User post: Salt and Butter Substitutes for your Veggies

Summer is at an end and my supply of garden fresh veggies is starting to dwindle. The bright fresh flavors will soon be replaced with not so fresh store bought fare and my personal cache of canned veggies. Every year I fall back on salt and butter to liven up the dull taste of winter vegatables, but not this year. I'm a creative cook so I came up with a few alternatives to the classic fall back, which have all passed the family taste test. Please tell me what your favorite alternatives to butter and salt are for your winter veggie dishes.

Garlic Ginger Puree

Grate an equal amount of fresh garlic and ginger with a lemon zester, heat a non-stick skillet to medium and add a dime size amount of olive oil to the pan.(even when I make alot I still use very little oil, you can probably roast it without the oil, but I don't know how well it will mesh together.) Add the grated garlic and ginger and saute, stiring constantly, until the mixture starts to darken slightly.You can make enough for one serving or make up a whole batch. I use a whole head of garlic and use an equal amount of ginger. I will grate until the piles look even. I put the left over in a jar in the fridge and use it for 2 to 3 weeks and also use it in sauces and on potatoes. Spread it on the veggies with a knife. Works best with carrots, green beans and spinach.
*I peel the garlic by squishing it with the flat of my chef's knife, which loosens the paper peel. I buy fresh ginger at the store and then freeze the roots. It grates alot easier and stays fresh longer in our humid climate.

Lemon Dill Seasoning

Grate a little pile (tablespoon) of zest from a fresh lemon and mince it with some dill (dried works fine). Squeeze some of the fresh lemon on the veggies and then sprinkle the seasoning on top. If you mince the lemon about an hour before and let it dry a bit you can mince it really fine so it's more like a seasoning. It's great on anything can be stored in the cupboard for weeks in a jar once the zest is sufficiently dried.

Ginger Mint Dressing

I use a food processor for this one. I just add equal amounts of chopped fresh ginger root and mint leaves (about a handful of each) to the bowl, puree the two, then add a teaspoon of olive oil to thicken it while the processor is running. I also have tried an added splash of dry white wine, but thought it was better without. Makes a killer cucumber salad additive mixed with plain yougurt or goes well with just about anything
*You can also make a sauce out of this by leaving out the oil adding coconut milk and simmering it with a little flour in a sauce pan until it thickens, but I'm not sure if that qualifies as healthy, considering the fat in coconut milk, but it's a great sauce anyway.

*note: I use olive oil, but very sparringly and much less than the butter I used to use. There are different reports as to whether olive oil is better than butter, but I just love the taste. You can leave the olive oil out of any of these and it tastes fine, but I'm all about texture, so I add it and don't feel guilty. (I grow mint and dill all through the winter in a window box. They don't get really big, but there is enough to use.)

Now share your ideas...