Posted 8:31 AM by Leslie Turek
Yesterday was really nice and it was great to be outside. I got a lot of garden cleanup finished up. The previous weekend, I'd started the job and turned the compost bins and finished up really sore all over. This weekend I wasn't quite so ambitious, so am not feeling quite so achy this time.

I've been starting a project to eat more fruits and vegetables. Both of the last two weekends I've cooked big batches of various different things and ate them throughout the week. I'm looking for quick and easy recipes that don't require a lot of fussing. Here are a few of the things I've done. Baby spinach, steamed in the microwaveable bag that it comes in, then topped with soy sauce, scallions, and a dab of sesame oil. Spaghetti squash, cut in half, cooking the microwave, scooped out and topped with a sprinkling of parmesan cheese. Delicata squash (the absolutely best squash) just microwaved. and eaten plain. Brussels sprouts cooked according to a recipe found in one of Dean Ornish's books - the best way I've found to make Brussels sprouts edible (see below). Steamed green beans. Oven-roasted beets (from my garden) and beet greens steamed with soy and garlic. Macoun apples (the absolutely best apples) just plain or mixed with low-fat cottage cheese and walnuts, I also made an apple bread, but the recipe was rather odd and I don't much like the way it came out.

Brussels Sprouts with Garlic and Ginger (from Eat More Weigh Less by Dean Ornish, recipe credited to Joyce Goldstein). Brussels sprouts are rarely a popular vegtable because they are most often cooked until they are gray and soggy and smell like tired cabbage. Here's a recipe that treats brussels sprouts as a crisp fragrant, and green vegetable. Trim 1 pound Brussels sprouts and cut in half. Place, flat side down, on a cutting board and cut the sprouts into very thin strips; you'll have about 3 cups. (Note: This is important and the secret to why this recipe works. By cutting them into thin strips, you allow them to cook quickly and stay green and flavorful.) Bring 1 1/2 cups vegetable stock or water to a simmer in a large saute pan. Add the sprouts, 1 tbs finely minced garlic, 1 tbs grated fresh gingerroot, and 1 ts grated lemon zest. Cook, uncovered, over high heat, stirring often, until the sprouts are tender-crisp, 5 to 7 minutes. Add more broth or water as needed. Stir in 1 1/2 ts anise seed and season with salt and pepper. (Makes 3 servings, each 86 calories and 1.1 grams fat)
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