All posts tagged: vegetables

Hide your vegetables. You’re an adult

Hide your vegetables. You’re an adult

Published by Sam Flores

The other day, I grated two enormous zucchini into a bowl containing a quarter-can of pumpkin, brown sugar, cocoa powder and enough chopped bittersweet chocolate to make the whole operation look suspiciously like brownie batter. Which, essentially, it was. The zucchini disappeared almost immediately, leaving behind only a few green flecks and the vague knowledge that somewhere beneath all that chocolate was a respectable amount of produce.  In Chicago, we have a phrase for what happens to a hot dog after it has been loaded with tomatoes, onions, peppers and pickle: it’s been “dragged through the garden.” I had, apparently, dragged my brownies through the garden. When I sent the recipe to a friend, she replied, “I wish I could say I was making these for my toddler to hide his vegetables. But I’m making these for me to hide my vegetables!” This struck me as both very funny and strangely revealing. Hiding vegetables is a technique we tend to leave behind somewhere around the age of dino nuggets and mashed-potato volcanoes. Eventually, adulthood is …

Meera Sodha’s vegetarian recipe for kacang pool, or Malaysian bean stew | Vegetables

Meera Sodha’s vegetarian recipe for kacang pool, or Malaysian bean stew | Vegetables

Published by Sam Flores

This is a dish with roots in ancient Egypt. There, it started life as ful medames, the famous fava bean dish lightly seasoned with cumin, garlic and lemon. Then it was, reportedly, brought to Johor in Malaysia by Arab traders. It has since been adopted and adapted with a fierce sort of love, plus more spice and a tin of baked beans. I adore it. It’s a very delicious dinner and a triumphant blend of two cuisines. Kacang pool Traditionally, this dish is made with minced beef, but I’ve used soya mince. I ignore the packet instructions to rehydrate it before using, though. Prep 10 minCook 35 minServes 4 30g unsalted butter3 tbsp rapeseed oil, plus extra for frying the eggs2 red onions, peeled and very finely chopped¾ tsp fine sea salt3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced1½cm x 1½cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped1 tsp ground cumin1 tsp mild curry powder¾ tsp ground coriander¾ tsp ground fennel60g dried soya mince – I like Clearspring1 415g tin baked beans1 400g tin borlotti beans in …

Best barbecue tips from top chefs for fish, meat and vegetables

Best barbecue tips from top chefs for fish, meat and vegetables

Published by Daniella Wilson

Sign up to IndyEat’s free newsletter for weekly recipes, foodie features and cookbook releases Get our food and drink newsletter for free Get our food and drink newsletter for free There is a point in every barbecue when enthusiasm gives way to mild panic. The coals are either refusing to get hot or suddenly capable of cremating dinner, the fish has welded itself to the grill and somebody has remembered, slightly too late, that vegetables need cooking too. Fortunately, the people who cook over fire for a living have a few better ideas. This September, Borough Market is staying open after hours for Flame & Smoke, bringing together its chefs, traders and restaurateurs for an evening of live-fire cooking. Taking place on Thursday 10 September from 6.30pm to 9.30pm, the event will feature demonstrations spanning grilling, roasting, smoking and charring, alongside specially created small plates to eat as you go. Ahead of the event, five of the Market’s fire-cooking experts share the techniques worth stealing for your own barbecue – including why hotter coals are …

Five expert tips to help your fruits and vegetables stay fresh for longer

Five expert tips to help your fruits and vegetables stay fresh for longer

Published by Daniella Wilson

Sign up to IndyEat’s free newsletter for weekly recipes, foodie features and cookbook releases Get our food and drink newsletter for free Get our food and drink newsletter for free Minor adjustments to how we store fruits and vegetables could help them to last significantly longer. From herbs that quickly wilt to berries that rapidly develop mold, much of what ends up in the trash is less about what we purchase and more about how it’s kept at home. This spoilage is largely driven by moisture and temperature. Scientifically, produce doesn’t simply ‘go bad’ – it breaks down under specific conditions. Plants, much like humans, host natural microflora – a diverse community of microscopic organisms. “This could be bacteria, yeast, molds, things like that,” explained Amanda Deering, associate professor of produce food safety at Purdue University. Here are a few small changes that can extend the life of food by days. Wait to wash How you pack your fridge also matters (Getty Images) Washing produce before storing it can leave water that bacteria, yeast and …

Viral gardening granddad Gerald Stratford reveals the easy vegetables even kids can grow

Viral gardening granddad Gerald Stratford reveals the easy vegetables even kids can grow

Published by Daniella Wilson

Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more A septuagenarian vegetable grower found unexpected internet fame during lockdown five years ago, after a simple post about his harvest went viral. Gerald Stratford, a keen gardener, was initially unfamiliar with social media but was encouraged by a friend to share his passion for edibles online, with his nephew helping him get to grips with it. Less than six months later, a photograph of Mr Stratford harvesting potatoes, taken by his partner Elizabeth on his phone, captivated audiences. The former sports club caretaker recalled: “I gave Elizabeth my phone, she took a couple of photographs of me just harvesting these potatoes and I put them on Twitter (now X), with a caption, ‘My first early ‘Rocket’, well pleased.’” “’Rocket’ is the variety,” explains Stratford, …

The seven garden vegetables you’re probably harvesting at the wrong time

The seven garden vegetables you’re probably harvesting at the wrong time

Published by Daniella Wilson

Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more After diligent sowing, planting, and patient tending, gardens are now thriving. Beanstalks reach skyward, tomatoes plump, and zucchini seemingly double in size overnight. Yet, timing harvests is a delicate balancing act for gardeners, often demanding a choice between optimal flavor and yield. Compromises are sometimes necessary, even to save a crop. The key message is clear: do not wait too long. Timing harvests is a delicate balancing act for gardeners, often demanding a choice between optimal flavor and yield (Jessica Damiano via AP) Should you wait for tomatoes to fully ripen? The quest for a perfectly ripe, vine-grown tomato often comes with a catch: the risk of losing it entirely. Those plump, juicy fruits, once they achieve their uniform red, yellow, or orange hue, …

4 Vegetables That Don’t Count As One Of Your Five A Day

4 Vegetables That Don’t Count As One Of Your Five A Day

Published by Sam Flores

We’ve written before at HuffPost UK about the fruits and vegetables most linked to disease prevention. In fact, some research suggests that eating three portions of vegetables a day and two portions of fruit is linked to a longer life (though 70% of us don’t actually manage to hit those goals). Worse, what “counts” as a vegetable for these purposes, as well as what a serving actually entails, can be more confusing than you might expect. The World Health Organisation says we should eat 400g of fruits and vegetables a day, a suggestion which has been packaged as “five-a-day” campaigns in places like the UK. That means you’d actually need to eat two of some smaller fruits, e.g. clementines, to consume a single portion. And even though they’re technically classed as vegetables, some produce doesn’t “count” towards your five-a-day at all. Why don’t some vegetables count as one of your five a day? While a potato is a vegetable, it doesn’t count as a serving of your five a day. That’s not because it’s not …

How to wash your fruits and vegetables to stay safe from diarrhea-causing parasite cyclosporiasis

How to wash your fruits and vegetables to stay safe from diarrhea-causing parasite cyclosporiasis

Published by Daniella Wilson

Get the Well Enough newsletter with Harry Bullmore for tips on living a healthier, happier and longer life Get the Well Enough email with Harry Bullmore Get the Well Enough email with Harry Bullmore Cases of a diarrhea-causing parasitic infection are rapidly rising across the U.S., forcing warnings from experts about food safety. Cyclosporiasis is typically spread by exposure to contaminated produce and public health officials believe some of the 7,000 cases nationwide were tied to lettuce. The best way to stay safe is to avoid foods linked to an outbreak, or heat food to 158 degrees Fahrenheit which kills the cyclospora parasite. Vigorously and carefully washing food can also help reduce the risk. However, some foods are easier to wash than others and how you do so matters. “While washing alone may not fully eliminate cyclospora, it enhances protection when combined with cooking or peeling,” Michigan’s health department states. Experts say washing produce well is critical to stay safe during the continuing outbreaks of diarrhea-causing cyclosporiasis (Getty Images) Buying food that’s prewashed does not …

Vegetables bolting in the summer heat? Expert gardener shares seven tips to stop this from happening

Vegetables bolting in the summer heat? Expert gardener shares seven tips to stop this from happening

Published by Daniella Wilson

Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Many home gardeners will be familiar with the frustration of their lettuce, rocket, and other leafy greens suddenly sprouting flowers on their stems, rendering them bitter and inedible. This common phenomenon, known as ‘bolting’, occurs when vegetables prematurely run to seed, producing flowers that make the produce unusable. Bolting is typically triggered by environmental stressors such as prolonged hot spells, unexpected cold snaps, or the natural shifts in day length throughout the seasons. Harrison Fannon, a vegetable gardener at Blenheim Palace’s ‘no-dig’ garden and co-founder of Worthy Earth, a company specialising in market gardens, highlights a key factor. He warns: “As soon as the soil dries out your plants are going to get stressed and they’ll be more likely to bolt.” The 18th-century Walled …

Meera Sodha’s recipe for rollercoaster apple muffins | Vegetables

Meera Sodha’s recipe for rollercoaster apple muffins | Vegetables

Published by Sam Flores

My children are mostly vegetarian, which means that at home I’m always searching for what we call “rollercoaster foods” due to their obsession with being allowed on Mandrill Mayhem at Chessington World of Adventures. In other words, food that will help both of them reach the next level on the rollercoaster height chart – that is, food packed full of the good stuff (protein, wholegrains, healthy fats and nutrients). This muffin was created with that in mind: tasty (crucially) without tasting worthy, high in protein (9g per muffin), and mindful of sugar. It’s a mix-in-a-bowl job or, you could say, child’s play. Rollercoaster apple muffins You’ll be able to see the curds of the cottage cheese in the finished muffins, which doesn’t bother me, but, if you prefer, mash the cheese before adding it to the muffin mix. Wholemeal self-raising flour should be available in your local big supermarket. Muffin liners are a bit taller than cupcake liners, but if you can’t find them, just use cupcake liners and run a knife around the cooled …