Of course, don't underestimate eating some vegetables raw. When fresh, their taste is outstanding. Try some red peppers, some thinly sliced zucchini, cabbage, carrots or some young pea pods or green beans. Some should only be eaten raw, like lettuce and avocados (although sometimes brief heating is appropriate). And, there are so many varieties of leaf lettuce you won't want to ever eat iceberg lettuce again.
Like fish, overcooked vegetables don't taste good. So rule number one with vegetables is not to overcook them. Some vegetables only need short cooking time while others need more. Spinach, peas, and mushroom only need a minute or two. Winter squash, like acorn, butternut and spaghetti types, need to be cooked for up to a half hour and more depending on their size. Cut in half, they can usually be steamed in a couple of inches of water in a covered pan. Again, the basic butter/salt spice is almost an everyday good-tasting routine, but don't forget to try the hundreds of other spice variations you can find in a cookbook.
Potatoes are an excellent vegetable often overlooked as a nutritional food. They're full of vitamins, minerals and fiber, come in so many varieties and can be prepared many ways. Baked, boiled, whipped, steamed all make good additions to a healthy meal. Again, the basic butter/salt ingredient makes it even more delicious. How about cubing potatoes, and steam them with other vegetables. Don't forget sweet potatoes and yams. They all make great healthy dishes.
Many vegetables make great cold leftovers in salads. Zucchini, green beans, asparagus, beets, carrots and broccoli placed on a bed of leaf lettuce with a good dressing makes a meal in itself. (See the dressing recipe at the end of this section.)
Whole Grains
A natural nourishing food, whole grains provide many necessary vitamins, minerals and fiber. They are simple to prepare, delicious and satisfying.
BROWN RICE: Available in short, medium and long grain, brown rice is an excellent healthy food which can be combined with vegetables, fish, soups, beans, and put in casseroles. To cook, use a ratio of 2 cups water to 1 cup rice. Bring water to a boil in a pot with a lid. Add salt and rice. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes, then let sit (covered) for 15 minutes. Rice will last several days in the refrigerator, so make enough for leftovers (its also good cold on a salad).
ROLLED OATS: Combine 1 cup oats to 2 cups water with a little salt and bring to a simmer. Take off the heat and leave covered for 5 minutes. It's a quick and easy breakfast. Serve with butter or cream and a touch of maple syrup or fructose.
FRESH GROUND RICE & OATS: Whole grains that are freshly ground into flour and kept in the freezer are delicious, quick and easy to make. Mix 1 cup flour and 2-3 cups water (depending on how fine the flour is ground). Bring to a simmer and take off the heat, cover and let sit for 5-10 minutes. This is a fresh, natural "cream of wheat" type cereal. Try other grains too (such as freshly ground wheat, rye or corn).
MILLET: This light delicate grain is prepared the same as rice. It also make a nice breakfast cereal, or can be combined with rice.
BARLEY: Whole barley is a heavy grain and needs to be soaked in water overnight before cooking. Pearly barley is lighter and needs no soaking. Both are cooked the same as or even with rice. Barley is great in soups.
BULGUR: This is also a lighter grain. It's cooked with equal parts water and a little salt for twenty minutes.
Beans and Legumes
Another healthy, good tasting group is beans and legumes. They provide vitamins, minerals, fiber, and when combined with brown rice make a perfect protein food.
Generally, beans and legumes can be cooked using 3 cups water for each 1 cup of beans, with a bit more water if you want a more moist texture. Add salt after cooking to keep the beans from getting too tough. These foods (and their cooking times) should be soaked overnight: BLACK (2 hours), NAVY & BLACK EYED PEAS (90 minutes), CHICK PEAS (2 hours) KIDNEY (90 minutes), PINTO (2 hours), SOY (3 hours).
These legumes don't need soaking before cooking, and only require 2-3 cups water for 1 cup legume: GREEN LENTILS (30 minutes), RED LENTILS (20 minutes), SPLIT PEAS (1.5-2 hours). While cooking, it's always good to check occasionally to see if more water is needed.
