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Vegetable recipes to overcome carb overload


We have been in Vermont for a few days now and last night we felt that we needed a little balance in our diet following the assault on our bodies from a few days of chicken wings, fries, burgers, fondues, Ben and Jerry's and birthday cake.

So last night we had barbecued misty knoll chicken and a few veggie recipes that I had been meaning to do for some time.


fennel and celery salad

Cut two medium fennel bulbs in quarters lengthwise, discarding the outer layer if it is exceedingly tough.

Use a mandolin to slice quarters thinly; slice three celery ribs equally thin.

Put sliced fennel and celery into a large bowl and drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice.

Season with salt and pepper and toss gently to combine. Top with lots of freshly shaved parmesan and chopped fennel fronds if you like.

Green bean salad with lemon garlic and chilli

Ingredients

250 gms green beans
250 gms sugar snap peas
4 spring onions/scallions
1/2 red chilli
2/3 cloves garlic
1 tbsp chopped capers
1 tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley
zest of 1/2 lemon
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tbsp olive oil
sea salt and cracked black pepper

Method

Bring a pan of water to the boil.

Wash and trim the green beans. Blanch the green beans for a few minutes until just tender – careful not to overcook as they’ll lose their colour and go horribly floppy.

Immediately drain and place in a pan of iced water or alternatively run under a very cold tap for a minute or two.


Finely slice the garlic and chili (don’t bother to remove seeds). Set aside. Chop the scallions into
medium to thick pieces.

Heat the olive oil in a small frying pan/skillet and add the spring onions, chili and garlic and lightly
fry for about a minute to two minutes. Season, take off the heat and allow to cool.

Halve the green beans by slicing diagonally and transfer to a large bowl, season and grate over lemon zest.

Roughly chop the capers and finely chop the flat leaf parsley and add to bowl along with the spring onion mix ensuring to pour over any remaining oil.

Squeeze over lemon juice, season and lightly toss until all the greens are coated.
Refrigerate for later or eat immediately.

Asian style Broccoli salad

Ingredients

1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon honey
1 large bunch of broccoli
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
1 inch piece of ginger peeled and grated on a microplane

Method

Whisk the soy sauce, ginger, vinegar, oil and honey in a large bowl until blended. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Steam the broccoli florets for five minutes or until tender. Set to one side to cool.
In a heavy pan, add the sesame seeds and stir over a medium heat until golden. Transfer the seeds to a clean dish to cool.

Stir in the broccoli and half the sesame seeds to the bowl containing the vinegar and oil mixture.

Leave to marinate at room temperature for a minimum of half an hour, stirring occasionally.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer the broccoli to a serving dish and then pour over the dressing

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