Making Your Veggies Less Boring? Share Your Recipes!

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Replies

  • KatieWH
    KatieWH Posts: 68 Member
    bump!
  • Songbirdcw
    Songbirdcw Posts: 320 Member
    Thanks so much guys for your tasty ideas. I have only been boiling my veggies and sometimes steaming them. No wonder my tastebuds got bored. I am excited about trying some of your ideas. Asparagus is a popular one.

    More ideas still welcomed. :wink:
  • rhondatime2chg
    rhondatime2chg Posts: 92 Member
    I just put green Tabasco sauce on everything. Zero calories and adds a ton of flavor. My favorite!
  • teamnevergoingback
    teamnevergoingback Posts: 368 Member
    Last night I tried out broccoli, cauliflower, capers and lemon juice... turned out good! I also love artichokes, and baking lightly breaded zucchini chips!
  • sullus
    sullus Posts: 2,839 Member
    I find simple on veg to have some great flavor ..

    Asparagus: I coat it with a little olive oil and balsamic, and usually have some grilling along side whichever meat I'm grilling. When it comes off the grill, I hit it with salt, pepper and a squeeze of lemon.

    Green Beans: Steamed and then hit with Olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder and a squeeze of lemon ..

    Any steamed veg can be elevated with oil, acid, and seasoning
  • SilviCor
    SilviCor Posts: 110 Member
    BUMP
  • JessG11
    JessG11 Posts: 345 Member
    With Asparagus, I put on a cookie sheet, drizzle with a little Olive oil, sea salt/or kosher salt, fresh cracked pepper. I love almost all veggies cooked like this. I don't use plain table salt/pepper at all. You can also add grated parm cheese and/or minced garlic or garlic powder. I cook in the oven at around 350-375 until the veggies aren't soft but not completely crunchy. We like them in the middle.

    I cook almost all and any veggie this way. Our favorite is to cut up a yellow squash, zucchini, yellow or purple onion, Brussels sprouts, mushrooms, asparagus, even green beans along with turkey smoked sausage and season as above and roast in the oven. You can omit the sausage and just have the veggies and eat it with various meals, or add the sausage and eat with a bit of brown rice for a meal.

    Carrots, onion, butternut squash is a good combo as well.
  • JaneGS93
    JaneGS93 Posts: 18
    I like to do Singapore cauliflower! I learned this one from my aunt. Cut a big head of cauliflower into florets and put a bit of olive oil on them. Just enough to coat really. Also, if you are able to get Penzey's they make a salt free Singapore seasoning in a bottle. If that isn't an option though, curry power works great as an alternative. Won't be as spicy I don't think though. Anyway, put them on a backing sheet and roast them until done, 30-40 min depending on the eat. We do around 350 F at my house and go until we can pierce them with a fork with no resistance. Then just serve it up. It's a great change to just a head of steamed cauliflower.

    Also, a mix of onion, carrot and beets is pretty tasty as well, just olive oil salt and pepper for that one, same treatment as the first though, When cutting, make sure all the pieces are nice and even, just so you don't have one veggie cooked all the way and the other still too hard. A warning though, beets like this stain like crazy! Not a side dish for a white shirt dinner! :laugh:
  • JessG11
    JessG11 Posts: 345 Member
    Last night I tried out broccoli, cauliflower, capers and lemon juice... turned out good! I also love artichokes, and baking lightly breaded zucchini chips!

    How do you make your zucchini chips? I'd love to know!
  • JaneGS93
    JaneGS93 Posts: 18
    How do you make your zucchini chips? I'd love to know!

    It's pretty easy, just depends on the chip type you are looking for! Some people think of it as a 1/4 inch thick slice dipped in an egg wash and them some bread crumbs and baked. Other's believe in baking very very thin slices at a low temp in the over to get a crunchy potato chip like bite. There are plenty of recipes all over the internet! Check out pinterest, they have a whole board dedicated to the plant I think! :laugh:
  • KellySue67
    KellySue67 Posts: 1,006 Member
    bump for all these great ideas!
  • AliGrn
    AliGrn Posts: 1 Member
    Here's my latest obsession:
    I tweaked "Granny's Italian Zucchini Pie" from allrecipes.com

    One large sweet onion chopped
    4 zucchini sliced thin
    2 eggs (or 1/2 cup egg substitute)
    2 cups 2% mozzarella
    2TBSP yellow mustard
    1 can reduced fat crescent rolls (optional)

    Saute zucchini and onion in pan with 1/2 tsp each of garlic powder, salt, pepper, basil, and oregano until soft. I don't add butter, just a little pam and water and cover. Let cool down some.
    Beat the 2 eggs, fold in cheese, then fold in cooled zucchini mixture.
    Unroll dough in 9 X 13 baking dish. Spread mustard on top of dough. Top with zucchini mixture.
    Bake at 375 for 18-20 minutes.

    I eat this for any meal and it is yummy!
    It's about 150 cal per 1/8th of the dish (without the dough) which is a good sized portion.
    Enjoy!
  • Songbirdcw
    Songbirdcw Posts: 320 Member
    Last night I tried out broccoli, cauliflower, capers and lemon juice... turned out good! I also love artichokes, and baking lightly breaded zucchini chips!

    How do you make your zucchini chips? I'd love to know!

    Me too! How do you make them?
  • Songbirdcw
    Songbirdcw Posts: 320 Member
    Here's my latest obsession:
    I tweaked "Granny's Italian Zucchini Pie" from allrecipes.com

    One large sweet onion chopped
    4 zucchini sliced thin
    2 eggs (or 1/2 cup egg substitute)
    2 cups 2% mozzarella
    2TBSP yellow mustard
    1 can reduced fat crescent rolls (optional)

    Saute zucchini and onion in pan with 1/2 tsp each of garlic powder, salt, pepper, basil, and oregano until soft. I don't add butter, just a little pam and water and cover. Let cool down some.
    Beat the 2 eggs, fold in cheese, then fold in cooled zucchini mixture.
    Unroll dough in 9 X 13 baking dish. Spread mustard on top of dough. Top with zucchini mixture.
    Bake at 375 for 18-20 minutes.

    I eat this for any meal and it is yummy!
    It's about 150 cal per 1/8th of the dish (without the dough) which is a good sized portion.
    Enjoy!

    This sounds delish and simple to make! Thanks for sharing.
  • keem88
    keem88 Posts: 1,689 Member
    generally spices can do wonders.

    i love to sautee spinach and mushrooms with olive oil garlic and oregano. toss and little ricotta cheese with it, maybe a spoonful of marinara sauce and delish.

    zucchini is good cooked up with some either ground beef, turkey or meatless grounds. season with garlic oregano and onion powder, mix in marinara sauce and cheese and serve over pasta, couscous, quinoa, etc.

    grilled vegetables are always good too

    eggplant parm is awesome, you can bake the eggplant slices, then top with ricotta, marinara and shredded mozzarella bake again until cheese melts, can eat plain or on a sandwich/roll.

    eggplant curry is good too, google a recipe. also eggplant diced with mushrooms and onions and sauteed, then tossed with pasta, parmesan cheese and spices and olive oil.

    spaghetti squash is really good too, mix cheese and milk with it and make a gooey cheesy spaghetti squash bake, or can make a bake with spaghetti squash ricotta parmesan mozzarella and marinara sauce or with a different sauce like pesto or white sauce.

    asparagus is good grilled, or in sushi bowls (cook rice, then add asparagus, edamame, salmon if you like, crumbled nori sheets, avocado, cucumber and drizzle with soy sauce or can make a ginger sauce for it).
  • Songbirdcw
    Songbirdcw Posts: 320 Member
    BUMP
  • rachface1234
    rachface1234 Posts: 227 Member
    Made a delicious salad last weekend with fall root vegetables!

    Thinly slice (use mandolin if you have one) 8 tiny purple potatoes, 3 beets, 1 rutabaga, 1 large carrot into thin circles.
    Spray with cooking spray or olive oil and sea salt, roast on 400 for about 25-20 minutes or until potatoes are crispy.

    Meanwhile, roast whole head of garlic (chop off very top so you can see the cloves, pour 1 tbsp. of olive oil on it, wrap in tin foil, roast at about 375 for 30 minutes or until soft and sweetly fragrant. Puree garlic cloves in blender with 1/4 cup balsamic, 2 tsp sugar or stevia, 1/8 cup olive oil, salt, pepper, and 1 tbsp. lemon juice.

    Let veggies cool, serve on top of favorite salad green.

    Top with freshly shaved parmesan and roasted garlic dressing.

    DELICIOUS!
  • FitMolly182
    FitMolly182 Posts: 303 Member
    Bacon

    Chopped bacon with any vegetable
    Cook them in bacon fat
    Wrap them up in bacon

    lol of course
  • mezzodiva10
    mezzodiva10 Posts: 8 Member
    I love mixing a variety together with a low sodium soy sauce and a lean protein to make a stir fry. It's delicious, quick, and it makes a whole meal instead of just a side dish.

    You can't go wrong with steaming an artichoke and just a bit of spray butter. A great and filling snack! Just be sure you don't eat the hairs around the heart. Yuck!
  • rachface1234
    rachface1234 Posts: 227 Member
    Bacon

    Chopped bacon with any vegetable
    Cook them in bacon fat
    Wrap them up in bacon

    lol of course

    YES TO BACON!

    chop brussel sprouts in half, wrap in bacon, skewer with toothpick, bake at 375 for 10-15 minutes or until bacon is crispy and Brussels are full of bacon infused fattiness and den EAT EM! :)
  • JaneGS93
    JaneGS93 Posts: 18
    Bacon

    Chopped bacon with any vegetable
    Cook them in bacon fat
    Wrap them up in bacon

    lol of course

    YES TO BACON!

    chop brussel sprouts in half, wrap in bacon, skewer with toothpick, bake at 375 for 10-15 minutes or until bacon is crispy and Brussels are full of bacon infused fattiness and den EAT EM! :)

    Ah Bacon, the only fatty meat that can get away with being on a fitness website lol. I love it myself, I have to say you should watch for how much fat you use is all. Another super yum thing to do with your bacon is to use it to saute your veggies, works wonders on mushrooms as well!
  • aKate_
    aKate_ Posts: 72 Member
    BRUSSELS SPROUTS!!!

    Heat a little bit of olive oil in a fry pan, cut sprouts in half and add to the pan. Then add a handful of fresh (or frozen) cranberries, and some pecans. Then a splash of balsamic vinegar. If you have a lemon, squeeze half a lemon in there. Also if you need extra calories, it is really good with some shredded parmesan. Cook until they are soft but still have a bit of a crunch. All this should take about 10 minutes.
  • aKate_
    aKate_ Posts: 72 Member
    Also this recipe: (taken from here: http://whiteonricecouple.com/recipes/sriracha-roasted-cauliflower/)

    Sriracha Roasted Cauliflower
    YIELD: SERVES 4TOTAL TIME: 30 MIN

    ingredients:
    1/3 cup (80ml) olive oil
    1 teaspoon sesame oil
    1 tablespoon soy sauce
    1 tablespoon rice vinegar
    2 tablespoons Sriracha sauce, homemade or regular
    1 head cauliflower (about 2 pounds / 910g), cut into 3⁄4-inch (2-cm) florets
    chopped cilantro, for garnish

    directions:
    Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a sheet pan or line it with parchment paper.
    In a large bowl, combine the oil, sesame oil, soy sauce, vinegar, and sriracha sauce. Whisk well.
    Gently add the cauliflower to the bowl and coat with the marinade.
    Arrange the cauliflower on a baking sheet and roast for 10 minutes. Turn the cauliflower over and roast for another 10 minutes, or until tender.
    Garnish with the cilantro and serve.

    RECIPE SOURCE: WHITEONRICECOUPLE.COM.
  • illuvatree
    illuvatree Posts: 185 Member
    I'm not the biggest vegetable fan, I'll admit. What motivates me to eat them is if I sautee them or I roast them! For both there's olive oil and garlic, but then when I roast, I also use salt, pepper, rosemary, even oregano and/or basil. Whatever I feel like using!
  • CMoeDee
    CMoeDee Posts: 102 Member
    eatingwell.com is my favorite place to look for different ways to cook veg. I do a lot of soups, stews, tagines, curries-things like that.

    I second this. Eating Well changed my cooking. I do a lot of Thai and Chinese style veggies - steamed and a little liquid aminos dashed on top, or stir fried until just barely cooked with some garlic and ginger. There's also nutritional yeast if you want a cheesy flavor without the calories.
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
    Halve brussel sprouts

    toss with duck fat, salt, pepper

    Roast at 450

    finish with some lardons and vin cotto
  • burlingtongrl
    burlingtongrl Posts: 327 Member
    I guess I'm boring steamed veggies w/ vinegar and butter makes me happy
    [/qu

    I'm even more boring...I like my veggies raw. Asparagus, zucchini, cauliflower, snap peas, almost any veg except I cook squash and brussel sprouts.
  • RainaProske
    RainaProske Posts: 636 Member
    When food gets boring, I throw it in a blender and make a smoothie. No more boring.
  • judychicken
    judychicken Posts: 937 Member
    Great ideas thanks!
  • dellaquilaa
    dellaquilaa Posts: 230 Member
    I throw assorted veggies (zucchini, peppers, onions) into a nonstick pan with a little water and minced garlic - roll up in a whole grain tortilla for an awesome, quick veggie fajita.

    I also.make a lot of veggie.soups, pastas, casseroles and loafs =)

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