Finding Radiance

This was a totally new veggie to me.  Funny how I was just reading about them online about how they are in season, and what do I see at the farmer’s market yesterday?  Fiddleheads!

I decided to try some, although the appearance seemed a bit like coiled worms to me, so there was a bit of apprehension.

Fiddleheads are grown mostly in the northeast, and are the unfurled frond tips of the ostrich fern, so obviously have a very short season.

Took them home and washed off the brown papery coating.

Cooked them thusly:

4 ounces of fiddleheads

1 tsp coconut oil

3 tablespoons minced onions

1 slice canadian bacon, chopped.

Steam the fiddleheads in a mesh steamer for 5 minutes.

In the meantime, saute the onions in the coconut oil and then add the bacon.  When the fiddleheads are done, add them to the saute pan and cook for another 4-5 minutes.

They were actually pretty good, although anything with bacon in some form is going to be pretty tasty to me

They were very reminiscent of asparagus, but much milder in flavor and pretty tender.  They were fun, and I would get them again, although keeping the price in mind.

Today’s experiment was guided by the sales at the grocery store yesterday.  Bundles and bundles of white asparagus.

As per usual when trying something new, I decided to roast them.

A little S&P and a drizzle of oil.  They had a nice flavor, but I think I might prefer the green better.  Part of it was that I love really thin asparagus spears, and these were much thicker than I have ever eaten.  I might try making a soup or something with the rest of the bunch.  Any ideas anyone?

I found some mung and adzuki beans at a local health food store. They are tiny, and I seem to like the smaller legumes. So thought I would give them a try.
Mung beans are native to India and Pakistan. High in fiber and a good amount of protein.

I soaked them overnight, and put them on the stove this morning to cook. They actually only took about 15 minutes. Not sure if that was due to the soaking or what. Anyway, I decided to make a coconut curry with them.
Ingredients:

2 tsp coconut oil
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/4 tsp black mustard seeds
1/4 of an onion diced
1/2 green bell pepper,diced
1/4 cup mung beans (soaked overnight and cooked)
1/2 cup chick peas
2/3 cup light coconut milk
salt and pepper

In a sauce pan, heat the coconut oil. Add the mustard seeds and cook until they start to pop. Stir in the garam masala and cook for 30 seconds. Add the onions and green peppers. Cook until translucent and starting to carmelize.
Add the cooked mung beans and chick peas. Cook for about a minute. Add the coconut milk and salt and pepper to taste. Heat thoroughly.
I served this with some couscous and it was heavenly!
Makes 2 servings.

About 200 calories per serving, not counting couscous.

The mung beans themselves weren’t really strong in flavor. More so than the chick peas, but I think they had pea-type flavor. Apparently, these are used most often in sweet preparations. Who knew? I have a bunch of these, so that might be the next option. Who ever knew that I would be eating beans!

These looked fresh and appealing at the store, and it was 69 cents to give it a whirl. (Aren’t I the big spender!!)

Looks kind of like a pear doesn’t it? These are actually related to squash and melons. Also known as mirlitons (Nutcracker, anyone?)
I tasted it raw, and my mouth tasted pear, but not very sweet, if that makes any sense. A texture very similar to a hard pear. I cut it up and roasted it, as you know I like to do with new veggies.

Unlike squash, it stays pretty crisp, even after roasting. Surprisingly so. Any trace of sweetness was cooked out of it, and it was very mild. All in all, I think I liked it. I have half left, and I believe that I am going to thinly slice it and eat it raw on a sandwich with some hummus. Just to try it.

Okay – I did it! For our Mardi Gras dinner, I made the collard greens and used the Diet,Desserts,and Dogs recipe. Thank you for that!! The only thing I did not add was the lemon juice (didn’t have any).

The recipe was quick and easy. Overall, I am not totally sold on the collards, they were chewier than I was expecting – but the flavor was quite good in this dish, and the apples were a nice touch. I used a more tart apple, so I don’t think I missed the lemon juice. The other people who tried the greens also thought they were good. So – yay for me! However, I don’t think I will buy them again just for me to eat.

Finished greens (along with crawfish pie and shrimp & grits):

Found some broccolini at the grocery store this weekend. Everyone knows that I looooves me some broccoli, one of the very few veggies I really like, and I eat it pretty much every day.
I thought the broccolini would be like baby broccoli, but it’s not. It’s a cross between broccoli and a chinese cabbage. That said, it really seemed more like asparagus to me, especially in the texture of the stem. It was quite tender and had a more mild flavor than broccoli. The tops were pretty different, more textural and less soft than regular broccoli.
I roasted it, as I tend to do this as a standby for unfamiliar veggies since I like that cooking method. Worked really well. And a serving is huge for only 35 calories. I definitely would purchase this again.

Okay – I did it! I made (and ate) brussel sprouts.

First off, let me say what my only background of brussel sprouts is. You know that Jones Soda pack that comes out with the holiday flavors? One year had turkey and gravy, brussel sprouts, cranberry, and pumpkin pie. So, we opened the brussel sprout one, and the rank cabbagey odor that came out of the bottle was not even as bad as the taste. A weird sweetish, sulfury yuck. So, that’s where I’m coming from – even trying them is a big deal.

Anyhoo, back to today. Fresh brussel sprouts, which I quartered, tossed in a little sunflower oil, kosher salt and pepper. I put them in the toaster oven for about 20 minutes or so, flipping 1/2 way through.

They actually don’t have a lot of taste, milder than even cabbage or cauliflower is, in my opinion. I think I liked them, didn’t love them. The texture was almost meaty. What I did really like was the little leaves that fell off and got super crispy. They were almost like potato chips, and I could see peeling the leaves off and toasting them for a snack.
So, verdict is that I will get them periodically for something different. Victory for me on a new veggie!