Easy Grilled Vegetable Recipes

Broccoli salad is a very versatile dish that can be made in an endless variety of ways. Here is a breakdown of the most popular ingredients and dressings.

1-Ingredients:

The first ingredient is of course fresh broccoli. 2 heads will do for an average sized salad. Chop the stem off and cut the flowerettes into bite sized pieces.

Next add some chopped vegetables. The favorites are onion, celery, carrots and cauliflower. Just add as much as you like until it looks like a good mix.

Some people like to add bacon. Fry up 6-8 strips until crispy, drain grease and set aside. Crumble bacon after it's cooled and add to salad just before serving.

Any type of cheese can be used. It can be cubed, crumbled, shredded, or creamed as part of a dressing.

Fruit is often added to these salads, usually raisins. Also popular are grapes, cranberries, chopped apple, mandarin orange pieces, or any dried fruit.

Adding sunflower seeds or nuts to the mix gives the salad a little extra crunch. Almonds, walnuts, cashews and hazelnuts are good examples. Try not to chop the nuts too small. Keeping the pieces larger helps the flavour of the nut stand out a little. Toasting the nuts with a little seasoning is an option as well.

If you would rather not chop up any fruit or nuts just add some trail mix to the salad instead.

2-Dressings:

a. The standard dressing for this salad is a basic mayonnaise/vinegar/sugar mix:

1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup vinegar
1/4 cup sugar

* Mayonnaise can be mixed with yogurt to lighten it up.
* Flavoured vinegar can be used or substituted with lemon or lime juice.
* Artificial sweetener can be used instead of sugar.

b. An oil/vinegar dressing can also be used:

1/2 cup salad oil
1/4 cup vinegar
1/4 cup sugar(optional)
1/2 tsp. salt

* Flavoured cider or wine vinegar is recommended.
* Spices such as celery seed, onion powder, basil, and oregano can be added.

c. Your favorite bottled dressing can be used as well. Any creamy or italian style dressing will work fine on a broccoli salad . A good one to try is 3-cheese ranch.

3-More Stuff:

Here's a few various items that could be added to make your salad something original:

* Any canned vegetable such as peas, corn or beans(black, kidney, garbanzo, waxed, etc.).
* Fresh vegetables such as mushrooms, chives, bean sprouts, green beans, cucumber and bell peppers.
* Seafood can make it interesting: shrimp, scallops, salmon, and calamari are good additions.

4-The Method:

* Add broccoli flowerettes and any other ingredients you are using to your salad bowl. If you are using crumbled bacon or bacon bits add them just before serving.
* Add your dressing, mix and refrigerate 2-4 hours or overnight.
* Stir salad again before serving.

INGREDIENTS :

- 6 large green onions
- 2 green peppers
- 1 or 2 cans of tomatoes (diced or whole)
- 3 Carrots
- 1 Container (10 oz. or so) Mushrooms
- 1 bunch of celery
- Half a head of cabbage
- 1 package Lipton soup mix
- 1 or 2 cubes of bouillon (optional)
- 1 48oz can V8 juice (optional)
- Season to taste with salt, pepper, parsley, curry, garlic powder, etc.

Slice green onions, put in a pot and start cooking. Cut green pepper stem end off and cut in half, take the seeds and membrane out. Cut the green-pepper into bite size pieces and add to pot. Take the outer leafs layers off the cabbage, cut into bite size pieces, add to pot. Clean carrots, cut into bite size pieces, and add to pot. Slice mushrooms into thick slices, add to pot .If you would like a spicy soup, and add a small amount of curry or cayenne pepper now. You can use beef or chicken bouillon cubes for seasonings. These have all the salt and flavors you will need. Use about 12 cups of water, cover and put heat on low. Let soup cook for a long time - two hours works well. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

This is the recipe I found, and from speaking to several people this is my conclusion: if you stick to the plan, it can work for you, yet this whole cabbage soup business is for those who can actually appreciate it. As for me, I truly believe that one should consume not only what would make his loose weight, but also something that would taste good! What would be the point of suffering if your final goal is to feel good? I think that one should enjoy not only the result but also the process!

Try this cabbage soup recipe. You will not regret it. There aren't a lot of tatsy and healthy foods as the cabbage soup.

Did you know that one of the most popular vegetables in the United States is actually a fruit? Categorized by botanists as a fruit but eaten by consumers as a vegetable, tomatoes are appreciated for their combination of sweetness and acidity.

Any way you slice it, tomatoes are a delicious way to add nutrients to the diet. They are rich in vitamins A and C and are a good source of potassium. Tomatoes are also naturally low in sodium and contain no cholesterol.

Many people store tomatoes alongside other vegetables in their refrigerator's crisper drawer, but that's not the best place for them. Tomatoes should be stored at room temperature to maintain maximum flavor. Cool temperatures inside your refrigerator will stop the ripening process and begin to decrease the flavor and change the texture. Try storing your tomatoes in a decorative bowl on the counter.

Tomatoes and bananas help each other ripen quicker. Tomatoes and bananas emit a naturally occurring ripening gas called ethylene and when you store the two together they both ripen rapidly. If you need to ripen a tomato quickly, store it in a closed paper bag on the counter. The ethylene gas speeds up the ripening process when confined around the fruit in a closed bag.

Although tomatoes are native to Central and South America, they are now eaten throughout the world and are an ingredient in countless recipes. Many people consider tomatoes an essential part of their vegetable gardens each summer and they are available at your local market year-round.

For more information about tomatoes online, log on to www.sunripeproduce.com. For more recipes and information on how to incorporate a variety of fruits and vegetables into your diet, visit www.5aday.org.

Pico de Gallo

Pico de Gallo is a fresh tomato salsa often served as a dip for tortilla chips but it's also terrific spooned onto grilled fish, chicken or pork.

Ingredients:

8 SUNRIPE Bella Roma (plum) tomatoes, chopped

1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped

2 jalapenos, minced

1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

Juice of 1/2 a lime

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Instructions:

Mix all ingredients together and enjoy.

Serves: 8 − 1/2 cup of vegetables per serving

Nutrition Information per Serving: calories: 15, total fat: 0.2g, saturated fat: 0.03g, % of calories from fat: 8, % of calories from saturated fat: 1, protein: 1g, carbohydrate: 3g, cholesterol: 0mg, dietary fiber: 1g, sodium 149mg.

Today, we look for versatility, variety and convenience in the foods we eat. Tomatoes top the list of versatile foods because they are not only good for you, they complement almost any meal or occasion.

There are more than a dozen varieties of tomatoes. Slices of large, round tomatoes are great on the grill; Roma or plum tomatoes make delicious sauces; and cherry or grape tomatoes make a convenient snack.

Tomatoes' versatility makes them ideal for all eating and entertaining occasions, whether used as an ingredient, an accompaniment or as a stand-alone.

To ensure the best flavor, never refrigerate. The tomato makes an enzyme that produces flavor as it ripens. Once the temperature falls below 55 degrees, it permanently stops producing that enzyme.

Tomatoes are an important dietary source of lycopene, an antioxidant being studied for its ability to keep tissues healthy. Tomatoes also are high in vitamins and fiber - one medium red tomato has 20 percent of the daily requirements of vitamin A, 40 percent of the daily requirements of vitamin C and as much fiber as a slice of whole wheat bread.

This tomato recipe, developed by SunRipe Produce, meets nutritional standards set by Produce for Better Health Foundation.


SUNRIPE BELLA ROMA

DI POMODORO

(Makes 6 servings)


3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

3 medium garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced

12 Bella Roma Italian-style tomatoes (plum tomatoes), cut into chunks

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1 pound penne pasta

10 basil leaves, torn by hand into small pieces

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley


In a large skillet, heat olive oil and saute garlic. Add tomatoes, salt and pepper. Simmer sauce for 10 to 15 minutes; do not overcook the tomatoes. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions. Spoon sauce over pasta and sprinkle with parsley and basil.


Nutritional information per serving: 364 calories, 8.3g total fat, 1.3g saturated fat, 20 percent calories from fat, 3 percent calories from saturated fat, 12g protein, 63g carbohydrates, 0mg cholesterol, 4g dietary fiber, 65mg sodium.


Elizabeth Pivonka, Ph.D., is a registered dietitian and president and CEO of Produce for Better Health Foundation.