Help!!! What did I just buy at the grocery store??

I just spent $100, Yes, I said $100 on ALL VEGETABLES from the produce store!

I just don't know what to do with most of them.

I have leeks, turnips, eggplant, zucchini, cucumber, a green squash, cherry tomatoes, parsnip, tomatillos, jalapeno pepper, radishes lemons, onions, spinach, avacados, blueberries, oranges, apples.
I also bought tahini paste and garbanzo beans to make hummus!

Can someone please tell me how I can eat or prepare all this?
I don't want to waste this food, but I don't know how to eat it.

I figured if I bought it, I would be forced to learn how to eat cleaner.

Now I have a kitchen full of stuff I'm too uneducated to eat.
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Replies

  • Anastasiasosa
    Anastasiasosa Posts: 36 Member
    Off hand I would do some kinda pasta with the leeks and tomatoes, probably a tortilla soup (with baked corn tortilla chips) and a ratatouille :)
  • shortybb26
    shortybb26 Posts: 19 Member
    Go on allrecipes.com. You can search for healthy meals using the items you have in you bought. I love this site and use it all the time. You can even make a profile and save recipes or make shopping lists based on what you picked. Also The calorie info is all there.
  • Anastasiasosa
    Anastasiasosa Posts: 36 Member
    I like avocados with just lemon juice and a touch of salt. I eat them straight out of the skins. I also like cucumbers the same way. I would make a fruit salad with all of the fruit. Usually fruit salads last me 4 days and I have a little with every meal.
  • pvtnick
    pvtnick Posts: 18 Member
    Find a site like allrecipes.com and search the ingredients. You may have make a bigger commitment that you needed to at once but hey, like you said, having it around is a good motivator. Since you bought so much I would look for simple recipes or ways to incorporate it into the way you usually eat, such as making eggplant parmesan minus the breading, steaming the squash and mashing it instead of mashed potatoes, making a dip or slicing the avocados to put on salads.
  • pvtnick
    pvtnick Posts: 18 Member
    I mean to say a bigger commitment *than* you needed to.
  • goldfinger88
    goldfinger88 Posts: 686 Member
    I just throw everything into the blender.
  • Tahini paste, garbanzo beans, olive oil, basil and tomatoes for hummus

    Pasta with any veggies

    Wilted spinach with Protein

    Avocado mashed with salsa for "easy guacamole"

    Sautéed squash with onion as a side dish

    Tomatillos puréed and used as a sauce for burritos

    Spinach for salad
  • Uxorial
    Uxorial Posts: 38
    I have leeks, turnips, eggplant, zucchini, cucumber, a green squash, cherry tomatoes, parsnip, tomatillos, jalapeno pepper, radishes lemons, onions, spinach, avacados, blueberries, oranges, apples.
    I also bought tahini paste and garbanzo beans to make hummus!

    Leeks can be made into potato leek soup. There are high and low fat versions of that available.

    Turnip and parsnip can both be roasted or mashed, you'll be able to treat them fairly similarly. You can also boil them.

    Eggplant and zucchini can also be treated similarly. I'd be tempted to make a vegetarian penne with them, maybe so low fat cottage cheese in addition to be sort of a "lazy lasagna". They can also both be cut into chunks and panfried and added to pasta. Best way I have had them is roasted with olive oil and then add them to pasta.

    Tomatillos and jalapeno tell me that mexican food is in your future.... the avocado would be good with this as well. Maybe have it all in wraps or over rice. Add beans for some protein.

    Spinach can also be used to make green monster drinks or in the "lazy lasagna" type thing I mentioned above.

    Radishes tend to be salad garnish.... and lemons are good for adding to chicken dishes or fish, I find. The rind of the lemon is also good grated in things. Sometimes I add lemon and ginger to stirfrys.

    Hope this helps a bit.
  • penguinlally
    penguinlally Posts: 331 Member
    stir fry! pasta primavera.....zucchini tots (15 calories.. and slammin) we make veggie fries....Its great to have loads of produce... but I tend to get mine every 3 or 4 days..... yay! for making great food choices... nicely done
  • missfelicia6
    missfelicia6 Posts: 174 Member
    I just throw everything into the blender.
    Throw it into the blender, then drink it?
  • Mcmilligen
    Mcmilligen Posts: 332 Member
    Yum!! I sure hope those veggies don't go bad! Start looking up recipes, it's really that simple. To avoid produce going bad in the future, pick out a few recipes you are going to make during the week, and bring them to the grocery store. ONLY buy the ingredients you need. That way, you can keep the costs fairly low- and you won't have to worry about moldy veggies in your crisper.
  • missfelicia6
    missfelicia6 Posts: 174 Member
    Tahini paste, garbanzo beans, olive oil, basil and tomatoes for hummus

    Pasta with any veggies

    Wilted spinach with Protein

    Avocado mashed with salsa for "easy guacamole"

    Sautéed squash with onion as a side dish

    Tomatillos puréed and used as a sauce for burritos

    Spinach for salad

    Wow, very creative. Thanks. I wouldn't be able to do that!
  • PlunderBunneh
    PlunderBunneh Posts: 1,705 Member
    I just spent $100, Yes, I said $100 on ALL VEGETABLES from the produce store!

    I just don't know what to do with most of them.

    I have leeks, turnips, eggplant, zucchini, cucumber, a green squash, cherry tomatoes, parsnip, tomatillos, jalapeno pepper, radishes lemons, onions, spinach, avacados, blueberries, oranges, apples.
    I also bought tahini paste and garbanzo beans to make hummus!

    Can someone please tell me how I can eat or prepare all this?
    I don't want to waste this food, but I don't know how to eat it.

    I figured if I bought it, I would be forced to learn how to eat cleaner.

    Now I have a kitchen full of stuff I'm too uneducated to eat.

    Make a kick-*kitten* stir fry! Mmm. With the blueberries, oranges, and apples, cut them up into a simple fruit salad. Just experiment, there's so much that can be done! Do check out allrecipes, it's really helpful with the reviews, but do mind your sauces and such.
  • sdumma
    sdumma Posts: 126 Member
    Spinach can go in just about anything. I use spinach in every meal I cook to boost my iron as I am a vegetarian. I also love to take any and every vegetable hangin' around, sautee or steam them, toss with rotini and add skim milk mozza cheese for a very tasty pasta dish...my dinner last night <3
  • nikinyx6
    nikinyx6 Posts: 772 Member
    www.supercook.com


    You tell it what's in your kitchen, it tells you what to make. It saves your grocery list too, so you can just keep adding to it.

    I love it!
  • yroma
    yroma Posts: 74 Member
    Think you're about to have a lotta fun! Good for you for being so ambitious! Time for a dinner party...
  • mhuch110
    mhuch110 Posts: 130 Member
    Avocados don't last very long....like 2 days max. Use that first! :)
  • jawheb
    jawheb Posts: 295 Member
    I always add eggplant to spaghetti or lasagna. You can also sautée it with EVOO and Italian seasoning for a side dish. Add the fruits in with your cereal or oatmeal. Spinach is awesome with scrambled eggs.
  • make fried rice, but add TONS of veggies.... YUM!
  • greenjessie
    greenjessie Posts: 6 Member
    You could roast a bunch of that stuff in the oven with a little olive oil coating. That would help it last a few days and also be delicious as a side dish or with a little vinegar over some salad greens. Or mix a bit of your tahini with some lemon for a nice dressing for the roasted veggies. Tahini is good with eggplant and lemon (roast egglant, mix= baba ghanouj)

    Zucchini makes a fun veggie "pasta" if you cut it into strips and saute lightly or microwave briefly. Top that with some of your tomatoes and you're good!

    Parsnip can be steamed and mashed.

    Leeks like a good long saute.

    Radishes with a splash of vinegar can make a great snack!

    Good luck! You've got a lot of good stuff!
  • Yummy, that's my kind of shopping cart.

    I would make ratatouille with the eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, and onions. You're missing the peppers, but it will still be delicious. I love it for lunch or fill a ramekin with it, top it with an egg and bake it all up for a yummy breakfast.

    A yummy dinner could be the beans heated through and spiced up however you like, toss it on top of the spinach so it wilts and then finish it off with some grilled shrimp.

    You also have most of what you need for gazpacho soup. One of my summer favorites. You could probably make yourself a nice cold cucumber as well; maybe use some spinach there as well. Also, cucumbers with a splash of rice vinegar is an awesome side dish. Especially next to some cold sesame noodles.

    The turnips and other root veg... pretty out of season, I'm surprised they were there. Always delicious roasted and eat as is or pureed into a mash or even a soup.

    Happy eating!
  • missfelicia6
    missfelicia6 Posts: 174 Member
    Such GREAT ideas!!

    Maybe a veggie pizza? I was thinking of just making a huge pot of veggie soup and eating it for lunch everyday
  • airangel59
    airangel59 Posts: 1,887 Member
    Also check out http://www.supercook.com another site you put the ingredients you have on hand and it will give you recipe ideas
  • tammyc226
    tammyc226 Posts: 158 Member
    I would make batches of soups, stews, casseroles and then freeze so the vegetables don't go bad and you'll have a freezer stocked with healthy meals
  • briebear77
    briebear77 Posts: 253 Member
    I used to do the same thing. I have to say meal plans will be your best friend!!! I have spent so much less money since I stopped being random and started planning. It has made my life easier and I eat better, too. Good luck, though! Wish I had recipes but I don't cook, just get stuff I can eat easily and don't have to prepare much, but I live alone so I don't HAVE to cook. Except dinner, sometimes dinner I will cook.
  • RiverDancer68
    RiverDancer68 Posts: 221 Member
    Vegan Potato Leek Soup

    2 Leeks diced-cut off of the green parts and stick them in a sink of cold water (make a cross mark with a knife all the way down to the root-don't cut off the root yet). Leeks usually have a ton of sand/dirt in them, so you need to get it out.
    2-3 Large potatoes diced-not peeled
    2 cloves of garlic
    1 TBS Olive Oil
    4 Cups Veggie Stock or Water (or more)
    Salt & Pepper to taste
    Frozen bag of corn-optional

    Sautee the garlic and leeks in the olive oil at medium heat until the leeks are soft (2-3 minutes)
    Add diced potatoes and sautee for 5 more minutes
    Add water/broth (make sure it covers the potatoes fully) and bring to a boil
    Reduce heat and cook until potatoes are soft.

    If you want-blend the soup with a stick/emersion blender until "creamy." Or take half of the soup, blend it in a blender (make sure you remove the insert in the top of the blender or else it will explode-I learned that the hard way LOL). and add it back to the pot.

    Add the frozen corn if desired (cook until the corn has thawed) and salt and pepper. Eat hot or cold! It's actually better the next day.

    You also can make Babaganoush with the eggplant and Tahini!
  • wilmnoca
    wilmnoca Posts: 416 Member
    Big pot of veggie soup, then freeze.
  • apples with peanut butter awesome snack,
    blueberries with breakfast oatmeal yumm
    oranges with almonds snack
    squash shred and squeeze out water then use as a hash or bake in a muffin tin with sauteed onions and green/red peppers egg and cheese.
    eggplant cut in half remove the inside with 1 inch left in shell chop up the insides you took out and saute with onions peppers and canned stewed tomatoes put that into the shell and add fat free mozz. cheese and bake in oven for 30 minutes at 350 degrees
    avacado is great with anything cut in half and remove pit scoop some out and set aside for some other dish put a egg inside and bake at 350 till egg is cooked.
  • Koldnomore
    Koldnomore Posts: 1,613 Member
    Sounds great to me!

    Turnips are awesome roasted in the oven like you wouls do potatoes, it gets rid of the strong 'horseradish like' flavor - some find it bitter. Though if you roast some and then mash them (like mashed potato) the pair wonderfully with beef. I've also made turnip fries but you will need to use oil to coat them or they will not brown or get crispy. Parsnip can also be roasted or mashed.

    Radishes can be roasted as well but most people seem to eat them raw in salads. The flavor is quite sharp so don't use too many.

    Leeks can be used in a similar way to onions though the flavor is much milder. They are nice in soups as well as roasted.

    Eggplant and zucchini are both quite soft vegetables. Zucchini lends itself well to being shredded and turned into zucchini bread/cake (like banana bread but not as sweet), it's also nice in stir-fry, roasted, cut into sticks and munched on raw. added to salad or a million other things. Zucchini has a very mild flavor so it can practically go with anything.

    Eggplant is more of a "specialty" food. Used in a lot of ethnic cooking. It's quite yummy sliced and roasted with potatoes and onions in a casserole dish covered with marinara sauce and Parmesan. Keep in mind that it is quite a 'wet' vegetable so when you cook it you will get a lot of juice so limit the liquids that you use with it and try to pair it with a starch to absorb. I'm not a huge fan of the texture personally but a lot of people love it.

    Cucumber can be used to make Tzatziki sauce combined with Greek yogurt and lemon juice over lamb, beef or chicken (check allrecipies.com for full instructions) You can also stir-fry it , eat it raw or use it in salads.

    I don't use much squash but I'm sure that would lend itself well to roasting like turnip and parsnip or mashing as well.

    Cherry tomatoes..anything you can do with normal tomatoes. great for snacking on ;)

    Lemons are good for lemonade, salads, fish, as a base for sauces or marinades. You can also grate the rind and use it for flavoring other things - like cakes or sauces etc..

    Onions, are normally combined with other things but can be sliced thin and fried over low heat until they 'caramel' and then eaten like that or usually over meat or liver or things like that. You can also add them to a mix of other roasted veggies, make French Onion soup or generally put them in any other food for more flavor, stir-fry, meatloaf, sauce - not much savory food that wouldn't taste better with onions.

    Blueberries, oranges, and apples Can be used to flavor sweet items, as a salad, raw to munch as snacks, mashed into jam or sauces, baked into deserts, blended in smoothies and tons of other things.
  • wftiger
    wftiger Posts: 1,283 Member
    http://www.helpwithcooking.com/

    If you run out of ideas and have too much then freeze what you can so it does not go to waste. The site above has some good recipes, cooking tips and also information on freezing veggies you have left.