Tag Archives: vegetables

Sweet and Sour Sauce

Condiment:  Sweet and Sour Sauce

Sometimes my refrigerator looks as though all we eat are condiments:  ketchup, mustard, salsas, mayo, chili sauce, and oriental sauce.  Finally I found one oriental Sweet and Sour Sauce to be enjoyed on many dishes:  vegetables, poultry, meats and seafood which is easily made in my own kitchen.  I have a sweet-loving husband who likes to eat everything with sugar” on it.  It seems this sauce satisfies the ‘sweet tooth.’

Sweet and Sour Sauce

Sweet and Sour Sauce

I do not remember the original source of this Sweet and Sour Sauce, I  first published it with the Oriental Vegetable and Rice Bowl. 

Oriental Vegetable and Rice Bowl

Oriental Vegetable and Rice Bowl

House Favorite Sweet and Sour Sauce

Roasted and steamed vegetables lacked that little extra piazza.  This Sweet and Sour Sauce became the house favorite condiment for that extra special zip. 

Sweet and Sour Sauce

Julia Ann
Enjoy a basic Sweet and Sour Sauce for mixing with vegetables or as a condiment for meats, poultry and seafood.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Course Sauce
Cuisine Asian
Servings 1 cup

Ingredients
  

  • 3/4 cup of white sugar
  • 1 tablespoon dry white wine or water
  • 3 tablespoon white wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons lite soy sauce
  • 3 tablespoons ketchup
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1/2 cup water

Instructions
 

  • Put the first 5 ingredients into small sauce pan.
  • Stir the cornstarch into the water until smooth and dissolved.
  • Add to the sugar mixture.
  • Whisk to blend.
  • Heat over low heat, stirring until thickened.
  • Keep warm to add to steamed vegetables.

Notes

The sauce can be served cold or warmed to use as a condiment. --------------------
Julia Ann and cookbookinabox® in partnership with Netta Belle’s Choice® bring you great recipes for your cooking experience. ©2007-2015 Netta Belle’s Choice® The Art of Gourmet Cookery® cookbookinabox® “Reg. U.S. Pat. & Trdmk. Off.” Reg. “Trade-marks Canadian Intellectual Property Office. “ Netta Belle’s Choice® The Art of Gourmet Cookery® cookbookinabox® . All rights reserved.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

 

Meat, poultry and seafood can be enhanced with the same Sweet and Sour Sauce

Check us out on Facebook.

  

Logo

Julia Ann and cookbookinabox® in partnership with Netta Belle’s Choice®  bring you great recipes, outstanding herbs and spice for your cooking experience.  ©2007-2018 Netta Belle’s Choice® The Art of Gourmet Cookery® cookbookinabox® “Reg. U.S. Pat. & Trdmk. Off.” Reg. “Trade-marks Canadian Intellectual Property Office. “Netta Belle’s Choice® The Art of Gourmet Cookery® cookbookinabox® All rights reserved.

  

Simply Salads by cookbookinabox

cookbookinabox trip to the Farmer's Market

cookbookinabox trip to the Farmer’s Market

Simply Salads of fresh vegetables and fruit combined can be the center of lunch or part of an elaborate dinner.  Fresh vegetables and fruit can show up in the whole meal or menu.  Check out the menu below.

A trip to the local farmer’s market makes a bountiful supply of fresh vegetables and fruit for gourmet and ordinary cooking.  Road side stands, city markets, farmer’s markets, co-operative groceries and big name grocery stores are teeming with produce. Check out your community to find the foods for healthy eating.

Which recipe would you like to make?  Look for the heading “Recent Recipes” in the right column for these dishes listed below. Or use the category search.

       Select a recipe from each of the following list of foods to plan a menu for dinner.

Appetizer:  Celery and carrot sticks, pineapple chunks and strawberries

    Bread:  Sweet Potato & Cranberry Nut Bread or Sweet Wheat Bread

       Soup:  Summer Vegetable Soup or Corn and Mushroom Chowder

           Salad:  Cabbage Apple Slaw  or Vegetable Fusilli Salad

               Entree:  Asparagus Tart or Collard Greens, Corn and Tortilla Strata

                   Vegetable:  Braised Carrots & Fennel,   Savory Baked Corn

                        Dessert:  Chocolate Cake or Apple Cobbler

                            Snack:  Molasses Cookies or Grand Canyon Hermit Cookies

How about quick and easy salads?

                                 Simply Salads by cookbookinabox®

Tomato avacado simple salad_0953Tomato, avocado and large pitted black olives are sprinkled with lime juice. To add more color serve it on a bed of romaine lettuce or spinach.  Need more veggies, try chopping scallions on top. Serve with your favorite salad dressing. Asparagus Tart and this simple salad would make a good luncheon or brunch meal.

Pear orange simple salad _3797Red Bartlett pear and a naval orange are diced with chopped red onion, feta cheese and chopped walnuts on top.  Anjou or Bosc pears, pecans or even add dried cranberries or cherries for another quick simple salad.  Use a sweet vinaigrette dressing. The Microwaved Steamed Salmon with Bok Choy is an easy entree to serve with Simply Salads by cookbookinabox.

Orange almond simple salad_3727Salad or dessert, a little of each,  a layered fruit salad of green grapes halves, pineapple chunks, diced navel oranges and sprinkling of toast almonds and coconut flakes on top.  The juice provide its own dressing.  This simple salad would be a sweet ending to the Corn and Mushroom Chowder.

As cooks, we sometimes get so caught up trying to give the best tasting gourmet dinner and an stunning  eye-appealing  presentation we get overwhelmed and frazzled.  Try some of the suggested Simply Salads by cookbookinabox® with any of the Recent Recipes listed on the side.

Recipes are free online.  You may reach it by www.cookbookinabox.com/blog or cookbookinabox.com.  Also follow us and Like us on Facebook.   Give us a a like on G+.

You can subscribe to receive new recipe posts as they are published, remove Juliaann @cookbookinabox.com and insert your e-mail address in the box on the right.  E-mails are not used by any other blogger and are for receiving these recipe notices only.

                                                              

Julia Ann and cookbookinabox® in partnership with Netta Belle’s Choice® bring you great recipes for your cooking experience. ©2007-2018 Netta Belle’s Choice® The Art of Gourmet Cookery® cookbookinabox® “Reg. U.S. Pat. & Trdmk. Off. Reg. “Trade-marks Canadian Intellectual Property Office.  “Netta Belle’s Choice® The Art of Gourmet Cookery® cookbookinabox® All rights reserved.

 

Collard Greens, Corn and Tortilla Strata

Collard Greens, Corn and Tortilla Strata

Several years ago, collard greens and many other vegetables were not available in grocery stores.  With the ‘world trade’, seasonal foods are available all year. Dandelion greens or spinach were only greens I was familiar with.  Maybe turnip or beet greens were available on our farm table, but what kid was going to eat them if they could get out of it.  My children were subjected to lettuces and spinach in salads.

So now I have learned to eat, cook and share Collard Greens, Corn and Tortilla Strata.

Collard Greens, Corn and Tortilla Strata

Collard Greens, Corn and Tortilla Strata

Nutritional Benefits

As you might have gathered, collard greens are good for you.  They are a dark green vegetable with the ability to lower cholesterol and  cancer protection. Collard greens are high in Vitamin K, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, calcium, fiber, and manganese to name a few.  There is your multiple vitamin! Now corn adds B vitamins, folate and thiamin when eaten as a special summertime food, corn-on-the-cob, a midwest favorite side dish.  Corn is considered a staple food, the basis for polenta, tortillas, burritos, corn meal, flour, starch and popcorn!¹

I adapted this recipe by adding roasted red bell peppers instead of mushrooms.  I like the sweeter taste plus the red color. Red bell peppers provide Vitamin C, A, B6 and folate.  Add garlic to the strata, it is credited to  having healing potential of lowering cholesterol and cancer protection.¹  Use 1% milk to lower fat and calories, though I did add cheddar cheese on top.

Collard Greens, Corn and Tortilla Strata

Julia Ann
A layered casserole of vegetables and flour tortillas. A vegetarian side dish to be enjoyed with or without a meat entrée. It's an American lasagna!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Course Vegetable Casserole
Cuisine American
Servings 6

Ingredients
  

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 375 F.
  • Grease a 2 1/2 quart or 9 x 13 casserole dish.
  • In a large sauce pan, heat the olive oil, add the minced garlic, cook until soft.
  • Add the blanched fresh or frozen collard greens, cook until tender, about 5 minutes.
  • Combine the milk, salt, pepper sauce into the flour, stir until smooth.
  • Add the milk mixture to the collard greens, stir until the sauce is creamy and thickened slightly, about 5 minutes.
  • Add the corn and roasted red bell peppers, heat about 3 minutes
  • Remove from heat, stir in 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese until melted.
  • Arrange a layer of tortillas on the bottom of the casserole, cover with half of collard/corn mixture.
  • Add another layer of tortillas, cover with remainder of mixed vegetables.
  • Sprinkle top of casserole with remainder of the shredded cheese.
  • Bake for 25 minutes or casserole is hot and bubbling.

Notes

Recipe adapted from Fight Back With Food: Use Nutrition To Heal What Ails You, Readers Digest Association, Inc. cookbookinabox® in partnership with Netta Belle’s Choice®  bring you great recipes for your cooking experience. ©2007-2018 Netta Belle’s Choice® cookbookinabox® “Reg. U.S. Pat. & Trdmk.Off.” Reg. “Trade-marks Canadian Intellectual Property Office.”nettabelleschoice.com and cookbookinabox.com
All rights reserved.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

 

 

cookbookinabox® in partnership with Netta Belle’s Choice® bring you great recipes for your cooking experience.

Netta Belle's Choice cookbookinabox©2007-2018 Netta Belle’s Choice® cookbookinabox® “Reg. U.S. Pat. & Trdmk.Off.” Reg. “Trade-marks Canadian Intellectual Property Office.” nettabelleschoice.com and cookbookinabox.com.  All rights reserved.

Vegetable Fusilli Salad

Vegetable Fusilli Salad

Vegetable Fusilli Salad

Vegetable Fusilli Salad

Vegetable Fusilli Salad, Netta Belle' Choice

Julia Ann
A cool salad in the summer and a winter treat with hot sandwiches in the winter to enjoy the fresh vegetables.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 57 minutes
Course Pasta
Cuisine Italian
Servings 8

Ingredients
  

  • 8 ounces dry tri-vegetable fusilli pasta

Instructions
 

  • Cook the fusilli according to manufacturer's directions.
  • Rinse in cold water and refrigerate to cool before assembling salad.
  • Blanch asparagus in boiling water for 11/2-2 minutes until tender but firm.
  • Rinse in cold water; refrigerate to cool.
  • Dice and slice the onion, olives and tomato.
  • Put all ingredients into a large bowl.
  • Mix all ingredients of the Basil Red Wine Vinaigrette in a jar, shake to mix.
  • Heat the vinaigrette slightly to dissolve the sugar if needed.
  • Pour the Vinaigrette over the pasta and vegetables.
  • Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.
  • Spinkle parmesan cheese over the salad before serving.

Notes

cookbookinabox® in partnership with Netta Belle’s Choice® bring you great recipes,  for your cooking experience.
2007-2015 Netta Belle's Choice cookbookinabox "Reg.U.S. Pat. & Trdmk. Off." All rights reserved.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Waiting for another snow storm to come into the midwest.  Winter is getting long!  Looking forward to have pasta salads with fresh vegetables from the local farmer’s market.  Although it will be awhile, this salad would be great with pulled pork sandwiches.

 

Vegetable Fusilli Salad Plate

Vegetable Fusilli Salad Plate

Netta Belle's Choice cookbookinabox

cookbookinabox® in partnership with Netta Belle’s Choice®  bring you great recipes for your cooking experience.

©2007-2018 Netta Belle’s Choice® cookbookinabox® “Reg. U.S. Pat. & Trdmk.Off.” Reg. “Trade-marks Canadian Intellectual Property Office.” nettabelleschoice.com and cookbookinabox.com All rights reserved.

 

Braised Fennel and Carrots

 Netta Belle’s Choice® Braised Fennel and Carrots

Dish of fennel and braised carrots.

 

 Fennel

Fennel has a flavor of anise, a mild licorice taste.  In many of the grocery stores it is sold as anise. Fennel can be eaten raw in salads with vegetables or fruits, cooked by braising, sauteing, stir-frying, steaming, or roasting.  It is an excellent source of Vitamin C, dietary fiber, potassium, manganese and folate.  The seeds are used in sausage, meat loaf, tomato sauces and bread. The seeds make a nice flavor to a fruit salad with the mild licorice taste.

Carrots

Carrots, a versatile vegetable, are good to snack raw or even in a cake for dessert. Carrots are in salads, side dishes, stews, soups and roasts.  They have a sweet taste, particularly when cooked in any variety of techniques as in Braised Fennel and Carrots.  Vitamin A is the highest nutrient in carrots, along with vitamin K, dietary fiber, vitamin C, potassium, manganese as well as smaller percentages of vitamin B6, B3, B1, B2 and E.

Braised Fennel and Carrots

Julia Ann
Enjoy the mild anise flavor and herbs of fennel with the sweetness of carrots for a vegetable side dish to serve with roast pork or a tofu entree.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Course Vegetable
Cuisine Italian
Servings 4
Calories 18 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 fennel bulb cut into quarters lengthwise
  • 1 ½ cup carrots cut into 3 inch pieces
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 cup chicken broth low fat
  • 1 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
  • 2 tbsp vinegar white wine
  • ¼ teaspoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon thyme leaves dried whole
  • salt and pepper to your taste

Instructions
 

  • Trim fennel bulb, cut off stems, leaves and the bottom.
  • Wash thoroughly, cut into quarters. Cut out the core or heart of the bulb.
  • Wash and scrape carrots, cut into 3-inches pieces then quarters.
  • Mince garlic cloves.
  • Combine broth, oil, garlic, fennel, carrots into a large saucepan.
  • Bring vegetables to a boil.
  • Reduce heat to simmer until vegetables are tender, about 15-20 minutes.
  • Remove vegetables to a warm bowl, cover and keep warm.
  • Increase heat on liquid, reduce to 1/3 cup, about 5 minutes.
  • Mix the wine vinegar, sugar, thyme and seasonings
  • Heat through.
  • Pour the seasoned syrup over the warm vegetables before serving.

Notes

cookbookinabox® in partnership with Netta Belle’s Choice®  bring you great recipes for your cooking experience. ©2007-2019 Netta Belle’s Choice® cookbookinabox® “Reg. U.S. Pat. & Trdmk.Off.” Reg. “Trade-marks Canadian Intellectual Property Office.” nettabelleschoice.com and cookbookinabox.com. All rights reserved.

Nutrition

Calories: 18kcalCarbohydrates: 4gProtein: 1gFat: 1gSodium: 30mgPotassium: 242mgFiber: 2gVitamin A: 78IUVitamin C: 7mgCalcium: 29mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

 

cookbookinabox® in partnership with Netta Belle’s Choice® bring you great recipes for your cooking experience.

Netta Belle's Choice cookbookinabox©2007-2018 Netta Belle’s Choice® cookbookinabox® “Reg. U.S. Pat. & Trdmk.Off.”  Reg. “Trade-marks Canadian Intellectual Property Office.” nettabelleschoice.com and cookbookinabox.com All rights reserved.