#8: Buttered Vegetables

These baby carrots from eatjax.com
indeed look tasty and refreshing

This vegetable side dish is so versatile because it can go with any fried or baked meat dish that's relatively dry or monotonous in color. I usually pair this with Pollo Al Ajo because it balances the chicken's rich, spicy flavor with the light and refreshing flavor of the beans, carrots, the earthiness of the mushrooms and the sweet bursts from the corn. The light crunch and color definitely add not just nutrition but also life and depth to your meal whether it be simply fried chicken or fried fish. At the end of the recipe, I added variations to this to suit your taste and the main dish that it will be partnered with.





Buttered Vegetables
Sosy Level: 3
Pawis Level: 1
Will add life to 4 lunch plates


Ingredients:
2 tbsps butter or margarine
dash of cooking oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 pcs medium carrots
100g (isang guhit) Baguio beans, stringed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 small can of mushrooms, drained and sliced
1/2 cup canned corn kernels
salt & pepper

Businessweek did a fine job taking this corn's best side! :-D

How to:
1. Heat pan then add a dash of cooking oil. Add the butter.


2. When melted and moderately heated, add the carrots and garlic. Saute for 5 minutes.


3. Add the baguio beans. When they turn bright green, add the corn and mushroom. Season with salt and pepper. Saute for 2 more minutes.


4. Uhm... place it on your plate? Haha! That's it guys. Ain't that ridiculously simple? You can still cook this even if you just have the beans and carrots. It will still work. In fact, when the fridge is empty, sometimes I just do buttered beans, haha!


Variations:


Spicy Buttered Vegetables
Simply add some dashes of cayenne pepper OR chili flakes (that you collected that was left over from your last pizza delivery) after you add the salt and pepper. This variety will go well with any buttery, creamy or plain flavored dish.

Beans straight from Our Beloved Earth.com!

Creamy Garlic Vegetables
You will need a few more ingredients. 
1 tbsp flour
1/2 cup of milk
1 tbsp cream (optional)
A few dashes of garlic powder


There will also be additional steps.
4. Add the flour and mix thoroughly. When the flour is thoroughly mixed with the oil and the vegetables, add the milk and garlic powder. 


5.Stir while cooking until the sauce becomes thick and creamy. You can add cream if you like at this point. Adjust the seasoning with salt & pepper. Serve while hot!This on the other hand will perfectly complement a tomato-based, spicy or smoky dish. 


Yum! I hope you'll find this recipe very helpful in nourishing your family and making your meals more exciting.