Delicious New Year Vegetable Recipes—Confetti Veggie Pancakes and Seven-layer Salad

Confetti Veggie Pancakes

Shredded bits of three veggies—potato, zucchini and carrots—are flavored with herbs, pan-fried and topped with cheese for a dish that marries taste and nutrition.

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Yield: 16 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 large baking potato—peeled, shredded, washed and drained
• 2 carrots, peeled and shredded
• 1 zucchini, shredded
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 large egg plus 1 large egg white
• ¼ cup whole wheat flour
• ¼ cup cornstarch
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
 

Directions:

• Remove excess moisture from shredded potatoes by squeezing the lump with a clean cloth.  Do the same for shredded zucchini and carrots.
• In a large bowl, combine potatoes, zucchini, carrots, onion, egg, egg white, flour, cornstarch, baking soda, ¾ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper.
• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat for 1 minute.  Pour in 1 tablespoon olive oil and swirl to coat.  Working in batches, spoon ¼ cupful of the veggie mixture at a time, flattening it into a 3-inch pancake and adding in the remaining oil as needed.  Fry until golden underneath, flip and top with a bit of cheese and cook for 2 more minutes.
 

Seven-layer Salad

Festive colors, striking textural contrast and complementary flavors make this healthy salad a hit for the New Year.  Be sure to serve in a sparklingly clear glass bowl to highlight its beauty.

Prep time: 45 minutes

Cook time: 10 minutes

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 5 slices bacon
• 8 ounces green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces
• salt and pepper
• 2 small yellow squash, quartered lengthwise and sliced crosswise
• 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
• 1 (15-ounce) can white beans, rinsed
• 8 slices whole wheat baguette
• 1 heart romaine lettuce, chopped
• 6 ounces yellow cheddar cheese, shredded
• ½ cup plain low-fat yogurt
 

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 
• In a large skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp.  Drain on paper towels.  Pour bacon grease into a small, heat-proof bowl.  Add the green beans along with ¼ cup water into the skillet and simmer over medium heat for about 2 to 3 minutes or until the water evaporates.  Season beans with salt and transfer to an oven-proof glass bowl.
• In another skillet, heat ½ teaspoon of the bacon fat.  Add the squash and cook over medium-high heat until browned lightly.  Season squash with salt and pepper.  Spoon squash over the green beans in the glass bowl.
• Do the same for the tomatoes, adding the cooked tomatoes onto the squash in the glass bowl.  Repeat same procedure for the white beans, adding the cooked white beans on top of the tomatoes in the glass bowl.
• Bake the vegetables just until warmed through, about 10 minutes.
• Remove glass bowl of vegetables from the oven and top with layers of lettuce and cheddar.  Pour the yogurt on top, crumble the bacon and sprinkle on top of the yogurt.  Serve with toasted bread.