Hummus is a great way to add ​protein, fiber, iron, folate, phosphorus and b-vitamins to your snacks and meals. Eat it on its own with sliced veggies and pita chips, use it as a spread in sandwiches and wraps, or top your grain bowls with a healthy dollop to add some extra flavor. Store in the refrigerator for up to one week or in the freezer for up to three months. ​​​​

Beet Hummus

Ratatouille

​Tangy Honey Mustard Dressing

Ingredients: ½ cup plain nonfat or low-fat yogurt  ¼ cup olive oil or canola oil ¼ cup Dijon or stone-ground mustard 3 Tablespoons honey 2 Tablespoons lemon juice​ 2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar or more lemon juice 1 clove garlic, pressed or minced 1 Tablespoon minced shallot ¼ teaspoon fine salt ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Perfect Whole Wheat Couscous

Makes 8 servings Recipe adapted from SAGA ​ Ingredients:​ 1 cup whole wheat couscous ¼ teaspoon salt and pepper ¼ teaspoon pepper 1 ¼ cups water Directions: Put the couscous in a medium heatproof bowl and mix in the salt and pepper if desired. Boil the water. Pour the boiling water over the bowl of couscous and cover with a large plate or matching lid if available. Let sit for 10-12 minutes. Remove the plate or lid and fluff the couscous.  Serve hot.

Have you ever tried bok choy, an oddly-shaped green and white vegetable? It also goes by the names bok choi, pak choy or pok choi, and by white cabbage, mustard cabbage, celery cabbage, Chinese white cabbage, Chinese mustard, and white celery mustard (1). Bok choy is from the same cruciferous vegetable family as some of the other vegetables I’ve written about in previous blog posts: Turnip, rutabaga, kohlrabi, collards, and Brussels sprouts. You will usually find two different types of bok choy in the produce section – baby bok choy and bok choy (it’s larger, but is not specified as larger). The larger-sized bok choy has longer white stalks and wavy, hardy green leaves, while baby bok choy has shorter white/light green stalks and tender leaves.

What does bok choy taste like?

Like some of the other vegetables I’ve written about, such as kohlrabi, bok choy does not taste or smell like cabbage when eaten or cooked. The leaves (especially of baby bok choy) are more delicate like lettuce, and the stalks are crispy like celery and have a light, peppery taste (2).

How do you prepare bok choy?

Bok choy can be eaten raw or cooked. When eaten raw, you can enjoy the stalks as you would any other raw vegetable, with dips, chopped in Colesaw, or like you would an apple with nut butter or hummus. The greens would be great in a salad or used as a wrap instead of bread/tortilla.  When eaten cooked, it’s preferable to separate the white section from the green, leafy section before cooking because they cook at different rates since they are different in texture. Cook the white parts longer and add the greens in at the last minute to just wilt them (see recipe below). All parts are delicious in stir-fry, soup, or simply alone with some garlic, salt and oil. Click here for a great bok choy tip and simple recipe!

How nutritious is bok choy?

Colorful Bok Choy Vegetable Mix

What does an eggplant taste like? ​

Eggplants, like zucchini and yellow squash, are very mild and have a somewhat bland flavor. That means you can easily mix it up with more flavorful ingredients, like with curry dishes or tomato sauce. Many believe that eggplant is bitter and needs to be salted to draw out the bitterness. According to my research, the seeds cause the bitter taste, which are not removed by salting. Choosing fresh and cooking the eggplant soon afterwards is what helps keep the eggplant sweet and flavorful. Salting can remove some of the moisture, which helps if you are deep frying the eggplant. Some believe that salting can help reduce the amount of oil that is absorbed by the eggplant. If the eggplant is undercooked, it can taste very “cotton-y,” so you may need to cook it longer, if that is the case.

How do you prepare eggplant? ​

How nutritious is eggplant?

Eggplant and White Bean Stew ​

Ingredients: 4 cloves garlic, minced 3 Tablespoons neutral oil, like avocado 1 large onion, diced 1.5-2 pounds eggplant, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes* or portabella mushrooms 2 (14.5 ounce) containers of broth 2 (15-ounce) cans beans, rinsed and drained 1 cup pumpkin puree or 1/2 cup tomato paste 2 teaspoons salt, or to taste 1-2 Tablespoons seasoning mix (chili powder, curry powder, etc.), or to taste 1/2 pound greens, chopped (spinach, kale, beet, Swiss chard), optional 2-4 Tablespoons vinegar (such as apple cider vinegar), or to taste

What do collards taste like? ​

How do you prepare collards? ​

How nutritious are collards?

Garlic-Sautéed Greens

What do Brussels sprouts taste like? ​

Brussels sprouts can be nutty and crunchy, if cooked properly and when fresh. They can also be bitter and limp, when cooked improperly. Brussels sprouts contain sulfur; therefore, if cooked too long, the sulfur can smell up the kitchen and cause the Brussels sprouts to have a strong flavor. That smell is a compound that fights cancer (see below). This and other compounds are released when Brussels sprouts are cut (1).

How do you cook Brussels sprouts? ​

How nutritious are Brussels sprouts?

 Shredded Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Cranberries

Serves 6-8   Ingredients: 2 pounds Brussels sprouts, with their bottom stem removed 1 pound bacon* 1 large red onion, finely chopped 1 cup dried cranberries 1/4 cup neutral oil, such as avocado oil 2 Tablespoons vinegar of your choice 1 teaspoon salt

What does a turnip taste like? ​

How do you eat a turnip? ​

As with other vegetables, such as radishes, smaller turnips tend to be sweeter and are enjoyable when eaten raw, whether shredded or sliced. Larger turnips turn sweeter when cooked, whether roasted, puréed or made into French fries. You can also steam or stir-fry them. They can be prepared in ways similar to that of rutabaga, jicama or kolhrabi. See these posts for additional suggestions. Many online recipes mix turnips and potatoes together, whether mashed, grated or roasted. Some recommend mixing them with potatoes when first introducing turnips to those unfamiliar with them. Many warn about avoiding overcooking a turnip, which will make them “turnipy,” which is similar to overcooking cabbage and filling up the house with an unpleasant sulfur smell. Most say that turnips can be cooked the same as you might a potato. Simply season with cream and salt or get creative with lively flavors like harissa.

How nutritious are turnips?

White Bean and Bacon with Greens and Turnips

When I was looking for vegetable purée recipes to use as sauces on pasta, I decided to try one that included rutabagas since that was an unfamiliar vegetable for me. I had previously avoided it because it seemed too close to turnips, which I was also unfamiliar with and have a reputation for being bitter and fibrous. So I gave the rutabaga a try and totally love them. Rutabagas are root vegetables that are a cross between a turnip and a cabbage, so they are in the cruciferous vegetable category (Brassica family). Rutabagas have purple “shoulders” and a creamy “body.” Like many other root vegetables (beets, turnips), they have a skin that needs peeling (and a possible wax coating which is removed when peeled). And like most root vegetables, they are harvested in the fall. Rutabagas are also known by other names, such as “Swede,” “neep,” or “yellow turnip.” (1)

What does a rutabaga taste like?

How do you eat rutabaga?

Ideas for using a rutabaga:

​Chopped and sautéed like potato hash in the morning for breakfast with eggs. Pureed as a base for hearty, thick soups. Julienne-cut and stir-fried for Asian dishes. Roasted with other root vegetables. Used as part of the creamy base in a gratin. Cooked and pureed and used as a sauce for pasta or as a side dish. Sliced as a snack with your favorite dip/sauce.

How nutritious are rutabagas?

Roasted Mixed Vegetables with Sour Cherries

Serves 6-8 Original recipe by Nancy Miller, RD Ingredients:  4 medium rutabagas, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces 2 medium beets (red and/or yellow), peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces 1 medium kohlrabi, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces 2 small apples, cut into 1-inch pieces (peeling is optional) 1 cup dried sour cherries 1/4 cup lemon juice (about 1 large lemon) 1 teaspoon cider vinegar 1/2 cup avocado oil, or oil of choice 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard 2 garlic cloves, minced Salt and black pepper, to taste

Throughout the years, my family and I have been trying to enjoy as wide of a variety of vegetables as available in the Pacific Northwest. We experiment with new ones whenever we get the chance. One vegetable we have never had until now is the sunchoke, or Jerusalem artichoke, which is a perennial root vegetable (aka: “tuber”). This means they grow in the ground like potatoes and sweet potatoes, though they are small, like ginger knobs. Like other tubers, they have a thin skin that doesn’t need peeling; just give the vegetable a good scrub before using.  These tubers are also harvested in the fall. ​Even though they are also called Jerusalem artichokes, they are not related to actual artichokes. Globe artichokes are a thistle and have an edible flower.

What does a sunchoke taste like?

How do you eat sunchokes?

How nutritious are sunchokes?

Lentil Stew with Steamed Rock Fish and Sunchokes

What does a jicama taste like? ​

How do you chose a jicama?

How do you eat a jicama? ​

How nutritious is jicama?

Roasted Jicama

Serves 2-3 Ingredients: 2 cups jicama, cut into 1/2” cubes 2 Tablespoons olive (not extra-virgin!) or avocado oil 1/2 teaspoon cayenne 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, or to taste Dried parsley, to taste ​ Directions:  Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Combine jicama, oil, cayenne, and salt in a bowl. Add more oil if jicama is too dry. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper or Silpat®. Spread jicama mixture evenly onto baking sheet. Roast in preheated oven for about an hour, stir every 15 minutes to ensure even roasting. When finished, add the garlic powder and dried parsley, to taste.  Serve hot. Try pairing with chicken, beef or seafood.