Eat Well With Winter Vegetables

In winter we look for fare that will "stick to the ribs" and keep us full throughout the day. Instead of reaching for processed or fast food items, take a look at the winter garden. There are tons of good items there that will not only satisfy your tummy but keep you healthy as well.

Vegetables are a healthy source of carbohydrates and vitamins and minerals. During the winter, you can get crafty with these vegetables in foods like soups and chowders. But before you do that you need to know which vegetables you are going to be working with, out of the enormous range available.

Cruciferous vegetables are indeed winter veggies. You can enjoy an abundance of broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and cabbage. All of the crunch helps you to chew more and eat less. They also make good substitutes in certain recipes. An example would be mashed potatoes. If you are trying to cut down on white potatoes, mash up cooked cauliflower and add some sour cream to get the consistency of mashed potatoes but with a healthier twist. You can even omit the sour cream and still get a pretty close approximation to mashed potatoes.

Broccoli, out of these hearty veggies, especially, is labeled a super food. This means that in itself it contains all the nutrients and minerals that you need. Now you won't be eating broccoli all day but you will get a healthy dose of everything when you eat it. It is also instrumental in lowering your risk of certain cancers, boosting the immune system and increasing antioxidants.

Root vegetables are also popular in winter, not to mention more abundant. These include carrots, celery, potatoes, onions, squash, sweet potatoes, turnips, rutabagas and the like. They require longer cooking times to break them down and soften them but it is well worth it because of the flavors they impart.

Some of these you might have heard of but haven't worked with before. The winter is a really good time to experiment with new flavors and recipes. Here are a few examples of recipes that you can use to help you get the taste of these winter vegetables.

Cream soups - One thing about cream as opposed to broth soups is that they are thicker and stick to you longer for a full feeling. Try using a food processor to blend some cooked squash and potatoes or chopped up broccoli. Add some chopped chives, green onions and other spices along with fat free sour cream to add flavor.

Stir fry - This is a great way to steam and sauté vegetables with very little oil. Water chestnuts, celery, onions and carrots can be used to create an Asian stir fry. Slice them thin or julienne them so that they cook faster. Add seafood, lean poultry or lean beef to round out the meal. Of course you may want to take a little care in how much oil or fat you use for cooking. There are well-known health benefits of avoiding too much fat and oil and there are some clever cookware items that can help you eliminate a large percentage of oil from your cooking, while still retaining the taste you love.  Cookware items like the Tefal Actifry come to mind, but there are others.

Salads - There are plenty of winter greens that can be used to make flavorful salads. Top with winter citrus fruits like oranges, tangerines and also use pears. The fruit adds flavor without the need to drench your creation in salad dressing.

Winter doesn't have to be boring food wise. Try those winter vegetables to create new dishes your family will love.  Here's a very nice recipe for a lovely, warming potato and carrot soup. Not only delicious, but pretty healthy, too.

Potato and Carrot Soup
Serves 2

Ingredients:
4 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
5 carrots, peeled and chopped
5 garlic cloves, crushed
4 cups vegetarian broth
2 tbsp dried basil
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tbsp dried oregano
Handful of shredded cheese (optional)
Olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:
In a large stockpot, heat some olive oil. Add the carrots, garlic and potatoes and sauté for a few minutes. Add the vegetarian broth and the dried herbs and garlic powder. Season well.

Cover and simmer the soup for about 20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Remove from heat. Blend the soup until smooth. Pour back into the pot and cook for a few minutes until heated through.

Sprinkle with shredded cheese (optional) and serve immediately.

Remember to warm your soup bowls before serving the soup, so that it stays good and warm.  We love this soup with a chunk of home-made bread to dip into it.  Indulgent, but delicious!

If you have high blood pressure you may want to cut back on the salt, or use something like a high quality marine sea salt, which tastes "saltier" than normal salt, so you use less of it.  A high quality natural marine sea salt also has the benefit of not being full of iodide like regular table salts.  The recommended maximum daily intake of salt is only 6 grams per person and it's easy to exceed that if you're not careful, so do take that into consideration when making the soup.  Another easy tip to help is to substitute fresh garlic for the garlic powder, since the powder can sometimes be a bit salty.