Eat Your Vegetables

Europe

Lithuania

Bulviniai blynai are traditional and crispy potato pancakes. They are made with grated potatoes, diced onions, eggs, and flour seasoned with salt and pepper. They are fried to a golden brown and served with sour cream, applesauce, or jam.

France

Tartiflette is a dish from the Alps originating in the Savoie region. The dish is prepared with sliced medium-sized potatoes, white wine, Reblochon cheese, onions, smoked salt pork, and crème fraiche. The ingredients are combined in a baking dish and baked until the cheese has melted and is golden on top.

Bulgaria

Shopska salad is a traditional cold salad and one of the national dishes of Bulgaria. It is made with chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, roasted or raw peppers, and Bulgarian cheese. The vegetables are salted and drizzled with sunflower oil and sprinkled with grated Bulgarian sirene cheese.

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Zeljanica is a savory Bosnian pie. It is prepared with thinly rolled phyllo dough. The dough is filled with blanched spinach, fresh cow cheese, cream, and eggs. Once the dough had been rolled out the ingredients are placed on top and rolled into the dough in the shape of a coil. The pie is baked occasionally doused with warm milk or a combination of oil and water.

Turkey

Sarma is a dish that has ingredients wrapped in leaves or leafy vegetables. There are many versions like minced meat, rice, or bulgar, flavored with red pepper, paprika, ground sumac, and tomato sauce wrapped in vine, cabbage, or sauerkraut leaves or leafy vegetables like collard greens and Swiss chard.

Greece

Dakos or ntakos is a traditional Cretan dish. The dish consists of a dry barley rusk known as paximadi. It is topped with crumbled myzithra cheese, chopped ripe tomatoes, whole olives, capers, fresh oregano, and a splash of olive oil. The rusk is often rubbed with garlic and lightly sprinkled with sea salt.

Italy

Lasagne alla parmigiana is a traditional Italian lasagna dish that originated in Emilia-Romagna. The dish combines lasagna pasta with eggplant parmigiana. The ingredients include lasagna sheets, eggplants, tomatoes, garlic, mozzarella, olive oil, basil, grated cheese, salt, and black pepper. The eggplant is sliced, salted, and drained then fried in oil until golden. The tomato sauce is made with tomatoes, olive oil, and garlic. The tomato sauce is spread in a baking dish, topped with lasagna sheets, and more tomato sauce, eggplant slices, mozzarella, grated cheese, and basil. It is layered to the top, finished off with lasagna sheets, tomato sauce, and grated cheese. Then baked until bubbly and cooked through.

Asia

India

Dal tadka is a traditional lentil dish. It is made with toor dal (split yellow pigeon peas), garlic, ginger, onions, tomatoes, garam masala, chili peppers, ghee, cumin, coriander, turmeric, red chili powder, and fenugreek leaves. The ingredients are cooked and flavored with asafetida, chili peppers, and garlic.

Indonesia

Siomay is a dish that is made with steamed cone-shaped fish dumplings, eggs, potatoes, cabbage, tofu, and bitter melon. All the ingredients are steamed and assembled on a plate cut into bite-sized pieces and drizzled with a spicy peanut sauce.

Japan

Sukiyaki is a sweet and salty hot-pot meal. Traditionally it is prepared tableside. The dish is a combination of sliced beef, sliced Chinese cabbage, mushrooms, leeks, gelatinous konnyaku noodles, and shungiku leaves. The ingredients are cooked in mirin, soy sauce, and sugar.

Iran

Kashke bademjan is a dish made with oven-roasted or grilled eggplants and kashk, a fermented by-product made with yogurt whey. The eggplants and kashk are mashed until creamy and flavored with onions, garlic, turmeric, mint, and sometimes nuts. It is served as an appetizer or dip.

Africa

Tunisia

Mechonia is a salad that is prepared with grilled, coarsely chopped onions, peppers, tomatoes, and garlic drizzled with olive oil and flavored with caraway, salt, and black pepper. The salad is garnished with hard-boiled eggs, olives, or tuna.

The Caribbean

Haiti

Legim is a popular dish that consists of beef mixed with cabbage, eggplant, watercress, green beans, carrots, and chayote squash. The ingredients are mashed together and cooked. It is served with rice or cornmeal.

South America

Columbia

Lechona is a traditional dish. It consists of a whole roasted pig that is stuffed with onions, peas, potatoes, fresh herbs, and different spices.

Peru

Choritos a la chalaca is a dish that originated in the port city of Callao. The dish is prepared with steamed mussels, topped with spicy salsa. The salsa is made with tomatoes, corn, rocoto peppers, onions, lime juice, olive oil, and parsley. It is served as an appetizer.