As we head into fall, I am saddened that I won’t be able to just walk out the back door and get Ray Baby’s veggies everyday! I am still heading out there often and getting a tomato here and a green pepper there–I haven’t given up completely. However, very soon that obscure tomato or tiny pepper will not even be there to pick. Sadness…
On the other hand, it is time to turn my attention to buying (and even harvesting in my “fall garden”) and preparing fall vegetables.
Roasting precooked meats (shrimp and kielbasa) and veggies—toss with olive oil and seasonings. Don’t even think about them for an hour or so! The modern-day, healthier “casserole”!
Here is a list of what I will be looking for to use in cooking low carb this fall:
1. Beets—very low carb, deep purple means very nutritious
2. Broccoli–very low carb and my sons like this veggie steamed with cheese, so that is a win-win
3. Cauliflower–low carb–plus I will use it for cauliflower pizza crust and cauliflower rice–and I will stir fry it along with broccoli and zucchini for oriental dishes as well as just for sides
4. Eggplant–I have never cooked with eggplant, but it is relatively low carb, deep purple for all of that nutrition–and I have some recipes pinned to try it out!
5. Garlic–I didn’t even know this was a fall vegetable, and I definitely use it year round. I know everybody loves fresh everything, but I couldn’t live without my jar of minced garlic in oil that I can dip into and get those aromatics going (along with onions and peppers) as the beginning of tons and tons of low carb veggies and stir fries.
6. Green beans–I have my fifteen year old watching his favorite show on Netflix this afternoon and snapping tons of green beans! I can use them so many way–I love putting them in the crock pot with potatoes and ham or sausage for my kids–then pulling out a heaping serving of just the green beans for Ray Baby!
7. Kale–I have some winter kale seeds that I am planting this weekend! Anxious to see if they really grow in the cold weather that the package says they will grow in. Ray enjoyed the kale chips I made him for a snack a few weeks ago–but kale is pricey, so if I can get this winter kale to grow, I will be excited!
8. Zucchini—I have been harvesting and cooking zucchini all summer! I froze it three weeks: a. shredded for breads, muffins, etc. (anxious to try out my new almond flour and swerve sweetener!); b. cubed with yellow squash for casseroles and stir fries; c. sliced (also bagged with sliced yellow squash part of the time and sometimes by itself) also for stir fries, but Ray Baby likes the sliced zucchini just to steam in a little broth and season it (though he’s not the best seasoner! lol).
Simple Crock Pot Entrée!
Turnips, green beans, a little ham broth, all purpose seasoning blend (below), bay leaves, onions, and garlic on high until turnips are done (green beans got overcooked, so I would add them when turnips are halfway done next time). Add turkey kielbasa rounds the last hour or two.
I am also looking forward to using three “fall” herbs:
1. Basil
2. Rosemary
3. Thyme
Though my sons would have me using four of them–and they would have to sing it: “Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme”–they love to follow me through the kitchen when I am cooking, carrying those four spices in their hands and waving them in my face while singing “Scarborough Fair”! Kids–never a dull moment!
Snacking on Roasted Parmesan Green Beans while I work. Yum!
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My Four Favorite Ways to Prepare Veggies:
In addition to those “fall vegetables” and those “fall seasonings,” I am also looking forward to experimenting more with my four favorite ways of preparing vegetables lately.
1. Slow cooker—always love putting meat, potatoes, carrots, and green beans in the crock pot all day! Also love just putting in big loads of green beans with ham or bacon. I also like to “bake potatoes” in my crock pot with no foil, no watching, and no oven!
2. Roasting in oven—I have been all about roasting vegetables. My favorite so far this fall was a roasted jelly roll pan full of colorful vegetables. But I do individual veggies like this—tossed with olive oil and sprinkled with a little grated parmesan. Or I make a mixture of olive oil, enriched broth, soy sauce, ginger, etc., and toss them in this before roasting (not too wet). I’ve been eating roasted Parmesan Green Beans like French fries for weeks now!
3. Instant Pot—I am still experimenting with these last two ways of cooking vegetables. So far the Instant Pot has yielded softer green beans, turnips, and carrots (or potatoes)—more like a crock pot meal, which is nice for winter types of foods. I have also been doing a lot of “precooking” of veggies in the Instant Pot as it cooks them so fast—then transferring to my electric skillet to get that stir fried taste.
4. Air Fryer—The Air Fryer makes “fried” turnips, radishes, and potatoes just as if I had put them down in the ol’ Fry Daddy from days gone by—with no oil whatsoever! I need a bigger one to get my Parmesan Green Beans crisped the way I like them. But I have been using this little gadget most every day for something—grilled cheese, croutons, chicken tenders, French fries, green beans…..watch the blog for updates on this newest (and amazing!) countertop appliance!
