Friends who are regularly served institutional meals have complained to me about the vegetables that show up on their plates several times a week.
Brussels sprouts and broccoli are the guilty ones, leading some to suggest those vegetables must be the cheapest to buy and therefore save the purchasing agents money to spend on maybe buying a better cut of meat, or serving a larger slice of cake.
There are many theories, besides nutritional value, that are offered for the appearance of those green vegetables more often than peas or carrots.
The cookbook of choice this week devotes several pages to ways to use both vegetables and recipes to make them more glamorous than just being lumped onto a plate.
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Company Brussels Sprouts
- 1-10 oz. can cream of celery soup
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 cup diced celery
- 2 1/2 cups Brussel sprouts, steamed to doneness
- 1/2 cup grated cheese
- 1 tbsp. pimiento, chopped
- 1/2 cup slivered almonds, if desired
- 1/2 cup crumbs for topping
In a large pan, mix soup and milk. Add celery and simmer until celery is tender.
Transfer to a large casserole dish. Add Brussels sprouts, cheese, pimiento and nuts. Cover with crumbs and dot with butter.
Bake in a 350 degrees F oven for 20 minutes or until mixture bubbles. Serves 4-6.
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Brussels Sprouts Relish
- 3 cups Brussels sprouts
- 1/4 cup wine vinegar
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. dry mustard
- 3/4 cup vegetable oil
- pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp. green onion, minced
- 3/4 tsp. dried dill weed
- 1/4 cup dairy sour cream
Steam Brussels sprouts until soft. Remove loose leaves and discard.
Combine vinegar, salt, mustard, oil, pepper, onions and dill weed.
Place Brussels sprouts in a large dish. Pour the vinegar dressing over the sprouts, mix, and cover dish with plastic wrap.
Chill several hours or overnight. Drain dressing before serving. Mix the sprouts with the sour cream.
Place in a serving dish and sprinkle with more dill weed, if desired. Store remainder in the refrigerator. Serves 10-12.
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Broccoli Corn Casserole
- 1 1/2 cups fresh broccoli, chopped
- 1 large can creamed corn
- 1/4 cup Saltine cracker crumbs
- 1 egg, beaten
- 2 tbsps. butter, melted
- 1 tbsp. minced onion
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- dash pepper
- 1/4 cup Saltine cracker crumbs
- 2 tbsps. butter, melted
Cook and drain the broccoli.
In a 2 qt. casserole combine the broccoli, corn. 1/4 cup crumbs, egg, 2 tbsps. melted butter, onion, salt and pepper.
Blend 1/4 cup crumbs and 2 tbsps. melted butter. Sprinkle over the vegetables.
Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes. Serves 6.
Joyce Walter can be reached at ronjoy@sasktel.net
