Vegetables, Fruits and Grains

For vegans, vegetarians, and everyone else!

Martha Stewart’s Mom’s Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients
3 ½ pounds white or Yukon Gold potatoes
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
¼ cup whole milk, warmed
½ cup heavy cream, warmed

Directions

  • Place potatoes and 1 tablespoon salt in a medium pot, cover with cold water by 2 inches, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover partially, and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 35 minutes. Drain, and let stand until just cool enough to handle.
  • Rub off skins, and discard. Cut potatoes into large pieces.
  • Combine potatoes, cream cheese, butter, milk, and 1/4 cup cream in a mixer bowl fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat until combined. Season with salt and pepper, and beat to desired consistency.
  • Return mashed potatoes to pot, and place over medium heat. Add remaining cream, and cook, stirring constantly, until heated through. Serve immediately, or keep warm in a covered bowl over simmering water for up to 2 hours.

The 2024 Dirty Dozen™

Of the 46 items included in our analysis, these 12 fruits and vegetables were most contaminated with pesticides:

  1. strawberries
  2. spinach
  3. kale, collard, and mustard greens
  4. grapes
  5. peaches
  6. pears
  7. nectarines
  8. apples
  9. bell and hot peppers
  10. cherries
  11. blueberries
  12. green beans

The 2024 Clean Fifteen™

These 15 items had the lowest amounts of pesticide residues, according to EWG’s analysis of the most recent USDA data. (more)

How To Make My Broccoli Tots

For a batch of roughly 22 tots, you’ll need:

  • 1 head broccoli, tough stalk trimmed and discarded, then cut into large florets
  • 1 cup seasoned bread crumbs 
  • 1/2 cup grated low-moisture mozzarella 
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2 large eggs
  • Salt and pepper, to taste 
  • Milk or water, as needed

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. 

Place the broccoli florets in a pan fit with a steamer basket. Add water just until it reaches the bottom of the steamer insert. Cover the pan and set over medium-high heat. Once the water reaches a boil, cook the broccoli for about 5 to 7 minutes, or until bright green and fork tender. Remove from the heat, drain the water, and let cool slightly. 

When the broccoli is cool enough to handle, chop the florets into small pieces, about the size of a pea. Transfer the chopped broccoli to a large mixing bowl and add the bread crumbs, cheeses, and eggs. Season with salt and pepper, then use a rubber spatula to thoroughly combine the ingredients. 

Test the mixture; you should be able to squeeze a small portion and see that it holds together strongly. If this is not the case, add a little water or milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the mixture holds together when squeezed.

Using a spring-loaded 1 tablespoon-sized cookie scoop, dish the broccoli mixture onto the prepared sheet pan. It should make about 22 tots. With wet hands, pick up each portion and form it into a tot shape, pressing the mixture firmly so it holds together. 

Bake for 15 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp on the bottom, then flip over and cook for an additional 10 minutes.

Sweet Potato Fries by Mark Bittman

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  1. Heat the oven to 400.
  2. Cut the sweet potatoes into sticks ¼ to ½ inch wide and 3 inches long, and toss them with the oil.
  3. Mix the spices, salt and pepper in a small bowl, and toss them with the sweet potatoes. Spread them out on 2 rimmed baking sheets.
  4. Bake until brown and crisp on the bottom, about 15 minutes, then flip and cook until the other side is crisp, about 10 minutes. Serve hot.
Total Page Visits: 433 - Today Page Visits: 1