Vegetable Archives - Page 2 of 28 - Poor Man's Gourmet Kitchen

Mean Green Juice

The Best Mean Green Juice

There are a ton of variations of this juice recipe but basically, it’s the super green fruits and vegetables that make this such a nutritional and tasty drink. It’s packed with Kale, Cucumber, Celery, Green Apples, Ginger and a squeeze of Lemon. I even like to mix spinach into the ingredients when I have it. This drink is a powerful detox for the body and it aids in weight loss if managed properly. Super foods like the ingredients in this drink are cheap too so, there’s no reason not to give this a try.

Kale, Cucumber, Celery, Green Apples, Lemon and Ginger on a cutting board.

Detox and Weight Loss

I’m no expert and I’ve only began to scrape the surface of juicing but I’ve personally been incorporating into my diet for almost 10 months now. I have a celery juice every single morning to start, which aids the liver. According to those flat belly experts, it’s impossible to have a healthy liver and be over weight so I’ve been cleaning that bad boy up.

As far as the Mean Green Juice goes, Kale contains fiber, antioxidants, calcium, vitamins C and K, iron, and a wide range of other nutrients.

Cucumber hydrates the body and contains potassium and magnesium to support fluid balance. I recently passed my first, hopefully my last, Kidney stone and hydration was one of the key ingredients to move that along. Cucumber may also clear up your skin, reduce your blood pressure and I’ve heard it even helps to break up Gout.

Green Apples contain pectin, which is a fiber source that works as a prebiotic to promote the growth of healthy bacteria in your gut to help digestion. I’ve also heard that one apple is the equivalent of one cup of coffee, only better for you.

Ginger has anti-inflammatory and antibacterial qualities. It also has a ton of other benefits that include easing digestion, calming nausea or motion sickness and aids the immune system to fight colds and congestion.

Lemon can ease a sore throat, help blood sugar, prevent kidney stones, it has cancer fighting benefits, aids weight loss and, once again, aids in digestion and clears up skin.

Juicer with a 24 oz measuring cup full of Mean Green Juice and a container full of pulp.

Juicer vs Blender

There are a ton of nutrients that get wasted juicing but some people just can’t stomach all that fiber from a blender so, it’s going to be up to you and your personal preference, which one you choose to use. If you don’t have a juicer and you only have a blender but don’t want the pulp, you can poor the juice through a mesh strainer and mash the pulp with a spatula.

Mean Green Juice video tutorial by PoorMansGourmet.

Mean Green Juice Ingredients:

3 Celery Ribs
6 Kale Leaves
1 Cucumber
2 Green Apple
1 Lemon,
1 tbsp Ginger, approximately 1″ inch

Watch the short video tutorial and I’ll show you exactly how to make this Mean Green Juice. Also, I like to refrigerate this juice for a couple of hours first, then give it a good stir before I drink it. It just tastes better that way, to me.

Spaghetti Cold Noodle Salad

The Best Cold Spaghetti

This is it. This is the one you’ve been looking for. A Cold Noodle Salad recipe that puts the others to shame because its got the right balance of flavors. Not to mention, it’s made with spaghetti. I’m talking about a side dish that can be eaten as the main course, instead, it’s so good. Every bite you discover a new twist because it’s made with fresh ingredients. Most pasta dishes make you feel stuffed and bloated but this cold spaghetti recipe keeps it light and oddly fulfilling. My wife and I always fight over the last serving.

Close up of the Cold Spaghetti Noodle Salad and all of the ingredients.

The Secret to this Dish

The flavors that make this Spaghetti Cold Noodle Salad unique come from several different flavors. First, Garlic infused Olive oil. Second, Bacon. Third, Parmesan Cheese and the Fourth, of course, is fresh chopped vegetables.

In this recipe I add green onion, Roma tomatoes, fresh broccoli, black olives but you can add any other vegetable you like. Zucchini or Cucumber is a nice additive or substitution. Mayonnaise and olive oil make up the bulk of the dressing with chopped garlic and salt but, you can add fresh Basil or mint, maybe even a squeeze of lemon juice if you’d like to spruce it up even more. It’s up to you.

There aren’t any additional spices or fresh herbs but I could see some Italian seasoning or Herbs De Province adding a nice touch. Even a pinch of Cayenne might not hurt. Just be sure to season with Salt and Pepper to your tastes and you’ll enjoy a wonderful summer salad. And, though this recipe calls for spaghetti, this recipe is great with other dried pasta’s as well; Penne, Butterflies, Shells or classic Elbow Macaroni are all fine examples.

Check out some of my Best Salad recipes and Dressings: Mac Salad, Curry Chicken Salad, Taco Salad, Dill Havarti Seared Pepper Salad, Blue Cheese Dressing, Ranch Dressing, Oriental Salad Dressing, Fresh Veggies with Ricotta Mint and Lime.

Spaghetti Cold Noodle Salad video tutorial by poormansgourmet.

Spaghetti Cold Noodle Salad Ingredients:

1 pkg Thin Spaghetti(16oz), cooked
1 Garlic Clove, chopped
1/4 cup Olive Oil, seasoned with salt
1 tsp Balsamic Vinegar
2 Roma Tomatoes, sliced
1 Broccoli Head, chopped
2 Green onions, chopped
1 can Black Olives(2.25oz), sliced
1 1/2 cup Mayo
1/2 cup Fresh Parmesan, grated
3 Bacon Strips, chopped
Salt and Pepper to taste

Be sure to follow the instructions in the video tutorial and I’ll show you exactly how easy this Spaghetti Cold Noodle Salad
is to make.

Hasselback Potatoes

Hasselback Potato with Romano Cheese and Chives.

The Best Hasselback Potatoes

If you’re a fan of a classic or salted baked potato, you’re going to love this dish. Hasselback Potatoes are believed to have derived from the Hasselbacken hotel and restaurant in Stockholm, Sweden in the 1700’s and have long been a traditional Swedish dish, since. Much like Twice Baked Potatoes, all a Hasselback Potato really is is an over the top fancy baked potato. Only, Hasselbacks have thinly sliced ridges, seasoned with butter, herbs, bread crumbs and various cheeses. Of course, you can do whatever you want but I’m going to show you a few ways that I like to prepare them and the easiest way to cut those ridges.

Idaho Russet Potatoes

It’s a no-brainer when it comes to making Hasselback potatoes that you should use a classic Idaho Russet Potato. These potatoes can grow longer than the length of your hand and smaller than your fist so, it’s up to you which size you want to work with. I usually just work with what I have and choose potatoes that are all similar in size. Variety, however can be good if you’re serving adults and children with different appetites. The point is, Russet Potatoes should be your “go-to” of choice but, use what you have.

Russet Potato, cutting knife and a metal skewer.

The Cutting Secret

A quick search on the web will show you all kinds of deluded ways of cutting a Hasselback Potato. The trick is to cut thinly sliced vertical ridges, an 8th inch apart, all the way down the length of the potato, without cutting all the way through the bottom of the spud. This means the potato needs to remain still and in the same position.

The best way that I have found to accomplish this task, with efficiency and speed, is to to cut a flat spot, on the bottom of the potato and use a skewer. The flat spot keeps the potato from rolling and the skewer stops the blade from reaching the bottom. Wooden Skewers don’t work as well as metal skewers because they’re harder to penetrate the spud and they often break with applied force. The metal skewers, however, slide right through with ease so, I recommend using them instead. I found mine at the dollar store for dirt cheap, fyi.

Making your slices isn’t very complicated. Just be careful, use a sharp knife and cut each ridge an eight inch apart, like I show you how to do in the video tutorial.

Baking and Preperation

Once you’ve got all of your russet potatoes cut, you need to rub them with vegetable oil. You season the outside with Kosher Salt and Pepper if you’d like but I like to do it after the first bake. These potatoes will bake at a higher temp first, for 20 minutes, then bake longer at a lower temp. There’s also some butter and herbs that can be used to baste the potatoes while the cook and I show you how to do that in the video tutorial as well.

You can bake the classic version, which I show you how to prepare first, or you can add other toppings, much like a baked potato or you can even poor a gravy over the top. It’s up to you. Let you’re imagination run wild and have fun with this recipe.

Hasselback Potatoes – The Cutting Secret by poormansgourmet.

Hasselback Potatoes Ingredients:

6 Potatoes
1 cube Butter, melted
1 clove Garlic
1 sprig Thyme
1 sprig Rosemary
1 pinch Mexican Oregano
2 tbsp Vegetable Oil
1/4 cup Bread Crumbs, optional
1/4 cup Romano Cheese
1 Green Onion, chopped
Kosher Salt and Pepper to taste

Cut and cover potatoes with vegetable oil. Bake 20 minutes 425° Fahrenheit. Brush with Butter mix and bake again for 45 minutes at 350° F.
Add more butter mix, bread crumbs and bake for 10 more minutes. Then add butter again and Parmesan cheese before serving and any other toppings you might like.