Underrated foods?

1151618202125

Replies

  • pancakerunner
    pancakerunner Posts: 6,137 Member
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    Related to Greek Salads, I've been on a homemade falafel kick. They really are super easy to make. Because I'm Celiac, I wasn't finding mixes that were GF.

    The key is just soaking real (not canned) chickpeas overnight -- around one to two cups. 24 hours is best, with a tsp of baking soda to minimize, ehummm... The next day drain them, add an onion, cilantro or parsley, cumin, a couple of TBSs of flour (I use GF and it works out great), a tsp of Baking Powder, some garlic, a jalapeno and coriander, salt/pepper and pulse in food processor. They will look pretty dry and if you need do drizzle a little water in them until they just form balls that stick together.

    The only issue has been now I can't make a greek salad for my wife without the falafels, she loves them so much. I just brown them in a little olive oil and finish in the oven on foil. So good with greek salads.

    I also make a Tzatziki sauce as well for my wife out of DF yogurt to go with it.

    I used to go to this Lebanese place in Ohio. I miss it. But their Greek Dressing was amazing. They put so much lemon zest on their salad and have lemon cuttings in their olive oil. OMG it was so good. I try to emulate that with half lemon juice and vinegar and lots and lots of zest on the salad when I do my dressing.

    Another underrated food -- Panang Curry. I would kill for a great Thai Panang Curry. So hard to find in Tucson. One place is decent but it's an hour from my house!

    tzatziki sauce is my favorite ever

    Skordalia equally good, IMO, maybe better. More calorie-laden, in most recipes, though.

    I'm just not a huge fan of garlic :(

    More for us, then.

    Side comment: Don't know where you're getting low-garlic tzatziki. Making it? Any I've had has been pretty garlicky - part of the appeal, to me. 🤷‍♀️

    Typically make my own, go light on the garlic. I don't mind when it is in things, just not the main ingredient. Skordalia is literally potatoes and garlic. Seems like it would be overpowering
  • springlering62
    springlering62 Posts: 7,344 Member
    To earlier poster, our kids gave us a fancy raclette grill for Christmas when we visited them in Germany. We had to haul the damned thing home in our suitcase. It had a solid stone grill and made our bag overweight, but they were so happy to share this “tradition” with us. Well, she’s American, he’s Russian, and turns out neither of them knew how to make raclette, either. We don’t know how or what to use it for, and have to order a converter anyway. Think, folks, THINK before you gift!!!

    Anyway back to underrated foods, hubs bought six boxes of lemon jello instead of pudding by mistake. I loath jello but got tired of looking at them and made some.

    Well, hello, Jello!!!!! Look what I’ve been missing. And it’s ten calories a serving?!
  • Safari_Gal_
    Safari_Gal_ Posts: 1,461 Member
    edited August 2020
    Cottage cheese is underrated ... needs more love 😉☺️ Especially the kind with probiotics .. add some fruit and you’ll say - yogurt who??? Lol
  • psychod787
    psychod787 Posts: 4,088 Member
    Cottage cheese is underrated ... needs more love 😉☺️ Especially the kind with probiotics .. add some fruit and you’ll say - yogurt who??? Lol

    I love me some cottage cheese with fruit!
  • MikePfirrman
    MikePfirrman Posts: 3,307 Member
    edited August 2020
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    Related to Greek Salads, I've been on a homemade falafel kick. They really are super easy to make. Because I'm Celiac, I wasn't finding mixes that were GF.

    The key is just soaking real (not canned) chickpeas overnight -- around one to two cups. 24 hours is best, with a tsp of baking soda to minimize, ehummm... The next day drain them, add an onion, cilantro or parsley, cumin, a couple of TBSs of flour (I use GF and it works out great), a tsp of Baking Powder, some garlic, a jalapeno and coriander, salt/pepper and pulse in food processor. They will look pretty dry and if you need do drizzle a little water in them until they just form balls that stick together.

    The only issue has been now I can't make a greek salad for my wife without the falafels, she loves them so much. I just brown them in a little olive oil and finish in the oven on foil. So good with greek salads.

    I also make a Tzatziki sauce as well for my wife out of DF yogurt to go with it.

    I used to go to this Lebanese place in Ohio. I miss it. But their Greek Dressing was amazing. They put so much lemon zest on their salad and have lemon cuttings in their olive oil. OMG it was so good. I try to emulate that with half lemon juice and vinegar and lots and lots of zest on the salad when I do my dressing.

    Another underrated food -- Panang Curry. I would kill for a great Thai Panang Curry. So hard to find in Tucson. One place is decent but it's an hour from my house!

    tzatziki sauce is my favorite ever

    Skordalia equally good, IMO, maybe better. More calorie-laden, in most recipes, though.

    I'm just not a huge fan of garlic :(

    More for us, then.

    Side comment: Don't know where you're getting low-garlic tzatziki. Making it? Any I've had has been pretty garlicky - part of the appeal, to me. 🤷‍♀️

    Toum sounds amazing too. That place in Ohio, Aladdin's (a Lebanese place that started near Cleveland) has this red sauce (and it's not the super hot one) that was incredible. I don't know what it was made from but definitely had a nice mild kick and garlic. Some sweetness too. Like roasted peppers, olive oil, lemon, some sugar (I think), salt and roasted garlic. Bit of heat but not overbearing.

    I'm with you on the garlic. Great way to use garlic is just cut the bottom of it off, rub it with olive oil and roast it in the oven with vegetables. Don't peel or separate. The cloves then squeeze right out after roasting. Amazing for any Greek or any dressing. Such an easy way to use fresh garlic.

    @psychod787 -- my wife can't eat cow dairy so I don't out of support. But man, cottage cheese and fresh tomatoes out of the garden. That's awesome. Of cow dairy, I really only miss Swiss and Cottage Cheese. That's it.
  • beulah81
    beulah81 Posts: 168 Member
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    Related to Greek Salads, I've been on a homemade falafel kick. They really are super easy to make. Because I'm Celiac, I wasn't finding mixes that were GF.

    The key is just soaking real (not canned) chickpeas overnight -- around one to two cups. 24 hours is best, with a tsp of baking soda to minimize, ehummm... The next day drain them, add an onion, cilantro or parsley, cumin, a couple of TBSs of flour (I use GF and it works out great), a tsp of Baking Powder, some garlic, a jalapeno and coriander, salt/pepper and pulse in food processor. They will look pretty dry and if you need do drizzle a little water in them until they just form balls that stick together.

    The only issue has been now I can't make a greek salad for my wife without the falafels, she loves them so much. I just brown them in a little olive oil and finish in the oven on foil. So good with greek salads.

    I also make a Tzatziki sauce as well for my wife out of DF yogurt to go with it.

    I used to go to this Lebanese place in Ohio. I miss it. But their Greek Dressing was amazing. They put so much lemon zest on their salad and have lemon cuttings in their olive oil. OMG it was so good. I try to emulate that with half lemon juice and vinegar and lots and lots of zest on the salad when I do my dressing.

    Another underrated food -- Panang Curry. I would kill for a great Thai Panang Curry. So hard to find in Tucson. One place is decent but it's an hour from my house!

    tzatziki sauce is my favorite ever

    Skordalia equally good, IMO, maybe better. More calorie-laden, in most recipes, though.

    I'm just not a huge fan of garlic :(

    More for us, then.

    Side comment: Don't know where you're getting low-garlic tzatziki. Making it? Any I've had has been pretty garlicky - part of the appeal, to me. 🤷‍♀️

    Toum sounds amazing too. That place in Ohio, Aladdin's (a Lebanese place that started near Cleveland) has this red sauce (and it's not the super hot one) that was incredible. I don't know what it was made from but definitely had a nice mild kick and garlic. Some sweetness too. Like roasted peppers, olive oil, lemon, some sugar (I think), salt and roasted garlic. Bit of heat but not overbearing.

    I'm with you on the garlic. Great way to use garlic is just cut the bottom of it off, rub it with olive oil and roast it in the oven with vegetables. Don't peel or separate. The cloves then squeeze right out after roasting. Amazing for any Greek or any dressing. Such an easy way to use fresh garlic.

    @psychod787 -- my wife can't eat cow dairy so I don't out of support. But man, cottage cheese and fresh tomatoes out of the garden. That's awesome. Of cow dairy, I really only miss Swiss and Cottage Cheese. That's it.

    @MikePfirrman I think you are describing Muhammara. Does that sauce have finely chopped walnuts in it? If it's muhammara you are describing it is AMAZING! My MIL used to make it like no other. She even made her own pepper paste and cracked walnuts that went into it. The sweetness comes naturally from red bell peppers. I want some. NOW! 😊
  • MikePfirrman
    MikePfirrman Posts: 3,307 Member
    edited August 2020
    beulah81 wrote: »
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    Related to Greek Salads, I've been on a homemade falafel kick. They really are super easy to make. Because I'm Celiac, I wasn't finding mixes that were GF.

    The key is just soaking real (not canned) chickpeas overnight -- around one to two cups. 24 hours is best, with a tsp of baking soda to minimize, ehummm... The next day drain them, add an onion, cilantro or parsley, cumin, a couple of TBSs of flour (I use GF and it works out great), a tsp of Baking Powder, some garlic, a jalapeno and coriander, salt/pepper and pulse in food processor. They will look pretty dry and if you need do drizzle a little water in them until they just form balls that stick together.

    The only issue has been now I can't make a greek salad for my wife without the falafels, she loves them so much. I just brown them in a little olive oil and finish in the oven on foil. So good with greek salads.

    I also make a Tzatziki sauce as well for my wife out of DF yogurt to go with it.

    I used to go to this Lebanese place in Ohio. I miss it. But their Greek Dressing was amazing. They put so much lemon zest on their salad and have lemon cuttings in their olive oil. OMG it was so good. I try to emulate that with half lemon juice and vinegar and lots and lots of zest on the salad when I do my dressing.

    Another underrated food -- Panang Curry. I would kill for a great Thai Panang Curry. So hard to find in Tucson. One place is decent but it's an hour from my house!

    tzatziki sauce is my favorite ever

    Skordalia equally good, IMO, maybe better. More calorie-laden, in most recipes, though.

    I'm just not a huge fan of garlic :(

    More for us, then.

    Side comment: Don't know where you're getting low-garlic tzatziki. Making it? Any I've had has been pretty garlicky - part of the appeal, to me. 🤷‍♀️

    Toum sounds amazing too. That place in Ohio, Aladdin's (a Lebanese place that started near Cleveland) has this red sauce (and it's not the super hot one) that was incredible. I don't know what it was made from but definitely had a nice mild kick and garlic. Some sweetness too. Like roasted peppers, olive oil, lemon, some sugar (I think), salt and roasted garlic. Bit of heat but not overbearing.

    I'm with you on the garlic. Great way to use garlic is just cut the bottom of it off, rub it with olive oil and roast it in the oven with vegetables. Don't peel or separate. The cloves then squeeze right out after roasting. Amazing for any Greek or any dressing. Such an easy way to use fresh garlic.

    @psychod787 -- my wife can't eat cow dairy so I don't out of support. But man, cottage cheese and fresh tomatoes out of the garden. That's awesome. Of cow dairy, I really only miss Swiss and Cottage Cheese. That's it.

    @MikePfirrman I think you are describing Muhammara. Does that sauce have finely chopped walnuts in it? If it's muhammara you are describing it is AMAZING! My MIL used to make it like no other. She even made her own pepper paste and cracked walnuts that went into it. The sweetness comes naturally from red bell peppers. I want some. NOW! 😊

    I don't think this is it (but that looks so good too!). I think it's like a watered down Shaata (for American palettes).

    It could be something like this. Anyway, this stuff over Mujadara. Wow, life changing stuff. That dish, smothered in onions, made me believe I could be vegan and be happy.

    Falafel Hot Sauce
    Ingredients

    2 cups canned tomatoes
    3 garlic cloves (finely chopped)
    1 tsp. brown sugar
    1 tbsp. parsley (finely chopped)
    1 tsp. chili sauce
    1 lemon (juiced)
    Salt to taste
    Method

    Add all the ingredients, namely, garlic, tomatoes, brown sugar, parsley, chili sauce, and lemon juice, to a saucepan, cover it with a lid, and let its contents cook for 30 minutes, or wait till the tomatoes turn into mush. Add the salt to the sauce according to your taste, let it cool, and then serve.
  • psychod787
    psychod787 Posts: 4,088 Member
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    Related to Greek Salads, I've been on a homemade falafel kick. They really are super easy to make. Because I'm Celiac, I wasn't finding mixes that were GF.

    The key is just soaking real (not canned) chickpeas overnight -- around one to two cups. 24 hours is best, with a tsp of baking soda to minimize, ehummm... The next day drain them, add an onion, cilantro or parsley, cumin, a couple of TBSs of flour (I use GF and it works out great), a tsp of Baking Powder, some garlic, a jalapeno and coriander, salt/pepper and pulse in food processor. They will look pretty dry and if you need do drizzle a little water in them until they just form balls that stick together.

    The only issue has been now I can't make a greek salad for my wife without the falafels, she loves them so much. I just brown them in a little olive oil and finish in the oven on foil. So good with greek salads.

    I also make a Tzatziki sauce as well for my wife out of DF yogurt to go with it.

    I used to go to this Lebanese place in Ohio. I miss it. But their Greek Dressing was amazing. They put so much lemon zest on their salad and have lemon cuttings in their olive oil. OMG it was so good. I try to emulate that with half lemon juice and vinegar and lots and lots of zest on the salad when I do my dressing.

    Another underrated food -- Panang Curry. I would kill for a great Thai Panang Curry. So hard to find in Tucson. One place is decent but it's an hour from my house!

    tzatziki sauce is my favorite ever

    Skordalia equally good, IMO, maybe better. More calorie-laden, in most recipes, though.

    I'm just not a huge fan of garlic :(

    More for us, then.

    Side comment: Don't know where you're getting low-garlic tzatziki. Making it? Any I've had has been pretty garlicky - part of the appeal, to me. 🤷‍♀️

    Toum sounds amazing too. That place in Ohio, Aladdin's (a Lebanese place that started near Cleveland) has this red sauce (and it's not the super hot one) that was incredible. I don't know what it was made from but definitely had a nice mild kick and garlic. Some sweetness too. Like roasted peppers, olive oil, lemon, some sugar (I think), salt and roasted garlic. Bit of heat but not overbearing.

    I'm with you on the garlic. Great way to use garlic is just cut the bottom of it off, rub it with olive oil and roast it in the oven with vegetables. Don't peel or separate. The cloves then squeeze right out after roasting. Amazing for any Greek or any dressing. Such an easy way to use fresh garlic.

    @psychod787 -- my wife can't eat cow dairy so I don't out of support. But man, cottage cheese and fresh tomatoes out of the garden. That's awesome. Of cow dairy, I really only miss Swiss and Cottage Cheese. That's it.

    I do something similar. I add balsamic vinegar and fresh basil.
  • pancakerunner
    pancakerunner Posts: 6,137 Member
    Cottage cheese is underrated ... needs more love 😉☺️ Especially the kind with probiotics .. add some fruit and you’ll say - yogurt who??? Lol

    totally depends on the brand IMO!
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 31,724 Member
    For a site that's mostly about reducing food consumption (😉), MFP forums have certainly turned me on to lots of good foods/recipes I hadn't learned about before, out here in my limited, provincial life. 😋 Thanks for the ME sauce ideas, folks - looking up recipes in another window right now.
  • Copper_Boom
    Copper_Boom Posts: 85 Member
    Ghiradelli semi-sweet chocolate chips. I keep them in the freezer and have a serving every night- satisfies my sweet cold dessert craving for only 70 calories!
  • VegjoyP
    VegjoyP Posts: 2,693 Member
    Sunflower seeds 🌻🌻🌻
  • pancakerunner
    pancakerunner Posts: 6,137 Member
    VegjoyP wrote: »
    Sunflower seeds 🌻🌻🌻

    Unshelled
  • VegjoyP
    VegjoyP Posts: 2,693 Member
    VegjoyP wrote: »
    Sunflower seeds 🌻🌻🌻

    Unshelled

    Yes! In smoothies and protein drinks, certain dishes- crush and use as a coating. Firm tofu, coat with Just Egg and roll in sunflower, Nutritional yeast and bake in Pyrex dish with avocado oil.

    I haven't tried this recipe yet but want to!
  • PAPYRUS3
    PAPYRUS3 Posts: 13,259 Member
    Dried mushrooms - currently loving white shiitake mushrooms and have a weird obsession (still) with black fungus - sounds great doesn't it? ha ha love the chewiness/meatiness of all mushrooms
  • BahstenB10
    BahstenB10 Posts: 227 Member
    Ahi tuna pan seared rare to mid rare extra extra blackening topped with salsa. From a health stand point it is a powerhouse of lean protein. Eat it every night.
  • acpgee
    acpgee Posts: 7,553 Member
    andybing11 wrote: »
    Ahi tuna pan seared rare to mid rare extra extra blackening topped with salsa. From a health stand point it is a powerhouse of lean protein. Eat it every night.

    Next time you are getting blood tests at the GP, ask to be tested for mercury levels. If they ask why, tell them you eat tuna every day.
  • BahstenB10
    BahstenB10 Posts: 227 Member
    acpgee wrote: »
    andybing11 wrote: »
    Ahi tuna pan seared rare to mid rare extra extra blackening topped with salsa. From a health stand point it is a powerhouse of lean protein. Eat it every night.

    Next time you are getting blood tests at the GP, ask to be tested for mercury levels. If they ask why, tell them you eat tuna every day.

    Maybe every day was an exaggeration but based on the EWG's calculator regarding mercury levels, I am at a safe level. Considering my weight, I can hang with 3-4x a week and be okay. Only 3-4 oz portions.
  • MikePfirrman
    MikePfirrman Posts: 3,307 Member
    edited August 2020
    acpgee wrote: »
    andybing11 wrote: »
    Ahi tuna pan seared rare to mid rare extra extra blackening topped with salsa. From a health stand point it is a powerhouse of lean protein. Eat it every night.

    Next time you are getting blood tests at the GP, ask to be tested for mercury levels. If they ask why, tell them you eat tuna every day.

    Nothing lots of cilantro coupled with organic Chlorella and Spirulina wouldn't take care of. Cilantro to get it moving around and the algae for chelation.

    Back to topic -- cilantro is very underrated. I use it in Mexican, Thai and Mediterranean cooking.
  • amorfati601070
    amorfati601070 Posts: 2,855 Member
    Textured vegetable protein. Its like the food they should send in mass in space expeditions. So versatile too.