Vegetable Dishes from Heartwood Kitchen
- Justin's Roasted Vegetables Beans
- Shemaia's Teriaki Burdock with Carrots
- Justin's Coconut-Curry Vegetables
- Melanie's Sweet Potato and Millet Mash
- Justin's Shepherd Pie
- Shemaia's Wakame Salad
- Justin's Squash and Yam Puree
Your perfect rice is cooking. Your beans are reaching their peak of flavor in the crock-pot. Now you are ready to prepare vegetables. Chunky vegetables, which are what we’ll use for this recipe, are those that can be cut into bite-sized chunks. Consider onions, zucchini, fennel, celery, carrots, summer squash, burdock, daikon radish, green beans, turnips, broccoli, cauliflower, peppers, mushrooms, (shiitakes are especially wonderful), asparagus, okra….
First, make your choice of steaming, sautéing or baking the veggies. Sautéing and baking are richer because of the added oil. Steaming is simpler and healthier, because there is no heated oil involved (heating oil changes its molecular structure in a way that deters rather than promotes health). Choose the method that suits you on this particular day.
If you choose to steam your vegetables
- Put them in a steamer inside a pot with an inch of water.
- An even simpler method is to put your veggies in a pot with just enough water to steam the veggies. With less water, there is less waste of nutrients, vitamins and minerals.
- Cover and bring to a boil. Closely watch the pot. The perfect outcome occurs when the water is mostly gone and the veggies are perfectly done.
- Check every few minutes to attain a height in color and just the right texture of cooked vegetables you like.
- You may rinse the vegetables briefly under cold water to stop the cooking and to retain color.
- Or, you may simply serve them immediately.
- Cooking water may be used for sauces and soups.
If you choose to sauté your vegetables for a rich and satisfying flavor
- Place 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil in a heavy skillet.
- As the skillet heats, add chopped onions.
- Sauté over low to medium heat for a couple of minutes.
- Add denser veggies first, as they take longer to become tender.
- For example, root veggies are dense: carrots, turnips, parsnips, daikon radish and burdock.
- The faster cooking veggies are celery, fennel, zucchini and summer squash.
- Add one vegetable at a time, and sauté it for a couple of minutes.
- As you add each vegetable, the oil seals in the individual flavor of that vegetable.
- The longer the veggies cook, the sweeter they become.
- When all the veggies are sautéed, check to see if they are tender.
- If they are not quite tender, add 1/4 cup of water to the skillet and cover with a lid. This steaming process will quickly finish off the cooking.
In the winter, you may choose to bake your vegetables for a special flavor and texture.
- Chop vegetables into bite-sized pieces.
- Potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams and winter squash work well.
- For added flavor, sprinkle with a mixture of olive oil, a dash of salt, and herbs (oregano, basil) and spices (chili, cardamom, even cinnamon).
- Bake in a moderate oven (350 degrees) for 45 minutes to an hour.
- You want to cook them long enough for a tender texture. If you cook them for too long, the vegetables will break down into a watery texture (and then dry up and shrivel).
Once your vegetables are ready to be served, along with a whole grain or beans, you are ready to eat. To dress it up, serve a topping, condiment, or sauce as described in the page on Condiments and Sauces to add texture and flavor.
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Be creative! Use whatever vegetables you want, e.g., zucchini (chunks), carrots (chunks), onions (fat wedges), bell peppers (thin strips), tomatoes (wedges). Toss veggies with olive oil, salt and pepper. Place in a flat baking dish in a single layer and roast in a 400 degree oven until soft and a little browned on one side.
Shemaia's Teriaki Burdock with Carrots
For marinade, combine raw grated ginger root, 1/3 cup apple juice, 1/4 cup mirin and 1/8 cup (or less) tamari. Diagonally slice burdock and carrots and cover with marinade sauce. Simmer one hour until tender. Garnish with dash of lemon juice, thinly sliced scallions, and a sprinkle of toasted sesame oil.
Justin's Coconut-Curry Vegetables
Cut up yams in one inch cubes and blanch until half-cooked. Cut cauliflower into small florets and bell peppers into thin, long strips. Combine some coconut milk, curry powder, tamari and fresh grated ginger (dash of cayenne is optional). Place vegetables in a covered casserole dish and toss with curry sauce. Bake at 375 degrees for one hour. Stir once. Cook until vegetables are tender.
Melanie's Sweet Potato and Millet Mash
Measure 2 cups of millet, pick through for pebbles, and rinse. Add double the amount of water in a pot with a tightly closed lid. Add a pinch of salt and let simmer until all the water is absorbed. The millet should be over cooked and mushy, not crumbly. While the millet is cooking, bake 2 sweet potatoes or yams (skins on) in the oven until they are nice and soft. Test with a fork. Toast some almonds and chop. Mash together the millet, sweet potato and a little thyme (roasted garlic is another nice addition) until there is a nice even consistency. Be sure not to let it cool. It will hold much nicer if the mixture is hot. Lightly grease a baking dish and press the millet mixture firmly into the pan. Sprinkle with toasted almonds. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes, or until the desired texture is reached.
For topping, boil potatoes and mash together with olive oil (or a little butter), parsley, salt and pepper. Set aside. For the filling, chop vegetables: zucchini and bell peppers (small diced), onions and garlic (minced), carrots (shredded) as well as others desired. Toss veggies with a mixture of olive oil and spices (cumin, paprika, salt and pepper) and bread crumbs. Place veggie mixture in a casserole dish and press down. Option: sprinkle with a thin layer of cheese. Top with potatoes and another sprinkle of cheese. Bake uncovered at 375 degrees for 1 to 1 ½ hours until browned.
This is an easy and delicious seaweed dish. Soak wakame in water for an hour. If the wakame is not tender after soaking, simmer in water for 10 minutes. Cut thin, diagonal slices of scallions and thin quarter-moons of raw red onion. Dress with rice vinegar, sesame oil and sesame seeds. Optional: flavor with toasted sesame oil, lime or lemon juice, and a dash of salt.
Cut butternut or kaboucha squash in half lengthwise. Bake squash face down in ½ inch water in a 400 degree oven until tender. Peel off skin. Peel and cube yams. Boil yams until tender. Puree or mash squash and yams together. Combine a little olive oil (or butter), grated ginger and a pinch of spice (garam masala and/or cinnamon), salt and pepper. Add to puree and garnish with toasted walnuts.