I eat my vegetables. Honest, I do. The only problem is they’re always the same half dozen prepared one of three different ways. I suspect I’d eat – and enjoy them – a hell of a lot more if I could add some new, and more importantly TASTY, recipes to my repertoire. Something like cheesy cauliflower sliders or garlic-roasted cabbage steaks or these –
Avocado-edamame cakes inspired by a recent episode of Iron Chef America. I say inspired because the show never offers exact recipes and I couldn’t find one online so we winged it – with mighty fine results.
Your mission, dear readers, if you choose to accept it, is to post your favorite, can’t-miss, veggie recipe. I’m not looking to replace my meaty main course with an equally great vegetarian option (because I honestly don’t believe it’s even possible). I’m just looking for a terrific side dish.
This little gem from Akemi earlier today. We were watching the news when the station cut to footage of police officers brutally manhandling demonstrators in Russia. “What’s going on?”asked Akemi in wide-eyed shock.
“It’s a demonstration,”I said.
“Demonstration of what?”she asked in bewildered seriousness. “How to kick people?”
Continuing our Stargate: Atlantis rewatch with…Before I Sleep!
As soon as she heard the words “time travel”, Akemi’s response was a swift: “Oh, no.” But this episode didn’t turn out to be the brain strainer she originally feared. “Not as complicated as I first thought!”she said after the final fade. All thanks to writer Carl Binder’s ability to present the time travel and flashback elements in a concise, straightforward manner. Either that or temporal displacement has become old hat to her.
Always, at the end of every episode, I ask Akemi the same two questions: “What did you like?” and “What didn’t you like?”. In this particular case…
Highpoint: “I’m amazed by old people make-up. And that she had grandma eyes.”
Lowpoint: “Weird birthday present.” I suppose Sheppard could have done better than Athosian pottery.
And in response to whether or not she liked this episode: “Mmmm. Sure. So nothing really happened.” Well, yes. But, I suppose, no.
So what did you all think of Before I Sleep?
At the risk of being a know-it-all….avocado is a fruit, and edamame is a bean. However, most beans are also considered vegetables, as is the soybean.
Other than a salad, I detest almost all veggies. They just taste plain awful. My very few exceptions are: corn on the cob…must be cooked on the cob. It tastes terrible if it is not. I peel the husks back, remove the silk, slather in butter, sea salt, and cracked pepper, wrap tightly in foil, and grill outside for 35-45 minutes. Asparagus brushed with olive oil, spices, placed on the grill and cooked for just a couple minutes is edible. And I can tolerate onions and hot peppers (but not bell peppers). Tex-Mex food relies heavily on chili peppers, poblano, jalapeño, and others. I would fight to the death anyone who tried to take my Tex-Mex from me.
Switching from iPad to computer for episode comments….
Joe, you know I seldom cook. Nonetheless, I’ve emailed you a link to a summer squash recipe I’ve made and enjoyed. Bon appetit!
@ Jenny Horn: I’m in San Antonio, Tex-Mex Central. Where are you?
Joe, I just heard about this SAT restaurant. It’s goiing on my “Take Joe &
Akemi” list.
http://restaurantmixtli.com
My choice of Veggie side dish – Broccoli Casserole – http://allrecipes.com/recipe/awesome-broccoli-cheese-casserole/
Episode comments:
Ah, much easier and faster to type on a real keyboard.
Like many people, I ponder things…I ponder many things. And one of the things I ponder is what it would be like to meet myself, or my alternate self as it would be. I don’t think I would like it very much at all. Creepy would be one way to describe it. Disappointing would be another.
But Weir handles it like a champ, and even though she admits to feeling very unsettled, we see her continue to interact with herself without getting agitated or freaked out. Could we all really say the same thing if we were in the same situation?
I thought about how their life experiences had been exactly the same right up until the Atlantis Expedition stepped through the gate from the SGC to the Pegasus Galaxy. So, for our Weir, several months have passed, but to Old Weir, only a few days or so have passed (give or take 10,000 years). The two share the exact same Earthly memories but none of the Atlantis memories. Old Weir would not have seen the growth in relationships amongst her team members, she wouldn’t know Teyla, and she really wouldn’t know Sheppard or Beckett all that well, either. Interesting to think about, for certain.
Regarding the Ancients, I’ve really given up on them by this time. Yes, they were the Gatebuilders, yes they were wicked smart, yes they populated at least 2 galaxies. But for all that, they were still a bunch of dicks. I don’t know if it is an intentional jab at God and religion that they act this way (and I am all for that, btw), but their refusal as ascended beings to help the poor schmucks of the worlds they populated that are being culled by the Wraith (see Sanctuary for Chaya’s monologue on this or Daniel Jackson’s numerous protestations in SG-1) is completely ridiculous. And the Council’s refusal to return Weir to her timeline is also a bad call on their part. I get it; I do. There’s really no way to write that effectively, because then the first 15 episodes of the season would have been a do-over. But I’m just talking about the quality of people the Ancients were. For all the oohing and aahing our characters display over them, they really fall short of delivering. Well, except maybe for McKay, who views religion as a farce and wants to get his hands on an Ancient for the science, technology, and information he would gain from the encounter. So, good job Ancients…you refuse (except for Janus) to help one of your great, etc. grandchildren, and you refuse to help people who are suffering, but you get to float around all glowy and superior on a higher plane of existence. Nicely done.
Now that I have that out of my system….
One thing that resonated with me about the episode is when all the people have gated back to Earth, and Weir is by herself. She says, “And then I was alone.” How alone that must feel. We spend most of our lives near other people. For example, even though I am alone in my house as I type this, there is a family 20 feet away in the next house on the other side of this wall. When we drive in our cars, we are near people. When we stay in a hotel, walk down the street, ride an elevator, take a train, we are surrounded by people. When I drove up to Alaska from Texas this past July, there were times I was driving through Yukon Territory and Northern BC that I didn’t see another oncoming vehicle for 10 minutes or more. Forgiving that their might be someone matching my pace going the same direction some distance behind me, and my speed at approx. 100kph/60mph, I was possibly 20 miles from the next closest human being. That is the most alone I’ve ever been. Believe me when the gravity and wonder of that occupied my thoughts. So when Weir said, “And then I was alone,” she spoke the absolute truth. Weir was alone. Truly, quietly, no human on the planet other than her, mind-blowingly alone. That is a big, big thought to ponder my friends. I love how the shot holds on her for a moment or two to let that sink in. Brilliance.
That’s all I have, I believe. I was feeling rather strongly-opinionated about some of this, folks. But hey, that is a compliment to the episode, series, and franchise for prompting those thoughts and opinions.
This episode always gives me some dramatic feels. Especially that scene you posted an image of; more examples of McKay being a hero. Everyone sacrificing themselves for Weir? FEELS.
Favorite vegetable recipe? Mine’s super simple: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/pesto-pea-salad-recipe.html
One of my Fav Eps of that Season. And, from the “literal” perspective, I especially loved the tying together of the GIFT “POT” in the beginning to its use at the end. — Although, One can’t help thinking that there’s a “creepy” side to it all when THE POT ends up being used as an *URN* for “HERSELF”!!
@JENNY HORN — ditto on that “ALONE” bit! [very no-Soundtrack-“CASTAWAY” times INFINITY] – and then, going into CRYO… talk about a slooow Death!
Okay, my veggie sides tend to be a little simplistic, but mostly good (at least in my own opinion).
Fried green tomatoes: Sliced green tomatoes soaked in milk, breaded in corn-meal with salt and pepper, and then fried in peanut oil until golden brown).
Sauteed spinach with minced garlic: minced garlic that is lightly browned and then sauteed with fresh spinach (cooked with bacon grease of course).
Fried okra: Finger-joint sized slices of okra that are soaked in milk and breaded with the same breading as the fried green tomatoes; peanut oil is still the oil of choice.
Smoked corn on the cob: The corn is soaked in water for a couple of hours and then the husks are pulled back (but not removed), the silk is removed, the corn is brushed in olive oil, sprinkled with garlic salt, then the husks are pulled forward (recovering the corn) and the corn is smoked for a couple of hours in the smoker.
Greens (what southerns call greens at least): usually Kale, Collard, Mustard, or Turnip greens that are boiled with a bit of bacon grease and sometimes a little picking spice or bits of spicy pepper. Served with vinegar.
Are you seeing a theme here? Bacon grease, peanut oil, and smoke are main ingredients in my cooking! 😀
On Before I Sleep, the first time I watched, I thought “old Weir” was a different actress from “young Weir”…the old-age prosthetics were that convincing!
Overall I liked the episode (I enjoy time travel stories, so that is not surprising). The only disconnect for me was that the council of Ancients didn’t come off as being too smart. They knew Janus wanted to help Weir, so they probably should have been watching him more closely. Instead, they inadvertantly allow Weir to remain in Atlantis, believing Janus when he tells them that Weir had left through the gate even though they had just opened the gate. I reconciled it by believing that the council knew Janus was lying, but chose to let him have his obvious subterfuge at helping Weir stay behind.
Avocado Salad:
1 Avocado
1 Tomato
Chopped onion (to taste)
Minced garlic (to taste)
Minced jalapeno (to taste)
Fresh chopped cilantro (to taste)
Chopped/sliced kalamata olives (optional)
pinch of cumin (optional)
Lime juice (to taste)
Olive oil (just a splash)
Salt & pepper
Optional: Crumbled Feta – preferably good sheep or goat milk feta
It’s a salad, you know what to do. 🙂
(That makes one serving for me – I love it and can eat it almost every day, usually with the feta and olives, sometimes I skip the cilantro if I don’t have any fresh on hand. Skip the feta and this makes excellent nachos, just put chips on a cookie sheet, top with the ‘salsa’ and shredded pepper jack or mild cheddar, and pop in the oven until the cheese is melted – yummy!)
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Rosemary Garlic Sweet Potatoes
6 small or 3 large sweet potatoes, diced (peeled or unpeeled – I usually do peeled)
3-4 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves minced garlic
3 sprigs of fresh minced rosemary (use less if rosemary is strongly scented – it can overwhelm the dish if you use too much)
Mix all ingredients well in a large plastic ziploc-type bag. Place in baking dish large enough to make a single layer (or a cookie sheet), and bake @ 400 for 50 minutes, stirring halfway through.
(I prefer this over sweet potato dishes baked with sugar – those are just TOO sweet.)
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Roasted Root Vegetables
(All veggies peeled and diced into 1″ cubes/slices – carrots and potatoes can be left unpeeled if desired)
1 c raw beets
4 carrots
1 onion
2 c potatoes
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 c canned garbanzo beans (chickpeas), rinse and drained
2-3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp dried thyme (or fresh thyme to taste)
Salt & Pepper to taste
1/3 c dry white wine
1 c rinsed and torn beet greens
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar (optional)
Mix first 9 ingredients together well and place in 9×13 baking pan/dish.
Bake @ 400, uncovered, for about 30 minutes, stirring halfway through. Remove from oven, stir in wine (and/or balsamic vinegar), return to oven and bake another 15 minutes, or until all veggies are tender. Remove from oven and immediately stir in beet greens until wilted.
(I’ve only made this once, without the greens and vinegar. It was very good! I got this recipe online, and the vinegar addition was suggested in the ‘comments’ section of the recipe. This is a very mild dish and the vinegar may give it a little ‘zip’. I like this recipe because with just two of us in the house we tend to eat the same veggies over and over – broccoli, peas, tomatoes, corn, asparagus – so this gave us a nice healthy dose of a good variety of root veggies. I think it may be interesting to experiment with this one, too – perhaps trying sweet potatoes, parsnips, turnips and/or rutabagas.)
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Cukes and onions
1 cucumber, thinly sliced – peeled or unpeeled, depending on preference (a good Norwegian-type cheese plane works great for slicing!)
1/4 onion, thinly sliced
Extra virgin olive oil
Lemon juice
Salt & Pepper
Just put it together!
(This is quick and simple and great in the hot summer months. The lemon juice makes it much milder than the vinegar-style cucumber salads. The EVOO gives it a unique flavor, but if you don’t like the olive-y overtones then just use regular olive oil.)
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I have more…but it’s 2 am and now I’m hungry. 😛 After all this veggie talk I think I’ll have some hot cocoa. 😉
das
Vegetables are vile. I’ll eat some of them raw (carrot and celery, for example) but the only one I can eat cooked is the humble potato (and pumpkin soup, I suppose). Anything else just makes me gag.
If I have to go veggie then I turn to the Zucchini, Feta and Dill ‘Pie’ which works as a meal in itself but can also be used as a side dish if you’re feeding a few people.
Here’s another salad I just love:
Radish Tomato Salad
(All ingredients estimated for one serving)
1 Tomato, diced
1 small bag or bunch of radishes, rinsed and shredded
2 green onions (scallions), sliced
Olive oil and fresh lemon juice, to taste
Salt & Pepper, to taste
Garlic, to taste and optional
Green olives, to taste and optional
Quick, light, and easy!
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AND another:
Garlic green beans
Fresh green beans, whole or cut – not French cut
Garlic
Olive oil
Lemon juice
Salt and pepper
(Everything to taste – it’s nearly 3 am, don’t be asking me for measurements!)
Saute beans in olive oil until tender (can lightly steam by adding a drop or two of water and covering briefly). Add garlic near end of cooking so it doesn’t burn or lose flavor. Remove from heat, toss with lemon juice and S&P, and serve!
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Joe – what sort of recipes are you looking for – salads, or cooked veggie dishes? I have a good bean/corn/jicama salad recipe somewhere, a watercress salad recipe somewhere (haven’t made either in a while…but now you’ve got me thinking about them again!), but also lots of cooked veggie things, too. And you say ‘side dish’, but are you looking for stuff that can be main dishes, too?
das
ONE more – promise, this is the last. For now…
This is a salad that is also a meal. It’s from the Fit For Life book and the best salad I’ve ever eaten. I think I posted it here before – I’ve added my notes, so it looks more complicated than it really is…
Mediterranean Rice Salad
Greens:
4 c lettuce
2 c spinach or arugula, raw, coarsely chopped
1 c alfalfa sprouts
1/2 c pimento-stuffed green olives, sliced
** I usually use spinach and red leaf lettuce, but any combo of greens is okay, including just plain spinach. For me, the olives MAKE this salad, so if you are not an olive person you can leave them out, but your salad experience may then not be as good as mine. 🙂 I often skip the sprouts unless I grow them myself. Feel free to adjust quantities.
Rice:
1 c brown basmati rice, cooked
Prepare rice, set aside and keep warm.
**Short-grain brown rice is fabulous in this salad! I do not recommend white rice – you want to use brown rice for its nuttier flavor and denser texture.
Zucchini:
1 tbsp olive oil
4 medium zucchini or yellow squash, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
Heat oil in large skillet. Add zucchini slices and toss in oil. Sprinkle with water and continue tossing for several minutes until zucchini turns a bright color. Add basil and oregano. Toss gently and set aside; keep warm.
**I usually use just two squash (one green, one yellow). I use fresh herbs when available, and just ‘eye-ball’ the quantities, but the dried actually work quite well in this salad.
Dressing:
1 clove garlic, minced
5 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp fresh lime or lemon juice
1/2 tsp dried chervil
1/2 tsp dried marjoram
1/4 tsp dried mint
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/8 tsp dried tarragon
1/2 tsp sea salt
Fresh ground pepper to taste
** Again, dried herbs work well in this salad, but fresh can also be used. In a pinch you can use Italian seasoning or Herbes de Provence. For the best results, DO use lemon juice and not vinegar. The lemon juice makes for a milder dressing, and enhances rather than interferes with the flavors of the veggies and herbs.
Assembling the salad:
Wash and dry greens, break into bite-size pieces, and combine in bowl with sprouts (optional). Add warm zucchini, warm rice, olives and dressing. Toss well to combine flavors.
** I usually add the rice last, and then pour the dressing directly on the rice so that it becomes infused with the dressing’s flavor, then toss the salad. The greens should ‘wilt’ a little, making this a slightly warm and dense, but not overly heavy, salad. It’s very yum! 🙂
I really love this salad and try to follow the recipe as close as possible (esp. with the dressing). It’s dangerous for me because once I start eating it, I just can’t stop!
Okay – now I’m going beddy-bye. (I fell asleep around 8 while hubby was at work, and didn’t wake up until 11:30 when he came home…needless to say, I’m feeling a wee bit peppy! 😀 … 😛 )
das
I don’t really remember this episode well, wasn’t really a big fan of Weir back in the day so I think I only watched it once. Also not a big fan of time travel in general. So sorry.
Just had some good veggies at a restaurant called Delphine in Hollywood when we went to see Book of Mormon. Have absolutely no idea how they prepared them but they tasted very nice. Well that was absolutely no help to you… 🙁
G’day Joe
Love veggies. Cut ‘up, stem ’em and eat ’em. Favourites are broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini and beans. Corn cobs are are yummy.
G’day again
My son will ONLY eat them raw.
Before I Sleep is one of my Top 5 Atlantis episodes…the character of Elizabeth Weir was wonderful, beautifully played by the absolute gracious lady that Torri Higginson is and I still hate the fact both were removed from the Atlantis line up…..
As for vegetables….well I love them all…personally if they’re cooked correctly – most with a bit of bite and seasoned well then they need nothing else…I’ve always grown up eating fresh veg, many grown by my parents, in-laws or myself and nothing else compares…however, fresh spinach can be adhanced with lashings of nutmeg, salt, pepper & a dash of cream and the bland cauliflower can be excited with an excellent cheese sauce, smattering of paprika and/or cayenne pepper on top….grow your own, enjoy the fruits of your labours and you’ll find nothing tastes better than organic fresh veg…
The simplest and most interesting veggie preparation I’ve had lately is simply broccoli florets doused in sesame oil, dashed with salt and pepper and baked in the oven for about 10 mins or enough to leave them still quite crispy. Tasty and different.
There’s not a lot for me to add to Jenny Horn’s analysis of the episode. Much of the same feelings. I agree that the Ancients are a much better concept than they are a reality – they always come across as mostly pretentious jerks or average nice folks. Kind of like normal people. I think Torri did a fantastic job on this episode in handling her two “different” characters. I have to wonder what it was like those couple of times that she had to wake up to switch out the ZPMs, knowing that a few thousand years had passed each time. Freaky.
Random thought – did the expedition bring their own mattresses and pillows from Earth when they went, or are they using the ones they found there in Atlantis left behind from 10,000 years ago? Because if so… ew.
After thinking it over, most of my veggie favorites are starchy.
Dad used to make a really good parsnip mash, but I never got the recipe. I assume it would be like making mashed potatoes, boil, mash, butter and salt. Very yummy. Because hubby and I can’t have regular potatoes, we tend to lean on peas and corn as our starches, and I’ve discovered I can make a yellow split pea mash which doubles as a starchy side. I don’t have a recipe for it, but it involves a large pot, chicken broth, a minced onion and several cups of dried yellow split peas. Cook for a long time. When peas become mash instead of pea soup, you;re done. Salt and butter (or ghee) to taste.
Is green chili polenta a vegetable?
Favourite ‘go to’ veggie dishes of which there are a huge variety:
Please note: No specific ingredient amounts here, as I ‘agak’ everything, that is, you put in however much you want according to whatever taste you want.
– stir fried gailan/kailan (however ppl want to misspell it) aka Chinese broccoli or broccolini with garlic, light soya sauce and a splash of rice wine (cooking rice wine is sufficient).
– stir fried kale with light soya sauce (not sure what type it is, but it’s the curly-leafed kale that looks like a giant green star before you cut it up and is really hard/chewy/woody if cut wrongly).
– broccoli ‘salad’ – blanched or steamed broccoli dipped/stirred with a ‘salad dressing’ comprising of a few drops of sesame oil (the fragrant one, not the cheap no smell one), olive oil (to taste), salt, pepper (if you want) and light soya sauce, oh and minced garlic if you want a kick or chilli.
– stir fried mushrooms (usually with lots of pepper, garlic, light soya sauce and rice wine)
– stir fried snowpeas (usually with carrots, onions and mushrooms – with light soya sauce… and rice wine for added taste)
– steamed or blanched baby bok choy over which you drizzle some oyster sauce or kecap manis (Indonesian ABC sauce/ sweet dark soya sauce – the sticky type) and sprinkle liberally with minced/finely chopped (deep) fried onion/shallots, garlic and ginger.
– steamed or blanched random veggies served with a dipping sauce
– random veggie stir fry (usually one type of veg per dish unless cooking with meat or fungi in the dish): ways to make you with a splash of rice wine or oyster sauce or fish sauce or sugar or MSG or corn flour paste mix or all of the above. Usually we use these additions in turns so people don’t get tired of the meal.
– pickled carrots or pickled onion or pickled chilli or pickled ginger or pickled garlic or all of the above pickled in the same bowl (black vinegar or lemon, light soya sauce or fish sauce, sugar, salt)
– fried pickled salty veggie (I don’t know the English name for this veggie – we call it mustard green leafy veggie, the cans call it pickled cabbage veggie – ?xuecai?) – usually this one is already preserved in salt and the vegetable’s own juices. We make our own preserves here, but anyway. It’s a preserved veggie that you rinse most of the salt out and then fry with sugar and a little black vinegar.
– stir fried eggplant +/- fried anchovies or belacan or dried shrimp +/- soya bean preserve.
– homemade kimchi – I’m not giving you my recipe. Go make up your own. Essential ingredients: time, brine water, more time, more brine water, garlic and lots of chilli powder. Did I forget to mention the veggie?
– veggie burgers – not like the ones ppl buy in the stores. Those are disgusting. Depends on what veggies you have – but NEVER with green leafy vegetables. That would be a waste.
……Pumpkin burgers: grated pumpkin, 1-2 eggs (depends on amount of pumpkin), onion, garlic, light soya sauce, salt, corn flour, plain flour.
……Mixed veggie/meat burgers: minced meat (we use beef mince), grated carrots, grated potato (or yam or tapioca or digua or turnip or swede or similar starchy tuber), onion, (spring onions), salt, pepper, light soya sauce, garlic, ginger, corn flour, plain flour
This same mix as above, can be steamed for a nice ‘pudding’ type dish (usually with extra egg and maybe a little added water)
The same mix as above can be used for fillings in jiaozi/gyoza type dumplings or in wonton or in spring rolls – but usually without your grated starchy tuber, and you can add in your sliced prawns/shrimp if you want that or beansprouts (mostly for springrolls only). For the more restaurant taste, I recommend a pinch of sugar, MSG or large tablespoon of oyster sauce – depending on proportions.
……Mixed veggie burger: thinly sliced cabbage, grated carrot, grated starchy tuber (if you want it to be more like a hash brown with other veggies mixed in), onion, garlic, ginger (to taste), salt, pepper (if you want), corn flour, plain flour.
– to change up your stir fries, use one of the following methods or all of them at once for a different dish every time:
…..light soya sauce vs dark soya sauce vs kecap manis (sticky, sweet dark soya sauce)
….. oyster sauce
….. eggplant or tomato for natural MSG
….. artificial MSG or your favourite chicken salt
….. fish sauce
….. garlic vs ginger vs onion vs spring onion vs galangan/galangal
…..belacan (dried shrimp paste block)
….. shrimp paste
….. crab meat
….. sliced fish balls
….. soya bean paste
……preserved soya beans
….. preserved soya bean blocks
….. dried shrimp
….. dried fish vs salted fish vs anchovies vs ikanbulis
….. sour chilli sauce
….. sweet chilli sauce
….. savoury chilli sauce
….. left over chilli sauce from a restaurant
….. the light soya sauce that chilli and garlic have been pickled in
….. a drop of sesame oil
….. fresh or canned bamboo shoots
….. left over surprise (ie leftovers from last night’s dinner)
….. meat vs mushrooms vs other fungi
….. rice wine – red or white or sake or vinegar (depends on veggie type)
….. add your own invention (eg potato chips, greek yoghurt, etc)
….. add a dipping sauce (eg, see broccoli salad,
For blanched/steamed veggie dipping sauces, the following can be used:
– random asian style light sauce: light soya sauce, minced garlic, minced ginger, salt, thinly sliced chilli, +/- black vinegar
– random asian garlic sauce: minced or finely sliced/diced garlic, light soya sauce (or fish sauce if you like the Vietnamese style more, in which case you still add a splash of soya sauce), (very) small splash of black vinegar
– random asian ginger sauce: minced or finely sliced ginger, minced or finely diced garlic, light soya sauce (or fish sauce), sprinkling of salt +/- sugar, +/- chilli sauce.
– random asian chilli dip: sour chilli sauce, +/- savoury chilli sauce (or fried – this is the type that comes in a jar not bottle), sweet chilli sauce, splash of black vinegar, light soya sauce.
– random Vietnamese dip: sweet chilli sauce, fish sauce, water, +/- light soya sauce, freshly sliced chilli, +/- grated carrot, +/- finely sliced coriander/ parsley/ springonion/ shallots.
– spring onion/green asian type sauce: finely sliced spring onions/shallots, +/- finely sliced coriander or parsley, light soya sauce, splash of black vinegar, sliced chilli OR blend together with salt, sugar, light soya sauce and garlic.
– you get the idea by now, I hope. All of these dips/sauces may also be used as marinades, for dipping meat, for adding a twist to a casserole, etc.
There. This is by no means an exhaustive list of how to do veggies.
Also, I have now divulged some of my culinary secrets to you. Use them wisely or bear the consequences.
As for amounts – trial and error, my friends.
Forgot to add that adding a splash of olive oil or sesame oil that you preserved stuff in or that came with a jar of antipasto or jar of olives can be really handy for changing up veggie dishes.
Also another tip I learnt from a friend in Tasmania: It’s spinach pie, but instead of the spinach, you can use whatever other veggie you want in the pie.
Then there’s this really cool lettuce that’s grown mostly for it’s stem that once you peel off the outer woody pith, tastes awesome when pickled (usually in light soya sauce) or sliced and stir fried. See this random blog post for more information (not mine): http://mmm-yoso.typepad.com/mmmyoso/2005/10/relaxing_at_ran.html
At risk of over posting, I guess you can see by now that I love my veggies.
wish I could edit previous posts… but I can’t.
I just wanted to add corn flour paste to the list of things to change up stir fries.
Also forgot to add sugar to the random Vietnamese dip… and now I will stop posting, even if it means I forgot something or suddenly think of an error.
Joey – Dad woke me up early for something important that needs to be done (only 4 hours sleep – thankyouverymuch!), so can’t play today. I will, however, cheat and leave you with this: http://allrecipes.com/recipes/side-dish/vegetables/
I find a lot of tasty veggie sides there. 🙂 Still, I’m telling ya…nothing beats that Med Rice Salad…mmmmmm!
das
AAAARRRRGGGGHH!!! Now I want potatoes!! (I’m going to try this roasting process with the root veggie recipes above!)
http://allrecipes.com/video/992/how-to-make-roasted-red-potatoes/detail.aspx?prop24=hn_slide7_How-to-Make-Roasted-Red-Potatoes&evt19=1
(I really need to stop this and get to work. Now.)
d
a
s
One of my favorites (which I admit I haven’t made in awhile) is a veggie tower. Line a steep-sided, fairly narrow pot with crepes. Layer one – a colorful veggie of your choice – I often use frozen chopped spinich mixed with swiss and/or parmesean cheese, make a custard of egg and milk for a binding agent and poor over the mixed spinich and cheese. Cover with another crepe. Second layer – sliced sauted mushrooms, cheese, and custard. Cover with another crepe. Third layer – chopped broccoli and grated swiss cheese, Cover with another crepe and fold over edges of side crepes over the top. Put an oven-safe plate or other weight on top to press down the tower. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Invert onto serving platter, slice and enjoy!
Re: “Demonstration of what?”she asked in bewildered seriousness.
”How to kick people?”
what a great Akemi gem! I had to laugh out loud!
One of my favorite dishes is a corn and tomato pie from Epicurious.com. It’s best at room temperature and the fresher the ingredients the better.
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 3/4 teaspoons salt, divided
3/4 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes, plus 2 teaspoons melted
3/4 cup whole milk
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 3/4 pounds beefsteak tomatoes, peeled and sliced crosswise 1/4 inch thick, divided (I prefer heirloom tomatoes)
1 1/2 cups corn (from about 3 ears), coarsely puréed in a food processor, divided
2 tablespoons finely chopped basil, divided
1 tablespoon finely chopped chives, divided
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, divided
7 ounces coarsely grated sharp Cheddar (1 3/4 cups), divided
Equipment: a 9-inch glass pie plate
preparation
Whisk together flour, baking powder, and 3/4 teaspoon salt in a bowl, then blend in cold butter (3/4 stick) with your fingertips or a pastry blender until it resembles coarse meal. Add milk, stirring until mixture just forms a dough, then gather into a ball.
Divide dough in half and roll out 1 piece between 2 sheets of plastic wrap into a 12-inch round (1/8 inch thick). Remove top sheet of plastic wrap, then lift dough using bottom sheet of plastic wrap and invert into pie plate, patting with your fingers to fit (trim any overhang). Discard plastic wrap.
Preheat oven to 400°F with rack in middle.
Whisk together mayonnaise and lemon juice.
Arrange half of tomatoes in crust, overlapping, and sprinkle with half of corn, 1 tablespoon basil, 1/2 tablespoon chives, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.
Repeat layering with remaining tomatoes, corn, basil, chives, salt, and pepper, then sprinkle with 1 cup cheese.
Pour lemon mayonnaise over filling and sprinkle with remaining cheese.
Roll out remaining piece of dough into a 12-inch round in same manner, then fit over filling, folding overhang under edge of bottom crust and pinching edge to seal.
Cut 4 steam vents in top crust and brush crust with melted butter (2 teaspoons).
Bake pie until crust is golden and filling is bubbling, 30 to 35 minutes, then cool on a rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.
The crust can be really difficult but the secret is to make it a couple of hours or a day ahead and work with it chilled. Leave the half not being worked in the fridge or it’ll become a sticky mess.
@Baterista9 – I live in Ft. Worth
I love just about any roasted vegetable. Mostly because I cannot stand boiled vegetables. My wife dislikes vegetables altogether, but she eats them when I make these:
Roasted Brussels Sprouts
2lb brussels sprouts washed and sliced in half
1 head garlic, peeled and crushed
1c extra virgin olive oil
salt & pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 425
Add all ingredients but salt & pepper to a bowl. Toss to coat.
Add tossed sprouts to roasting pan
Roast approximately 25-30 minutes stirring frequently. (Sprouts will burn quickly if left unattended)
Once sprouts are al dente, sprinkle with salt & pepper to taste and stir.
Serve warm
My favorite part of these are the crisp little leaves that fall off. They’re like really tiny green potato chips.
Well technically Weir saved the lives of everyone in the expedition before she even stepped through the gate(lol time travel). Without her telling the ancients that the city flooded, they wouldn’t have built that fail safe to raise the city, thus the show would have been over in 2 episodes 😉
This winter I’ve been eating lots of a new-to-me veggie called Broccolette. It’s a hybrid of regular North American broccoli and Gai Lan, which is Chinese broccoli. It looks more like Gai Lan, has long stems that are edible and green all the way through. It is milder than the broccoli we usually eat ( and not cabbage-y ), it’s taste is interestingly reminiscent of asparagus. I usually slice it bite-size to put in a stir-fry, but sometimes I leave it long and steam it. I don’t have any particular recipe — I do stir-fry with ginger and oyster sauce, or a coconut milk based sauce.
In Portland, Oregon, I get a two pound bag for $5. It’s from Earthbound Farm, and organic. My local Safeway carries it, and also has 6oz. wrapped trays for a bit more than twice that price.
I’m behind on the re-watch already. Hopefully, I will catch up, or just jump in soon, and participate in the comments.
And in response to whether or not she liked this episode: “Mmmm. Sure. So nothing really happened.” Well, yes. But, I suppose, no. So what did you all think of Before I Sleep?
I think this was an important episode, showed that the Ancients didn’t think of EVERYTHING that was almost too convenient at times. Also showed their flaws in many areas. Tori was awesome in both roles and I really started to love her at this episode. I also think her hair got better… =) And yes the make up was top notch here!
This also showed Weir’s selflessness towards the mission and her people a real quality some leaders do not possess so this made things very real for me. 20 years in the military I saw many leaders that did not take care of their people, she was willing to risk her life for all of them on the off chance it would work. And then to die happy with what she has accomplished. I would maybe changed her in and out so easy some, more she was better then just suddenly went as many older people do at times before they pass.
A much needed back story and great way to add a nice twist! Overall I thought this was one best thus far A- for me!
My favorite veggie recipes? Well I hope you don’t mean original because I get most of mine off of food network. Here is one that I love. It calls for chicken broth but I use vegetable broth and it’s great! http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ree-drummond/mexican-rice-casserole-recipe.html
Another is brussel sprouts. I cut them in half and blanch them. Then I fry them in butter until they are caramelized. Sometimes I eat them like that or make a brown butter sauce w/lemon. Yummy!
Thanks all of you for the great recipe postings. I’ll look through them all!
yes, in my opinion not possible to enjoy veggies as much as meat.. sorry.. i enjoy a red juicy red steak.. rare! (French here . lol )
ok, bean burgers can be nice with the right salad and salad dressing.. that is the size of it..
Before I sleep.. I really liked the episode i have to say.
I did not like the fact that poor Weir grew old and died alone in a box slowly for 10,000 years.. hell.. i wish a better ending had been found.. :/ what a life!
i liked the flashbacks and the nostaligy of the episode though, and the nice and easy pace. i liked meeting some of the ancients, although they were thick if they wanted to keep Weir with them .. not too smart perhaps, right?
the episode is a little pointless as Weir dies anyway, and as not real news or technology has come out of it.. except the explaination about the fail safe mechanism.. which turns out was set up by SGA ? WOW!!
I was sad and disappointed that Weir died.. one could at least have tried to get a Wraith to put some life back into her… ? ah well.. i guess not stories have a happy ending.. some have a double edged sword ending.. like real life
thank you for allowing us to express our feelings on the episodes, this is great ! 🙂
hugs to Akemi and Joe! and no to demonstration of kicking and killing people: agreed! xo
Das, I am coming to your house. Your recipes sound great. I make a similar sweet potato fries dish but instead of rosemary I use cayenne pepper. I have a lot of luck finding recipes with a web site called finecooking.com . They also publish a bimonthly cooking magazine that includes lots of good photos and tips.
I was inspired and made my radish tomato salad tonight. I had to use 2 tomatoes for a small bag of radishes, and 4 green onions. It’s enough for two. Hubby doesn’t like olives (the crazy man!), so I only added them to mine. The olives really make it, but then again, I’m a bit of an oliveaholic. 😛
das
@ Deb – I’ve seen recipes for the cayenne, and I may try that next time!
Tonight I made a DElicious dinner!
Found a recipe, and doctored it to my liking. I really didn’t go by any set amounts.
2 pounds (give or take) boneless, skinless chicken breast (I cut the breasts into 8 hockey puck-sized pieces)
2-3 tbsp whole-seed mustard (like Maille Old Style – I had to use a gluten-free dijon and ground my own mustard seeds)
2 tbsp soy sauce (I used San-J gluten-free tamari sauce)
Black pepper
Toss chicken with mustard, soy sauce, and pepper – set aside.
Combine and toss the following in a strong ziploc-type bag:
12 fingerling red skin potatoes, cut in half (or thirds if they’re long)
3-4 carrots, cut in 1″ pieces
1 med. red onion, cut into wedges
1 fennel bulb, cut into wedges (I could only get an anise bulb, but it worked fine)
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 large cloves garlic, minced
6-8 sprigs fresh thyme
3 tbsp olive oil
Salt & pepper to taste (remember there is salt in mustard and soy coating the chicken)
Put vegetable mixture in a 9×13 baking dish/pan, nest chicken pieces into the vegetables, and bake @ 400 degrees for about an hour to an hour and a quarter (or until chicken is done and veggies are tender). Gently toss/turn chicken and veggies about 30 minutes in, then again about 15 minutes before it’s done.
I was skeptical about the anise and almost didn’t use it, but it really made the dish. Chicken was tender (didn’t really notice the mustard/soy sauce combo, it was quite subtle), and everything just seemed to blend very well. Peppers got a bit soft, but I really liked the flavor they added. This one’s a keeper! 🙂
das
I love lots of vegetables, but it’s not so much about a recipe. I don’t have much to convey to you that you don’t know. Steaming, frying, roasting, raw, butter and salt, olive oil, occasional garlic, flavoring with fat back. Maybe the trick is to stop eating grains so you’ll appreciate the diversity of starches out there.
Are mushrooms a vegetable? I’m not sure they’re even a plant, but there are lots of great varieties out there and lots of things to do with a basic button mushroom, too.
There’s a lot to be said for knowing how to select your produce. I’ll grow beets just for the chance to eat one within an hour of pulling it out of the ground. They taste so much sweeter you wouldn’t recognize them.
There are some greens that are best to eat when they’ve been grown in very cold weather. I love to purposely let my collards over-grow in late summer, then cut them all down and let them grow again in very cold weather. You can’t beat the flavor that comes from that. Some greens are better if you let the hot weather give them some kick.
Get the fattest sweet potatoes. Poke some holes in them and bake them at 350F until they are soft to the touch, turn off the oven and let them cool in there. Eat them with plenty of butter. The fattest sweet potatoes will be too much food, but they get the best flavor.
And stay away from poke no matter how nostalgic people get about it. You have money. Go buy some non-toxic food.
I enjoyed watching the two different Torri’s in this episode, she did such a great job, the make-up was amazing. Love time traveling episodes, thanks. and I am enjoying everyones recipes too.
Ok, sneaking in under the wire here. Great episode. Not one of my favorites on first viewing, but each time I see this one I like it better.sacrificing one’s life is one thing, but to do it in this way… Beautiful. I love that Weir is such a strong character…others have said things better than I can, so I will leave it there, and head out to watch the last few episodes of the season
One way I sneak a veggie in my diet… 1 can pumpkin, choice of honey or agave nector to sweeten, brown sugar in a pinch, combo choice of either or all cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves,ginger – then spread on whole wheat toast, cinnamon raisin toast,bagel, english muffin… and since I am the only one who eats it, I divide it up after mixing it and put in small snack cups and freeze it.
Ok, so I am just a little confused about when Weir went back in time, was from an alternate reality after she got to Atlantis ?? And it was her ashes she was spreading from the balcony at the end, right? That was a little weir(d). Can you imagine spreading your own ashes?
Hi all,
I’ve been a reader for a while and finally decided to comment.
Review: I liked this episode. I did notice how the actor who played Janus was constantly smiling(he must have been excited to be on the show). Oh… and Merlin.
Questions: If they had brought Weir to Earth in their time wouldn’t it have certainly altered the timeline more? For example by bringing her with it could change the evolution of the Ancients themselves which would potently stop the second evolution of humans from even happening. And if they sent her back to our time it would only have messed with us in our timeline.
@JeffW and stitchsloft according to IMDB old Weir was played by Holly Elissa who is 10 years younger then Torri Higginson. Holly was also in a scene with original Weir in the SG-1 episode Lost City P1. The reason for Torri not being old Weir was probably the fact that the makeup would have been too time consuming to put on. Although I do wonder if it was Holly or Torri doing the voice.
@MFB:
I remember seeing an interview with Torri Higginson (I don’t remember where; DVD special features maybe?) where she said the prosthetics were modeled on her and ended up looking very close to her grandmother. I just assumed that since the mask was a model of her face that she was therefore playing both roles. Thanks for the correction. If anything, that makes Holly Elissa’s performance all the more remarkable.
I like this episode, it shows us the character of the characters right at the beginning. For instance, McKay shows he can step up and get past his cowardice, even at the start before he knows everyone. The same with Weir. Everyone we see steps up.
But what’s with Sheppard telling McKay “But ultimately failing.”?
Seems a bit, ah, dickish, if you’ll pardon the word.
I also like getting a look at the ancients. I thought the one ancient woman talked a bit odd. She looked surprised. All the time.
I like vegetables, but I like them cooked simply. None are better then young fresh picked peas, steamed and served with butter, salt and pepper.
Last spring I planted about 12 pea plants and I had fresh sweet peas all summer long.
I agree with DP, I’ve grown beets just so I could have a fresh pulled beet on my plate.
“Before I sleep” it is an interesting episode because we could see how the Ancients came to Earth, all the actors were great in their performance. Only I wished to see some Stargate Atlantis episode about how Ancients were building the Stargates, from Pegasus galaxy.