5 Days of Veggies: Tomatoes

It's Day 5 of our 5 Days of Veggies series and today's featured veggie is tomatoes. We seem to love vegetables that are technically fruit, but we just couldn't resist including one of our faves in this series. So check out our easy tomatoes tips and recipes below!

• There are quite a few different types of tomatoes, but the most common are slicing tomatoes, plum tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, and Roma tomatoes.


• Selection: Choose tomatoes with a rich, deep color - this means they taste better AND have more healthy nutrients.


• Storage: Tomatoes will keep fresh up to a week stored at room temperature. If they're already ripe but you don't plan to use them yet, you can store them in the fridge for a day or two. Let sit for 30 minutes before using to help bring back its juiciness and full flavor.


• Tip: When cooking tomatoes, avoid aluminum cookware - the high acid content of the tomatoes causes them to interact with the metal, which leads to a bad taste and possible health effects.


• Fun fact: While the jelly-like substance surrounding the seeds might be some people's least favorite part of the tomato, it's actually the part that contains the highest concentration of vitamin C.

Heirloom Tomato Salad

Cheese-Stuffed Tomatoes

Tomato Salad

Miss a post? Catch up for the week:
Monday: Corn
Tuesday: Onions
Wednesday: Eggplant
Thursday: Avocado
Friday: Tomatoes (above)

Like our 5 Days of Veggies series? Then check out our 5 Days of Fruit series too!

5 Days of Veggies: Avocado

It's Day 4 of our 5 Days of Veggies series - having fun yet? Today's featured veggie is technically another fruit that tends to be used as a vegetable, but we won't tell if you don't. So check out our easy avocado tips and recipes below!

• Selection: Choose an avocado that's slightly on the heavier side and make sure it has no mushy spots. The darker the avocado, the riper it is. So if you need it today, go for a really dark one; if you need it to last a few days, go for a lighter greenish one.


• Storage: Store at room temperature until ready to use. To speed up the ripening process, place them in a closed paper bag. To slow down ripening, stick them in the fridge.


• Slicing: Avocadoes are difficult to cut if you don't know what you're doing, but there's an easy trick to it. Sit the avocado upright and cut straight down until you hit the pit. Then twist the avocadao until it separates into two halves, one of which still contains the pit. Now comes the fun part - strike the pit with your knife blade (not the point). Twist until you loosen and dislodge the pit. Now take a spoon and scoop the avocado out of the skin.


• Tip: For a prettier presentation, squirt with lemon juice after slicing to prevent browning.


• Fun fact: Avocados have the highest protein content of any fruit, which is especially great for vegetarian dishes.

Chunky Avocado Salad

Pepper Medley Crab and Avocado Salad

Veggie Sandwich

Miss a post? Catch up for the week:
Monday: Corn
Tuesday: Onions
Wednesday: Eggplant
Thursday: Avocado (above)
Friday: Tomatoes

Like our 5 Days of Veggies series? Then check out our 5 Days of Fruit series too!

5 Days of Veggies: Eggplant

It's Day 3 of our 5 Days of Veggies series and today's veggie is something you might not know much about - eggplant. In fact, it's technically a fruit, but since you serve it and eat it more like you would a vegetable, we figured it was OK to group it with our veggies this week. So check out our easy eggplant tips and recipes below!

• There are many different types of eggplant. Here are a few of the most common:
  • Western eggplant: most commonly found in your grocery store, is large with a glossy dark skin
  
  
  • Japanese eggplant: a long, slender eggplant
  
  
  • Egg-shaped eggplant: many varieties of a purple, white or mixed color
  
  
  • Baby eggplant: sometimes orange, sometimes the size of walnuts


• Selection: Choose firm, glossy-skinned eggplants.


• Storage: Store in the fridge until used. Eggplants develop a bitter taste the longer they are stored.


• Preparation: Cut eggplant into slices and lay in a colander. Sprinkle with salt and allow to "sweat" for an hour. Eggplant can then be grilled, baked, sautéed, fried, or pureed, as desired.


• Fun fact: Although we use eggplant as a vegetable, it is actually a fruit. It is native to India and Pakistan and was domesticated over 4,000 years ago.

Eggplant Parmesan

Stuffed Eggplant

Grilled Herbed Eggplant

Miss a post? Catch up for the week:
Monday: Corn
Tuesday: Onions
Wednesday: Eggplant (above)
Thursday: Avocado
Friday: Tomatoes

Like our 5 Days of Veggies series? Then check out our 5 Days of Fruit series too!

We are happy to have Nola Solomon on board as an intern for FunnySpoon.com. As a French-American, she offers unique culinary insight on how to enjoy your food and efficiently plan for a hectic schedule. Give her recipes and tips a try!

5 Days of Veggies: Onions

It's Day 2 of our 5 Days of Veggies series and today's veggie is everyone's eyewatering fave - onions! A great addition to numerous dishes, onions pack a punch of flavor. Check out our tips and recipes below!

• There are quite a few different types of onions. Here are some common ones:
  
  • Yellow onions: These are the most common. You can use them in pretty much any dish that calls for onions. They are especially good for French onion soup because they caramelize well. You can store yellow onions longer than other onions, so buy in bulk and stock up!
  
  
  • White onions: Have a strong taste and are common in Mexican cuisine. They lend a sweet and sour flavor to other ingredients in recipes.
  
  
  • Red onions: Have a mild to sweet flavor. They are best raw (such as in salads) or lightly cooked with other foods. When fully cooked they tend to lose some color and flavor.
  
  
  • Green onions: Harvested while their shoots are still young and green, these are great for topping salads, soups, and baked potatoes. You can typically use green onions and scallions interchangeably in recipes, though they are technically two different varieties of green onions.


• Selection: Onions should be clean, have crisp, dry outer skins, and the neck should be closed. Steer clear of an onion that has started to sprout.


• Storage: Store at room temperature. They're best if they're well-ventilated so use a wire hanging basket or just a regular basket that allows air to circulate.


• Slicing: A large percentage of the population gets watery eyes when cutting onions. To help lessen the effect, you can chill the onion in the fridge for 10-30 minutes before slicing. You can also run under cold water, though it's not as effective.


• Health benefits: Can help lower your blood sugar, lower your risk of heart disease risk, reduce your risk of developing colon cancer, and boost bone health.


• Fun tip: If you get bitten by a mosquito, rub a half-onion on the bite to help reduce swelling and irritation. You'll smell like onions but you'll show those mosquitos! Plus, onions act as an insect repellent so hopefully it'll be the last bite you get all evening.

French Onion Soup

Blue Cheese Iceberg Wedge Salad

Taco Dip

Miss a post? Catch up for the week:
Monday: Corn
Tuesday: Onions (above)
Wednesday: Eggplant
Thursday: Avocado
Friday: Tomatoes

Like our 5 Days of Veggies series? Then check out our 5 Days of Fruit series too!

5 Days of Veggies: Corn

Hope everyone enjoyed our 5 Days of Fruit series last week. We had so much fun doing it we decided to do a "5 Days of Veggies" series this week, and we're kicking it off with corn. Corn is a staple and many people eat it at least once a week, but there are probably some things you didn't know about it!

• Selection: The husk should be green and not dried out; the kernels should be plump and touching each other in nice rows.


• Storage: Try to purchase the day you plan to use it, if possible. Store it in a plastic bag in the refrigerator with the husk still on.


• Cooking: There are quite a few easy ways to cook corn. Try:
  
  1. Boiling: You can boil corn on the stove with or without the husk. Add corn to boiling water and boil for 5-10 minutes, depending on how soft you like it.
  
  
  2. Broiling: Keep the husk on and soak it briefly first. Broil for 5-8 minutes, turning once.
  
  
  3. Grilling: Corn is also great on the grill. Soak in water while grill is heating. Pull the husk back (but don't remove), remove the corn silk, brush with butter or olive oil, re-cover with husk, place in aluminum foil. Cook on grill for 15-20 minutes. Remove the aluminum foil, shuck the corn (remove the husk), then place on grill for 2 minutes on each side to slightly char the corn. It's best to salt right before serving.


• Fun Fact: Corn is the number one crop (in value and volume) in the US.


• Fun Fact: There are an average of 800 kernels in 16 rows on each cob of corn.

Grilled Corn Salad

Best Party Dip Ever

Tortilla Soup

Miss a post? Catch up for the week:
Monday: Corn (above)
Tuesday: Onions
Wednesday: Eggplant
Thursday: Avocado
Friday: Tomatoes

Like our 5 Days of Veggies series? Then check out our 5 Days of Fruit series too!