veggie challenge

[duh]

I love raw veggies and salads.  How do I translate that into winter time cooking.  Usually I find that I eat very few veggies in the winter unless they are part of a soup or something.  I'd love to hear what recipes you have that make winter veggies a highlight at the dinner table.

I'll start with one of mine.  Since tomatoes are available all year round I do tomatoes stuffed with cottage cheese.  I add shallots and bacon to the cottage cheese and it is yummy. 

[patches]

The Green Bean Cassarole has always been a favorite of mine, but I've also added a little twist for something different.  Here is the recipe (see note at bottom for the twist).

Green Bean Casserole

Prep: 10 minutes
Bake: 30 minutes

Ingredients:
1 can (10 3/4 oz.) Campbell's Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp. soy sauce
Dash ground black pepper
4 cups cooked cut green beans
1 1/3 cups French's® French Fried Onions

Directions:
MIX soup, milk, soy, black pepper, beans and 2/3 cup onions in 1 1/2-qt. casserole.

BAKE at 350°F. for 25 min. or until hot.

STIR . Sprinkle with remaining onions. Bake 5 min.

Note:  I have also fixed this by substituting 4 cups cooked broccoli flowerets for the green beans.  Then I will stir in 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese with soup and omit soy sauce.  Then I sprinkle with 1/4 cup additional Cheddar cheese when I'm adding the remaining onions.

 

[patches]

Duh, I was posting in some thread today about freezing broccoli and I remembered my all-time favorite broccoli recipe.  Actually, I could make a meal out of just eating this and nothing else. 

Broccoli, Cheese and Rice Casserole Recipe

Ingredients:
1 cup uncooked instant rice
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup milk
4 ounces Velveeta processed cheese, cubed
2 tablespoons butter or stick margarine, softened
2 (10-ounce) packages frozen chopped broccoli, thawed and drained
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can Campbell’s condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
 
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, and spoon into a 2-quart casserole.  Bake at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes.

Note:  I always double this if I'm taking it somewhere, but use this recipe for myself!   
 
 

[duh]

Those recipes look great.  I love cheese soup in a casserole.

[patches]

I love raw veggies and salads.  How do I translate that into winter time cooking. 

Duh, here's a recipe that I guarantee will make your raw veggies and salads better than you've ever tasted.    I always like to have some assorted vegetables cut up and in the crisper (e.g. celery, carrots, radishes, etc.) to dip in my Green Goddess Dressing, and I could probably eat my weight in veggies once I get started with on this!    Actually, this is what I make up when I make my veggie trays and it's always a huge hit!    

Green Goddess Dressing – The Best

15 min. prep.

1 (2  ounce) can anchovies packed in oil, undrained
3  tablespoons chopped fresh chives 
3  tablespoons tarragon vinegar 
1  tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice 
1  cup sour cream 
1  cup mayonnaise 
1/2  cup chopped fresh parsley 
1/4  teaspoon salt (or to taste) 
black pepper (to taste)

In a blender or processor, combine all ingredients and blend until smooth.

Cover & refrigerate until needed (up to one week). Dressing thickens slightly with chilling.

[duh]

I usually go after the Marie's Ranch Dressing in the veggie section of the grocery store lol.

[patches]

Geesh, I've never heard of that dressing,   but quick and easy is always a good way to go.    Is that some local store brand?    

[Tina]

We have Maries ranch on our side of the country, too. So it must be national. I love any raw veggies dipped in just about anything. There are so many veggies that are available (best) in winter; lot's of root crops. I love rutabagas. Parsnips are good too. I love cooked veggies also . Just butter and a touch of salt. Never get too many. I do wish my family would eat more veggies.

[Wrennie]

We have Maries here too. In the produce section. Yummy.
I also do veggies all winter just steamed with butter & salt.
I do a chicken casserole with cream soup and green beans all mixed up & baked til the chicken is done with cheese on top.
Stew & pot roast with root veggies are a good winter meal too.

[patches]

Okay, then we probably have it here, so I'll have to look for it the next time I'm at the store. What varieties does she have?    Another favorite of mine is Thousand Island. 

[pharmerlaura]

With a garden the size of ours..there isnt much we dont have in the line of vegies. We eat some every day. Phil made soup last week..beef veg. it was really good. We grew everything that was in it except the beef.

[duh]

Marie's has all kinds of different recipes.  I go straight for the ranch so I've never really spent anytime looking at the other types.  But I'm sure they have all the standards.  And if the quality as great as it is in the ranch I'm sure you'll be very happy with it.  Of course it is much more expensive than say Kraft.

Wrennie thanks for the casserole idea.

I like the idea of steaming or just putting butter and salt on the veggies. 

[patches]

Phil made soup last week..beef veg. it was really good. We grew everything that was in it except the beef. 

I love homemade beef vegetable soup and always try to have some on hand throughout the winter months.  I made a big pot a month or so ago so I could freeze some to have whenever I wanted, but I'm sure it doesn't even compare to what Phil made with all your homegrown vegetables.   

[Wrennie]

 Dressing site: Maries http://www.maries.com/dressings.aspx
blue cheese, mmmm
ranch, ceaser, vinaigrette, thousand island, poppy seed,,,,,,
  NOW I'm craving a big tossed salad! Doh!!

[patches]

Thanks, Wrennie!    Okay, I see they have my Thousand Island, but I bet the Ceaser is awesome too!  I'm going to check this out the next time I'm at the store.   

[duh]

Me too.  And I don't have the fresh veggies to pull it off.  Or the dressing at this time either. 

If you get the thousand island I'll be curious if you find it better than other dressings of the same type.

The ranch is head over heels better than the othe brands.

[patches]

I'll be sure to lt you know, DUh, but I'm sure it will be better than most I've ever tasted.  Actually, I really don't care for most of the bottled Thousand Island dressings, but usually I keep it on hand for when I make Reuben sandwiches or if I just want a quick salad for dinner.  If I'm making a big salad for myself or having someone over for dinner I will actually make my own, which tastes like what you get at a nice restaurant.   

I'll take your word on the Ranch dressing because it's not one of my favorites for a salad, but I do like Ranch or Blue Cheese dressing to dip my celery sticks in when I have Hot Wings!!! 

[Lefse]

You have to try this to appreciate it!   

Bagna Calda Recipe
Serves 4-5 people
1 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 pound sweet butter
15 cloves of peeled garlic (now we're talking!)
4-5 small cans of anchovy fillets
 
 
 On a very low heat, place the garlic into a pot with the oil. Do not make it too hot, it must be on low. Cooking low and slow, it should take about an hour. The garlic is ready when you can mash it easily. Next add the butter and let it melt and then add the anchovies. While it's cooking, prepare raw washed vegetables for dipping. I like to use, assorted bell peppers, zucchini, cauliflower, broccoli, celery, cabbage - you get the picture. You can also use boiled baby potatoes, grilled onions, shrimp and good French bread. The incredible flavor of this dip along with the crunch of the veggies will make you crazy so watch out!     
 
 

[patches]

Hey, Lefse, this sounds exactly like something my aunt used to make for her Antipasto platter!   I don't remember what she called it (or maybe I couldn't pronounce it), but I was always asking her to make some Antipasto sauce.  When it was heating on the stove the smell was wonderful!!!  For the holidays and other occasions, she would make up a platter of raw vegetables, black olives, green stuffed olives and cubes of salami, Italian ham, etc. and cubes of different kinds of cheese.  She would arrange all these things of this huge platter and then put the sauce in the middle.  You  could spear the items with a toothpick and then dip them in her sauce.  This was an awesome taste treat!    Unfortunately, I didn't get her recipe before she died, but this sounds like it could be it.     Thanks for posting it! 

[duh]

I went to Canada once with my brother and we had what you described.  And I've never found the recipe for it.  Woohoo thanks for sharing.  Because like you I've never been able to get it again.  The flavor was wonderful.  I'm so glad you posted this.

[patches]

Duh, here is something else you might want to try.  Actually, I thought I had posted it somewhere at SSH, but I searched for it and couldn't find it, so here it is.   

Edit by Jim: Please use the search button to confirm or deny that a recipe has been posted.  It works quite well.  I have put the link here from the other topic that contained the Marinated Vegetables recipe.

http://www.southernspirithunters.com/smf/index.php/topic,1360.msg31910.html#msg31910

[duh]

I added that to my recipes when you posted it in the appetizer string.  It looks like a great recipe.

[patches]

Here's another great recipe for getting some vegetables in your diet.  I like this recipe because it's quick and easy to make and the ingredients are things that I usually have on hand. 

Chicken Vegetable Potpie

Time: 1 Hour and 10 minutes
Preparation: 20 minutes
Bake: 50 minutes

Ingredients:
2 medium carrots, sliced
1 medium potato, peeled and cubed
1 small onion, chopped
1 celery rib, chopped
1 cup water
1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
1 cup cubed cooked chicken
1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
Pastry for single-crust pie (9 inches)

Directions:
In a saucepan, cook the carrots, potato, onion and celery in water for 10 minutes or until they are tender; then drain.  Next, stir in the peas, chicken and the soup.

Now pour into a greased 1-1/2-qt. deep baking dish.  Then roll out your pastry to fit the top of dish and place over filling.  Now, just trim, seal and flute edges.  Make sure to cut slits in pastry.  Bake at 350° for 50 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

Recipe makes 2 servings.

[biita]

ohhh i love veggies, an these recipes sounds great.  altho the bottled dressings i guess i just have to wing it.  but here in Norway with winter a few popular winter veggies dishes is: parsnips or turnips, horseradish root, creme or milk, salt an pepper... cook parsnips as usual, add ground horseradish to taste, then whip like you would with mashed potatoes using creme or milk butter salt an pepper...

another is rutabega or kalarabi we call it here, potatoes, and onion, wrap up in foil with butter salt pepper an rosemary, an bake until done.  just a few quick winter veggies recipes i do.

[patches]

 Biita, there's a lot of great recipes at this site.  I hope you check some of the other ones out.  After I posted my recipe for Chicken Vegetable Potpie, I got hungry for it and made it for dinner tonight. It sure hit the spot with the cold weather we're having here right now.