Loving Our Veggies: Try this one

Celery is the main ingredient

As we know, the more vegetables we can get into our mouths, the better. I'm always looking for new ways to prepare veggies, or even for altogether new (never tried) ones.
Here's an idea that wouldn't be likely to occur to me if I wasn't such an avid reader of Martha Shulman (the NY Times resident healthy foodie): making cooked celery the star of a dish.
This recipe for steamed, then sauteed, celery definitely stretches me. It's low in calories (less than 100 per serving) but high in fiber, vitamins -- and tastiness.

I'm going to try it ASAP!

RECIPE: Braised Celery with Tomatoes and Garlic
Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 bunch celery, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 anchovy, rinsed and chopped (optional)

1 14-ounce can chopped tomatoes in juice

3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

Pinch of sugar

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste 

Instuctions:

1. Place the celery in a steamer above 1 inch of boiling water. Cover and steam 5 minutes, until just tender when pierced with a knife. Remove from the heat and drain.

2. Heat the oil over medium heat in a large, heavy skillet and add the garlic. Stir until it smells fragrant, about 30 seconds, and add the anchovy if using, tomatoes, 2 tablespoons of the parsley, a pinch of sugar and salt and pepper. Stir together, then stir in the celery. Cook, stirring often, until the tomatoes have cooked down and the mixture is fragrant, about 10 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Stir in the remaining parsley just before serving.