Healthy Vegetable Recipes

Kale is similar to the cabbage in color (green or purple) except the central leaves do not form a head. It is close relative of the wild cabbage and belongs to the same family as Broccoli, Cauliflower, Collard greens and Brussels sprouts.

Kale is a very nutritious vegetable containing powerful antioxidant properties and is believed to be good at controlling inflammation. This vegetable is also high in beta Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Carotene, Lutein, Zeaxanthin and is also rich in Calcium.

According to information available online, when finely chopped, Kale oxidizes with air to develop a chemical called Sulforaphane which has potent anti-cancer properties. Boiling reduces the potency of the anti-cancer compounds but if you steam or microwave or even stir fry, Sulforaphane seems to remain largely intact. Because Kale contains indole-3-carbinol, eating this vegetable also boosts DNA repair in cells. Kale is also a good source of carotenoids.

I came to know of this vegetable when I was invited for dinner at a friends place. She had made this lovely Potato, Kale and Rapini Colcannon. It is basically her recipe that I am reproducing here. Since then I must have made this at least a dozen times.

Tip1:

Tip2:

The calorie/carb differences are amazing. As made, with Kale and potato, a serving is 73 calories, 9 grams NetCarbs and 1 Weight Watchers point. If it’d been made with ALL potato, a serving would have been 114 calories, 20 grams NetCarbs and 2 Weight Watchers points.

Kale and Broccoli Rabe Colcannon
Preparation time: 40 minutes
Serves 6

Ingredients:

• Salted water to cover
• 1/2 pound potato, skin on, diced
• 1 pound Kale, roughly chopped
• 1/4 pound Broccoli rabe, heavy stems removed, chopped
• 1 tablespoon sour cream (any liquid would do, including no-fat broth)
• 1/4 cup half ‘n’ half
• Salt & pepper to taste

Preparation:

1. Bring the water to boil on MEDIUM HIGH in a pot that can be used for mashing later.
2. Add the potato and Kale as they’re prepped, even before the water boils.
3. Once it boils, you need to reduce the heat to MEDIUM.
4. Cover and let simmer for 15 minutes or until both the potatoes and Kale is soft.
5. Add the Broccoli rabe and cook for about 3 minutes, until soft but still bright green.
6. Drain and return to the hot pan.
7. Mash with a hand mixer.
8. Add the sour cream and half ‘n’ half.
9. Season to taste, serve and enjoy!

Nutritional Information:

In case you are wondering if these come from Jerusalem, the answer is no. It has no connection whatsoever with Jerusalem. I suspect the name Jerusalem artichoke was probably a corruption of its Italian name Girasola articiocco. The funnier part is that Jerusalem artichoke is not even an artichoke. What you eat is a lumpy, brown-skinned tuber that resembles a gingerroot.

This vegetable is usually called the Sun Choke because its small flower resembles the sun flower. Jerusalem artichoke has an edible tuberous-root that is nutty, sweet and crunchy. Always buy Jerusalem artichokes that are firm and fresh-looking and not soft or wrinkled. The root may be peeled or, because the skin is very thin and quite nutritious, simply washed well before being used. Jerusalem artichokes can be eaten raw in salads or cooked by boiling or steaming and served as a side dish. They also make a delicious soup.

Because the Jerusalem artichoke was titled ‘best soup vegetable’ in the 2002 Nice festival for the heritage of the French cuisine, I selected this vegetable be a part of our 2003 Thanksgiving dinner and the recipe I have produced here is actually an improvisation of my aunt, my mom and myself. We selected this vegetable so that its simplicity and earthy flavor would help balance out the ultra rich delicacies on the Thanksgiving dining table.

Nutritional content: Jerusalem artichokes have 650 mg potassium per 1 cup (150g) serving. They are also high in iron, and contain 10-12% of the US RDA of fiber, niacin, thiamine, phosphorus and copper.

Okay, enuf said. Now on to our Sun Choke Salad

Preparation & Notes:

SUNCHOKE SALAD
Preparation: 25 minutes
Makes 4 cups

Ingredients:

• 1 pound sun chokes
• 2 small turnips, peeled
• 1 large carrot
• 1/4 of an onion

DRESSING:

• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• Juice of 1/2 a lemon, about 1 tablespoon
• 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• Salt & pepper to taste
• 1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Directions:

1. Grate the sun chokes, turnip, carrot and onion in the food processor and transfer to a bowl.
2. In the same food processor, whiz the dressing ingredients.
3. Stir into grated vegetables.
4. Taste and adjust seasonings.
5. Stir in parsley.

Nutritional Information:

Related to both garlic and onion though milder and more subtle in their flavor and fragrance, Leeks have thick white cylindrical stalks with slightly bulbous roots. The broad, flat, dark green leaves wrap tightly around each other like a rolled newspaper.

Leeks have an almost-sweetish onion essence. Paired with butter, they are delicious. Leeks, however, will impart a sweet touch to any recipe. They form the basic ingredient in most Chinese recipes including almost all soups and fried rice variations.

My grandmother, my mom and myself have been using leeks on a regular basis for as long as I can remember.

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The long list of nutrients present in leeks include Carbohydrates, Sugars, Dietary fiber, Fats, Protein, Water, Vitamin A, B1, B2, B3, B6, B9, B12, C, E, K, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Sodium and Zinc.

Here is my favorite Leeks and Asparagus recipe.

LEEKS and ASPARAGUS

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 large leek or 2 small leeks
• 1 pound asparagus, thin or thick spears, woody ends removed, and if thick, stripes of skin removed with a vegetable peeler
• Salt
• Pepper

Preparation:

1. Melt butter in a skillet over MEDIUM HIGH.
2. Reduce heat to MEDIUM, add leeks and stir well to coat.
3. Sauté the leeks lightly until they become soft (usually takes about 3 minutes).
4. Cut the Asparagus into one-inch lengths and add to skillet, turning well.
5. Cover the skillet. Let cook, stirring occasionally, until asparagus is cooked through but still bright green, about 5 minutes for thin spears, about 15 minutes for thick.
6. Season your dish with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Nutritional Information: