Wanting to experiment with strange veggies!!

[Jerseygrl4Paleo]

Hey all!  Day 2 here.  Feeling just fine.  So since the list of compliant veggies (nearly all veggies) is so extensive, I really want to broaden my horizons and take a little bit of a detour from my usual spinach, broccoli and spaghetti squash ways.

 

So my ask of everyone here is to post some of your favorite recipes that utilize something other than your typical broccoli and carrots.  I'm looking for any squash recipies...beets...rhubarb...greens like swiss chard, etc.

 

annnnnnnnnnnd GO!

 

Thanks! Sara

[simonec]

my son declyn love butternut squash...i make a date paste buy blending 3 or 4 medjool dates with a bit of water then mix that and a bit of coconut oil and salt, pepper and a touch of cinnamon in with the squash as i mash it (after having chopped and boiled then drained it)...this is good at dinner, but also makes a really great breakfast veggie.

[Tom Denham]

Try putting butternut or acorn squash in a slow cooker 4 hours. Then put in refrigerator until cool. When cool, cut in half with knife and scoop out flesh with a spoon. Then you can season with salt, pepper, and other spices and maybe some ghee. Heat and eat.

Simmer whole beets in salty water for 30 minutes. Cool and then rub skins off of beets. Trim as needed with knife. Add these cooked beets to pan with some bratwurst sausage. Bring to a simmer for 20-25 minutes. Transfer to plate. Add mustard to brats. Enjoy!

Melt ghee in wok over medium heat. Add handful of copped onion. Let cook 5 minutes. Add strips of chard or kale. Season with salt, garlic powder, cayenne pepper. Splash with vinegar. Greens need brightness from most any kind of vinegar. Let wilt covered at least 5 minutes.

[ultrarunnergirl]

I love roasted beets. Cut up into smallish chunks, toss with coconut or olive oil, fresh squeezed orange juice, salt. Roast at 400 or higher til fork tender.

 

Cauliflower rice from Well Fed cookbook by Melissa Joulwan is amazing, she has several variations. Check her website as well: theclothesmakethegirl.com. I highly recommend buying the cookbook, so many spice combinations, sauces, etc I had never tried and I loved every one. Really helped me on my Whole30 with lots of new exotic flavors, I never got in a rut.

 

Pan fry brussels sprouts. This may be our favorite. Cut your brussels sprouts in half lengthwise (trim off the "foot"). In a cast iron pan or other fry pan heat olive oil + ghee, slivered garlic - sautee on low til garlic is golden, remove from pan. Add more olive oil/ghee and turn up the heat to med high. Place brussels sprouts flat side down, sprinkle with salt. Let cook a good 4 or 5 minutes. At the last minute, toss in the garlic. Done when you check the bottom and they are brown to almost black.

 

And, roasting any veggie in compliant oil, and salted is just wonderful. My faves in addition to beets are sweet potatoes, butternut squash, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots + cumin, fennel, kohlrabi.

[Jerseygrl4Paleo]

Try putting butternut or acorn squash in a slow cooker 4 hours. Then put in refrigerator until cool. When cool, cut in half with knife and scoop out flesh with a spoon. Then you can season with salt, pepper, and other spices and maybe some ghee. Heat and eat.

Simmer whole beets in salty water for 30 minutes. Cool and then rub skins off of beets. Trim as needed with knife. Add these cooked beets to pan with some bratwurst sausage. Bring to a simmer for 20-25 minutes. Transfer to plate. Add mustard to brats. Enjoy!

Melt ghee in wok over medium heat. Add handful of copped onion. Let cook 5 minutes. Add strips of chard or kale. Season with salt, garlic powder, cayenne pepper. Splash with vinegar. Greens need brightness from most any kind of vinegar. Let wilt covered at least 5 minutes.

 

Tom-THANK YOU this is awesome.  Instead of a slow cooker for the squashes, could i just bake??  If so, how long/what temp do you think?  Like 425 for 30 min?

[Tom Denham]

I used to cut acorn squash in half and bake at 400 45-60 minutes. I don't think 30 minutes would soften it enough, especially whole. And the joy of this approach is how easy it is to cut the cooked squash. btw, I learned to do this on spaghetti squash from Susan W on this forum.

[jmh]

Try putting butternut or acorn squash in a slow cooker 4 hours. Then put in refrigerator until cool. When cool, cut in half with knife and scoop out flesh with a spoon. Then you can season with salt, pepper, and other spices and maybe some ghee. Heat and eat.

 

 

Do you add water to the slow cooker?

 

Thanks:)

[Physibeth]

Do you add water to the slow cooker?

 

Thanks:)

 

No, just put the entire squash in there whole. I don't let mine cool all the way like Tom does because I'm impatient. Cooking time will vary with the size of the squash. Smaller ones I have had done in 2 hours, 3 seems to be about average for spaghetti squash. Spaghetti squash you have to watch closely because it won't shred if it is overcooked. I find mine will pop in the crock pot around the time they are perfect.

[jmh]

No, just put the entire squash in there whole. I don't let mine cool all the way like Tom does because I'm impatient. Cooking time will vary with the size of the squash. Smaller ones I have had done in 2 hours, 3 seems to be about average for spaghetti squash. Spaghetti squash you have to watch closely because it won't shred if it is overcooked. I find mine will pop in the crock pot around the time they are perfect.

 

Thanks!! Think that may be a little safer then the "knife and a rubber mallet" way I do things now:) Those suckers are hard to chop in half when uncooked!!

[Physibeth]

Thanks!! Think that may be a little safer then the "knife and a rubber mallet" way I do things now:) Those suckers are hard to chop in half when uncooked!!

 

No joke! Susan saved my fingers and/or my spaghetti squash from going in the trash when I saw her suggest this to someone. I eat SO much more squash now! 

 

Edited to say that the way I wrote that sounds like my fingers would go in the trash. I would hope not. Meant to say I hadn't cut into my spag squash because I feared for my fingers being cut. 

[EvB]

spaghetti squash is also great roasted! halve, drizzle with oil, and bake. I wonder if you could do it in the slow cooker... never tried it.

[Physibeth]

spaghetti squash is also great roasted! halve, drizzle with oil, and bake. I wonder if you could do it in the slow cooker... never tried it.

 

See above...works beautifully.

[Susan W]

See above...works beautifully.

I'm glad the slow cooker spag squash is making people happy. I forget who told me about it. May have been a cooking show.

[simonec]

i love the idea of using my slow cooker to cook my butternut and spaghetti squash 

[amberino21]

I love

 

- roast brussel sprouts, cauli, broccoli, onion, (root vegies roasted are generally just yum!)

 

-grilled zucchini/capsicum/eggplant/mushrooms,

 

-cauli/leek puree (steam cauliflower, leek and garlic til quite soft, then whiz in the food processor with a bit of salt, pepper and ghee if you like),

 

-parsnip "chips",

 

-ratatouille,

[Jerseygrl4Paleo]

You're all wonderful. Thanks for the help! Ps-is end of day 2. Annnnnnnd I'm cranky!!

[Boykinbaby]

steam, then peel and either smash or cut up Taro (super yummy)

 

toss okra in fat and oven roast or sautee(though if you don't like slimey texture okra might be a little off putting)

[notacommittee]

Ooooh, vegetables, my favorite!

 

-Beet greens, turnip greens, or mustard greens: sautee in a frying pan with coconut oil or ghee + salt to taste until they wilt. They cook kind of like spinach, but with a different flavor and different nutrients (turnip greens are full of calcium for example! And beet greens will turn everything in the pan this gorgeous deep red color.)

 

-Beets: easiest vegetables in the world to cook. Just poke a few holes in them and stick them in the oven at 400 degrees until they're soft. Do not wrap them in foil; they're better unwrapped! Eat them hot or let them cool down and then make a salad topped with balsamic and EVOO.

 

-mushrooms: I like them chopped up in a stir-fry but my mother also gets big portobello caps and cooks them in a frying pan with some fat over very low heat, until the whole thing is cooked through...it looks kind of like a hamburger when it's done, so she makes them as a "burger" for my vegan sister.

 

-yellow summer squash and/or zucchini: smear a cookie sheet with fat, slice your squash into rounds, and bake until soft. For best results, wait until the bottom half gets a little browned, and then flip them over so they get brown and crispy on both sides. Baking takes out some of the moisture so they get this amazing smokey flavor. Sprinkle with salt and om nom nom; it's like the vegetable equivalent of bacon.

 

-eggplant: cut it into wedges, sprinkle with salt, paprika, and EVOO, and bake on a greased cookie sheet until tender.

[healthyAbby]

I really like eggplant sautéed with onions and peppers and garlic in coconut oil with a few sprinkles of salt so everything gets soft. Serve with your favorite protein and there's always leftovers.

[sheba-kitty]

I do roasted veggies a lot and mix up what I put in based on what is in season and what I have on hand, I chop all to bite sized pieces toss with oil of choice and spices.. Usually garlic, salt, pepper maybe italian seasoning and if I want some heat, cayenne. I have used green beans, beets, both red and golden, carrots, parsnips, turnips, butternut squash, sweet potatos, asparagus, onion, zucchini and yellow squash. (Not all at the same time) usually about 4-6 of these at a time, I like it to be colorful so I try to make sure I only have one of each color. Green, orange, red, white.