preparing vegetables

Preparing Vegetables:

  • Wash hands thoroughly with warm water and liquid soap before handling fresh vegetables
  • Before eating or preparing fresh vegetables, wash them under cold running water. For leafy vegetables, gently remove the leaves and wash each leaf under cold running water to remove dirt and debris
  • Avoid soap detergents or other chemicals that can become absorbed by the food products during washing
  • Use a clean brush to wash the outer firm surfaces of potatoes and carrots, prior to cutting into them. If improperly washed, the dirt and micro-organisms on the surface can contaminate the flesh of the fresh vegetables when cut
  • All counter tops, cutting boards and utensils that have been used, should be washed and then sanitized with a chlorine bleach solution (1 teaspoon/5 ml of household chlorine bleach per 4 cups/1 litre of water) and then air dried
 

Recipes

Did you know that the humble herb with a dash of spice can produce powerful benefits? While adding taste to your food, herbs also provide your body with a great antioxidant boost. Tarragon on chicken, basil in mayonnaise and sage in pesto sauce can increase your nutritional intake. Recent studies are revealing the big impact that herbs can have on your diet and wellbeing. Try out the following recipes to promote your healthy lifestyle.

 

Swiss Chard:   Wash Swiss chard thoroughly. Boil swiss chard till soft. Line the bottom of a frying pan with olive oil. Once heated add one clove of chopped garlic. Once garlic is brown, add swiss chard. As swiss chard is cooking in the frying pan add ¼ cup of freshly graded parmesan cheese and ¼ cup of bread crumbs. Stir until brown and serve hot.

Dandelion Salad

Wash leaves and save the most tender ones. Thoroughly dry and then cut coarsely in a bowl. The garlic should be cut in small pieces and tossed with the salad. Pour over the oil and vinegar and toss enough to thoroughly coat the leaves. Serve right away.
  • 1 lb dandelion leaves
  • 1 clove garlic chopped
  • 4 Tsp light olive oil
  • 2 Tsp red wine vinegar
  • Sea Salt and pepper to taste
Chicken Soup with Collard

In large pot, combine broth, water, onion, celery, carrots, cooked chicken, rice, poultry seasoning, cayenne and pepper. Turn heat to very low and simmer approximately one hour, until rice is tender.

Wash collard greens, using leaves only and add to the pot and simmer 20 minutes more, until greens are wilted and break apart. Serve hot.
  • 6 cans of chicken broth
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 cup chopped medium sized onion
  • 1 cup chopped celery
  • 1 cup chopped carrots
  • 3 cups cooked chicken, cut in chunks
  • 3 cups of chopped collard greens
  • 2/3 cup long grain brown or white rice
  • 1 Tsp poultry seasoning
  • Pepper to taste
  • 1/8 Tsp. cayenne pepper, optional
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Pasta with Sausage and Collard

Bring a small pot of water to boil, add the turkey sausage and cook at low boil for 10 minutes. Cool sausage then slice. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add collards boil 5-7 minutes. Remove collards from water, keep water in the pot and bring back to a boil. Then add pasta and a salt and cook 8 - 10 minutes, until done but still quite al dente. Drain pasta, except for about one cup of cooking liquid.

While pasta cooks, in large skillet, heat 2 Tsp olive oil, sliced sausage and brown well on both sides. Remove sausage. Add remaining Tsp olive oil and garlic (and peppers if using) and cook 2 minutes, scraping bottom of pan to get browned sausage bits. Add collards, then add pasta and enough cooking liquid to moisten dish, and cook 2 minutes more. Add salt and pepper as desired. Serve hot with freshly grated parmesan cheese.
  • 1 ½ lb collard greens cut up and stems removed
  • 3 ½ Tsp olive oil
  • 1 Tsp minced garlic
  • 1 Tsp cayenne (optional)
  • 6 - 7 links hot turkey Italian Sausage
  • 12 oz. box of penne, whole grain or white
  • salt-pepper to taste
Halibut with Swiss Chard

Preheat oven to 450°F. Blend butter, fresh lemon juice, chopped fresh thyme, chopped fresh chives, and grated lemon peel in small bowl; season butter to taste with salt and pepper.

Place 2 chard halves each on separate piece of foil. Sprinkle fillets on each side with salt and pepper, then spread with some lemon-thyme butter. Top each with lemon slice then place each fillet crosswise on the chard halves. Fold bottom of leaf over fillet, then continue to roll up. Enclose each wrapped fillet in foil. Arrange on a rimmed baking sheet to catch spillage. Bake until fish is just opaque in center, 12 to 14 minutes.
  • ½ cup or butter, room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
  • 2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
  • 5 very large Swiss chard leaves,
        halved lengthwise, centre stems cut out
  • 4 halibut fillets (6 to 8 ounces each)
  • 4 lemon slices
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Beet Greens

Wash the greens really well. Drain greens and remove any heavy stems. Tear leaves into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.

In a saucepan, cook bacon until lightly browned. Add onions, cook over medium heat approximately 5 minutes, stirring occassionally, until onions soften and start to brown. Add garlic and water. Stir in sugar and red pepper. Bring mixture to a boil. Add greens, reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes (up to 30 minutes for kale or collard greens). Stir in vinegar. Serve.
  • 1 ½ pound beet greens, (can use Beet greens,
         Kale, or Collard greens)
  • 2 strip of thick cut bacon, chopped
  • ½ cup chopped onion
  • 1 ½ large garlic clove, minced
  • 1 cup of water
  • 1 1/8 Tbsp granulated sugar
  • ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1/6 cup of cider vinegar
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Kohlrabi with Cheese

Cut tops off and separate thick stems of kohlrabi. Slice stems and place in a covered pot of salted water. Boil for about 20 minutes, or until just tender. Drain well. Boil the leaves separately until tender; drain. Chop leaves finely and combine stems and leaves. Melt butter in small saucepan over low heat. Add flour and mix well until smooth and blended. Gradually add cheese and milk, stirring constantly, until cheese is melted and sauce is thick. Add cooked kohlrabi and cook until hot. Garnish with parsley and nutmeg.
  • 4 kohlrabi
  • water
  • salt
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup milk
  • ¼ cup grated American cheese
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
  • 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
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Simple Kohlrabi

Cut fresh Kohlrabi into pieces and place in a bowl with lemon juice. Cover and let marinate for at least ˝ hour. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Enjoy..
  • 1 lb of kohlrabi
  • 1 cup of lemon juice
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Braised Kohlrabi

Heat butter in a heavy pan or non-stick skillet. Add chopped onion and sauté in butter over medium heat. Peel kohlrabis to remove fibrous skin. Slice thinly and add to skillet. Stir to coat with butter and then cover and simmer for about 15 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve right away.

  • 2 lbs of Kohlrabi
  • 1 small onion
  • 2 tbsp. of butter
  • Salt and pepper
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Pasta with Kale

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes then drain and rinse.

Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in both peppers, kale and garlic. Season with basil, cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper. Cook until tender.

In a large bowl, toss cooked pasta with skillet mixture. Sprinkle with feta cheese before serving.
  • 8 ozs. of bow-tie or penne pasta
         (whole grain or white)
  • 1 tablespoon virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 medium yellow bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 cup chopped kale
  • 4 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 pinch dried basil
  • 1 pinch cayenne pepper
  • (sea) salt and ground black pepper to taste
  • 10 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
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Red Swiss Chard with Bacon and White Wine

Coarsely chop the Swiss chard and reserve.

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the bacon and garlic and sauté until the bacon is crisp and the garlic is cooked but not brown. Add the Swiss chard, salt and white wine. Cover and simmer until tender, approximately 10-12 minutes. Season with the pepper and serve hot.
  • 1 lb red (or green) Swiss chard, coarse stems
         removed, washed and drained
  • 1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 slices bacon finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic thinly sliced
  • 1/3 cup white wine
  • 1/6 tsp salt
  • ½ tsp pepper or to taste
Beet Salad

Cover beets with water in a medium size saucepan. Bring to a boil, then cook for 20 to 30 minutes, until tender. Drain and when cool, cut in to cubes.

In a small bowl, whisk together the orange juice, vinegar and olive oil for the dressing.

In the meantime place the walnuts in a skillet over medium-low heat. Heat until starting to toast, then stir in the maple syrup. Cook and stir until evenly coated, then remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

Place a large helping of baby greens onto each plate, serves 4. Place equal amounts of beets and candied walnut over the greens, and top with dabs of goat cheese. Drizzle each plate with some of the dressing.
  • 4 medium beets - clean well and cut in half
  • 3 tbsp of pure maple syrup
  • 1/3 cup chopped walnuts
  • 1 - 10 ounce package mixed baby salad greens
  • ½ cup frozen concentrate orange juice
  • ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
  • ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 - 3 ounces goat cheese
Herb Crusted Chicken

Combine all of the herbs in a bowl and toss together well. Remove 1-1/2 cups to a smaller bowl and reserve, by covering with a damp towel in the refrigerator, for garnish. Combine the remaining herbs with the garlic, shallots and olive oil and blend until smooth.

Rinse the chicken well and pat dry with a clean towel. Rub with olive oil and herb puree and marinate overnight. The next day, sprinkle the chicken liberally with salt and pepper. Pre-heat the oven to 350 F. and place the chicken in a pan, back bone down. Cook for 45 minutes or until the juice runs clear around the thigh bone. Remove from the oven and carve the meat from the bone.

Toss the herb salad with the olive oil, lemon juice and Parmesan cheese and season with salt and pepper. Divide the chicken onto four warm plates and garnish with the salad.
  • 1 Large chicken
  • 1 cup Basil leaves, tear up
  • 1 cup Italian parsley leaves, remove stems
  • ¼ cup Chives, cut 1/2" - 3/4" long
  • ½ cup Chervil sprigs
  • ¼ cup Tarragon leaves
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 1 clove Garlic, chopped
  • 2 Shallots, peeled and sliced
  • 1 Tbl. olive oil
  • ¼ Lemon, juiced
  • 1 Tbl. Grated Parmesan cheese
To Top
Sage Pesto

Combine the parsley, sage, garlic, cheese, and nuts in a blender. Process to mix and slowly add the oil. Season to taste with the salt and pepper. Serve with crackers, bread and small pieces of toast.

  • ½ cup loosely packed fresh sage leaves
  • 2 cups loosely packed flat-leaf parsley
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • ½ cup toasted pine nuts
  • Kosher Salt
  • Fresh ground pepper
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Basil Mayonnaise

Combine the egg, lemon juice, basil, green onions, salt, and pepper in a blender for 15 seconds. While the blender is running, slowly stream in the oil.

Process again until the mixture becomes thick. Remove the mayonnaise to an airtight container and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Use within 24 hours.

Yield: 1 cup
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
  • 1/3 cup chopped basil
  • 2 Tbl. chopped green onions
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 8 turns fresh ground black pepper
  • 1 cup virgin olive oil
Savory Bruschetta

Combine tomatoes, onion, garlic, basil, parsely, olive oil, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Mix well, cover, and refrigerate.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Diagonally slice the loaf of French bread into 12 pieces. Lightly brush with olive oil. Arrange the bread on a baking sheet and toast until golden brown. Reduce heat to 250 degrees F.

Spoon equal amounts of the tomato mixture onto the toasted slices of bread. Top with slices of mozzarella. Place the pan of bread back into the oven until the cheese has melted, approximately 2 minutes. Serve immediately.

Makes 12 servings.
  • 1 French baguette
  • 5 Italian tomatoes, chopped
  • 1 small onion, minced
  • 2 clove garlic, chopped
  • 1 Tbl. chopped fresh basil
  • 2 tsp. chopped fresh parsley
  • 2 Tbl. olive oil
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1 pinch ground black pepper
  • 8 oz. mozzarella cheese
Smoked Salmon with Herb Sauce
Herb Sauce
Place dill weed, watercress and onions in food processor. Cover and process until minced. Stir in remaining ingredients. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour to blend flavours.

Salmon
Discard the head, tail and fins from salmon. Carefully peel off the skin. Place on large serving platter. Serve with Herb Sauce. Garnish with fresh dill weed, watercress or sliced lemon.

  • 1 cup fresh dill weed
  • 1 cup watercress
  • 3 green onions cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 cup plain yogurt
  • ½ cup mayonnaise
  • 1 Tbl. grated lemon peel
  • 1 whole (5 lb) smoked salmon
  • 1 bunch fresh dill weed (garnish)
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