easy. It’s formatted by season, with Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter chapters, so it’s a fun way to eat what is in season, too.
Dear Peacebang,
Love your blog. [love you back! – PB]
I have gradually added more veggies into my life. I love cold lettuce, but my husband (raised vegetarian) HATES plain salads. So, I have learned to make a stunning salad. You can add left-over roasted veggies ON TOP of plain ole greens. You can slice up some yellow peppers for prettiness. I love adding nuts and dried fruits to salads – tart cherries are always a hit. Goat cheese adds much to a salad as well.
I have also recently accepted the beauty of roasted squashes into my life. I had been philosophically opposed before. But yum – roasted acorn squash w/a dash of Feta cheese and mint. Wow!
My pal Moxie recommends using the frozen veggies as add-ins to pasta. When draining the pasta out of the hot water – throw in some frozen peas – that helps to increase your intake of veggies!
Anyway, it IS doable. Just takes some adjustments. Good Luck!
I love pre-washed baby spinach. It is an extremely low maintenance vegetable that takes no time at all to cook up, and it tastes good with everything. You can also throw it into soups at the last minute.
Speaking of soups, a good, spicy vegetable soup is a wonderful thing. You can serve it as an appetizer or (my favorite) as a main course topped with poached eggs. Doesn’t take much time, either…I saute carrots, onion, celery, bell pepeper and garlic, and then add broth, canned tomatoes, asian chili paste, and whatever other spices strike my fancy. Sometimes I’ll add a can of garbonzo or cannelini beans. I always wilt in spinach and fresh herbs at the last minue. Yummy.
May I recommend roasted red peppers? Do a batch of at least 4-6. Cut them into strips after you’ve seeded them and store them in a container in the ‘fridge. Chop them up and toss with pasta, olive oil and a little fresh ground black pepper and maybe some finely diced sun dried tomatoes and you’ve got a nice little dinner (OK, OK, it also works with any other batch of roasted vegetables) Or slice a good quality baguette, top with a nice piece of goat cheese (if allowed) and place one of your roasted red pepper slices on top – repeat as necessary.
[My problem is, dovey, that I love the goat cheese but don’t like the red pepper! Oy, am I hopeless or what? – Kisses, PB]
Now, let’s talk about braising…
Yay, PB. I’m a long time fan, first time poster.
Two thoughts, for what they’re worth:
1. Whenever I notice that I need to eat a little healthier, I run the risk of getting overzealous in the abstract and then actually doing nothing. So it’s my practice to not abandon whatever less nutritious staples I’ve been enjoying. I just try to add some steamed and/or roasted veggies or salad-ey stuff on the side (of my grilled cheese or whatever). Then I rediscover that I like eating and preparing them and am already back in the habit.
2. My household gets a weekly produce box from a local farm delivered weekly and I can’t express how much I love this and how conducive it is to good and sustainable eating! It’s so helpful to have this gift of fresh goodness just show up dependably. I even get asparagus and other fancier treats and I’ve learned a lot about eating in season. Plus I save a bundle financially. I have no idea if CSA (community supported agriculture) boxes are readily available in your neck of the woods, PB, but it might be worth checking out. Some include simple recipes and have different amounts you can order.
[I have checked it out and alas, no such luck right around my region. But I DO have a lovely organic farm nearby and I do buy their produce during farmer’s market season, which runs from spring-late autumn. So I can’t complain. Thanks for coming out of lurker status and posting, Oakie Fan. Kiss of peace, PB]
Here is a fabulous snack that is crunchy and can be sweet or savory and it is healthy!
Crunchy Chickpeas
Rinse and drain a can of chickpeas. Dump into a bowl and add whatever spices you like with just a dribble of olive oil (you can leave this out if you leave the peas a little damp after draining, but it helps them crisp up better.) I put all kinds of different spices on, including cumin, curry, and cinnamon (no not all together). PB, your smoked paprika would be killer here! Spread the chickpeas onto a cookie sheet. Mix well to cover chickpeas with spices. Cook at about 300 degrees for 1-2 hours depending on how crunchy you like them. I like to go on the longer side because I like them hard and crunchy, as a substitute for nuts. You may prefer to use a higher temp. and leave in oven for less than an hour, if you prefer them softer. [OH YUMBY! Thanks! – PB]
Ok, one last thing from me on this topic: if you like the roasted root veggies, remember you can roast green veggies, too. Roasted green beans are delish, as is roasted asparagus. Even brussels sprouts are great this way.
If you’re watching your sodium, I’d just toss a little olive oil and some spices with the veggies and put them under the broiler. Kosher salt is flatter and seems to me to go farther, so a tiny sprinkle on the top is enough.
My son and I love broccoli–leave in largish spears, steam in salted water, drain and coat (lightly) with butter or olive oil, and liberally with FRESH lemon juice. Add just a sprinkle of sea salt (much more flavor in big grains, so I don’t use as much), and eat at once. Enjoy! And, beets tossed in olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Heaven on earth. A kiss of peace to you!
Salad with no lettuce
(Pardon me for being a late commenter.)
Salad Nicoise
hardcooked or softcooked eggs
steamed fresh green beans
boiled red potatoes cut in bite size pieces
olives from the supermarket olive bar
tomatoes
tuna fish from a can
Dijon vinaigrette dressing
Do not toss. Imagine that you’re planting a perennial garden. Arrange on plate or platter so that each color goes on the plate or platter in two or three places. 🙂