Stews With Veggie Boost

Chilly days call for stews. Yet many would forgo this perfect dish despite the fact that it is both warming and nutritious.Why? Because it's usually weighed down by over cooked ,well stewed meat .There is a solution.Let the veggies used shine.It creates a better and healthier version. Mark Bittman of The New York Times Dining section wrote about this in his Flexitarian column yesterday. Although not quite a vegetarian dish , the amount of meat used is greatly reduced. It makes for a better dinner with a fresher , less fattier flavor.Another plus is that semi meatless stews are also less expensive to make.You can also match the amount of meat with beans which are another good source of protein.Also to make up for the flavor think about adding more herbs and spices too.They'll add zing to another usually bland or sometimes tasteless stew.If you still want either a chicken or beefy flavor, then create the base with bouillon cubes and water. Mr. Bittman offers up three good and completely different recipes. There's a gingery chicken stew where the star is - is, what else, Ginger.He uses one chicken thigh per person, really enough for a dinner along with radishes, and golden winter squash for color.There is also lime and soy added,creating enough of a flavor burst that eclipses the lack of any more chicken.Ribollita is another vegetable heavy melange.Traditional ones require prosciutto and you can add it if you want, however try it with cannelloni beans along with kale for both vitamins and proteins.Mr.Bittman throws in a fish stew , but it's not a seafood heavy bouillabaisse.His requires only equal amounts of squid and shrimp with a few anchovy filets thrown in for brine.Yet these aren't the stars though.It's the chickpeas ,spinach and tomato that are the heavy hitters.Olives are also added for more body and flavor. Make a meat light stew for a new take on an old classic.It's a great way of livening up a usually blaNd dish.Let the veggies shine here , and so will the meal.

Vegan For The Day

Is it possible to go meatless for a day? It most certainly is. Even the most carnivorous of foodies can and should embrace a day devoted to just fruits and veggies.Some of you may balk at this however it is easy, especially using the produce of the season. Anyone can create three tasty meals that are big on benefits and flavor.

Mark Bittman wrote about this in his The Flexitarian column in today's New York Times Dining section.This he the best time to experiment or even give vegan ism a little hug, simply because of the bounty that''s produced right now. Explore the farmer's markets and take stock of what they have to offer. Also have a well stocked pantry with good healthy grains, legumes, nuts and seeds as well as oils and vinegars. These help vary the dishes so you,re not stuck cooking the same thing over and over again on your vegan days.

Mr. Bittman's recipes are varied. There is one for each meal and even dessert. He even creates a carrot candy , slow baked carrot slices that have the chewiness of banana chips. (these may be a regular addition to you diet once they're tried.) Breakfast is a simple hoecakes with a melange of fruit. He adds pineapple to an apple and pear mix but you can just stick with the apples and add cinnamon. Lunch is a filling bow ties pasta supplemented with bulgar and heightened with olives and tomatoes along with arugula.Dinner is a hearty chickpea and fennel ratatouille This is the same as regular Provencale stew but with those additions. You can end any meal with his broiled melon in balsamic vinegar.

Going vegan even for one day is easy. Vary your menu and cook up tasty yet healthy meals along with snacks and desserts.It's not only a simple but a step in the right direction to eating better.

The ALl ENcompassing Eggplant

Nothing beats the versatile eggplant,Other than the tomato, it's one of the few veggies that can be roasted, baked and sauteed, along with a variety of other methods.One can be cut up for a variety of dishes from baba ganoush to ratatouille..Sliced and breaded versions were even called "poor man's oysters." If anything , they should be called the flexible veggie because of the many ways of cooking them.

It was the subject of Mark Bittman's The Flexitarian column in today's New York Times Dining section. Mr. Bittman gives us a cornucopia of different recipes, along with ways to cook them. It should never be peeled unless roasted and charred . Since its' flesh is highly absorbent, , Mr, Bittman recommends using a fragrant oil for frying or sauteing. Eggplants also come in different varieties as well, from the traditional deep purple bulb to the long thin lavender and green Chinese ones.

Mr Bittman also provides us with a good scope of recipes. The easiest , as well as being, the tastiest, is a charred one that leaves the meat , soft and custardy. This is mashed with garlic and you could serve It on rounds of warmed Italian bread. The Sicilians are big on eggplant., since it grows in copious amounts on their island. Try it as pasta alla Norma, eggplant in tomato sauce and finished with insalata ricotta. You can also use the long, narrow and sweeter tasting Chinese eggplant for caponata.Since it is also a Middle Eastern veggie, Mr Bittmans includes the Turkish Baingan Bharta where turmeric and cilantro is used for flavoring.

Eggplant is a veggie that can be made a variety of different way and styles.Try it as a creamy dip one night or as a hearty ingredient in a pasta. It will never bore.

Welcoming The Flexitarian

Nowadays , so many people subscribe to some kind of diet.It's either vegetarianism, low fat, no red meat , no fruits, the raw food movement or whatever else is cropping up on the horizon, Some foodies say they're of one belief while incorporating aspects of another diet into their life styles. To be honest the best way is to be flexible. Try to make each meal suited to your nutritional needs  but each meal has to be good tasting.

That's more or less the premise in a new column in today's New York Times Dining section. The great Mark Bittman has introduced  something called The Flexitarian. He states  that people can create a better diet for themselves, without any drastic shopping and eating choices. Build up to a better diet one step at a time. Add more veggies if you're strictly a meat eater or vice versa if you eat more greens (although this doesn't apply to vegans and vegetarians -protein can be found in other products such as  tofu).The key is to make your dishes tasty. You want ot eat healthy because it's a treat for your palate.

Mr. Bittman offers some very good advice as well as recipes. He has a recipe for a decadent pasta and clams however makes it with smaller amounts of ingredients. That way his guests(and himself) won't feel so bloated.. He suggests serving it with a vegetable and a salad. It's a way of enjoying one of the best known pasta dishes along with getting a dose of necessary greens. You could pair it with his simple chopped salad. Here he elevates a simple diet plate to new heights simply by salting the veggies and then rinsing them. Brining simply pickles the  cukes, carrots, cabbage and beets. After they';re rinsed , then serve with a simple dressing. He also adds a flavorful spin on those health must haves  fruit smoothies. These had the added zing of fresh ginger for punch but also for antioxidants and vitamins.

Maybe the best way to eat  - and to live is by being flexible. Don't give up tasty food. Just make it healthy. On the same principle, eat what's good for you but get out of the boring diet rut Add some zing and zest to it . You can actually have it all , from flavor to nutrients the best way of eating for anyone- not just foodies.