Simple recipes for a variety of vegetables.

When I answered a post a while ago about my shopping list, there was a demand for recipes and I never had the time to respond. Since I often see questions like... "well what does everyone else buy?" I encourage you to think about some vegetables found at most markets, that are relatively cheap, that you probably are less familiar with. I'll keep these few recipes with winter themes since we're in season.

We'll start with taro root. This one you might have to search for, but can be found at markets or asian markets. At Hmart I can buy it for 80 cents/pound. The baby ones look super creepy, but don't be dismayed. It packs a lot of nutrients and minerals, and can be an awesome replacement for its starchier potato cousin (don't eat it raw, it's got toxins).

Taro Chips

• As much taro root as you need
• oil spray can
• aluminum foil
• seasonings as desired

Turn oven to 350-400. Peel taro root. Slice the thinnest slices possible (keep your knife point on the table and chop downward without lifting knife for greatest ease). Place on cookie tray, very lightly spray with oil, add seasonings (paprika is lovely). Put in oven for 14-16 minutes or until lightly browned.Voila!.

The Squashes Baked Acorn Squash (Rich in Vit A, C, potassium, manganese, folate, and omega3)

• 1 Acorn Squash

Turn on oven to 400 degrees. Cut acorn squash in half, spoon out seeds. For a slightly buttered taste, light spray of oil, if no oil, light coat of water. Put the halves insides down, leave to bake 20-30 minutes, turn it upside (sprinkle seasonings like cinnamon, salt, paprika, whatever you like) and bake another 15 minutes. BAM. Save the other half for super awesome lunch the next day.

Spaghetti Squash Spaghetti with Squash Spaghetti Great if you want to replace noodlies.

Cut squash in half. For quickness, boil the halves in water 20-30 minutes, fork the noodle-like squash out. Cover with spaghetti sauce (you can home make this is a little tomato paste, mushrooms, eggplant, onions, cilantro, and chicken or beef in a pot).

Butternut Squash Soup

• 1 Butternut Squash
• 1 Green Apple
• Celery
• 1 yellow onion
• 2 or 3 carrots
• Either curry powder/garlic or cinnamon/ginger root if you want a sweet taste

Skin butternut squash, cut up everything else. Throw into pot with just enough water to cover all the ingredients. Boil until everything is soft, let it cool a few minutes. Take a few portions and spoon into your blender, puree and then pour into serving bowls. One butternut squash makes a few servings of soup for this one, also fantastic for lunches the rest of the week. Really wonderful for dinner guests.

Brussel Sprouts Brussel Sprouts Baked with Bacon

• Brussel Sprouts
• Few strips of bacon
• Walnuts

Cook some bacon in a pan, lightly roast the walnuts with it. Once cooked, put bacon and walnuts aside, add brussel sprouts into the bacon grease, spread out onto pan, cook the sprouts for 30 min on 375 degress. Once cooked, add bacon and walnuts and you have some freaking delicious brussel sprouts.

Bok Choy -- One of the healthiest cabbages around, super cheap too. Garden Variety Miso Soup

• Miso soup base (found at Asian store or Whole foods)
• Bok Choy
• Dried Wakame Seaweed
• Water Chesnuts (canned, but if you can get fresh ones, they are the BOMB)
• green onion
• Optional: Soba or Vermicelli noodles OR Enoki Mushrooms (they are like long thin little mushrooms that sort of taste like noodles when cooked)
• Also optional: Any mushroom you like, snow peas, tofu if don't fear it, or even cooked barley

Obtain pot. Put in desired amount of water for broth (I use very little broth for the sake of less sodium). Boil noodles if using them. Add miso soup base as per amount of water, add all the vegetables until cooked. Suddenly, you have a much more badass miso than any Japanese restaurant will give you.

Well I hope this helps some of you who are clueless on cooking vegetables as you add them into your diet. I personally think eating healthy should not be a chore, but more of an adventure to finding ways of eating new foods.

A lot of these recipes are simple, might be a little more work than you are used to, but as for the oven stuff you can just pop it in there and come back later. Plus people are always crazy impressed you've braved the lesser known vegetables.

Please add some of your own in the comments! I'd love to see what everyone else cooks. Also, if you like these recipes, I can provide several recipes (raw and cooked) for almost any vegetable you can think of!