Cooking with health concerns

[ClassicalVoice]

I'd go for the tapenade... only I really can't stand olives. Capers fill out the "meh" category for me. Ha. I've tried to like them but I just get nowhere. Are there particular vegetables that would work best with a tomato sauce pasta dish? I figure broccoli and artichoke would be great, maybe asparagus? Would cook times in a sauce be shorter than cook times in a steamer? Seems like they would. Is there a common resource for timing things in this manner that I can find online?

[shroomgirl]

not sure, see I would either steam them separately making more to eat with other meals or cook them separately in the microwave.....

For my home I'd throw zucchini and other summer squash in the pot, asparagus, onions, garlic, possibly sauted eggplant.....

But whatever veg appeal to you go for.....I'm sure balancing a variety is very important for your health.

bummer on the capers and olives since they are sodium laden.

[ClassicalVoice]

All of those are good choices for sure, vegetable-wise. We don't do eggplant or zucchini here, but I like both and can of course buy both.

That's great about the pesto working without cheese. I was afraid that might be the binder that glued it together. I hear that can be ok with eggs too, which could be nice, and I bet that could be whipped up and last a fair amount of time.

[shroomgirl]

Never have heard of eggs in pesto.....olive oil, herbs, nuts, garlic(optional), cheese (optional)

I make alot of omelets that's also a wonderful quick way of getting protein.

[ClassicalVoice]

I'm thinking that if I can get together about 14 recipes I'll have a solid base. Seem about right? So far I have probably 3 or maybe 4 in a pinch, which includes the fried brown rice idea and the two pasta sauces with vegetables and so on. I also have a good basil and tomato topping that I think I could handle by making the night before to put on fish or chicken. Any good soups or stews you can recommend? I've been trying to find these by cooking with a friend, but we have hit some real losers lately in that department.

[ClassicalVoice]

Would it be ok to copy the initial content of this post and post it again on another appropriate forum on this site? I don't know if that is within reason or not, here.

Thanks.

[shroomgirl]

Veg soup.....

saute onion in large pot
you can add garlic
When they are wilted, approx 3 minutes
add several large cans of chopped tomatoes
thickly cut carrots, potatoes, bay leaf, thyme, salt & pepper
let cook 10 minutes or until the potatoes are almost cooked through
add green beans cook a couple of minutes
corn, peas.....can be frozen

I add red wine sometimes when I add the tomatoes.....

Now, you may add basil or basil pesto...meatballs, pasta, zucchini, beef stock and you have an Italian version

OR pinto beans, black beans, chilis, cumin, chili powder, tortillas to thicken...for Mexican

Or add in cooked left over chicken or beef or turkey

A large pot of veg soup will take you far.......

Roast a whole chicken, use the meat in various dishes.....chicken on greens/veg for a salad, chicken in veg soup, chicken sandwich.....as your roasting the chicken roast vegetables too....peppers, garlic, carrots, parsnips, beets, new potatoes, winter squash......

Throw some of the cooked chicken in an Italian tomato sauce for a quick caccatori.

Whole Wheat tortillas for a mexican soft taco.....

[Suzanne]

Originally Posted by ClassicalVoice

Would it be ok to copy the initial content of this post and post it again on another appropriate forum on this site? I don't know if that is within reason or not, here.

Thanks.

We'd prefer that you not post it on the Professional Food Service Forums, but anywhere else would be fine.

[ClassicalVoice]

Great on both accounts. I think I have some nice things to consider here, particularly with the soup and all, and I'm hoping some folks who frequent other forums more might be able to add in terms of other recipes or tools to use or whatever else.

I did manage to ask Rick Bayless yesterday, but his advice was a bit too general and along the lines of "try my new book." I checked his site for the sample recipes and they're pretty intense given my situation, but it was worth a shot.

Is there a reference or set of guidelines that I could use to get a better sense of w hat freezes/refrigerates well and what does not? I have some idea, but it is incomplete. For instance, I know I can chop a bell pepper or 3 and stick it in the fridge and it'll last pretty well for about a week, and I know I can freeze rice. What I don't know is, if I freeze meat, what is the time frame in which I would want to use it? Just an example. What about chopped herbs? Do those refrigerate or freeze ok, or are they about like lettuce?

Thanks.

[Mezzaluna]

Meat: if you vacuum seal (such as with a FoodSaver), it can last a year although I'd use it after six months. It won't spoil, but the quality might suffer a bit. If you can't vacuum seal, I would wrap it tightly in plastic and not keep it more than three months- again, for quality's sake. Here's a link about freezing meat: http://www.preservefood.com/freezing/meats.shtml

I know there are some herbs you can freeze on a cookie sheet, then transfer to a bag and keep in the freezer. I just don't know which ones! But I have dried herbs in my kitchen: basil, thyme, dill. I rinse them, pat them dry, then hang them in small bunches in a fairly dry spot in my kitchen away from sunlight.

[shroomgirl]

pestos have a long refrigerator life and they also freeze.

Soups, Stews both freeze well.

Before I write any other shorthand recipes what are you interested in eating?

[ClassicalVoice]

I am increasingly flexible with foods these days. I want to avoid the ingredients I listed at the outset, but otherwise I kind of like seeing new ideas to try. I would prefer not to get into mushroom-heavy recipes I think, but on a limited scale those are ok. Right now, it's mainly about ease of preparation and collection of ingredients. So many recipes require you to chop 3 or 4 things or constantly watch a burner, and that is a very difficult prospect for me at this time.

I'd like to get a good and healthy chili recipe I think, because that freezes incredibly well and is filling to boot. I could also see getting into roasting since it tends to encompass most or all of the meal, but the roasting recipes I find only employ root vegetables. That's fine for a few, but not if I wind up with 5 roasting recipes I guess. I also like the idea of learning simple ways of dressing up a steamed vegetable or brown rice to match each other or a meat better, or ways to combine the cooking of these kinds of ingredients to simplify the process. For instance, we do porkchops on the grill here with rice in the steamer followed by a vegetable in the steamer. Simple, yes, but when you factor in all the standing up times to get these things done, it adds up. There have to be ways of combining elements.