Book Review

Maybe no one else out there is like me ... I love to have veggies at mealtime! But, I struggle with making them in new and creative ways. They tend to get roasted or steamed in simplicity, dabbed with butter and seasoned. Not that cooking them like that is wrong! But, sometimes I stare at a bag of frozen corn or peas and wonder if there isn't something else that I could come up with. Something tasty, something different.

Enter Fast, Fresh & Green, by Susie Middleton. I checked this out from the library on a whim after I read a review of it in the local paper, probably close to three months ago. The article reviewed around four different cookbooks, all written around veggies and local produce that was available during harvest seasons! This one struck my eye, so I requested it from the library ... waited another month before it was my turn ... and have devoured it since then!

I have been so impressed with all the recipes that we have tried so far. Middleton breaks up her cookbook into eight different cooking methods for veggies, but I usually see what's on sale, look up that vegetable in the index, and go from there! Here are some that we have tried:

- Roasted Broccoli Florets with Two Dipping Sauces
- Sweet Potato mini-fries with Limey Dipping Sauce and Spiced Salt
- Gingery Braised Brussel Sprouts
- Corn Saute with Chile and Lime
- Crushed Red Potatoes with Scallions, Pancetta, and Sour Cream
- Big Bowl Spinach and Snow Pea Salad with Cashews
- Stir Fried Carrots with Ginger, Lime, and Cilantro

We've loved them all ... and although they may sound a bit "froofy" or something, most of the ingredients I have had on hand and the recipes come together quickly. It has definitely upped our intake of veggies on a regular basis, and gotten us out of a "tried and true" mindset! Not that I don't love those tried and true whip it up quick meals/dishes, but something I really want to step outside of what I always fall back on.

Anyway, if you need something on your Christmas list (looking ahead), this might be a fun book to request. And yes, I still have the one from the library ... so if you request it now, you'll be stealing it from me! I confess that I am hoping to get it as a Christmas gift myself rather than buy it now!