Ok, so I know ribs aren't a vegetable...

I am probably going to get fired for putting a recipe for ribs on a blog that's supposed to be about produce. Oh wait, the three of you who read this can't actually fire me! So I'm going to put this on here because I'm so proud of myself for conquering ribs-- I've always been intimidated by them, but my fear is gone thanks to this easy and delicious recipe.

Ingredients:

4 lbs of baby back ribs (figure about 1 lb for each person)

1 onion, coarsely chopped

5 cloves of garlic

2 t salt

1 t peppercorns

Your favorite barbecue or teryaki sauce

Directions:

Place the ribs in a big pot and fill with water. Add the onion, coarsely chopped, the whole, unpeeled garlic cloves, salt and pepper and bring to a simmer. Simmer uncovered for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until tender. You will know!

Remove the ribs from the pot and place on a baking sheet. Baste generously with the sauce of your choosing (I used Stubbs Teryaki Marinade and will definitely use it again). Heat on the grill for 10-15 minutes and serve to people you really like.

Zucchini Three Ways

I think mushy zucchini is nasty, so I never steam it. I grew up eating it only one way, and it's still my favorite: grated, sauteed quickly on high heat in olive oil and sprinkled with a little salt and pepper and a lot of grated parmesan. If I'm feeling crazy I'll add some garlic. That's how my Nanni made it and it's really the only way I make it by itself.

I also love it sliced really thin (like into coins) and sauteed with garlic and tossed with whole wheat pasta. Costco has really good whole wheat pasta that tastes like normal pasta to me, and in our new quest to eat more affordably, we eat it about once a week. 

The only other way I like zucchini is cut into good sized chunks and grilled on kabobs. But it doesn't take long so you have to make sure not to put it on kabobs with longer-cooking veggies, like sweet potatoes. 

How else do you like zucchini?

Grilled Romaine Hearts

Yes, I said grilled romaine! I saw it on a cooking show and tried it last week. Yum! I have to admit, although I love salad, I don't always love all of the chopping, washing, etc. so this is a great way to have a delicious salad without a lot of prep work.

Slice 2 hearts of romaine vertically and wash thoroughly while leaving them intact (don't cut off the bottom). Place on a baking sheet and drizzle both sides with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Place on heated grill and grill for 2 minutes on each side. Serve with a vinaigrette of your choice. We each ate a whole half, so 2 hearts served 4 adults. But we're total pigs.

I ate half of mine without dressing and loved it (I forgot I had made a vinaigrette) but it is also delicious with a Balsamic vinaigrette. I made mine with about 1/3 c. olive oil, 1 T balsamic, finely diced red onion, salt and pepper and let it sit for about 30 minutes, but you don't have to be precise with vinaigrettes for them to be yummy. It would be great with shaved parmesan, crumbled bleu cheese or fresh lemon juice too. Let me know what variation you try.

Easy Yummy Green Veggies

One of the best discoveries I've made in the past couple of years has been The Roasted Vegetable. My sister-in-law introduced me to roasted asparagus a few years ago and I've never steamed it since. I then began roasting broccoli and cauliflower and have not steamed them since either. 

Easy directions: Cut up your veggie as desired and place on a baking sheet. Drizzle about 2 tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle with kosher or sea salt and pop them in the oven at 425 for about 10-15 minutes. I like broccoli and cauliflower a bit al dente (not mushy) so I take it out at 10 minutes. If you like it softer, check it at 12 minutes and leave it in as long as 15-17 depending on how soft you like it.

A fun springtime variation is to grill the veggies in one of those grill bowls.