Vegetable Side ideas? Or mains?

think48

I love veggies. I'd eat them all day. But my husband does not. He likes green beans. That's about it. I need some ideas of some fresh veggie sides I can make with meals that he might like. I'm tired of serving frozen mixed veggies or frozen peas with dinner. Perhaps that's why he doesn't like them, lol.

Oh, we do like fresh broccoli steamed with lemon juice too. But any ideas would help tons!

jljohnson

My husband is horrible about veggies too (won't touch broccoli). If he likes green beans, try asparagus. Steamed, roasted or grilled with a little butter is how we usually eat it.

hamiltonba

How about cooking your vegetables with olive oil (@2 TBLS) and fresh garlic (chopped or minced), add your veggies and enjoy. For vegetables cooked this way, I've used green beans, cauliflower, asparagus, broccoli. all delicious and healthy - I've even added a little red pepper flakes for a spicy kick.

think48

Ooh, I LOVE asparagus. Actually have some in the fridge for tonight. He hates it. He'll eat it, but he gripes while he eats it. I wish I could find something he actually likes though. I broil my asparagus in olive oil and salt. They get crispy and you can eat them like fries.

Amber030583

What about Zucchini cooked in olive oil? I season it with pepper and lawry's. YUM!

Natalie511

I love this recipe...and it is great for a Fall dinner..
The blending of apricot nectar and honey enhances the natural sweetness of baby carrots. This side dish will be loved by young and old alike. Serve with any of your favorite entrees for a simple yet sophisticated accent.

Apricot Honey Glazed Carrots

1 cup Apricot Refrigerated All Nectar
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 pound baby carrots

1. Combine nectar and cornstarch in small bowl; mix until smooth.
2. Cook carrots in boiling water for 10 minutes or until crisp-tender; drain. Return to pan and add honey, butter and salt. Add nectar mixture and cook over low heat for 5 minutes or until apricot glaze is thickened.

Makes 4 servings.

Natalie511

This delicious, low-sodium side dish can also be served as a light, meatless main dish. Also, this is a great dish to use up that wonderful summer garden bounty!

Zucchini, Tomato and Provolone Bake

1 pound (about 4 small) zucchini squash
1/4 cup prepared pesto
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup panko bread crumbs - divided use
1 pound plum tomatoes (about 5 medium), cut into 1/4-inch slices
8 slices Sargento Sliced Reduced Sodium Provolone Cheese

1. Wash zucchini but do not dry. Cut crosswise into 1/4-inch thick slices; transfer to a microwave-safe casserole dish. Cover with lid. Cook in microwave oven three to four minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain in colander; rinse with cold water to stop cooking. Transfer to clean kitchen towel or paper towels to dry. Toss zucchini with pesto sauce and pepper.
2. Sprinkle 1/2 cup bread crumbs in bottom of 8 or 9-inch baking dish. Spoon half of zucchini mixture evenly over crumbs. Arrange half of tomato slices over zucchini; top with four slices cheese. Repeat layering with remaining zucchini mixture, tomatoes, cheese and bread crumbs.
3. Bake in a preheated oven at 375°F (190°C) for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Makes 8 (side-dish) servings.

Helpful tips: Pesto and panko brands vary in sodium content. This nutrition information is based on Buitoni and Kikkoman brands.

Nutritional Information Per Serving (1/8 of recipe): Calories 182; Protein 10g; Carbohydrates 14g; Dietary Fiber 2g; Total Fat 9.8g; Saturated Fat 4.4g; Monounsaturated Fat 3.7g; Polyunsaturated Fat 0.5g; Cholesterol 18 mg; Vitamin A 87RE; Vitamin C 27mg; Calcium 229mg; Iron 2mg; Sodium 268mg

Disciplined74

The husband's not the problem in our house - it's the kids !!

Things that I have tried and work at our house -

(1) I serve fruit or veggies before I ever start cooking. Yesterday it was a big plate of watermelon. And they ate on that while i cooked dinner. It has also worked with veggies, like a big salad before I start cooking.

(2) I also serve it with a glass of water or other sugar drink. This way they are getting in their fluids too.

(3) Our kids think fresh spinach is lettuce. I started by mixing half fresh spinach and half lettuce. Now I can just serve up a salad made completely of fresh spinach and I've never heard one comment about it tasting or being different.

(4) We are coming into cooler weather and it is a great time for soups and stews made out of lots of veggies. And crock pot recipes make for easy cooking.

There is a book out there called THE SNEAKY CHEF. I think she does a pretty good job of providing recipes that get more veggies in. I thought it was kind of hard to do (blending the veggies etc.) but that's when I started thinking outside the box and just tried making veggies more of a priority in our meals.

Good luck. I will be checking back in with this post to see what others come up with.

melodyg

Trying both of these tonight!

Honey Roasted Carrots: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Honey-Roasted-Carrots/Detail.aspx?prop31=2

Fried Apples (okay, that's a fruit): http://dessert.food.com/recipe/barbs-fried-apples-diabetic-low-fat-157548?scaleto=3&mode=null&st=true

You can also try cooking with chicken broth for a little more flavor, or sauteeing in olive oil. I completely agree that soups are a great way to get in veggies too.

SP0472

One of my favorite veggies is cauliflower. I love it steamed and mashed. As a treat sometimes I'll add some light cream cheese to the mash and it makes it nice and creamy. YUMMY!

think48

These all sound very yummy! Thank you!

think48

One of my favorite veggies is cauliflower. I love it steamed and mashed. As a treat sometimes I'll add some light cream cheese to the mash and it makes it nice and creamy. YUMMY!

That sounds divine. I think I'm going to try it!!!

lt3ag4s

Over the last few years I have been forcing myself to eat vegetables that I hated as a child. I woundnt touch beans or raw tomatoes if you paid me. Turns out, they arent all that bad.

I would encourage him to attempt to eat at least a 1/4 of a serving.

tater8589

My husband HATES veggies and fruits! But he will eat this:

Bean bundles; Bacon, long greenbeans, salt, pepper, brown sugar

Wrap about 5 long greenbeans in half slice of bacon, lay out on cookie sheet/pan previously sprayed with non stick
sprinkle a misure of salt, pepper, and brown sugar.

Pre heat oven to 400, I cook mine for 25-30 min.. Keep in mind different climates. I usually check on them every 10 min and take them out when the bacon looks cooked without anything being burnt.

tater8589

Oh one more my husband liked,

Crock Pot

Red beans, sliced sausage (i bought precooked kind and walmart)
pre-soak beans till soft (add a lil coke, sugar, or salt to help)
Fill crock pot with enough water to more than cover the beans, pour in some coke (coke a cola helps prevent gas in beans and can tenderize meat), use seasonings to your liking.. I did a little bit of garlic salt, lawrys season salt, some fresh black pepper, and a little bit of a ms dash grilling seasoning. Let it cook on high for about 8 hours (while i slept) the next morning put it on low temp for 10 hours (while i worked) and It was so yummy.

think48

Over the last few years I have been forcing myself to eat vegetables that I hated as a child. I woundnt touch beans or raw tomatoes if you paid me. Turns out, they arent all that bad.

I would encourage him to attempt to eat at least a 1/4 of a serving.

He will them. He's a good sport about it. But he doesn't LIKE them. I'd just like to find a veggie that he looks forward to. He's very healthy and lightweight, athletic, etc. So it's not a weight issue, just an "eat healthy" thing and I truly enjoy cooking but I like cooking things that people like, lol.

think48

My husband HATES veggies and fruits! But he will eat this:

Bean bundles; Bacon, long greenbeans, salt, pepper, brown sugar

Wrap about 5 long greenbeans in half slice of bacon, lay out on cookie sheet/pan previously sprayed with non stick
sprinkle a misure of salt, pepper, and brown sugar.

Pre heat oven to 400, I cook mine for 25-30 min.. Keep in mind different climates. I usually check on them every 10 min and take them out when the bacon looks cooked without anything being burnt.

OH EM GEE...... lol. Those sound divine. He is a bacon finatic and will go crazy over those! Thanks! I'll be making them soon.