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are a list of some vegetables you may or may not have ever tried.
I'm doing a sampling of these and others at Chrysler's Plymouth
Road Office Complex (PROC) this month. I'm addicted to Hearts
of Palm lately. Expensive but worth it.
Fyi- frozen or canned baby corn is a freebie low starch vegetable
. (not a starch like "grown-up" corn.) Stir fry or
chef salad anyone?
Funky Veggies
Spaghetti Squash, Jicama, Hearts of Palm, Artichokes
Spaghetti
Squash-
Looking for a low calorie alternative to pasta? Try spaghetti
squash. It is available year round but is most flavorful in
early fall through the winter. Look for a very hard yellow smooth
squash that looks like a rounded football. A larger squash will
have thicker strands like typical spaghetti and the smaller
ones have strands like angel hair pasta. Cook as you would any
squash: cut in half, seed, prick the skin with a fork, set in
1-2 inches of water, and bake at 350 degrees or microwave. When
the squash is done, use a fork to break the flesh into the spaghetti
stands. Jazz it up as you would spaghetti, or bake it into a
gratin using cheeses and sauces. I cup cooked spaghetti squash
is about 25 calories, and contains fiber, folic acid and potassium.
1 cup cooked white pasta contains about 240 calories and wheat
about 160.
Jicama-
Jicama (Hee-ka-ma) is a fleshy underground tuber of a leguminous
plant. It is similar in texture and taste to water chestnuts
and is commonly used in Mexican, South American, and Asian dishes.
Jicama can be used from appetizer through dessert, raw, cooked,
sliced, diced, however you choose. It can be used as an alternative
to crackers for dipping, and adds a new flavor and texture to
a vegetable tray. It does not discolor or soften so it is great
for made-ahead meals, and picks up flavors of marinades and
sauces as well. Peel jicama with a paring knife, not a peeler,
for best results. Raw jicama contains bout 50 calories per cup.
Hearts of Palm-
Hearts of Palm are the edible inner portion of the stem of the
cabbage palm tree, native to tropical climates. The tender white
stalks come from the top 3 feet of a 40 foot tree. Hearts of
Palm are slender, ivory-colored and delicately flavored, resembling
a white asparagus spear, or piece of string cheese. They are
served hot or cold, as appetizers or in salads. They can also
be used in omelettes or served with herbed oil/butter. Because
of their citric acid content, they should be rinsed with cold
water before using. 1 cup contains about 45 calories, and 6
grams of fiber.
Artichokes-
Whole artichokes can be seamed, sauted, or baked. Put in cold
water with a little lemon juice to prevent browning. The entire
plant is edible (if the stem is peeled). They are about 25-50
calories (baby or full grown) each with 3-6 grams of fiber.
Artichoke hearts are available canned or frozen, water packed
or with oil. These are great for adding to salads, pasta, pizza,
sandwiches, and omelettes. 4 hearts is about 50 calories.
See www.melissas.com
or www.igourmet.com
For more information.
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