Archive for October, 2009
Vegetable & Rice Bake
A flavorful way to add some healthy vegetables to your diet
- 6 ounces mushrooms chopped
- 3 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 medium Vidalia onion, chopped
- 1 large clove garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp. chopped fresh oregano
- ½ tsp. salt
- ⅛ tsp. pepper
- 2 cups cooked brown rice
- 1 small eggplant, peeled and thickly sliced
- 1 medium zucchini, thickly sliced
- Salt and Pepper
- 1 can (16 oz.) diced tomatoes, drained
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tbsp. jarred pesto sauce
Please note: For this recipe, if you have a George Foreman® Grill with a bake plate, such as a Kitchen Bistro™ Grill or the Power Grill™ Grill & Griddle featured last month, you can use the bake plate to do the baking portion of the dish. If you have a 360 Grill™, you can try doubling the recipe – although the measurements may not be exact, so you may need to adjust as needed. Otherwise, you can simply use a baking dish in your oven.
Instructions for Cooking
In a skillet, brown mushrooms in 2 tbsp. olive oil on medium high heat. Add onions, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper; reduce heat to medium. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are softened. Stir in cooked rice.
Press into the bottom and up the sides of your baking dish (either the bake plate of your grill or your baking vessel if you will be using an oven).
Meanwhile, preheat your grill (for grills with variable temperature, you want either Mid-MAX or 375F). Brush eggplant and zucchini with remaining 1 tbsp. olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Grill vegetables till crisp tender – about 3 minutes for grills with variable temperature or less for grills without this feature. Turn off the grill and allow it to cool.
Remove from grill and cut into cubes. In bowl, combine with tomatoes, ¼ cup Parmesan cheese and pesto. Spoon into center of rice mixture. Sprinkle remaining ½ cup Parmesan cheese over vegetable mixture.
If using a bake plate on your George Foreman® Grill, place the plate onto bottom of grill. Close the lid. If using a conventional oven, simply place the baking vessel in your oven.
Set the baking time for 20 minutes and the temperature for 375ºF (Mid-MAX). Bake until hot and cheese is melted.
Using pot holders, remove baking vessel and place on heat-resistant surface. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
Makes 6 to 8 servings.
The George Foreman® Veggie Guide
An ongoing guide to the best grilled veggies & the benefits they provide
The world of veggies is wide and varied, but this provides a list of the best vegetables you can cook on your George Foreman® Grill. We’ve also included some of the nutritional benefits of each, in case someone in your family needs convincing to eat their veggies. In addition to the nutrients provided, all fresh vegetables are fat-free, sodium-free and low in cholesterol.
Asparagus
A mainstay side dish of the high-end steakhouse, asparagus ranks as one of the most popular vegetables to put on the grill. They can be eaten plain or with sauce – the most popular being hollandaise or simply melted cheese. If you want to marinade prior to grilling, balsamic vinegar, garlic, lemon and dill are some of the most common flavorings to add. Asparagus comes in both green and white varieties.
According to fruitandveggiesmorematters.com, asparagus is a good source of Vitamins A and C, as well as high in
folate – which is important in the body’s production of red blood cells.
Bell Peppers
Traditionally, peppers on the grill are a staple of kabob cooking of all varieties. Bell peppers come in a variety of colors, each with its own distinct flavor. Red peppers are sweet, while green peppers are slightly bitter, with orange and yellow both somewhere in between.2 All varieties can be grilled and then used in Panini, baked dishes and salads.
Bell peppers are high in Vitamin C.*
Celery
Less common in the world of grilling, celery is often cornered in the world of stuffing and casseroles. However, grilled celery has a great flavor that can be eaten all by itself, dipped in your favorite dressing or even topped with a cheese or spread.
Celery is high in Vitamins A and C.*
Eggplant
As the most common vegetable to be substituted into a meal in place of meat, most people are familiar with grilled eggplant. Of all the vegetables, it’s probably the easiest to substitute into a meal
Fennel
Raw fennel has a licorice flavor that becomes more mild the longer you cook it. Fennel can be cooked dry to allow the flavor to come through prominently or can be marinated with flavorings like vinegar, honey or garlic.
Fennel contains a number of phytonutrients (plant chemicals commonly used in the production of a variety of commercial drugs), as well as being a good source of Vitamin C, folate and fiber.3
Mushrooms
With a wide selection of edible mushrooms available, you can enjoy a delicious range of different tastes and flavors from the grill as well. The most popular grilled mushroom is the portabella – a robust flavored mushroom that’s large enough to eat as a main course, but is often served as a side dish at high-end steakhouses. An alternative good grill mushroom is the Asian Shitake.4
Mushrooms of all varieties are high in riboflavin, as well as being good sources of niacin (vitamin B3), copper and pantothenate (a good nutrient in promoting a healthy pregnancy).*
Onions
As vegetables go, onions are another of the most common vegetable staples food in grilling. Bulb onions come in 3 varieties, which each have their own distinctive flavor – yellow are full-flavored, white are sweeter and red have a bit of a bite (typically grilled for sandwiches); you can also grill green onions (also called scallions) to add more flavor before using in other dishes.5
Bulb onions of all varieties are a good source of vitamin C, as well as providing dietary fiber. Green onions make an outstanding low-calorie flavor addition to food.*
Peas
There are numerous kinds of peas, but the two most commonly used in grilling are snow peas and sugar snap peas. In both cases, the peas are eaten in the pod, which is why they work well in grilling. Simply set the peas, pod-on, on your grill; they can be eaten by themselves or incorporated into a dish.
All peas are good sources of vitamins C and dietary fiber.* Snow peas are also high in iron.6
Potatoes
Like bulb onions, potatoes are a more common vegetable to see associated with grilling. Russet, white, yellow, red and even purple potatoes can be used on the grill and each has its own unique flavor. They can be grilled and served as a side dish unto themselves or used in other dishes like casseroles, salads, sandwiches and a variety of baked dishes.
Potatoes are high in vitamin C and potassium.*
Pumpkin
Although technically a fruit, since it grows from a flower, most people put pumpkins into the vegetable family so we didn’t want to leave them off. Due to a combination of growing season length and popular use in cooking, fall harvest is really the only time of the year they’re available in the U.S.7 Grilled pumpkin has a very unique flavor, so if you’re a fan of pumpkin and pumpkin flavors around Thanksgiving, we highly recommend giving it a try.
Fresh pumpkin is a great source of vitamins A and C.*
Squash
Acorn squash and yellow squash are the best of all the varieties to throw on the grill. Like eggplant, they can take well to marinades and brushes and are often used as a stand alone item on the plate or tossed with a variety of other grilled vegetables.
Both of these varieties of squash are high in vitamin C.*
Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes are available year-round; however, like pumpkin, they are much easier to find around the holidays because of their popular use in holiday dishes. Although the word “yam” is often used interchangeably, a yam is actually a particular variety of sweet potato grown in Louisiana. Also like pumpkin, if you like the taste of sweet potatoes at the holidays, there’s a good chance you’ll also like them on the grill.
Sweet potatoes are excellent sources or vitamins A and C, as well as potassium.*
Tomatoes
As the 4th most popular vegetable in the U.S., people use tomatoes in almost every cooking style – and the grill is no different. It is a standard, both as a stand alone side dish and in the world of kabob cooking. In addition, adding grilled tomatoes provide a unique flavor in any dish.
Tomatoes provide vitamins A and C, as well as potassium.*
Zucchini
Although technically a type of summer squash, along with the acorn and yellow varieties mentioned above, zucchini is often given its own category. It works well by itself off the grill or with other types of squash in a grilled mixed vegetable dish; it can also be incorporated into dishes.
Zucchini is high in vitamin C.*
Want more great grilled veggie options? Look for the George Foreman® Healthy Cooking Blog – coming soon – where we’ll be offering even more great vegetable ideas and inspiration for your George Foreman® Grill!
Source: www.fruitandveggiesmorematters.org accessed October, 2009
2 http://www.fruitandveggieguru.com/Peppers%20-%20Bell.html?pccid=48&tabid=70&kw=Peppers%20-%20Bell
3 http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=23
4 http://www.fruitandveggieguru.com/Mushrooms.html?pccid=53&tabid=70&kw=Mushrooms
5 http://www.fruitandveggieguru.com/Onions.html?pccid=51&tabid=70&kw=Onions
6 http://www.fruitandveggieguru.com/Peas.html?pccid=49&tabid=70&kw=Peas
7 http://www.fruitandveggieguru.com/Pumpkins.html?pccid=39&tabid=70&kw=Pumpkins
Harvest Cooking
George Foreman® cooking Healthy fall harvest
Cooking delicious vegetable dishes with George Foreman®
In the world of grilling, many people think the only place for vegetables is topping their burger. Popular opinion tries to tell us meat is the king of all things grilled. With some of our own favorite grilled dishes mainly veggie-based, we at George Foreman® would beg to differ. So, in the spirit of the fall harvest, we bring you a salute to all things vegetable for your grill.
When it comes to grilled vegetables, there’s a world of possibilities to make your mouth water. From the delicious taste of fresh vegetables straight off the grill, to delectable dishes where grilled veggies are a key ingredient, there’s a variety of ways you can use your grill to incorporate more of those daily servings you’re probably lacking.
Why vegetables? Well, besides providing a tasty break from your everyday meat, fish and poultry, fresh vegetables are some of the best sources of the vitamins, nutrients and minerals you need in your daily diet (read more in the Veggie Bible article in this issue). You get more of what your body needs in a natural way, which makes you feel better and gives you more energy to tackle an active, busy lifestyle.
Hot Off the Grill
From fresh asparagus to portabella mushrooms, some vegetables taste phenomenal straight off the grill. If you’re in the mood for a different taste and texture to your standard daily menu, try doing grilled eggplant for dinner one night on a bed of wild or jasmine rice – extremely healthy and intensely flavorful. For a great meal addition to any protein, you can also try thickly slicing up some tomatoes and grilling them up for a tasty side dish.
Marinade a Masterpiece
Vegetables work much like their protein counterparts in the grilling world – you can grill dry to bring out the pure flavor of the vegetable or use marinades to compliment it. Various kinds of vinegar, honey, soy, sesame and garlic are just some of the wide range of marinade components you can add to vegetables to enhance their flavor. When using marinades on vegetables, you only need to allow the marinade to work for about 1 – 3 hours on average.
Grilled Veggie Café
If you’re in the mood for something light, try grilling up your favorite vegetables and then adding them to a sandwich or salad. An assortment of grilled vegetables work great in a refreshing pasta salad or you can make a main course salad mixing fresh greens and hot grilled vegetables.
You can also use grilled veggies in sandwiches, either combined with sliced meat or all by themselves with a fresh slice of cheese. If you truly want to make the sandwich something special in your menu, you can even throw it back on the grill for a quick and easy vegetable Panini.
Bring Out the Bake Pan
From grilled vegetable bakes to ratatouille, casseroles and more, grilled vegetables provide baked dishes with a unique flavor and good texture. If you have a George Foreman® Grill model that includes a griddle or bake plate, such as the 360 Grill™ or Kitchen Bistro™ Grill, you can even skip your oven and make the baked dishes, themselves on the grill. Simply grill your vegetables first, let the plates cool down, then switch to the bake plate and finish the dish.
For a great meal using your George Foreman® Grill with a bake pan, look at this recipe from the George Foreman® Healthy Cooking Blog.
Raichlen, Steven. Barbeque bible. Page 57.