Friday, October 10, 2014

A Tale of Two Veggies...


So, it's always a constant struggle for me to get my kids to eat green vegetables.  They are really good with seafood and fruit but if it's green, it usually doesn't even make it to the, "just try it" stage.  The benefits of green veggies are endless.  They are rich sources of calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron, beta-carotene, vitamin B-complex, and vitamins, C, A, and K.  I would really like my kids to consume more of this stuff.  Over the summer I made Green Goddess dressing for Mason and he loved it.  Then, I had the idea that if I created something to accompany the veggies for them to dip into, it might make things a little more interesting.  I discovered that I was 50% successful.  The asparagus was a no go (I happened to love it), but the Sugar Snap Peas with Green Goddess dressing was a big hit!  Cucumbers also work really well with Green Goddess dressing.  I actually like the dressing so much that I found myself licking the spoon.  Weird but it's great.  Maybe I should try it with the asparagus but I loved the honey mustard sauce pictured above.  If you have the same issues as I do, try these two recipes.  They are quick, delicious sides for almost any meal.  I also found that the kids seemed really interested in the vegetables that I grew in my garden.  I even caught them picking sugar snap peas off of the stems and eating them in the back yard!  Gasp!  Well, it made my day and in the mean time I am going to be the biggest green veggie pusher in town.


Sugar Snap Peas with Green Goddess dressing

*Both recipes call for blanching and shocking the vegetables.  It essentially means boiling the veggies for 3-4 minutes and then putting them in ice water.  I am a big fan of this.  They are cooked just enough and retain their vibrant green color.  

Les Recettes:

Asparagus with Honey Mustard-
Ingredients-
1 bunch - fresh asparagus, washed and trimmed
1/4 cup dijon mustard
2 tablespoons German Style mustard
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 
Sprig of parsley for garnish

Supplies-
Sauce pan
Large bowl
Small bowl
Meauring cup and spoons
Whisk
Serving plate and small bowl
Colander
Slotted spoon

Directions-
-Fill the sauce pan 3/4 full of water.  Bring to a boil.
-In the meantime, combine the Dijon mustard, German mustard, and honey together in a small bowl and whisk until well combined.  Garnish with a sprig of Parsley.
-Fill the large bowl with ice water.
-Once the water is at a rolling boil, pour in a tablespoon of kosher salt and dump in the asparagus. Cook for 4-5 minutes.
-After 4-5 minutes, remove the asparagus with a slotted spoon and place them in the ice water.  
-Leave the asparagus in the ice water for about 10 minutes. 
-Drain well and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt.  Plate and serve.  Enjoy!  

Sugar Snap Peas with Green Goddess Dressing-
Ingredients-
~ 1 lb. Sugar Snap Peas, washed
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonaise
1/2 cup fresh basil (packed)
3 - scallions, chopped
1 - clove garlic, roughly chopped
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon anchovy paste
1 teaspoon kosher salt 
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Supplies-
Sauce pan
Large bowl
Measuring cups and spoons
Blender, food processor, or Vitamix
Spatula 
Slotted spoon
Colander 
Serving bowl and plate

Directions-
-Fill the sauce pan 3/4 full of water.  Bring to a boil.
-In the meantime, combine all ingredients (not the Sugar Snaps) into your blender/Vitamix and blend until smooth.  You may need to scrape the sides down one or twice with a spatula.  Pour into a small serving bowl.
-Fill the large bowl with ice water.
-Once the water is at a rolling boil, pour in a tablespoon of kosher salt and dump in the sugar snaps. Cook for 3 minutes.
-After three minutes, remove the sugar snap peas with a slotted spoon and place them in the ice water.  Keep them in the water for roughly 10 minutes.  Drain well and serve with the Green Goddess dressing.  Enjoy ;)

-Serves 4. 

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