Facing Your Veggie Fears

Despite the fact that many of my patients have told me they love them, I’d never eaten okra. No good excuse. The potential sliminess just scared me. So I brought in a special correspondent for this spring’s okra report. Citypixie lives in NYC but hails from Florida so she knows her southern veggies.

Okra is definitely worth a try nutritionally. It’s only 25 calories per ½ cup serving with 2g of fiber per serving. Part of that fiber is mucilage, a type of soluble fiber and the source of the potential slime. Mucilage (I cringe every time I type that) is also an effective thickener which is why okra is so essential in gumbo. In addition to the fiber, okra is a good source of vitamin B6 and folic acid.

Citypixie convinced me to buy okra and try her VERY simple recipe. It takes 30 seconds to prep (rinse okra – do not cut their tops off!!!!) and then ten minutes total on the grill (they'll give a little when you press them). The okra pictures you see are of my very first ever okra – and I loved them!!!!!!! Soaked in lime, I gobbled them all up. I always expected them to be bitter but they’re not. Okra has a very mild flavor with a little something different in the center.

Special NYC Veggie Report from Citypixie, Okra Guru

"FreshDirect has substantially streamlined my food procurement habits in NYC. If you're not familiar with it, FreshDirect is a fantastic NYC-based grocery-delivery service that offers New Yorkers just about everything they want in a slick click-and-buy environment. The only real downside to FreshDirect is that you're kind of on your own for meal-time inspiration as nothing can replace the sensory experience of wandering around the market and discovering something new and/or not generally a part of your standard grocery list. (The upside is that I can get my beer, juice and bottled water delivered to my door!)

This weekend I convinced my husband to take a trip to a real "brick and mortar" grocery store in Redhook, Brooklyn. Not just "a" grocery store, but the very beautiful and catacomb-like Fairway Market. For those of you not familiar with Fairway, Fairway appeals to foodie elites and local-yokels alike because of the sheer variety of offerings (there aren't many grocery stores that carry sea beans and saltines!) and totally reasonable prices. Fairway is piled high with a panoply of tempting seasonal vegetables and fruits. If you can't find inspiration here, you're in trouble.

Okra isn't exactly "off" my grocery list, as I grew up eating it, but it isn't firmly "on" it either. When I place my FreshDirect order, I tend to be a creature of habit, so once an ingredient finds itself out of rotation, I'm probably not going to be eating it for awhile! Luckily there was a boatload of fresh okra in the specialty produce section beckoning me at Fairway this weekend. It kind of cracks me up that okra is considered a specialty veg (or is it a fruit?) since it was such a staple of my Southern-style family supper, but everything is relative. I never heard of Fox's U-Bet soda until I moved north of the Mason-Dixon line, which apparently made me a food-philistine up until the point of that discovery!

As "specialty vegetables" go, okra is certainly an acquired taste. Most folks who've had and don't like it, have had their okra in a gooey (probably overcooked) stew with canned tomatoes. While this viscous texture is appealing in many non-western cuisines (i.e. the Japanese love their fermented soybean natto), it is understandably not so popular here in the states where "slime" doesn't conjure up the best images and experiences for most people. Honestly, I don't really care for stewed okra either. Fried okra is a different story, but I think a fried shoe (if it was fried and seasoned correctly) would probably be delicious. Indian and Southeast Asian cuisines incorporate okra into many of their dishes, and I'm thrilled to get my okra in a restaurant, but it isn't likely that I'll be whipping up a ghee, dal, naan or paneer at home anytime soon.

So what's a no-fuss cook to do when she finds a gorgeous pile of okra at the market? Grill it! I have to admit, I didn't come up with this concept on my own – I recently ordered the okra special at a quirky neighborhood Japanese-Vietnamese haunt, Hoi An. I was blown away with its simplicity and powerful unexpected flavor! Best of all, the gooeyness factor pretty low, which adds to the appeal.


Citypixie’s Grilled Okra
Serves 2

Prep time: 30 seconds
Grill time: 10 minutes

15-20 stalks of washed fresh okra
1 T canola oil
Sea salt (I like Halen Mon)
Fresh limes

Preheat a lightly-oiled cast-iron grill-pan. If not canola oil, be sure to use an oil with a high smoke-point. Get the grill hot, hot, hot, then place the okra on the grill. After about 5 minutes, turn the okra so that both sides get grilled. The okra should have grill marks, but still look vibrantly green and plump. Don't over-grill the okra or the okra will become a viscous gooey hot mess. Once the okra is cooked, plate it. Mix few pinches of sea salt with the juice of a lime. Dip the okra in the lime-salt mixture as you eat it.

Easy and yummy!"

Citypixie also recommends roasting the okra which I tried the next night. I tossed the okra with 1 T olive oil, sprinkled them with Aleppo pepper (pick whatever spice you like), spread them out in a single layer on a baking sheet, and put them into a 450 degree oven for 12 minutes. Just as tasty as the grilled okra.

I now crave okra and need to get more. I bought mine at the local Indian grocer for $1.34/lb. If your supermarket doesn't carry fresh okra, check out your closest ethnic grocer.

Four-Minute Veggies

Tax season has drained me of any energy to make veggies but I needed something. So at lunchtime, I stopped at a nearby supermarket to check out the produce and saw asparagus on sale – the ultimate quickie veggie. And a tasty one too.

So tonight, I just rinsed them off, snapped off the tough ends, piled them into a microwave-safe glass casserole dish, tightly covered with plastic wrap, tossed them into the microwave oven – yes, microwave oven and yes, without water or anything else – and cooked them at 100% for three minutes. Done and done.

The asparagus came out bright green and not soggy. Total prep and cooking – 4 minutes total!!! Squeeze some lemon juice on top and they’re ready to serve.

Not only is microwave cooking quick and easy, it also helps preserve veggie nutrients.

Microwave times vary by oven but it's better to undercook than overcook since you can always add time if the veggie needs more cooking. In my 1000 watt microwave, one pound takes roughly three minutes. Reduce time for less than a pound; add time for more than a pound.

If you want more suggestions on using your microwave, Citypixie suggests checking out two recent NY Times articles by Mark Bittman and Harold McGee.

Nutrition Info (per pound of asparagus): 92 calories, 18g carbohydrate, 10g fiber, 10g protein, 1g fat, 0g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 9mg sodium

One pound can serve 2-4 people – or, in my case, one person since I just ate the entire pound as I wrote this. At 92 calories, it’s a veggie binge with few consequences (except for the grass-colored you-know-what).

Soft and Fluffy Vitamin K

You're thinking "What the heck is that?! That is just the oddest bowl of guacamole I've ever seen."

That, my friend, is a bowl of smooth and fluffy vitamin K goodness known as pureed broccoli. It may look strange but it's yummy - and easy to make.

It's a green base for flavor experimentation. I love my pureed broccoli with lots of garlic and hot red pepper flakes. But feel free to experiment. For instance, it's also yummy with grated parmesan cheese mixed in and melted throughout.

Its sheer fluffiness may induce texture adverse kids to eat broccoli.

It also freezes really well so I tend to make a lot of it at once to have more for later when I can’t be bothered to make a veggie side dish.

Pureed Broccoli
Serves 4

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes

1 lb broccoli
1 T olive oil
2-3 garlic cloves, finely minced
½ tsp hot red pepper flakes
¼ tsp salt (approximate and optional)

Separate the broccoli stems from the broccoli florets. Peel the broccoli stems and chop into 1" or so cubes. Cut the broccoli florets into small florets.

Heat up a large pot of salted water. When it reaches the boiling point, toss in the chopped broccoli stems and florets and simmer for approximately 7 minutes until the broccoli is tender. Drain. Puree broccoli in a food processor.

In that same large pot, heat up a tablespoon of olive oil over a medium heat. Sauté the garlic cloves and hot red pepper flakes for 30 seconds or so. Add the broccoli puree to blend and meld flavors, salt to taste, and sauté for another minute or two.

Serve immediately.

Nutritional Info (per serving): 69 calories, 8g carbohydrates, 3g fiber, 3g protein, 4g fat, 1g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 188mg sodium

Kid-Friendly Carotenoids

Celia, 7, and Simon, 5, kid-tested some carotenoids this week. Good thing too since Celia had just returned from a play date and needed the immunity boost.

Like all kids, they’re hit or miss on the veggies. Their mother Ana, of Ana’s Asian Chicken fame, tries to get veggies in with every meal and is always looking for a kid-friendly veggie side dish.

Mind you, this test was kind of rigged since Simon’s favorite veggie is carrots. Celia’s is corn but she also enjoys carrots. Least favorite veggie? Simon is not fond of anything green and Celia is opposed to snap peas and mushrooms.

And the verdict:

Celia: “I like them. When I eat the carrots with milk, my mouth tastes like carrot cake.”
Simon: “They’re kind of spicy but not too spicy; just spicy enough so I can eat them.”

In other words, they ate them, which is always good.

Here's the kid-friendly recipe adapted from Where Flavor was Born by Andreas Viestad:

Soy-Ginger Carrots
Serves 4

1 T butter
1 lb carrots cut into 1/3-inch thick sticks or thickly grated
2 T finely chopped shallots
1 T finely chopped fresh ginger or ginger paste
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp honey
1/3 cup fresh tangerine or orange juice (the juice of approx. one tangerine)
1 T soy sauce
Chopped cilantro for garnish.

Heat butter in skillet or wok over medium high heat. Once the butter has melted, add carrots and shallots and sauté for two minutes. Add minced ginger or ginger paste, ground ginger, and honey. Reduce heat to medium and sauté for another two minutes, stirring constantly. Add juice and soy sauce, sauté for another three to four minutes until liquid syrupy and carrots glazed.

Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve.

Options for adults: Add 1-2 tsp coriander seed, slight crushed, at the same time as ginger. Also, add finely minced fresh garlic as a garnish.

Nutritional info (per serving): 83 calories, 13g carbohydrates, 3g fiber, 2g protein, 3g total fat, 2g saturated fat, 8mg cholesterol, 324mg sodium

Veggie Sleuthing

Can you name this veggie? According to my receipt from Tai Nam Market (4925 N Broadway St, Chicago), it’s called Ya Choy. Since that meant nothing to me, I looked through a couple Vietnamese and Chinese cookbooks. No mention of it. Thank heavens for Beyond Bok Choy by Rosa Lo San Ross with its clear four-color pictures, detailed veggie descriptions, and alternative names – including of the elusive Ya Choy.

Ya Choy is also called Yau Choy, You Cai, Yu Choy, Oil Seed Rape, or its Latin name Brassica rapa, Chinensis group, making it a sister to Bok Choy. There are probably additional aliases. More may be revealed.

According to Melissa’s Produce, the greens are 20 calories per cup (cooked, I’m assuming) and are extremely high in provitamin A. I’ve e-mailed Melissa’s to find out their nutrition analysis source since there’s nothing on this veggie in the USDA food database. We’ll see how Melissa’s responds.

What does Ya Choy taste like? Like a milder version of broccoli rabe, also known as rapini (so many veggies travel under an alias). Just a little bit of mustardy kick but not bitter.

How to cook them? Below is a basic stir-fry which is a good first taste for most mystery greens. Sesame oil, crushed red pepper flakes, garlic and ginger usually work well with greens.

Mystery Greens Stir Fry
Serves 4

1 T toasted sesame oil (dark, not pale, sesame oil)
¼ - ½ tsp hot crushed red pepper flakes
2 garlic cloves minced or 1 tsp garlic puree
1 tsp minced ginger or ginger puree
1 lb Ya Choy or whatever Asian-esque leafy green you can find in the supermarket, well washed and chopped into 3” segments
Soy sauce (optional)

Heat oil in wok or skillet over a medium high heat. Add red pepper flakes; stir once. Add garlic and ginger; stir for 30 seconds. Add greens; cover wok/skillet for about three minutes until wilted. There should be enough water left on the leaves to steam the greens. Remove cover and stir until veggies are limp. Serve immediately. If you want more flavor, add more red pepper flakes or soy sauce.

Now what to eat with the greens? To accompany the Ya Choy, I made steamed brown rice and my friend Ana’s Asian Red-Simmered Slow Cooker Chicken. Yes, I’m still on a slow cooker kick.

Ana’s Asian Red-Simmered Slow Cooker Chicken
Use a 5-quart or larger oval cooker
Serves 4

1 3-4 lb chicken, rinsed and giblets removed
2 garlic cloves crushed or 1 tsp garlic puree
1 ½ tsp sugar
1 T cooking sherry
¼ c soy sauce
¼ c chicken stock or water
¼ tsp toasted sesame oil
3-4 points of star anise clove (optional)
Scallions with green tops cut into “brushes” (optional)

Place chicken in the slow cooker breast side up. Mix all of the other ingredients together, except for the scallions, and pour over the chicken. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours. During cooking time, turn over the chicken once or twice or baste bird with liquid. Chicken is done when meat is falling off the bone.

Which is why the chicken looks a little ragged – the bird is falling apart because it’s so tender!!!

Remove chicken from cooker and place on serving platter. Cut as desired.

Pour sauce into fat separator or skim chicken fat off with a spoon. Serve with chicken and scallion brushes. Sauce is excellent over mystery greens and brown rice too.

Can I Get That In Green Too?

Yes, I did cabbage last week. This time it’s green and it’s St. Patrick’s Day so I really don’t have a choice. Today, my only options are cabbage or potatoes. Since potatoes can conjure up some painful Irish historical memories, I’m going with cabbage.

Cabbage is a cruciferous veggie, in the same family as Brussels sprouts, broccoli, and cauliflower. Cruciferous veggies contain indoles, phytochemicals that may be protective against cancer and promote detoxification.

Of course, the classic dish for today is corned beef and cabbage but I’m just going with braised cabbage. I’ll let you pick the protein of your choice. I’m also going to continue braising my cabbage in the slow cooker since it’s just easier that way and the low heat keeps the cabbage from getting mushy.

Simple Braised Green Cabbage
Use a 4-quart or larger round or oval cooker
Serves 6

1 medium head green cabbage, cored and thickly sliced
4 medium carrots, thickly sliced
1 medium onion, thickly sliced
¼ cup chicken or veggie stock or water
¼ teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
salt and ground pepper to taste
balsamic vinegar to taste

Put everything but the balsamic vinegar into the slow cooker and cook on low for 4-5 hours. If the cabbage looks like it’s sticking or browning, stir. Yes, you can do that with a slow cooker. Once completed, add balsamic vinegar to taste.

Nutritional Info (per serving): 54 calories, 13g carbohydrates, 4g fiber, 2g protein, 0g fat, 0mg cholesterol, 87mg sodium

If you do want to make corned beef and cabbage, you can place the corned beef in with the cabbage (although cut the cabbage into 8 thicker wedges to allow for the longer cooking time) and let it cook in the slow cooker on low for 8-10 hours. My mother (Happy Birthday, Mom!!!) likes to use a can of cream of celery in place of stock and doesn’t use any vinegar. While I admit her corned beef and cabbage is good, the stock adds fewer calories.

Healthy Red (or Purple)

Growing up, red cabbage made frequent appearances on our dinner table. My mother is German and red cabbage is definitely in the top five veggies of our people – although all veggies bow down to the German veggie queen, the potato. So I’m very fond of red cabbage (and potatoes).

In addition to being a tasty veggie, red cabbage has some health benefits including the antioxidant power of its red (or purple, as it appears to be in this picture) coloring provided by anthocyanins. Anthocyanins are flavonoids that color some fruits and veggies red, purple, or blue. Consuming these vibrant free-radical blockers may help to prevent cancer, improve brain function, and promote heart health.

Red cabbage is a great braised winter veggie, perfect for the slow cooker. I agree with Mark Bittman that a slow cooker is essentially a braiser that you can leave alone for long periods of time. To obtain red cabbage goodness straight from the slow cooker, try this tasty sweet, sour, and zesty braised red cabbage recipe.

Maple-Ginger Slow Cooked Red Cabbage
Use a 4-quart or larger round or oval slow cooker
Serves 6

1 medium-sized head of red cabbage, cored and thinly sliced
1 granny smith apple, peeled, cored, and roughly diced
¼ cup cider vinegar
2 T maple syrup
1 tsp grated ginger (I use jarred ginger puree)

Place all of the ingredients into a slow cooker and mix together. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours.

Nutrition Info (per serving): 60 calories, 15g carbohydrates, 2g fiber, 1g protein, 0g fat, 0mg cholesterol, 30mg sodium