Category Archives: Vegetables & Salads

Recipes, Vegetables & Salads

Celery Root is Gnarly

Photo by DocteurCosmos from Wikipedia

No, really, it is! Just look at it and it’s one gnarly vegetable… not to mention dirty! So, it’s not at its most attractive when you see it in the produce department, but if you look past its bumpy, filthy exterior, inside is a wonderfully creamy, tasty heart of delicate celery taste in a potato-like texture.

One of the absolute benefits of changing to a low carb lifestyle that has practically eliminated potatoes and rice from my diet is that I am finding wonderful substitutes that fill in amazingly well. I have not replaced a baked potato yet, but any other way of cooking it, I have alternatives that are delicious and satisfying. Celery root is one more of them. Also known as celeriac or knob celery, this is a not actually the same celery you buy in long sticks, but a special variety from the same family that is cultivated for the root.

Last night, I loosely adapted a recipe from Epicurious that used potatoes and celery root cooked with Parmesan cheese sauce. The original recipe is here if you want to try it, but the new, improved, low carb version is below made with kohlrabi, celery root and a combination of Irish Cheese and mozzarella.

Layered Kohlrabi, Onion and Celery Root Casserole

1 cup Celeriac, Celery Root, (about 3 to 4 “), peeled and sliced
1 cup Kohlrabi, (about 2 small 2”) sliced
1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg, ground,
1/2 cup Onions, raw, sliced
1/2 teaspoon Garlic powder or minced garlic
1.5 oz Dubliner Irish Cheese, cut into pieces
1/2 cup Mozzarella Cheese
1/4 cup Whipping Cream, .
1 tbsp Better Than Bouillion, Chicken, in 3/4 cup water or 3/4 cup chicken broth

Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter small casserole dish. Layer 1/2 of the celery root, then 1/2 of the kohlrabi, then the onion slices. Repeat the celery root and kohlrabi layer. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave for 3 minutes, Let rest a minute, then microwave another 2 minutes. This gives you a shorter cooking time in the oven.*

Meanwhile, heat cream and bouliion mixed into the water in a small sauce pan. Add 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg and garlic powder. Mix in cheeses and stir until melted. Pour over the vegetables.

Bake in oven for 30 minutes or until the liquid is slightly absorbed and the top is browned. If vegetables aren’t quite done, cover with foil and cook and additional 10 to 15 minutes. Let rest at room temperature a few minutes before serving.

*If you prefer not to microwave, cover the casserole with aluminum foil and cook for 30 minutes, then remove the foil and cook for 20 to 30 minutes more until vegetables are tender and the top is golden brown.

Makes 4 servings

Nutrition Info: (1 servings)
Calories: 150 Fat: 10.2 g Net Carbs: 6.3 g Protein: 6.7 g

Posted on 4/5/2013

Recipes, Vegetables & Salads

Irish Style Celery and Kohlrabi

Poor celery… so often relegated to lesser roles in cooking. It’s often teamed with the onion and garlic saute that forms a savory base to other dishes or chopped and added to salads like potato salad or pasta salad or dinner salad, but rarely is it the star of the show. And it is absolutely delicious when cooked with a nice supporting cast of seasonings and a top notch co-star like kohlrabi. I am guilty of overlooking this stand out vegetable myself, even though I know it is tasty, so good for you and low in carbohydrates and calories.

Celery is at its most beneficial raw or steamed for about 10 minutes, but this dish is baked and it is still loaded with good nutrients, that’s how loaded the celery is. Add in the kohlrabi and you’ve boosted the nutrients as well as helped your immune system, digestive tract and other functions of your body. This is a win-win.

A little over a week ago, I finally convinced my roomie to try a low carb diet. She’s gone through the counting calories, exercising like a fiend and generally doing everything her doctor and nutritionist has recommended. Very little success. So the past week, I have been looking at all induction friendly meals. This recipe is one that is works for any phase of the Atkins program and any others that limit the types of food you can eat in the first two to three weeks of the program. And did I mention that it is delicious?

Irish Style Baked Celery with Kohlrabi

This is a great side dish with grilled chicken, pork, beef or seafood. You name it. It plays well with it.

1 head celery, fresh (about 7 stalks)
1 Kohlrabi, medium-sized, peeled and sliced thinly
1 onion, diced
1 clove garlic
2 slices bacon
1 small bell pepper, chopped
1/4 cup water or chicken stock
2 tablespoons butter, cold
1 tablespoons whipping cream

Preheat oven to 350F degrees.

Separate celery into stalks, remove leaves (save for soup or stew or in your salad) and trim off strings, wash well and cut into pieces about 3/4-inch thick.

Peel and slice the kohlrabi.* Clean and chop the bell pepper. (Cut open and remove the center core with all the seeds and trim the membranes.)

Dice the onion and garlic. Put 1 tablespoon of butter into a heavy skillet to melt, then add the onion and garlic. Cook and stir for a few minutes, then add the celery, kohlrabi and bell peppers. Cook and stir for another five minutes to get mixed and slightly cooked. Put into an un-greased casserole dish or baking pan.

Chop the bacon and add to the celery mix.

In the sauce pan, melt 1 tablespoon butter, add 1/4 cup water and the chicken bouillon or 1/4 cup chicken stock. Add cream and stir together over low heat. Pour over the celery and mix with a spoon.

Bake for 30 to 45 minutes, or until celery is cooked but not mushy.

Makes 4 servings

Nutrition Info:
Calories: 124.5 Fat: 2.1 g Net Carbs: 5.6 g Protein: 3.6 g

*Tip: To make the kohlrabi easier to peel and also speed up the cooking time a little, put the whole kohlrabi into boiling water for about five minutes. Remove to a bowl of cold water to cool, then it will peel and cut easier. Be sure you cut off any fibrous parts of the kohlrabi. Sometimes it is very thick on the skin.

Posted on 9/30/2013

Recipes, Vegetables & Salads

Spring Green Goodness: Asparagus Leek Cauli-Risotto

The idea of ricing cauliflower came from other places, but once I got into the idea, it became a wonderful alternative to rice. My first foray into adapting a rice dish to cauli-rice was my grandmother’s Spanish rice recipe and it was wonderful. I use 1 tablespoon of rice in the dish to bring a little of the real rice texture and flavor to the dish, but it really doesn’t need it.

With the drop in price of asparagus last week for Easter, I bought a couple of bundles and was inspired by a California Asparagus Risotto recipe that also included leek to try this version using riced cauliflower and daikon radish to replace most of the rice in the dish. The result was deliciously wonderful and so good for you. Just look at the beautiful colors in the dish and it shouts Spring!

Asparagus Leek Cauli-Risotto

1 1/2 Cups Cauliflower, raw (fresh or frozen)
1 cup Daikon Radish
1 cup Asparagus, fresh
1/2 cup Mushrooms, fresh
1 tablespoon Rice, white, long-grain, raw
1/2 cup Chicken Broth or Bouillon,
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/4 Lemon Pepper seasoning
1/4 cup White Wine (I used a California Risling)
2 cloves of Garlic
1 cup Leeks, slices (bottom only)
1 tablespoon Butter
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese

Cut cauliflower into pieces and microwave for about 5 minutes to partially cook. If using frozen cauliflower, microwave about 2 minutes to defrost. Peel the daikon and cut into cubes. Put cauliflower and daikon in food processor and pulse until the pieces are about the size of rice. Set aside.

Cut asparagus into one inch segments on a diagonal and microwave in a bowl for about 30 seconds to just slightly steam. Cut or break mushrooms into pieces. Finely chop two cloves of garlic. Slice leek into thin slices. Melt butter in a deep skillet, brown garlic and rice until just golden brown. Add leeks, then add the cauliflower and daikon mixture and stir together in the skillet. Add one cup of water and stir it around.

Cook on high heat until it boils, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Add 1/2 cup of bouillon or chicken broth and stir in. Cook until the liquid is absorbed, stirring every five or so minutes. When almost all the liquid is gone, add white wine, asparagus, mushrooms and seasonings.

Cook over low heat until the liquid is almost gone and the dish is just moist. Sprinkle on cheese and serve. This took about an hour to reduce the liquids from start to finish. Makes 4 to 6 servings

Nutrition Info 1/4 of recipe:
Calories: 140.8 Fat: 5.8 g Net Carbs: 10 g Protein: 5.6 g

1/6 of recipe:
Calories: 93.9 Fat: 3.9 g Net Carbs: 6.7 g Protein: 3.7 g

Posted on 4/2/2013

Recipes, Vegetables & Salads

Celebrate St. David’s Day with Leeks

March 1st is St. David’s Day (Dewi Sant), the patron saint of Wales. While St. Patrick’s is the more well known holiday, St. David’s Day, which is his feast day, also has a food associated with it. That food is the leek. If you’ve used or eaten leeks, chances are it was in potato leek soup. But there are many other ways to prepare this delicious, onion-like vegetable. It has a milder flavor than onions and makes an excellent side dish, as this recipe for Leeks with Tomatoes and Bacon attests. I found this recipe at Allrecipes.com, posted by sal, and I adapted it to a low carb recipe.

Cennin gyda Thomato a Bacwn
(Leeks with Tomatoes and Bacon)

1 low carb Tortilla
1/2 cup Chicarrones (fried pork skins) – optional
1/4 teaspoon dried Rosemary
1/4 teaspoon dried Thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried Sage
2 Leeks, sliced
1 medium Tomato, sliced
1/4 cup shredded Mozzarella Cheese
1 tablespoon Butter, melted
1/4 cup crumbled Bacon or diced Ham

Toast tortilla under a broiler or in a toaster oven until lightly browned. Allow it to dry out, then break into crumbs. Break the pork skins into crumbs also. In a small bowl, mix crushed tortilla and pork skins, rosemary, thyme and sage.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Leeks cooking in the pan.

Slice leeks into thin rings and wash well in a colander under running water. Be sure to separate the rings to make sure no dirt remains. Drain well and let the leeks dry in the colander until you are ready for them.

Cook bacon on a rack over a deep pan in the oven for about 20 to 25 minutes until the bacon is well done. Let it cool, then crumble or tear the bacon.

In a large skillet, pour 2 to 3 tablespoons of bacon grease, add the leeks and saute for about 10 minutes until the leeks are almost tender.

Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F.

Spread the leeks into the bottom of a medium baking dish or a deep dish pie plate. Layer with tomato slices and half the mozzarella cheese. Top with the crushed tortilla mixture, the rest of the cheese and drizzle with melted butter.

Bake 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Nutrition Info (4 servings) Calories 116.8 Net Carbs 7.3 g Protein 6.9 g
(6 servings) Calories 77.8 Net Carbs 4.8 g Protein 4.6 g

Posted on  3/1/2013

Recipes, Vegetables & Salads

Another Potato Substitute – Veggies O’Brien

If you’re anything like me, potatoes were a mainstay of your life. But they become a big starchy vegetable with more carbs than you want in your body when you try to maintain a low carb lifestyle. From the time I started in earnest on this eating plan two years ago, I began looking for acceptable substitutions for potatoes and bread. I’d grown up with them in one form or another at just about every meal. In high school lunch had consisted of french fries and a large hot roll with butter. (They were the least expensive and most filling thing that the school cafeteria offered. Any wonder that I had a weight problem?)

So, I have tried several options to substitute a potato, mostly successful in their own right if not matching the potato taste. Among the choices are cauliflower, turnips, daikon radishes and now kohlrabi. If anyone has other suggestions, please let me know. (Rutabagas and parsnips are higher carb’d than I want to go, but also good options.) I am having a ball tasting all these different flavors prepared like potatoes. My offering today is a combination of the potato substitutes prepared like Potatoes O’Brien. They make a very tasty dish that is very close to the starchy version and yet have their own character, The flavors meld well together and I really am not missing the potato in this.

If your body can use more carbohydrates than mine does, then you can actually add potatoes to the mix and it would still cut out some of the carbs and leave you with a lower carb’d version.

As a bonus, if you add bacon or sausage or ham and cheese to this, you can make it as a nice one dish meal without adding too many carbs.

Home-style Veggies O’Brien

A tasty mix of several root vegetables with cauliflower to make a dish similar to Potatoes O’Brien, without the high carbs! Don’t like daikon? Just sub in more kohlrabi or turnip.  Don’t like turnip or cauliflower? Use just the kohlrabi. It’s very flexible.

1/2 cup Cauliflower, cut into pieces
1/2 cup Kohlrabi,, cut into 1/4″ cubes
1/2 cup Turnips, .5 cut into 1/4″ cubes
1/2 cup Daikon Radish, cut into 1/4″ cubes
1/2 cup Onions, chopped
1/4 cup Sweet Peppers, sliced
1 tablespoon Olive oil or Bacon fat
1 teaspoon Seasoning Salt or Garlic Pepper seasoning
3 strips of Bacon, broken into pieces (optional)
1/2 cup Cheddar Cheese (optional)

Put cauliflower, kohlrabi, turnips and daikon in a pot, cover with water, add a pinch of salt and boil for about 15 minutes. Drain. In a skillet, heat olive oil, add onions and peppers and stir fry until tender. Add vegetables and stir together. Cook, stirring often, until veggies are lightly browned. Add seasoning and serve.

Makes about four 1/2 cup servings.

Tip: You can cook up the vegetables ahead of time, drain well and store in the refrigerator in a plastic bag for about a week or freeze to store longer. Just pull them out when you’re ready to make your hash browns.
Also, when putting the veggies in the bag, squeeze as much air out of the bag as you can before sealing it, then fold it over to save storage space and help keep the food fresher.

Nutrition Info per 1/2 cup serving (without optional items):
Calories: 24.8 Net Carbs: 3.4 g Protein: 1 g

Substituting all kohlrabi for the vegetables:
Calories: 27.6 Net Carbs: 3.2g Protein: 1.3 g

Adding optional items:
Calories: 112 Net Carbs: 3.4 g Protein: 6.3 g

Posted on  1/23/2013