Category Archives: Vegetables

The Frittata

Breakfast, Dinner Ideas, Lite and Weight Watcher Recipes, Side, Vegetables December 6, 2025 Leave a comment

Eggs for breakfast, lunch or dinner, did you know that every part of the egg is edible, even the shell. Ground egg shells are sometimes used as a food additive to deliver calcium. Although egg color is a largely cosmetic issue, with no effect on egg quality or taste, I am fortunate enough to live among farmers and ranchers who have hens that lay blue, green, pink, brown and white eggs, Easter eggs all year round. These eggs are the freshest and I believe taste about as good as an egg can taste. Regardless of where you get your eggs, they are versatile and healthy. This recipe is a basic recipe for a baked Frittata, you can use your favorite vegetables and cheese to make it totally your own recipe. A tossed salad and a slice of frittata for dinner is a complete meal.

Spray a deep pie plate, 11”x5” 7” oven proof dish, or muffin cups with cooking spray. Preheat oven to 350F.

Ingredients

  • 5 eggs & 3 egg whites
  • 3 Tablespoons milk
  • 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese
  • Dash of salt
  • Dash of pepper
  • 1-2 Tablespoons of fresh chopped parsley

Directions for Egg Mixture

  1. Beat all ingredients together
  2. Mix egg mixture with you choice of vegetables and cheese
  3. Bake in a preheated 350F. oven for 30 minutes or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Add-in Ingredients in ½ cup increments, up to 1-1/2 cups

  • sautéed

Oven Roasted Bok Choy

Dinner Ideas, Lite and Weight Watcher Recipes, Salads, Side, Vegetables November 14, 2025 1 Comment

bok choy1I received three baby Bok Choy, also known as Chinese cabbage in my Bountiful Basket (a local food co-op) today. I was stumped as to how I was going to prepare them since I have only eaten this cabbage in stir fry or marinated. I decided to experiment tonight with an oven cooked bok choy.

A little about boc choy that you may not know; this vegetable contains glucosinolates. These compounds have been reported to prevent cancer in small doses, but, like many substances, can be toxic to humans in large doses, particularly to people who are already seriously ill. Cultivated in China since ancient times, bok choy is found in soups and stir-fries, appetizers and main dishes. Bok choy’s popularity comes from its light, sweet flavor, crisp texture and nutritional value. Not only is bok choy high in Vitamin A, Vitamin C and calcium, but it is low in calories.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Ingredients

  • 1 baby Bok Choy
  • Olive Oil
  • 4 cloves of fresh garlic, grated or chopped very fine
  • Kosher salt
  • Pepper
  • Parmesan cheese

Directions

Bok Choy

Bok Choy

  • Remove outer leaves if they look torn or bruised, or just cut short with scissors.
  • If leaves are overly long you can trim them with scissors, otherwise leave long, they will crisp up when cooked.
  • Wash with cool water and drain and dry on paper towels.
  • Slice the Bok Choy lengthwise into 4 quarters leaving the stem on each piece to hold leaves together.
  • Drizzle with olive oil, rub the olive oil into the leaves
  • Grate the garlic cloves and spread all over the Bok Choy and into the leaves
  • Sprinkle with kosher salt, pepper and Parmesan cheese
  • Place on a flat baking sheet covered with aluminum foil – do not use a pan with a lip, you want them to roast not steam.
  • Bake in 350 F. oven for 20 minutes, turn over and let bake for another 5 minutes
  • Be careful not to overcook, the Bok Choy should be crisp tender, at this point you can cut into chunks and serve or drizzle with a good quality balsamic vinegar and serve.

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Curried Carrots

Dinner Ideas, Salads, Side, Vegetables November 14, 2025 Leave a comment

Ingredients

3 tablespoons butter
2 pounds carrots, peeled, halved lengthwise and sliced on the bias 1-inch thick
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro or parsley

Directions

Heat a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat and add the butter. When hot, add the carrots in an even layer to maximize contact with the pan. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper, and fry the carrots, turning every 3 or 4 minutes, until are they are dark caramelized brown in spots, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the curry powder and mix to combine. Scatter the cilantro (or parsley) over the top and serve.

 

Brussels Sprouts with Bacon, Garlic, and Onion

Dinner Ideas, Vegetables November 11, 2025 Leave a comment
Brussel sprouts with bacon, garlic, and Sweet Onion

The Brussels sprout, not a favorite with many people, but I love them; they remind me of tiny cabbages (also a fav, must be my Germanic upbringing). Everything is “better” with bacon, right? As well as garlic and sweet onion, so give these little morsels a try with your next dinner. Brussels sprouts are hardy, and fair well with beef or pork dishes. Raw Brussels sprouts contain excellent levels of vitamin C, and vitamin, with more moderate amounts of B vitamins, such as folic acid and B6, essential minerals and dietary fiber. Brussels sprouts, contain sulforaphane, a phytochemical under research for its potential anticancer properties. Although boiling reduces the level of sulforaphane, steaming and stir frying do not result in significant loss. Brussels sprouts are also a source of indole-3-carbinol, a chemical being studied for how it affects DNA repair in cells and appears to block the growth of cancer cells in vitro. So there you have it, the almighty Brussels sprout. I hope this dish helps you on your way to acquiring a taste for these little gems. Enjoy.

Brussels Sprouts with Bacon, Garlic, and Onion

Ingredients

  • 6 slices bacon
  • ½ cup sweet onion, diced
  • 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
  • 4 garlic cloves, grated
  • 1/2 cup fat-free chicken broth
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 tablespoon red currant jelly

Directions

  1. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add bacon, and sauté until bacon begins to brown. Remove pan from heat. Remove the bacon from pan, reserve 1 tablespoon drippings in pan (discard the remaining drippings).
  2. Chop bacon into small pieces
  3. Return pan to medium-high heat, and stir in bacon pieces, onion, and Brussels sprouts; sauté 4 minutes.
  4. Add garlic, and sauté for 4 minutes or until garlic begins to brown, stirring frequently.
  5. Add the chicken broth, and bring to a boil. Cook for 2 minutes until the broth reduces almost completely gone and the sprouts are crisp-tender, stirring occasionally.
  6. Remove from heat; stir in salt and red pepper flakes, toss with a tablespoon of current jelly.
  7. For a colorful, special Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner or any holiday dinner, try stirring in pomegranate seeds.

Vegetable Wonton Dumplings

Appetizers, Dinner Ideas, Vegetables, Wonton Wrappers November 6, 2025 Leave a comment

Serves: 6

Kick off Wonton Week with our baked version of vegetable dumplings – they’re packed with cabbage and carrots. Your guests will never know they’re light! These make great appetizers!

Ingredients

  • 2 spray(s) cooking spray
  • 2 tsp olive oil
  • 1 1/2 cup(s) (finely shredded) green cabbage
  • 1/2 cup(s) carrot(s), shredded
  • 2 cloves garlic, grated or pressed
  • 2 medium scallion(s), minced (separate into 2 piles)
  • 1/4 cup plus 2 tsp low sodium soy sauce
  • 24 item(s) wonton wrapper(s), half of a 12 oz package
  • 1 tsp sesame oil

Directions

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.

  1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add cabbage, carrots, garlic and 1 minced scallion: sauté until cabbage wilts, about 2 minutes.
  2. Remove from heat and stir in 2 teaspoons of soy sauce.
  3. Place wonton wrappers on a flat surface. Drop vegetable mixture by teaspoonfuls onto center of each wrapper. Moisten edges of wrapper with wet fingers, fold over one corner to make a triangle and press sides together to seal.
  4. Transfer filled wrappers to prepared baking sheet and coat surface with cooking spray.

Bake until wontons are golden brown, about 15 minutes.

To make Sauce:  In a small bowl, combine remaining 1/4 cup of soy sauce, remaining minced scallion and sesame oil. Mix well and serve with wontons.

Yields 4 wontons and 1 tablespoon of dipping sauce per serving.

Pierogi Wontons

Dinner Ideas, Side, Vegetables, Wonton Wrappers November 6, 2025 Leave a comment

Serves: 6

These pierogi-like dumplings are easy to make—don’t let the wonton wrappers scare you. It’s as simple as stuffing, folding and baking.

Ingredients

  • 2 spray(s) cooking spray
  • 1 medium uncooked potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 2 garlic clove(s)
  • 2 oz low fat cheddar or Colby cheese, shredded (about 1/2 cup)
  • 2 Tbsp sour cream
  • 24 item(s) wonton wrapper(s), round (about 6 oz total)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.

  1. Combine potato and garlic in a medium saucepan. Cover with water and set pan over high heat. Bring to a boil and boil until potato is fork-tender, about 8 minutes.
  2. Drain and transfer potato and garlic to a large bowl; add cheese and 2 tablespoons of sour cream. Mash mixture together with a fork until lumpy.
  3. Place wonton wrappers on a flat surface. Drop potato mixture by tablespoonful’s onto center of each wrapper.
  4. Moisten edges of wrapper with wet fingers, fold over one side to make a half circle and press sides together to seal. Transfer filled wrappers to prepared baking sheet and coat surface with cooking spray.

Bake until wontons are golden brown, about 15 minutes.

Sweet and Sour Red Cabbage for Special Occasions

Dinner Ideas, Side, Vegetables November 1, 2025 Leave a comment

Growing up in a household with German and Polish cultural influences, I developed a fondness for cabbage dishes. Among these, a traditional German red cabbage recipe stands out as a preferred preparation method. This dish involves simmering chopped onions with red cabbage until tender, incorporating sugar and apple cider vinegar to create a balanced sweet and sour glaze. The resulting vegetable side complements a variety of pork dishes, enhancing the overall culinary experience. This recipe exemplifies the rich culinary heritage of Central European cuisine, emphasizing the use of simple ingredients to produce a flavorful and versatile dish suitable for both everyday meals and special occasions.

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons of butter
  • 1 large red cabbage sliced thinly
  • 4 slices of cooked bacon, crumbled
  • 2 tablespoons of sugar
  • ¼ cup apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar
  • ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Process

  1. Cut cabbage into quarters and then slice in thin slices, avoiding the hard core. Slice around it.
  2. Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat.
  3. Add the onions and sauté until soft.
  4. Add the cabbage, toss to coat with the melted butter and onion. Cover pot and let simmer until slightly wilted. About 5 – 10 minutes. If the cabbage seems dry, add 1/4 cup of water.
  5. Sprinkle the sugar over the cabbage and toss to coat evenly. Add the vinegar to the pot. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium low.
  6. Cover and simmer until the cabbage is completely tender but not mushy. Stir often about 30 to 40 minutes total.
  7. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
  8. Sprinkle the bacon crumbles on top before serving.

Brussels Sprouts with Bacon, Garlic, and Onion

Dinner Ideas, Vegetables October 4, 2014 Leave a comment

Well summer is wrapping up here in Montanna, we had our first snow last week. Thank goodness the ground was still too warm for any build up. Today is in the 70’s and everyone is outside enjoying the beautiful day and it is time for me to start posting my favorite recipes again.

The Brussels sprout, not a favorite with many people, but I love them; they remind me of tiny cabbages (also a fav, must be my Germanic upbringing). Everything is “better” with bacon, right? As well as garlic and sweet onion, so give these little morsels a try with your next dinner. Brussels sprouts are hardy, and fair well with beef or pork dishes. Raw Brussels sprouts contain excellent levels of vitamin C, and vitamin, with more moderate amounts of B vitamins, such as folic acid and B6, essential minerals and dietary fiber. Brussels sprouts, contain sulforaphane, a phytochemical under research for its potential anticancer properties. Although boiling reduces the level of sulforaphane, steaming and stir frying do not result in significant loss. Brussels sprouts are also a source of indole-3-carbinol, a chemical being studied for how it affects DNA repair in cells and appears to block the growth of cancer cells in vitro. So there you have it, the almighty Brussels sprout. I hope this dish helps you on your way to acquiring a taste for these little gems. Enjoy.

Brussel sprouts with bacon, garlic, and Sweet Onion

Brussels sprouts with bacon, garlic, and Sweet Onion

Brussels Sprouts with Bacon, Garlic, and Onion

Ingredients

  • 6 slices bacon
  • ½ cup sweet onion, diced
  • 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
  • 4 garlic cloves, grated
  • 1/2 cup fat-free chicken broth
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 tablespoon red current jelly

Directions

  1. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add bacon, and sauté until bacon begins to brown. Remove pan from heat. Remove the bacon from pan, reserve 1 tablespoon drippings in pan (discard the remaining drippings).
  2. Chop bacon into small pieces
  3. Return pan to medium-high heat, and stir in bacon pieces, onion, and Brussels sprouts; sauté 4 minutes.
  4. Add garlic, and sauté for 4 minutes or until garlic begins to brown, stirring frequently.
  5. Add the chicken broth, and bring to a boil. Cook for 2 minutes until the broth reduces almost completely gone and the sprouts are crisp-tender, stirring occasionally.
  6. Remove from heat; stir in salt and red pepper flakes, toss with a tablespoon of current jelly.
  7. For a colorful, special Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner or any holiday dinner, try stirring in pomegranate seeds.

Butternut Squash Ravioli Won Tons

Appetizers, Dinner Ideas, Vegetables, Wonton Wrappers July 11, 2014 Leave a comment

Butternut Squash Ravioli with Spinach Pesto uses supermarket wonton wrappers to create a shortcut weeknight ravioli treat.

Yield: Serves 6

Ingredients

  • 1 butternut squash, halved lengthwise and seeded (about 1 1/2 pounds)
  • Cooking spray
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 2.5 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated and divided
  • 3/8 teaspoon salt, divided
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
  • 36 wonton wrappers
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten

6 quarts water

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°.

  1. Place squash halves, cut sides down, on a foil-lined baking sheet coated with cooking spray.
  2. Bake at 400° for 30 minutes or until tender. Cool. Scoop out pulp; discard peel. Mash pulp.
  3. Combine oregano, squash pulp, and butter in a large bowl.
  4. Stir in 2 ounces (about 1/2 cup) cheese, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
  5. Working with 1 wonton wrapper at a time (cover remaining wrappers with a damp towel to keep them from drying), spoon about 1 1/2 teaspoons squash mixture into center of each wrapper.
  6. Moisten edges of wrapper with beaten egg; bring 2 opposite corners together. Pinch edges together to seal, forming a triangle. Repeat procedure with remaining wrappers, squash mixture, and egg. Cover ravioli loosely with a towel to prevent drying.
  7. Bring 6 quarts water to a boil in a large Dutch oven. Add half of ravioli; cook 3 minutes or until thoroughly cooked.
  8. Remove ravioli with a slotted spoon. Repeat procedure with remaining ravioli.
  9. Add ravioli to pesto; toss gently to coat. Arrange 6 ravioli on each of 6 plates; sprinkle each serving with 1 teaspoon walnuts.

Pesto

  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 1/2 cups fresh baby spinach
  • 1/2 cup fresh basil
  • 1/4 cup walnuts, toasted, chopped, and divided
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons organic vegetable broth
  • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

 

  1. Place garlic in a food processor, and pulse until finely chopped.
  2. Add remaining 1/2 ounce (about 2 tablespoons) cheese, remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper, spinach, basil, and 2 tablespoons walnuts.
  3. With processor on, slowly pour oil, broth, and juice through food chute. Process until well blended. Place pesto in a large bowl.

Mu shu Shrimp Lettuce Wraps

Appetizers, Chicken, Dinner Ideas, Fish, Fun Stuff, Salads, Side, Vegetables, Weight Watcher Friendly May 20, 2014 Leave a comment

Mu shu Shrimp Lettuce Wraps

Mu shu Shrimp Lettuce Wraps

Mu shu is is a dish of northern Chinese origin, possibly originally from Shandong. It is believed to have first appeared on the menus of Chinese restaurants in the United States in the late 1960s.  In its traditional Chinese version, mu shu consists of sliced or shredded pork, thinly sliced wood ear mushrooms and day lily buds.

My original recipe called for a rotisserie chicken, shredded, which can be used in this recipe, but I used shrimp. Instead of a Chinese pancake or tortillas, I used lettuce leaves to wrap the filling in.  The end result was a very satisfying and filling veggie, shrimp wrap. I used bagged coleslaw, and used my peeler to shred a small zucchini into strips.  The incredible taste comes from the other ingredients, the hoisin sauce, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Experiment with other vegetables like snow peas, mushrooms, bamboo shoots (canned), the resulting dish is exotic and satisfying, enjoy.

Mu shu Shrimp Lettuce Wraps

Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon dry sherry (I didn’t have any and used apple cider vinegar)
  • 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
  • 1 teaspoon rice vinegar

1.   Mix those ingredients in a small bowl with a whisk – set aside

  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1 tablespoon minced peeled ginger

2.   Set those two ingredients aside

  • 1 (14 oz) bag of coleslaw
  • 1/2 cup sliced scallions
  • 1 small peeled zucchini, sliced very thin with a vegetable peeler
  • any other vegetable you want to add

3.   Add those ingredients together in a bowl and set aside.

  • About 12 Bibb lettuce  leaves rinsed, and dried.  if you don’t have Bibb lettuce, any long lettuce leave will work.
  • 1/4 cup chopped cashews (I used walnuts)

4.   Set the last two ingredients aside.

Directions:

  1. Heat a large wok or frying pan on medium-high heat, add the 1 tablespoon of sesame oil and swirl oil to coat pan or use a pastry brush.
  2. Add garlic and ginger to oil and cook for about 30 seconds, stirring to prevent burning.
  3. Add soy sauce mixture, coleslaw, and vegetables. Cook for 1 minute stirring.
  4. Add shrimp and stir fry until shrimp is pink and cooked through. Coleslaw and veggies should be crisp tender at this point.
  5. Divide mixture among lettuce leaves, sprinkle with cashews and enjoy.