[CHANGES] Vegetable Abundance

[Sandra Ahten]

Greetings

I'm so glad summer is here. I'm appreciating the warm bike-riding weather 
and the beautiful early morning walks with the birds singing. What can you 
find to appreciate about your life today? How about an abundance of 
vegetables? As we are making our meal plans, shopping for groceries, and 
preparing the feasts this week, let us recognize the bounty of vegetables 
available to us -- not just as the wonderful gift that they are, but also as 
a symbolic representation of the abundance in the world and in our life.

In this issue you will find
1) Requests for help
2) Link to 100 recipes
3) Vegetable recipes
4) Readers Suggest: Salad ideas


1) REQUESTS FOR HELP. I hope to find interested parties willing to barter 
classes for these services.

A. I need someone to help me get my past email messages in order. If you 
have basic computer skills and good organizational skills, perhaps you could 
help me with this job.

B. I need someone to edit the above reference messages.

C. I need an HTML programmer and website designer.

2) LINK TO 100 RECIPES: Here is a website that will download 100 favorite 
recipes of a Weight Watcher member who lost 100 pounds.
http://www.donnita.com/journal/index.html
When you get to the site, scroll down and click on the "recipes" link. It 
downloaded the 100 recipes in less than 10 seconds to a 44-page Microsoft 
Word document on my computer. (If you don't have Word, there is also an HTML 
option). These are down-to-earth, the-way-most-of-us-really-cook recipes 
that I think you'll enjoy. She has included the Weight Watchers points and 
comments with each recipe. I have not verified any of the points, but in 
glancing over them, I think they look reasonable.

3 & 4) VEGETABLE RECIPES AND "READERS SUGGEST"

GREEN BEANS WITH SNOW PEAS AND MINT
Makes 8 1/2-cup servings
0 points

1 lb fresh green beans, trimmed and cut diagonally into 1-1/2-inch pieces
6 oz fresh snow peas, trimmed and cut diagonally in half
2 tsp butter, softened
1-1/2 tsp finely chopped fresh mint
1-1/2 tsp grated lemon rind
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

1. Put beans in a steamer basket; set in a saucepan over 1 inch of boiling 
water. Cover tightly and steam the beans until barely crisp-tender, 8-10 
minutes. Add the snow peas to the basket and steam until the snow peas are 
bright green and crisp-tender, about 2 minutes.
2. Transfer the beans and snow peas to a large bowl; add the butter, mint, 
lemon rind, salt and pepper; toss to combine.


CREAMY SESAME COLE SLAW
Makes 4 servings; 1 cup each = 1 point

3/4 lb packaged coleslaw mix (shredded cabbage and carrots)
1 med red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 C. fat-free mayonnaise
2 Tbsp cilantro, fresh, chopped
1 tsp dark sesame oil
1/8 tsp table salt, or to taste
1/8 tsp black pepper, or to taste

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl and toss to combine. Cover with plastic 
and refrigerate until ready to serve.


ZERO-POINT CABBAGE SOUP

1 head of cabbage, chopped
6 large onions, chopped
2 green peppers, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 14-oz can fat-free chicken broth or vegetable broth
1 11-oz can vegetable juice (like V-8)
1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes
1 packet Lipton onion soup mix
fresh or dried basil and chives to taste

Combine all ingredients. Add more water, salt and pepper to taste.


STUFFED MUSHROOMS
0 points

6 mushrooms
2 Tbsp fat-free cream cheese

Wash mushrooms and remove stems. Chop stems and mix with cream cheese
(for extra flavor, you can add garlic, onion, etc). Fill mushroom caps with
cream cheese mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.


EASY CUCUMBER, TOMATO, AND ONION SALAD
Makes 4 servings at 0 points each

1-1/2 C. cucumbers, thinly sliced
1-1/2 C. tomatoes, Roma or other fresh variety, sliced or cubed
1/2 C. onions, chopped
2 Tbsp Splenda No-Calorie Sweetener
1/2 C. red wine vinegar
1/2 C. water
1 tsp dried dill weed

Place vegetables into a glass bowl. Mix remaining ingredients and pour over 
vegetables. Refrigerate at least one hour (longer is better). Serve with a 
slotted spoon so that liquid remains in the bowl. Yields about 2/3 heaping 
cup per serving.


READERS SUGGEST:  SALAD IDEAS

-- This is a variation on the "Easy Cucumber, Tomato, and Onion Salad" 
above. My favorite "simmer food" is marinated vegetables. I marinate 
anything raw -- cauliflower, zucchini, onions, tomatoes, cucumbers. 
Sometimes I throw in sugar-snap peas or chickpeas. I marinate with vinegar, 
usually wine, a little mustard, some sweetener (like Sweet & Low or 
Splenda). Often I add other spices or a little hot pepper. Toss and leave in 
the refrigerator. Serve as-is or on top of mixed greens.

-- Have you tried jicama (HEE-cuh-muh), a 0-point vegetable? It's a dense 
vegetable with a thick brown peel. To prepare, remove the peel and cut the 
white core into strips, as you would cut a potato for french fries. Squeeze 
some fresh lime juice on the strips, then sprinkle with salt. Refrigerate 
the strips in a zipper bag. You can also use jicama plain and raw on salad 
or add it to vegetable soup or roasted vegetables.

-- A favorite salad: spinach leaves, red onion, celery, tomatoes, mushrooms, 
balsamic vinegar and garlic salt. I top it with ground flax seeds and add 
kidney beans when I want protein.

-- Another favorite: red leaf lettuce, toasted pecans, mandarin oranges, 
yellow peppers, and cucumbers, served with fat-free raspberry vinaigrette 
and a sprinkle of fresh parmesan.

-- A third favorite: Mixed greens, pears, a little crumbled blue cheese, and 
balsamic vinaigrette.

-- High in protein and delicious! Mesclun salad green mix, chickpeas, hearts 
of palm, beets, 1 can of water-packed tuna, and mustard dressing. I make the 
dressing by mixing 1 tsp olive oil, 1 Tbsp grey poupon, and enough white 
vinegar to produce a pourable consistency.

Enjoy and I hope to see you soon!
Sandra

Sandra’s current schedule:
WW meetings: Wed 9:30am, Noon, 5:15pm, Fri 7:30am, 10am, Noon
At Shoppes of Knollwood on South Neil in Champaign, behind Biaggis.

Art Classes –
Drawing with the Whole Brain. A class for those who have always wanted to 
learn to draw, but thought
Art with Intention - Ongoing classes on Thursday 7-9pm or Friday 3-5pm.
Available for private consultation and lessons.

© 2002 by Sandra Ahten
Although I am an employee of Weight Watchers, this message has no 
affiliation with Weight Watchers International. I am solely responsible for 
the content.

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