Uncommon Recipes for Common Vegetables
Cucumber Watermelon Apple Carrot Juice
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½-1 small watermelon ( cubed)
2 cucumbers
2 apples
2 carrots
Cucumber Apple Celery Citrus
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1 cucumber
2 celery stalks
1 apple ( sweeter variety)
1 lime
Juice the fruits and veggies, then stir in water to dilute the mixture. You can also enjoy it as-is.
Blueberry-Cucumber Smoothie
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1 large garden cucumber, peeled, seeded and cut into chunks
1/2 cup vanilla yogurt or yogurt alternative
1/2 cup frozen or fresh blueberries
1 Tbs. Honey
1 Tbs. lemon juice
Directions
1.
Blend all ingredients in a blender with ice!
Skinny Green Monster Smoothie
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1 small frozen ripe banana, peeled
2 cups baby spinach
1 tbsp Better n Peanut Butter
3/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1/2 cup plain fat-free Greek yogurt
1.
Place all the ingredients into the blender, add ice (optional) and blend until smooth.
Cherry Tomato Sundae
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1 pint cherry tomatoes (‘Sun Gold’ or a large variety with strong structure)
1 cup sugar
2 cups water
2 Tbs. Grand Marnier
1/2 vanilla bean
1/2 cinnamon stick
4 Tbs. unsalted butter
1 pint vanilla ice cream
1/2 cup toasted, chopped pistachios
1.
In a sauté pan just large enough to hold the tomatoes in one layer, combine the sugar and 1 cup of the water. Cook until
the sugar begins to caramelize ever so slightly, about 7 minutes. Add the other cup of water and stir. The caramel may
seize, but it will dissolve as the second cup of water heats up. Add the Grand Marnier, vanilla, cinnamon, and butter. Boil
for 1 minute, then reduce the heat.
2.
Add the tomatoes and cook gently over low heat, turning frequently, for about 40 minutes, or until they are glossy and the
syrup is reduced and medium-thick. The tomatoes should keep much of their structural integrity. Cool slightly.
3.
Put several tomatoes in the bottom of each of four ice cream dishes. Top with ice cream. Drizzle some of the warm syrup on
top and sprinkle with pistachios.
Grilled Pizza with Pesto, Feta, and Tomato
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1 pound of prepared pizza dough
1/2 cup of prepared pesto
4 ripe plum tomatoes
1/2 cup of crumbled feta cheese
Freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup of lightly packed fresh basil leaves
1.
Heat grill to medium-high.
2.
Meanwhile, place dough on a lightly floured surface. Divide into 4 pieces. Roll each piece into an 8-inch round crust, about
1/4 inch thick. Place crusts on a floured baking sheet. Carry crusts and toppings out to the grill.
3.
Lay crusts on grill (they won’t stay perfectly round). Cover grill and cook until crusts are lightly puffed and undersides are
lightly browned, about 3 minutes.
4.
Using tongs, flip crusts. Immediately spread pesto over crusts. Top with tomatoes. Sprinkle with feta and pepper. Cover grill
and cook until the undersides are lightly browned, about 3 minutes more. Sprinkle with basil and serve immediately.
Zucchini Brownies
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½ cup canola oil
1 ½ cups white sugar
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups zucchini (shredded)
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½ cup chopped walnuts, optional
1.
Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9×13 inch baking dish
2.
In a large bowl mix together oil, sugar and 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract until well blended. In another bowl combine the
flour, ½ cup cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. A little at a time stir into the sugar mixture. Fold in zucchini and walnuts.
The batter will be dry and crumbly, don't worry. Spread the mixture evenly into the prepared baking dish.
3.
Place into the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes until the brownies spring back when gently touched. Remove from the oven
and allow them to cool before frosting.
Zucchini Boats
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1 zucchini
I clove garlic
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper
½ c fontina or mozzarella cheese
1 c cherry tomatoes
½ c bread crumbs
Grated parmesan cheese
1.
2.
3.
Preheat oven to 350
Cut a zucchini in half lengthwise and trim a little off the bottom so it sit still in a baking dish.
Scoop out the center where the seeds are with a spoon and brush the surface with a mixture of crushed garlic, olive oil, salt
and pepper.
Arrange halved grape tomatoes into the grooves, sprinkle with bread crumbs and for about 30 minutes.
Remove and place diced fontina or mozzarella in between the tomatoes, place them back in, but now under the broiler
until golden and bubbling.
Remove and drizzle with olive oil and a sprinkling of grated parmesan. You will love this as a side dish!
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Buffalo Roasted Cauliflower
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1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
1 tablespoon oil or butter
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup hot sauce (such as Franks RedHot)
1 tablespoon butter, melted (optional)
blue cheese or ranch dressing for dipping (optional)
celery stick on the side (optional)
1.
Toss the cauliflower florets in the oil, salt and pepper, arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet, and roast in a preheated
400F oven until lightly golden brown, about 20-30 minutes.
Toss cauliflower in a mixture of the hot sauce and butter and enjoy warm with blue cheese or ranch dressing for dipping
and celery sticks on the side.
2.
Cannellini Bean and Swiss Chard Soup
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2 cans Cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
6 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons olive oil
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4 shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
4 sage leaves
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 cups cubed butternut squash
4 cups swiss chard leaves, washed and coarsely chopped
Grated Parmesan cheese
1.
In a Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add shallots, sage, and bay leaf. Saute until shallots are translucent,
4 to 5 minutes. Turn heat down to medium if shallots start getting too browned. Add red pepper flakes, a pinch of salt, and
about 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.
Add squash and chicken broth to Dutch oven. Bring to a simmer, partially cover pot and cook until squash is just tender.
Add beans and swiss chard and cook just until swiss chard wilts and beans are warm, 1 to 2 minutes. Season with additional
salt if desired. Serve soup in bowls and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
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Shrimp Stuffed Jalapeño Poppers
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9-10 medium sized jalapenos, sliced lengthwise seeded and stemmed
3 pieces reduced-fat bacon, cooked and chopped
2 green onions, chopped
6 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese, softened
½ cup mozzarella, shredded
½ teaspoon garlic powder
4 ounces baby shrimp or chopped shrimp
2 egg whites
¾ cup panko bread crumbs
½ cup whole wheat bread crumbs
Salt to taste
1.
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3.
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6.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Place a cooling rack on top of a rimmed baking sheet.
Combine bacon, onions, cream cheese, mozzarella, garlic powder in a small bowl. Season to taste with salt. Fold in shrimp.
In a small bowl whisk egg whites until they become frothy.
Combine panko and whole wheat bread crumbs in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
Fill each jalapeno with cream cheese mixture. Coat in egg white and then bread crumbs. Place breaded jalapenos on the
cooling rack and then place in the freezer for 15 minutes. Once the poppers have chilled, drizzle with olive oil and then bake
for 20-25 minutes until poppers are brown and cheese is oozing out.
Kale and Brussels Sprout Tacos with Avocados and White bean sauce
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1 large shallot, sliced
1 tablespoon of grapeseed oil (or another high-heat oil)
2 cups of brussels sprouts, thinly sliced lengthwise
4-5 kale leaves, stalks removes, and finely chopped
the juice of 1/2 of a lime
salt + pepper + red pepper flakes
1 avocado, chopped
6-8 small soft taco tortillas
the white bean sauce:
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1 16oz can of canellini beans
1 small clove of garlic, minced
3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon of white wine vinegar
a large pinch of cilantro leaves, chopped
salt + pepper + red pepper flakes, to taste
optional - a small squeeze of lime juice
1 tablespoon or so of water (if you need to thin it out a little)
1.
Start by making the white bean sauce. Place all of the ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. Add water if you
need to thin it out a little, but not too much because you do not want it to be runny. Taste and adjust the seasoning
accordingly.
Place the oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook for 1-2 minutes. Then add the brussels
sprouts. Cook for 8-10 minutes, until brown, stirring occasionally.
Add in the kale and season with the salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Stir everything and then add the lime juice. Stir
again and cook for a couple of minutes until the kale has wilted. Remove from the heat, toss in the chopped avocado and
set aside in a separate bowl.
If you like, you can lightly toast the tortillas in a small frying pan. I do this over low heat for a few minutes on each side until
they are a light brown.
Serve warm with a smear of white bean sauce on the tortilla as the base and the brussels and kale on top.
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Broccoli Breadsticks (grain-free, gluten-free, dairy-free)
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1 head of broccoli – chopped to make 4 cups
3 tablespoons nutritional yeast (could do some cheese if you would like)
1 tablespoon psyllium husk (can be omitted)
2 whole eggs (could try a flax-gel for replacement)
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
handful of fresh basil
2 tablespoons water
1.
2.
3.
Pre-heat oven to 375° F.
Have a baking sheet ready to place breadsticks on.
Remove the some of the broccoli stem. Begin to chop the broccoli into chunks; depending on size broccoli head – you
should hopefully get around 4 cups.
Add the chopped broccoli to a food processor or Vitamix and pulse until the texture is similar to rice.
Add in your nutritional yeast, psyllium husk, sea salt, and basil. Pulse till combined.
In a bowl place your pulsed broccoli mixture with your eggs and water. And stir.
Spread dough out evenly over baking sheet– can make as thick or thin as you like.
Bake for about 30-35 minutes or until the crust is golden, crispy on the edges and cooked through the middle.
Remove the crust from the oven. And enjoy.
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Lemony Pickled Cauliflower
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2 pounds cauliflower
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup water
2 teaspoons sea salt
1 small lemon, sliced
1 large garlic clove, sliced
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¼ teaspoon peppercorns
1.
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3.
Wash cauliflower and break it into florets.
In a large saucepan, combine the apple cider vinegar, water and sea salt. Bring to a boil.
Place two slices of lemon in the bottom of a quart jar and top with garlic clove slices, crushed red pepper flakes and
peppercorns. Set aside.
When brine is boiling, add cauliflower to the pot. Stir until the brine returns to a boil and remove from heat.
Using tongs, pack cauliflower into the prepared jar and top with brine. Place two to three slices of lemon on top of the
cauliflower and put a lid on the jar.
Let pickles sit out on counter until cool. Once they’ve reached room temperature, refrigerate jar. Pickles are ready to eat
within 12 hours, though they will continue to deepen in flavor the longer the rest.
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Spaghetti Squash Au Gratin
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1 medium spaghetti squash
2 tablespoons butter
1 small yellow onion, cut in half and very thinly sliced
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, or more if you like it spicy
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
½ cup sour cream
½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
1.
2.
Preheat oven to 375.
Cut the spaghetti squash in half and remove the seeds. Place in a covered dish with a ¼ inch of water and microwave for 10
-12 minutes. In a medium sized skillet over medium heat, add the butter, onions, red pepper and thyme and cook until the
onions are slightly brown in color. Salt and pepper to taste.
Using a fork, scrape the insides of the squash and transfer to a small bowl. Combine the squash, onions, sour cream and
half the cheese together and mix well. Transfer the mixture to a buttered baking dish and top with remaining cheese.
Place into a 375º for 15 – 20 minutes until golden brown on top.
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Sweet Carrot Chips
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1 carrot, sliced very thinly into rounds
½ tablespoon melted coconut oil
pinch of kosher salt
cinnamon (I used about ½ teaspoon for a “light” cinnamon taste)
Spicy Carrot Chips
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2 carrots, shaved into peels using a vegetable peeler
½ tablespoon melted coconut oil
pinch of kosher salt
½ teaspoon ground pepper
¼-1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (depending on heat preference)
1.
2.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Combine carrots (either rounds or peels depending on which version you’re making) in a medium bowl with coconut oil &
spices. Toss to combine.
Transfer to the baking sheet and arrange in a single layer.
Bake for 10-12 minutes, watching carefully. Chips can go from crispy to burnt in as little as a minute since they are so thin.
Remove from oven and serve immediately.
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Cauliflower Popcorn
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1 head of cauliflower
20 grams olive oil
12 grams nutritional yeast (or to taste)
2 tsp cumin (or to taste)
2 tsp chili powder (or to taste)
a few pinches of sea salt (to taste)
1.
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4.
Cut cauliflower florets into bite-sized pieces.
Toss with olive oil until coated.
Add spices, salt and nutritional yeast and toss again until coated.
Eat immediately, or dehydrate at 115F until desired texture—I usually put it in the dehydrator before I go to bed, and take it
out the next morning (so about 8-12 hours)
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Garlic Aioli
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20 brussels sprouts cut into wedges
canola oil
salt & pepper
6 Tbsp mayonnaise
1/4 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp finely chopped flat leaf parsley
1.
2.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Place brussels sprouts on a baking sheet and drizzle with oil. Crack some fresh salt & pepper to taste and mix around the
brussels sprouts on the pan to ensure they all get nicely coated in the oil.
Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown on at least one side.
While the brussels sprouts are roasting, mix together mayonnaise, garlic, parsley and lemon juice.
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Grilled Zucchini With Mint and Feta
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4 medium zucchini, each sliced lengthwise into 3 planks
2 T extra-virgin olive oil
1⁄4 tsp kosher salt
1⁄4 tsp pepper
2 oz feta cheese, crumbled (1⁄2 cup)
1⁄4 cup fresh mint leaves, sliced thin
Lemon wedges for garnish
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3.
Heat grill to medium-high.
Toss zucchini with 1 T of oil, salt, and pepper. Grill zucchini until well browned all over, 3 to 5 minutes per side.
Transfer zucchini to platter, and top with cheese and mint. Drizzle with remaining T of oil, and serve with lemon.