Friday, February 22, 2013

Warm Bean and Courgette Salad with Mint


I read a lot of food blogs. Precisely 278 food blogs. I use Google Reader to do this - it aggregates all the new posts and if you've never tried it before, you should! Start by adding Simply Cooked and a few other blogs to your Reader and away you go! (You'll love it, I promise.)

Here's the thing. There is a big, gaping hole in my list of food blogs. I want, but can't seem to find, more food blogs that concentrate on vegetables. I can't get over my love to all things veggie, and I want to find more people who feel the same. I want to drool over pictures of beautiful salads. I want to find intriguing combinations of crisp and green things. I want to feel inspired to make more of my vegetables and inspired to buy more new-to-me items.


So please can you help me? Do you know any bloggers who do veggies well? They can be of any slant - vegetarian, vegan, or meat-eaters; paleo, primal, or traditional.

Just in case you also want to find more veggie-hugging bloggers, here are some of my favourites!

My current idea for tasty vegetables is to make a warm salad and add mint. Fresh mint leaves add a newness to this (or any) veggie mixture. Try it and see.

Warm Bean and Courgette Salad with Mint
adapted from Simple Chinese Cooking by Kylie Kwong
serves 4 as a side dish, or 2 as the base of a veggie-loving meal

100 g (1 handful) snap peas
100 g (1 handful) green beans
500 g (2 medium) courgettes (zucchini), sliced
1/2 c mint leaves

for the dressing:
1/2 c (125 ml) soy sauce
3 t sugar
2 t sesame oil
2 T peanut oil

Bring a large saucepan of water to boil.
Add the snap peas and green beans and boil for 1 minute.
Add the courgettes and boil for 1 more minute.
Drain the vegetables and refresh under cold water.

Mix the soy sauce, sugar, and sesame oil together in a small bowl.
Place the peanut oil in the still hot saucepan (but off the heat). When the oil is hot, add it to the dressing ingredients and mix well.
Toss with the vegetables. Serve warm or cold.

Other salads with mint:
Cucumber salad with garlic and mint
Moroccan beetroot, carrot, and mint salad - from Simply Recipes
Grilled peach salad with mint and basil pesto - from Love and Lemons
Chopped salad with feta, lime, and mint - from smitten kitchen

Where do you find inspiration for vegetables?

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