6th SemiAnnual Veggie Challenge

[mitzimarie]

Re: 6th SemiAnnual Veggie Challenge

Thanks Mitzi for posting these. I can't believe how hard it has been for me to to get my veggie carb count up (And I LOVE vegies). I've added vegies, to each meal and barely make 20 on a good day This challenge is just what I needed.

I'm so happy that the challenge will help you! Most people think that they're getting more net veggie carbs than they really are. Taking 5 days to consciously concentrate on that number is an eye-opener for many.

Sally - this challenge always re-ignites my enthusiasm for veggies. Getting into a rut can cause us to forget just how much good food we can eat, and participating here is a great place to get new ideas.

[Kntrylady]

Re: 6th SemiAnnual Veggie Challenge

Thanks Mitzi for posting these. I can't believe how hard it has been for me to to get my veggie carb count up (And I LOVE vegies). I've added vegies, to each meal and barely make 20 on a good day This challenge is just what I needed.

[sallyseachange]

Re: 6th SemiAnnual Veggie Challenge

Oh my Mitzi!!! Inspiring recipes! So much so that I'm gonna have to start the challenge a day early!!!

[mitzimarie]

Re: 6th SemiAnnual Veggie Challenge

Me, again

I just wanted to throw a few more recipes out there, in case some of you need ideas. I provided these recipes in the last Veggie Challenge, but they are some of my favorites... so good that they usually "hook" someone into realizing that veggies can taste really, really good. Since we have some members that have never been in a Veggie Challenge before, I'm going to include them again.

These are all from Linda's website, and I've included the links. All of the comments are hers, as is the Nutrition info. I would encourage everyone to come up with their own counts, rather than rely upon someone else's. It's not that I don't trust Linda... I just think it's a better idea to verify the info on your own. I recently made a recipe new to me (not from Linda's site) that proved to be quite different from the counts that were provided.




From Linda's website:

Linda's Low Carb Menus & Recipes



"LOADED" CAULIFLOWER
1 cup cooked cauliflower
1 teaspoon butter
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 ounce cheddar cheese, shredded
1 tablespoon ranch dressing or sour cream
1 strip bacon, crumbled
1 teaspoon chives
Butter and season the cauliflower. Place in an individual-serving baking dish, then top with the cheese. Microwave or broil until the cheese is melted. Top with ranch dressing, bacon and chives.
Makes 1 serving
Do not freeze
Per Serving: 290 Calories; 25g Fat; 12g Protein; 6g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 3g Net Carbs
I wasn't trying to pretend that this was a baked potato, but I had the idea of topping cauliflower with all of the things that go on a baked potato. It was quite good.

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Linda's Low Carb Menus & Recipes



TODD'S GREEN BEANS
1 pound fresh green beans *
6 ounces onion, sliced thick *
1 tablespoon oil
1-2 tablespoons butter
Salt and pepper, to taste
In a large skillet or wok, sauté the green beans in oil and 1 tablespoon butter over medium-high heat about 4-5 minutes or until they start to brown. Add another tablespoon of butter, if needed, and add the onions. Sauté until the onions are nice and brown. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Makes 4-6 servings
Can be frozen
* You can also use a 16-ounce bag of frozen thin green beans that have been thawed completely and patted dry. I used frozen beans. I used a medium onion plus one small onion to get 6 ounces.
Per 1/4 Recipe: 126 Calories; 9g Fat; 2g Protein; 10g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 6g Net Carbs
Per 1/6 Recipe: 84 Calories; 6g Fat; 1g Protein; 7g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 4g Net Carbs
My friend Nancy's son-in-law Todd came up with this recipe and they're very good. This is a simple recipe yet it has a nice flavor that would go well with just about any main dish. You could make this better suited for induction by cutting the onion back to one small one or about 2 1/2 ounces. Click the photo to see a close-up.

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Linda's Low Carb Menus & Recipes



PORTOBELLO PARMESAN
2 portobello mushroom caps
Salt and pepper, to taste
Pinch garlic powder
2 tablespoons spaghetti sauce
2 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded, 1/2 cup
1 ounce freshly grated parmesan cheese, 1/4 cup
Fresh parsley, chopped, optional
Very gently scrape the gills off the underside of the mushroom caps with a spoon and cut off the stems to make them level with the underside of the mushrooms. Brush the mushrooms with a damp cloth to clean them. Place the caps stem side up on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake at 400º 10 minutes. Turn the caps stem side down and bake another 5 minutes.
Place the mushrooms stem side up on the same baking sheet. Sprinkle them with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Spread each with 1 tablespoon of the spaghetti sauce. Divide the mozzarella and parmesan cheeses between the mushrooms. Bake at 400º about 5-7 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Garnish with chopped parsley, if desired. Serve as a meatless main dish or as a side dish.
Makes 2 servings
Do not freeze
Per Serving: 198 Calories; 12g Fat; 15g Protein; 8g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 6g Net Carbs
This is based on a recipe by Giada De Laurentiis. She grilled her mushrooms and baked this more like a casserole with a lot more sauce. Since the sauce has so many carbs, I cut it back to just 1 tablespoon per mushroom and it was plenty. It's the cheese that's important here and there's plenty of it.

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In the green bean recipe I like to throw mushrooms into the mix, as well. Yummy!

In the mushroom recipe, I usually leave off the spaghetti sauce and just use cheese.

[mitzimarie]

Re: 6th SemiAnnual Veggie Challenge

Mitzi,
That shrimp scampi bake sounds so good! I haven't tried spaghetti squash yet, so this recipe will definitely be on my menu this week.

Ah, spaghetti squash!

About preparing it - maybe some of the other challengers can chime in about the easiest way to do it. I've seen different approaches... some cut it before cooking it, and others cut if after.

The first time I made it, I tried cutting it first. Man, is that squash hard! I had a devil of a time trying to cut it. After finally splitting it, I then baked it in the oven in a water bath. The next time I prepared it, I left it whole and poked some holes in it with a skewer I use for grilling, and cooked it in the microwave. I find the second method a lot easier... it was super-easy to cut the squash after it is cooked.

OK, I've gotta come clean. Martha Stewart, I'm NOT (wish I was!). I'm not a very good or experienced cook, and I can always use tips and suggestions for the kitchen/cooking. Looking forward to learning some new stuff this week.

[gumby87]

Re: 6th SemiAnnual Veggie Challenge

Mitzi,
That shrimp scampi bake sounds so good! I haven't tried spaghetti squash yet, so this recipe will definitely be on my menu this week.

Thanks!

[mitzimarie]

Re: 6th SemiAnnual Veggie Challenge

Good Morning, Everyone!

I'm excited to welcome two more of my friends to the Veggie Challenge! Sally and Alexa, thank you so much for joining.

Alexa - Induction
barrnone - OWL
Blueberrylady - OWL
Earth_Joy- Induction
Fancy1952 - OWL
Georgiana - OWL
goin2befit - Induction
gonnabskinny - Induction
gumby87 - OWL
happymomto4 - OWL
imagood1 - Induction
jimmie 48 - OWL
JulieB - OWL
kntrylady - OWL
LittleLinda - Induction
liv - OWL
lucyloo - Induction
mitzimarie - Maintenance
mizski - OWL
RosieC - OWL
sallyseachange - Maintenance
Sham - Induction
Sherri - Induction
somethings gotta give - Maintenance
Valinerya - Induction
Whatsername - OWL

What a great group we have so far!

[Alexa]

Re: 6th SemiAnnual Veggie Challenge

Hi Mitzi,

I'm in! I think I had better go for induction because my current method not workkingso doing reinduction from Monday.

Thanks

[sallyseachange]

Re: 6th SemiAnnual Veggie Challenge

I'm in too Mitzi!! Maintenance
Thanks for hosting this cool challenge again!

[Fancy1952]

Re: 6th SemiAnnual Veggie Challenge

Hi Mitzi, thanks for the link to the carb counter. I had found that some time ago, and it's in my kitchen along with pages of recipes from Linda's web site. I've looked for jicama, but it's not carried in stores around here, I'll have to check farther away, when we go to the city next. I've also copied and pasted your recipe for Shrimp Scampi to serve my 2 men, because they love shrimp. I love the sp. squash but will stick to my meat/chicken sauce thanks I've never been a seafood lover.

Can't wait to start this challenge!

Suzanne

[Sherri]

Re: 6th SemiAnnual Veggie Challenge

SHERRI! What a pleasant surprise to come home to, this evening! You've just made my day.

Will you being doing Induction during the Challenge?

Hi buddy xo
Yes, induction. I'm really happy at this phase.
I'm glad I made your day. Yay us! LOL
I look forward to this challenge each time. It really sets me on course for success. Thanks Mitzi Girl!
Love ya, Sherri xo

[mitzimarie]

Re: 6th SemiAnnual Veggie Challenge

I'm planning some meals for next week, and thought I'd share one of my favorite recipes:

Shrimp Scampi Bake



Prep Time: 30 Minutes
Cook Time: 15 Minutes
Ready In: 45 Minutes
Servings: 6

"This rendition of a classic dish of shrimp baked in butter, garlic, lemon juice and parsley, is even better with the help of Dijon-style mustard."
Ingredients:
1 cup butter
2 tablespoons prepared Dijon-style mustard
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
2 pounds medium raw shrimp, shelled,
deveined, with tails attached

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
2. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the butter, mustard, lemon juice, garlic, and parsley. When the butter melts completely, remove from heat.
3. Arrange shrimp in a shallow baking dish. Pour the butter mixture over the shrimp.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes or until the shrimp are pink and opaque.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2009 Allrecipes.com Printed from Allrecipes.com 11/6/2009

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This is in my short list of all-time favorite meals. I pour it over spaghetti squash... mmmmm.... I always eat too much!

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spaghetti squash = calabash = vegetable spaghetti Notes: After it's cooked, you can dig a fork into the flesh of a spaghetti squash and pull out long yellow strands that resemble spaghetti. Though they taste like squash, the "noodles" can serve as a low-carb substitute for pasta.

[mitzimarie]

Re: 6th SemiAnnual Veggie Challenge

I'm In.

Excellent! It's a pleasure to meet you, Earth_Joy.

Here's our current roster... if any of you discover an error, just let me know.

barrnone - OWL
Blueberrylady - OWL
Earth_Joy- Induction
Fancy1952 - OWL
Georgiana - OWL
goin2befit - Induction
gonnabskinny - Induction
gumby87 - OWL
happymomto4 - OWL
imagood1 - Induction
jimmie 48 - OWL
JulieB - OWL
kntrylady - OWL
LittleLinda - Induction
liv - OWL
lucyloo - Induction
mitzimarie - Maintenance
mizski - OWL
RosieC - OWL
Sham - Induction
Sherri - Induction
somethings gotta give - Maintenance
Valinerya - Induction
Whatsername - OWL

[mitzimarie]

Re: 6th SemiAnnual Veggie Challenge

Hi Mitzi friend,
I would like to join this wonderful challenge that I have enjoyed participating in.
I look forward to being here with you and the other challengers as well.
Going shopping saturday to buy all my veggies for the challenge. I can't decide which new veggie to try. I'll scope out the veggie department saturday and see what I can come up with.
Thank you for hosting this challenge Pumpkin Princess
Love ya, Sherri

SHERRI! What a pleasant surprise to come home to, this evening! You've just made my day.

Will you being doing Induction during the Challenge?

[mitzimarie]

Re: 6th SemiAnnual Veggie Challenge

OK, I've got to try it. Even if it does taste like dirt. Already thinking of variety. BTW, do you know how long it will keep once it is peeled?

Don ~ You can keep them in the fridge for a couple of days, until you are ready to cut them. Although they can vary a lot in size, the ones available to me have been pretty big. I peel the whole thing, and cut it up into pieces (whatever shape you want; I keep them kinda thin, as jicama retains its crunchiness). Then I measure out cup portions on my little food scale and put them into plastic baggies to stick in the fridge (130g = 1 cup). I usually get about 4 cups out of the size I get, and I've kept these in the fridge for a few days.

I guess I'm back on track. Keeping up with veggies, water, exercise, and vitamins. Headaches are gone and lost 14 lbs in the first five days! Major ketosis going on!

Wow! Well done, Don!!

14 pounds in 5 days... If only it worked that way for me.