For the love of Produce...

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Replies

  • Zinka61
    Zinka61 Posts: 522 Member
    My favorite way to eat Brussels sprouts (frozen) is halved and roasted on parchment with diced Pink Lady apples and diced Delicata squash. I don't even use oil or salt--It's great just as it is.
  • lemurcat2
    lemurcat2 Posts: 7,899 Member
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    acpgee wrote: »
    I watched episode 1 (Naples) of Stanley Tucci: In Search of Italy and had to try the courgette pasta he was obsessing about.
    https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/285205/that-zucchini-spaghetti-stanley-tucci-loves-spaghetti-alla-nerano/
    Really good for 5 ingredients (courgette, spaghetti, butter, basil and cheese - if you don't count salt, pepper and oil for frying). I used the air fryer in batches after coating the courgette slices in oil instead of deep frying. Really good but not life changing (Stanley Tucci's description). Because it requires quite a lot of courgette good for dealing with a zucchini glut, for people who grow it in their gardens.
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    acpgee wrote: »
    I watched episode 1 (Naples) of Stanley Tucci: In Search of Italy and had to try the courgette pasta he was obsessing about.
    https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/285205/that-zucchini-spaghetti-stanley-tucci-loves-spaghetti-alla-nerano/
    Really good for 5 ingredients (courgette, spaghetti, butter, basil and cheese - if you don't count salt, pepper and oil for frying). I used the air fryer in batches after coating the courgette slices in oil instead of deep frying. Really good but not life changing (Stanley Tucci's description). Because it requires quite a lot of courgette good for dealing with a zucchini glut, for people who grow it in their gardens.
    8m3f695pzm4x.jpg

    I don't have a recipe, but another fun thing a friend of mine made to use zucchini (courgette) aplenty was a pasta topping (or mix in?) that involved combining quite a quantity of finely-grated raw squash with olive oil, seasonings of choice (probably some garlic, salt pepper, maybe herbs, onions, whatever, even a bit of good vinegar wouldn't be deadly).

    I wouldn't use super-chilled squash, but the idea was just to drain the pasta, then toss the raw topping with the hot pasta in the hot pan to warm, not cook it. It was tasty.

    Something similar (I often use mushrooms too) is a standard fast dinner for me.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 31,717 Member
    I hesitate to post this, because the main dish is kind of scary brownish looking, but it was definitely produce-centric, and it tasted good. (Needs some artful parsley garnish, or something.)

    What we have here is spaghetti squash with marinara and a little grated hard cheese; plus sauteed cremini mushrooms, onions, and a little minced garlic; plus some leftover roasted asparagus cut into chunks. The side is just cut up English cucumber, orange bell pepper, carrot, cherry tomatoes.

    Earlier this afternoon, I was hungry/crave-y. The good news is that after eating about 1.2kg of produce for dinner, I'm not hungry anymore - not even close. 😆 All this for 429 calories, with 20g protein (though the protein quality is marginal - filled out by what I ate earlier in the day, though).

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  • o0Firekeeper0o
    o0Firekeeper0o Posts: 416 Member
    acpgee wrote: »
    Whats your favourite thing to do with haricots vert? We have some in the fridge and want ti do a side to go with steak for a dinner party tonight.

    Late on the reply but I love them for my quick n’ shady nicoise salads! But that only uses a handful at a time :D
  • acpgee
    acpgee Posts: 7,551 Member
    Good idea @o0Firekeeper0o. The first batch of haricot vert were blanched, sauteed and butter and dressed with anchovy pangrattato. I have a bag of green beans and will make nicoise tonight if I remember to pick up the tuna from the supermarket that has the good stuff under the office.
  • mtaratoot
    mtaratoot Posts: 12,930 Member
    I wasn't sure what I would cook last night. I thought I might just cook a rutabaga I bought last week. Then when I looked in the refrigerator, I realized how much delicious produce my friend had left me from her CSA box. I grabbed some of the broccoli raab, some of the purple sprouting broccoli, and some mustard greens. I added a few ribs of celery, sliced thin, a half onion also sliced thin, and a few leaves of some delicious fresh green cabbage. It was a simple dish sauteed in hazelnut oil.

    I made a little tri-color quinoa to eat with it.

    This is the first meal I have made in a really long time without any garlic at all.

    It was really good. There was a lot of it. Even as much as there was, it would have been easy to just eat it all. Somehow I was able to save half to eat for lunch today or tomorrow.

    The weekend is forecast to be cool and rainy. I think I'll soak some black beans. I took some black bean soup out of the freezer last week, and it made me realize I really should make a lot more. So delicious.
  • acpgee
    acpgee Posts: 7,551 Member
    Salade nicoise.
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  • o0Firekeeper0o
    o0Firekeeper0o Posts: 416 Member
    acpgee wrote: »
    Salade nicoise.
    hcixm8qmjg6z.jpeg

    That looks AMAZING. I make mine with canned tuna and usually don’t have the egg or capers on hand, thus the “shady” aspect of my nicoise. But man it’s SUCH a good salad!

    I just tried kumquats for the first time today. They are INCREDIBLE. So sour but also with a candied orange peel flavor… I’m addicted. I saw a YouTube video on different citruses and being the citrus addict that I am, I was inspired to try them
  • mtaratoot
    mtaratoot Posts: 12,930 Member
    @acpgee

    Those eggs are cooked perfectly. I recently changed how I make hard cooked eggs. What’s your method?

    The tuna looks delicious too. I am a big fan of fresh albacore, and ahi is always tasty. I should take a sockeye fillet out of the freezer.
  • acpgee
    acpgee Posts: 7,551 Member
    @mtaratoot
    I used my hubby's method for the eggs. These were lowered into boiling water for 6 minutes, stirring for the first minute to ensure that yolks are centred. Afterwards plunged into cold water. I think for nicoise a slightly firmer yolk is more practical so next time will do for 7 minutes.

    I get my cast iron griddle pan to 250C according to the laser surface thermometer and fry oiled tuna for 30 seconds each side. I nonetheless struggle to make neat thin slices. If anyone has tips on how to do this I would be grateful. Glad to see on Masterchef New Zealand they also struggle to make neat slices of seared tuna.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 31,717 Member
    acpgee wrote: »
    Salade nicoise.
    hcixm8qmjg6z.jpeg

    That looks AMAZING. I make mine with canned tuna and usually don’t have the egg or capers on hand, thus the “shady” aspect of my nicoise. But man it’s SUCH a good salad!

    I just tried kumquats for the first time today. They are INCREDIBLE. So sour but also with a candied orange peel flavor… I’m addicted. I saw a YouTube video on different citruses and being the citrus addict that I am, I was inspired to try them

    Yes to kumquats! I've been able to get good ones here - far from their native territory! - lately, too. Such a nice little treat. 😋

    Exactly once in my life, I saw and bought limequats - a similar-sized green lime-tasting citrus, but sweet enough to eat out of hand like a kumquat: Tart, sweet, yummy. So, so good . . . I wish I could find more.
  • acpgee
    acpgee Posts: 7,551 Member
    Hubby came back with a cheap kilo box of strawberries which is surprising at this time of the year. Apparently imported from Spain. I haven't tried one yet, but they smell amazing.
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  • mtaratoot
    mtaratoot Posts: 12,930 Member
    acpgee wrote: »
    @mtaratoot
    I used my hubby's method for the eggs. These were lowered into boiling water for 6 minutes, stirring for the first minute to ensure that yolks are centred. Afterwards plunged into cold water. I think for nicoise a slightly firmer yolk is more practical so next time will do for 7 minutes.

    I get my cast iron griddle pan to 250C according to the laser surface thermometer and fry oiled tuna for 30 seconds each side. I nonetheless struggle to make neat thin slices. If anyone has tips on how to do this I would be grateful. Glad to see on Masterchef New Zealand they also struggle to make neat slices of seared tuna.

    I changed my technique to something similar from putting eggs in cold water, heating to boil, getting off the heat, and letting sit for nine minutes before plunging in cold water. Now I gently lower them into GENTLY boiling water. It's the timing I'm working on. Has to be a very gentle boil or the albumin gets tough. They are easier to peel with this method. I think I'm doing ten minutes, and I'll try seven minutes next time.

    Here's an idea I just thought of for the ahi. First cut into those rectangles, then pop in the freezer for maybe ten or 15 minutes. Then use a boning knife and make slits almost all the way through. Then pan sear on two or four sides. You might reduce the sear time as the inside will cook a bit if it's partially open, but that would be a great way to get easy-to-separate small slices in the finished product.
  • SuzanneC1l9zz
    SuzanneC1l9zz Posts: 451 Member
    My breakfast this morning was a slice of my homemade herb & garlic bread, toasted, topped with half an avocado and some finely cut up mushrooms and onions sauteed in a small amount of olive oil. With a couple of sticks of turkey pepperoni to bump up the protein and calories a bit. So simple, but so good!
  • o0Firekeeper0o
    o0Firekeeper0o Posts: 416 Member
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    Exactly once in my life, I saw and bought limequats - a similar-sized green lime-tasting citrus, but sweet enough to eat out of hand like a kumquat: Tart, sweet, yummy. So, so good . . . I wish I could find more.

    A LIMEquat?! That sounds absolutely amazing. I didn’t even know such a thing existed. I hope I can get them for myself one day!
  • mtaratoot
    mtaratoot Posts: 12,930 Member
    I made lots of veggies the last two nights, trying to use up what my friend gave me from her CSA box before she brought me more. Of course I got to share the bounty with her when the food was cooked.

    Wednesday night was a mix of mustard greens, collard greens, purple sprouting broccoli, broccoli rabe, onions, garlic, and a big handful of mixed salad greens. I added a chile de arbol, some soy sauce, and some fish sauce. And lots and lots of freshly grated ginger. I made a very small batch of brown basmati rice to go along with it. It was SO good. I ate a third of it, gave her a third as a to-go box, and took a third for lunch yesterday.

    Last night I cooked the last of the mustard greens and salad greens of course with more onion and garlic. I added a julienned rutabaga and a couple big yellow carrots. It was a much smaller batch of vegetables, and still quite tasty. I made sprouted brown rice and a nice fillet of Sockeye salmon. Again it was quite tasty.

    But I've been eating too late in the evening and too much and well... the scale tells me I'm eating very well.
  • acpgee
    acpgee Posts: 7,551 Member
    There were mangosteen at the asian supermarket! My favourite fruit. They were exorbitant but I couldn't resist buying a box. Last time I ate them was on a pre-pandemic vacation in Thailand. Does anyone know how to tell when they are ripe?
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  • acpgee
    acpgee Posts: 7,551 Member
    Mangosteen is such beautiful looking fruit. Pictured from top and bottom. Love the little flower like pattern at the base. It reminds me of Japanese ceramics with a pretty decorative pattern on the underside of the plate that only the dishwasher will enjoy.
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