My Favorite List of Vegetables
with some Easy Vegetable Recipes

Here you will find my favorite list of vegetables with some easy vegetable recipe side dishes, main dishes and appetizers as well as advice on how to cook vegetables and freezing vegetables.

The recipes here are mostly ones which are native in Croatia, so be prepared for some of grandma's home cooking.

Out of all food, vegetables are used the most in the Mediterranean diet.

Here are some tips for vegetables to retain all the vitamins and minerals:

• Whenever you can, use raw vegetables (of course, only the ones that can be eaten raw). Only raw vegetables will retain all the nutritional characteristics. There is an exception -- carrots have slightly increased nutritional value after cooking.
  
  
• Try to use as many types of vegetables - leaf vegetables, root vegetables, bulb vegetables, etc. Green, leafy vegetables absorb energy from the sun thus naturally providing resistance to diseases. They play a major role in protecting our health.
  
  
• When you cook vegetables, do not pour out excess water. Instead, use it as an addition to soups, sauces, etc.
  
  
• Vegetables should be cooked in a covered pot, and salted near the end of cooking (if you want them to retain the natural color).
  
  
• Root vegetables retain the most useful components if cooked with their peel left on (the most useful components are located below the peel), and peeled after cooking.
  
  
• Since cooking usually begins with frying a chopped onion, we have to be careful not to burn it too much (nothing is worse than burnt onion).
  Fry it just until it gets soft.
  
  
• Do not cook with roux whenever you can. Fried flour is harmful to your body and difficult to digest.
  
  
• Season the vegetables with olive oil and other monounsaturated fats.
  Whenever possible, use olive oil. If you only use olive oil, you have already made a big step toward a healthier life.
  In the Mediterranean diet leafy vegetables are mostly eaten cooked, oiled with olive oil and salted to taste. You can add chopped garlic in it and stir well. Voilà! You have a perfect side dish. I personally think this is the healthiest and easiest way to prepare leafy vegetables.
  
  
• Raw vegetable salads should use an abundant amount of olive oil because olive oil will help in its digestion.
  
  
• Use spices with vegetables, aromatic herbs according to your taste. Not only will you improve the taste of the dishes, but herbs have also healing effects (for more info, see Mediterranean natural healing herbs page).
  
  
• Make juices out of raw vegetables: carrots, tomatoes, cabbage or beetroot. This is especially useful for people with sensitive digestive system.
  
  
• If you use frozen vegetables do not thaw it, but immediately put them into hot water, or into a pan with hot oil.

There's an old rule on how to cook vegetables:

My list of vegetables with some favorite recipes:

Swiss Chard Recipes Swiss chard is a vegetable of the  Mediterranean and one of the best vegetables for dieting...

How to Cook Cabbage Have you ever tried to sour cabbage in your home?

Kale Recipes Kale is used in stews, rolls, and can be baked or cooked...

Fresh Spinach Recipes Spinach salad recipe, spinach rolls, creamed spinach...

Tomato Recipes Tomato Mozzarella Salad, Tomato Cucumber Salad, Stuffed Tomatoes, Tomato Bruschetta Recipe...

Broccoli Recipes Broccoli Salad Recipe, Broccoli Soup Recipe, Broccoli and Cheese Casserole..

How to Cook Asparagus Tasty recipes for asparagus - asparagus frittata, asparagus soup recipe, asparagus casserole, asparagus risotto ..

How to Cook Green Beans Some easy green bean recipes - green bean soup, sauteed green beans, green bean salad..

Pea Recipes Try my favorite pea recipes - rice and peas and pea soup..

You might also like:

How to Make Strudel Dough Strudel is a type of pastry made of a very thin dough that includes a filling. There are numerous variations of fillings, so you can be really creative.

Return from My List of Vegetables to Mediterranean Diet Home Page

ShareFacebookTwitterPinterestTumblrRedditWhatsApp