Please Help!

[Marsha75]

I am cooking Easter dinner this Friday. My mother-in-law cannot eat dairy, wheat, or gluten, and is sensitive to sugar.

I am trying to find some tasty veggie recipes without butter ,cream, cheese or sugar.

In the past I boiled some mixed veggies and added spices or italian salad dressing. Everything I have tried tastes awful!

If anyone has some suggestions I would really appreciate the help.
My favorite veggies are broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, cabbage, and red peppers.

Marsha

[Jafo232]

Have you ever tried roasting cauliflower? Drizzle it with some olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper and then roast in the oven at 400 degrees for about 35 minutes (turning half way through).. It is delicious!

[KYHeirloomer]

I've several possibilities, but first a question: Is it just refined sugar she is sensitive to? Or even simple sugars like honey and maple syrup?

Meanwhile, you might consider:

Carrots & Parsnips with Rosemary

8 carrots
8 parsnips
1 small branch fresh rosemary (or 1.2 tsp dried)
3 cups chicken stock
6 tbls chilled butter (substiture olive oil)
Salt & pepper

Cut carrots and parsnips into thin, 2-3 inch jullienne strips. Chop the rosemary leaves.

Bring chicken stock to a simmer. Blanch the carrots in the stock until tender, about 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and cook the parsnips in the same stock until tender, about 3 minutes. Remove parsnips and boil the stock until reduced to 1/2 cup, about 25 minutes. Swirl in the butter (olive oil). Stir in the rosemary, carrts, and parsnips. Season to taste with salt & pepper.

CARDAMON-ROASTED CAULIFLOWER

1/3 cup olive oil 3 green cardamom pods
3 dried red chilies 1 tbls coriander seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds ½ tsp whole peppercorns
1 head cauliflower cored and broken into medium florets
1 medium red onion, halved & thinly sliced
Kosher salt for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 425F. Grease a 9 x 13 baking dish or large gratin dish with olive oil and set aside.

Grind the cardamom pods, chiles, coriander, cumin and whole peppercorns in a coffee grinder until fine. Mix the spices with the oil in a large bowl. Add the cauliflower and onion and toss to coat. Transfer the vegetables to a baking dish and roast until they’re tender, about 1 hour, stirring every 20 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and serve.

Suvir Saran in American Masala

[Marsha75]

Thanks a bunch for the quick reply. We prefer our veggies soft. Can cauliflower be roasted so that is turns out soft?

I think roasting veggies is a great idea because you do not lose the nutrients in the water like boiling them does.

Thanks again.
Marsha

[Mama Mangia]

ASPARAGUS ASIAN STYLE


1½ lbs. Asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2in. pieces
1 tbsp. Japanese soy sauce
1 tsp. Asian sesame oil
2 drops red chile oil

1. Put the asparagus into a pot of boiling water for 1½ to 2 minutes. Do not overcook. Drain, then immediately plunge into a large bowl of ice water for 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to paper towels and pat dry.
2. Whisk together the remaining ingredients, add the asparagus and toss to coat. Transfer to serving bowl and garnish with ½ tsp. toasted sesame seeds.

Asparagus Bouquet

Because roasting accents the sweetness of this spring stalk, you'll need only a hint of seasoning.
Ingredients

1 1/2 lb. asparagus spears
2 tsp. olive oil or melted butter
2 Tbs. snipped fresh chervil or 2 tsp. snipped fresh tarragon
Coarse salt or salt
Fresh chervil sprigs (optional)
Directions

Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Snip off and discard woody bases from fresh asparagus. If desired, use a paring knife to scrape off scales. Combine oil and 1 Tbs. of the chervil or 1 tsp. of the tarragon. Drizzle over asparagus. Toss gently to coat. In a greased 15x10x1" baking pan arrange asparagus in a single layer. Sprinkle lightly with salt.

Roast asparagus uncovered 4-6 minutes or until just tender, stirring once. To serve, place the asparagus upright in a glass jar or flat on a serving platter. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 Tbs. snipped chervil or 1 tsp. snipped tarragon. Garnish with chervil sprigs, if desired.

Yield: 6 servings



Roasted Asparagus Wrapped in Prosciutto

1 lb asparagus (about 19 stalks), trimmed
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 to 8 paper-thin slices prosciutto, halved lengthwise


Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Snap the dry stem ends off of each asparagus and place on a heavy baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss. Roast until the asparagus is tender, about 15 minutes. Cool completely.

Wrap each asparagus with 1 piece (about 1/2 a slice) of prosciutto, exposing tips. Arrange on a platter and serve at room temperature.

Yield: 6 servings




Broccoli with Sesame Sauce

Ingredients :

2 lb Broccoli, trimmed
1/4 cup Soy Sauce
1/2 tsp Honey
2 tbl Sesame Oil
1/4 cup Sesame Seeds, toasted
6 x Lettuce, Romaine, leaves

* Chop broccoli into florets and steam 4 to 5 minutes, until just tender; Chill.
* Mix remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Add broccoli and marinate for 1 hour.
* Serve on a bed of lettuce leaves.


Tossed Broccoli


1 pound broccoli
1/3 cup soy sauce
1 Tbsp. Sugar or sweetener (equivalent)
2 Tbsp. rice vinegar
2 Tbsp. sesame oil
1 Tbsp. fresh grated ginger
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. red pepper flakes (the kind you sprinkle on pizza)

Wash broccoli and cut florets into bite-sized pieces. Peel off the tough skin from the stalk and cut the peeled stalk into thin slices. Steam broccoli for about 3 minutes or until just crisp-tender. If you don't have a steamer, put broccoli in boiling water for about 3 minutes until crisp-tender. With either cooking method, drain broccoli when done and immediately immerse in cold running water to stop cooking process. It is very important with this recipe that the broccoli remain crunchy and not cook too much and become soft. In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, sugar, and rice vinegar and stir until sugar dissolves. In a large frying pan or wok, heat sesame oil, then add ginger, garlic and pepper flakes and stir-fry for about 10 seconds while stirring constantly. Add the soy sauce mixture and cook for another 30 seconds while stirring. Pour sauce over the broccoli in a large bowl and mix well. Let broccoli cool in refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight. Serve cool or at room temperature.




MARINATED CAULIFLOWER

1/2 c. Heinz salad or wine vinegar
1/4 c. salad oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 t. salt
dash pepper
dash paprika
1 small head cauliflower (1 1/2 lb.), cut into bite-sized pieces
1 small onion, thinly sliced
2 T. chopped green pepper
1 T. pimiento strips

In a jar, combine first 6 ingredients, cover and shake well. In a bowl, combine cauliflower with remaining ingredients. Pour marinade over vegetables, cover and refrigerate overnight. Stir occasionally. Serve as a relish, appetizer or salad.
(yield:4 cups)
SESAME CARROTS AND SNAP PEAS
SERVES 4

1 T. sesame seeds, toasted
1 T. plus 1 T. toasted sesame oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 t. minced fresh ginger
8 oz. carrots (1 ¼ c.) cut in ¼-inch diagonals
¼ t. salt
1 lb. sugar snap peas
1 T. soy sauce

Heat oil in same skillet as seeds. Add garlic and ginger; cook until softened, 2 minutes. Stir in carrots/ ½ c. water and salt. Reduce heat to low; cover. Simmer 5 minutes. Stir in snap peas and soy sauce; cover. Simmer until peas are tender, 2 minutes. Sprinkle seeds on in serving bowl.




Boston Baked Corn

Yield: 6 Servings

1 c Ketchup
2 tb Brown sugar
1 ts Dry mustard
1/2 ts Salt
1 sm Onion; chopped
3 c Fresh corn
3 sl Bacon; diced

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a 1 1/2 quart
casserole.

Mix ketchup, brown sugar, dry mustard and salt;
stir in remaining ingredients, except bacon, until
well blended. Top with bacon; transfer to
casserole and bake until bacon is cooked and
heated through, about 40 minutes.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.











Corn Sauté

1/2 cup sliced onion
1/3 cup melted butter or 2 tablespoons Italian dressing
2 (17-ounce) cans kernel corn, drained (or use fresh!)
2 teaspoons sugar or equivalent in sweetener
1/2 cup diced green pepper
1/2 teaspoon basil
1 (17-ounce) can green beans, drained
Salt and pepper to taste

Sauté onion in butter for 1 minute. Add remaining ingredients and cook for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring constantly.


Green Bean Medley

1 Lb green beans
4-5 carrots, sliced
6 potatoes
1 med onion
juice of 1 lemon
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
fresh parsley


Use fresh veggies. Cut and cover with water. Cook about 15 minutes or until tender but not mushy. Drain and add lemon juice and olive oil. Sprinkle with fresh snipped parsley



GREEN BEANS AND GOLDEN ONIONS

SERVES 8

2 lb. green beans, trimmed
¼ lb. proscuitto or pancetta, coarsely chopped
1 T. olive oil
2 med. onions, halved and thinly sliced
¼ t. pepper

Cook beans in salted water until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. (Can be made ahead; cover and refrigerate until ready to serve). Heat skillet. Saute proscuitto until crisp. Remove. Add onions to pan; cook until golden and translucent. (if beans were made ahead - bring to room temp) Add beans and pepper; cook 4 minutes to heat through. Stir in proscuitto.



Fried Cabbage

1 lb side bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 onions, chopped
1/2 (6 cups) green, red or savoy cabbage, coarsely shredded
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley (3 tbsp dried)
1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 cup (approximately) water
2 tbsp cider vinegar

In large skillet fry bacon until crisp. With slotted spoon, remove to drain on paper towels. Pour off all but 1/4 cup of pan drippings.

Add onions to pan and cook over medium heat until soft, about 3 minutes, stirring often.

Mix cabbage, carrots and parsley to coat well with drippings. Stir in salt, pepper and water; bring to boil, cover, reduce heat to low and cook for 10 to 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender-crisp and still quite bright in color, stirring occasionally.

If mixture seems too dry, add more water. If too much liquid remains in skillet near end of cooking time, uncover and increase heat to high for 1 minute, stirring often.

Add bacon back to pan and stir in cider vinegar. Heat through and serve immediately. Serves 4 to 6.


Sweet and Sour Cabbage


2-1/2 lbs red cabbage
2 tbsp fat
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
4 cloves
1/2 tsp allpsice
1/2 cup sugar
boiling water to cover
3 tart apples
1/2 cup vinegar

Slice cabbage fine and place in pot.
Add fat, salt, pepper, spices, sugar and water to cover.
Heat.
Pare, core and slice apples, add to cabbage and cook 1 hour.
Add vinegar and simmer 1 hour longer.
Serves 6 to 8.

[lizgirl]

Don't use soy unless you know for sure your brand is gluten free.

[Marsha75]

Yes, thank you. She put soy milk in her coffee the other day and realized she cannot tolerate soy either.

Many pre-made sauces and soups etc. have wheat, soy, or gluten.

Thanks!
Marsha

[Jafo232]

Just to answer your question, yes the cauliflower is soft when you roast it.

[lizgirl]

I ran into a similar problem with my vegetables. When you leave out butter you leave out the best flavor! I do agree that roasting vegetables taste better than boiling them.
Did you ever roast red beets? They are delicious! I have this recipe I just found last fall that I like a lot. Just want to mention that you can use chicken broth in your vegies to boost the taste instead of butter. But many instant boullions have gluten or some stupid junk in them. Use natural broth.

Zucchini Succotash

3 tab. butter or oil
1 clove of garlic, minced ( I use ground instead or 1 tab. of minced)
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 small onion chopped
2 c. corn kernels, frozen*
2 c. lima beans, frozen*
2 c. diced zucchini
Salt and pepper
1 c. water

*frozen succotash can be used instead.
In a large skillet heat oil over medium high heat. Add garlic, bell peppers and onion. Saute until half softened. About 5 minutes

Add the frozen vegetables and 1 c. water. Bring to boil and cover, reduce heat, cook until lima beans are almost tender about 10 minutes. Add zucchini and salt and pepper. Cook until zucchini is how you like it.

All the vegetables flavor the dish and you don't need butter or cheese.
............................................

Herbed Walnut Rice

1 tab. oil
1/2 c. chopped onion
1/2 c. shredded carrot
1/2 c. chopped walnuts
1/2 tsp. dried marjoram
11/2 tsp. thyme leaves
1/4 tsp. dried rosemary
3 c. cooked rice cooked in chicken broth
2 tab. chopped fresh parsley (opt.)

In a large skillet. heat oil over medium high heat; add the onion, carrot, walnuts, marjoram, thyme, and rosemary and cook until the vegetables are tender crisp. 6-8 minutes. Stir in the cooked rice and parsley; heat thoroughly.

Note: Walnuts is not an option for this dish. It makes it different!

[KYHeirloomer]

Lizgirl,

Just to confirm: You're using "tab" as an abbreviation for "tablespoon?"