Celery with Tomatoes, Olives & Capers ♥

Cooked celery is so good!

This really hit the spot. It tasted 'spare' (though delicious) in contrast to 'rich' (and totally over-the-top delicious) offerings at recent holiday parties. And it calls for ingredients that are often on hand, just celery, canned tomatoes, olives and capers. If you haven't 'celebrated celery' recently, or ever, now's the moment!

LANGUAGE NOTE ... A reader recently brought my attention to the careless specification of a 'stalk' of celery when I really meant to call for one 'rib' of celery. It really peeves her so please join me in listing a rib unless we really mean the whole and entire stalk, which would be a hole pile of celery, for sure.

NUTRITION NOTES ... Low cal. Low carb. One Weight Watchers point. High fiber. Low cholesterol. Filling. Satisfying. Cheap. Good!

FROM THE ARCHIVES ... Other celebrations of celery are this wintry celery, apple and walnut salad, a simple braised celery, last week's Brussels sprouts & celery in a creamy lemon sauce and even a simple celery soup, all in the Recipe Box.

NEVER MISS A RECIPE! ... Just sign up for A Veggie Venture's new e-mail subscription. It's available for Kitchen Parade too.

CELERY with TOMATOES, OLIVES & CAPERS
Hands-on time: 15 minutes
Time to table: 35 minutes
Serves 4

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 medium onion, diced
1 pound celery (about 6 ribs of celery)
1 cup canned diced tomatoes
1 - 2 tablespoons capers
8 large olives, chopped
2 tablespoons minced fresh basil (omitted, might be nice if you have some however)
Salt & pepper to taste

In a large skillet, heat the oil on MEDIUM til shimmery. Add the onion, stir well to coat with fat, let cook while prepping the celery. Trim the celery ends, cut ribs in half or thirds lengthwise, then into two-inch lengths. Add the celery, stir well, then let cook undisturbed for 4 minutes. Turn a bit, then stir in tomato, adjust the heat to avoid burning, cover and let cook until celery is tender, about 20 minutes. Uncover and stir in capers and olives and cook til warmed through and if needed, tomato juice cooks off. Stir in basil if using. Season to taste. Serve immediately.

NUTRITION ESTIMATE
Per Serving: 83 Cal (47% from Fat, 8% from Protein, 44% from Carb); 2 g Protein; 5 g Tot Fat; 1 g Sat Fat; 10 g Carb; 4 g Fiber; NetCarb 6; 89 mg Calcium; 1 mg Iron; 461 mg Sodium; 0 mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers 1 point


CREDIT WHERE CREDIT'S DUE
Vegetables Every Day by Jack Bishop


(c) Copyright 2006 Kitchen Parade
Alanna Kellogg
Alanna Kellogg

A Veggie Venture is home of "veggie evangelist" Alanna Kellogg and the famous asparagus-to-zucchini Alphabet of Vegetables.

Comments

  1. Thanks, Alanna -- I never think of celery as the star of the show. Good to have some nice, light recipes like this on hand.

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  2. is it ok if I call it a stick of celery? great recipe!

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  3. Lydia ~ Celery's been a big surprise for me, too. Maybe that's why its Wow Factor is so unexpected.

    Ilva ~ A stick, yes. Or maybe it sounds better in Italian. Or Swedish. Or in English in your Italian-Swedish accent! ;-)

    Jeff ~ Thanks!

    Kalyn ~ Your fellow South Beach / low carb counters would appreciate this, I think.

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  4. Celery is one of the two vegetables I am not found of. I am going to have to pry open my mind and give this a try. :) Thanks!

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  5. I've always been curious about cooked celery... the tomatoes/olives/capers slant looks right up my alley!

    For what its worth, I would've said stalk as well!

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Thank you for taking a moment to write! I read each and every comment, for each and every recipe, whether a current recipe or a long-ago favorite. If you have a specific question, it's nearly always answered quick-quick. ~ Alanna