How to dress up vegetables (the healthy way)

Dalton1720

I'm in desperate need of more vegetables and dislike a large amount of them. The only vegetables I enjoy are salads or steamed veggies smothered in creamy sauces and cheese. I know spices can really add flavor and I'm also a huge fan of grilling, but I'm not the best cook and would love some easy, tasty tips for spicing up veggies so I can include them in every meal rather than just a salad for lunch.

abadvat

Fennel, zucchini, onions, aubergines... (or anything else that can be sliced), drizzle of olive oil, salt, pepper and either lemon or vinegar - on the grill.
Asparagus as above or straight on the grill.
Chicory, romaine or any thick type of salad, quartered olive oil and on the grill.
Tomatoes, peppers, quartered / sliced in the oven, 80/100*C slow cooked

... endless possibilities....

Dalton1720

Ooo! Love it! Thanks!

Nicolee_2014

Spices, herbs, drizzle of olive oil. Soups. I recently made a green thai curry vegetable dish, it is so tasty & has SO many vegetables in it.

unfurling_red

I adore veggies. Raw, grilled, and roasted (don't cook them to death) are often the best bet to get them good with little to no oil or salt. Bring on fresh-squeezed lemon/lime and spices for salad, taste-test for your favorite vinegar- or fruit-based dressings, and get weird with non-creamy sauces like salsa, hummus, and pesto... There are low-oil recipes for hummus and pesto out there, and both can be great for you.

Also: http://thugkitchen.com. Eat like you give a *kitten*.

acpgee

Anything that can be grilled can also be roasted in the oven at 200C with a drizzle of olive oil. Asparagus, green beans and sugar snaps about 10-12 minutes. Broccoli, zucchini and brussel sprouts about 20 minutes. Cauliflower about 30 minutes. Halved tomatoes brushed with oil about 40 minutes.

Or try stir frying or a ratatouille.

Veggie_Ankers

(For dinner) Just an idea which we use is when making lasagne instead of using pasta sheets I put layers of sliced aubergine instead and put the cheese sauce on as normal. I also add fresh celery, mushrooms and tomatoes to the sauce and serve with either steamed broccoli or rocket salad leaves. Yummy

(For Lunch) Another thing I love to make is spinach, celery, cherry tomatoes cooked in a frying pan (use the juices from the cut tomatoes to quickly fry) and add a small splash of infused oil to give a little flavour (we use orange rapeseed oil). We grill large open cup mushrooms with a little stilton cheese on and toast two slices of bread. Put the bread on the plate, then the spinach etc and the mushrooms on top finally top with a poached egg (1 chicken or 2 quail) and some fresh cut basil. Heaven! Protein, Fiber, carbs, vitamins and a little fat (from the cheese/oil) a lovely tasty lunch. :happy:

Togi11

Frozen spinach/kale in your smoothies - load up spaghetti sauces with veggies - also chili, cut down on meat and add more veggies. Wraps are good - double up on the veggies and use a sauce that you enjoy. This is my fave spice for veggies. I put that s**t on everything. LOL http://www.stamoolis.com/store/images/thumbnails/0/360/Greek_Seasoning_Salt_Free_Cavenders.jpg

KentWhiteRabbit

A stir fry is an easy way to bump up the veg intake. I use a mixture of peppers, mange tout, baby sweetcorn, bamboo shoots, onions, white cabbage, carrots, mushrooms and beansprouts and add some black bean sauce, and some lean beef or chicken strips. Bonus is that it takes minutes to make.

misschoppo

A stir fry is an easy way to bump up the veg intake... Bonus is that it takes minutes to make.

I second this love stir fries for getting plenty of veg in.

angelique_redhead

I'm fond of chopping up kale and stir frying it with about one teaspoon of sesame oil, a splash of soy sauce, a splash of vinegar, garlic, and hot pepper.

trisH_7183

Raw or steamed veggies are great in salads.I like frozen green peas,sugar snaps,cauliflower,carrot,broccoli etc.Less lettuce,easy way to get your veggies.Rice vinegar,seasonings & a tsp of oil.Works for me.....

Dalton1720

Thanks guys! They are all so creative and actually sound delicious. I especially like the stir fry, baking veggies, and olive oil ideas.

Dalton1720

Frozen spinach/kale in your smoothies - load up spaghetti sauces with veggies - also chili, cut down on meat and add more veggies. Wraps are good - double up on the veggies and use a sauce that you enjoy. This is my fave spice for veggies. I put that s**t on everything. LOL http://www.stamoolis.com/store/images/thumbnails/0/360/Greek_Seasoning_Salt_Free_Cavenders.jpg

When I first made the transition to healthy eating I went to Jamba Juice, who also does this. It was actually the reason I changed my lifestyle because I thought, Hey! This is so yummy I could eat like this all the time! Although later I found out they have a LOT of carbs it was still a great way to sneak veggies and lots of fruit in at first. In fact, I still like to get one after a workout.

TheBunnyStrange

i love tossing cauliflower in a bowl with a bit of olive oil, parmesan cheese, parsley, and the lemon herb spice from pc blue menu. then roast it in the oven until browned.

cpdiminish

Not sure if caramalized is the right term or just what my mom called it, but I do this with carrots and zucchini, though I'm sure other veggies would work as well.

Coat the bottom of a pot with butter (just enough to avoid sticking). Add slices of veggies, about 1/4 thick. Add a sprinkling of salt. Put a lid on and turn heat on to a low temperature. Normally takes about 10-15 minutes to cook, maybe longer but I don't own a timer. For carrots, they are done when you can stick a fork in it easily, for zucchini, just when they are losing their white color. It is easy to overcook the zucchini but they'll still taste good even if they are mushy.

Result is a sweet version of the veggie that is more like eating candy than vegetables, though sweet in a good way.

The salt is the key to getting them to cook, pulling the moisture out so that they kind of steam in their own juices. You can stir once in the middle if you like, though they are generally done by the time the bottom layer starts to brown - if your temperature is low enough. For carrots, I'll sometimes half larger slices so that all pieces are a more-uniform size.

yturie47

sounds great! Bump

yturie47

sounds great! Bump

harrypotter22

Condiments- I am the condiment queen.
Light mayo, sriracha, ketchup, and mustard all taste good. You can mix all of these to your liking.
Sounds weird- but you should try it. It makes a yummy low calorie sauce for veggies / slim noodles / or egg whites

SnuggleSmacks

Try lots of pickles, pickled veggies (like carrots, turnips, cauliflower, etc.) and banana peppers on your salad. The juice from these items moistens and adds flavor to the salad so you don't need nearly as much dressing.

Most veggies are amazing grilled. Carrots are especially good wrapped in foil with just a little oil and salt, and grilled until they are just forming little black specks on the end. They turn super-sweet.

Another option, instead of trying to find alternatives to what you love, why not find versions of what you love that are healthier? I'm sure you can find a cheese sauce and creamy dressing which has fewer calories so that you can drown your salads and veggies to your heart's content.

asciiqwerty

Add chilly, garlic and ginger

Have fun

jabsmckee

I hate vegetables too. I need to bump this.

yayamom3

For many people, the texture of vegetables is what bothers them--not the taste. This is something I would fix often when my picky son was younger. I would throw two bags of frozen vegetables (usually the cauliflower/broccoli/carrot blend) in a big pot with a box of vegetable or chicken broth and a package of dry onion soup mix and cook until tender. Then I'd add 1/2 bag of sharp shredded cheddar cheese. Threw it in the blender to puree it, and called it cheese soup. He loved it, and went on and on about Mom's awesome cheese soup.

rlmassman84

I like to sauté chopped up carrots with some olive oil, black pepper and cinnamon. The cinnamon really goes well with the sweetness of the carrots.

CaitlinW19

I can't say I've ever tried this or heard of anyone trying it (but I'm going to now that I've thought of it because of your post!) but laughing cow cheese wedges actually melt very well...try cooked vegetables (broccoli would be my first experiment) and a cut up wedge of whatever laughing cow cheese sounds good to you (I think they are around 35 calories a wedge). Microwave it for 30 seconds and stir, then repeat till fully melted. Would work over the stove top just fine too if you prefer. With a cup of broccoli and 1 laughing cow, that's about 65 calories of delicious cheesy goodness.

I'm going to try it myself tonight. Lol.

RavenLibra

ONE word...ratatouille...can be done in the oven or on the grill or on the stove (I will smoke the veggies once in a while)... .as a go to for steamed veggies, I sprinkle oregano on them before I put the lid on... then when they are done i toss them with some parmesan... I also keep a good supply of pesto on hand... garlic, Olive Oil and Basil... and like everyone else... a squeeze of lemon and even some lemon zest... always adds a fresh flavor to veggies.

Four_Leaf_Clover

Steam snap peas - squeeze some lemon juice on top (even a tiny sliver of butter if you have the calories) and top with toasted sliced almonds. Yum!

Roast them - slice into even chunks - toss with just a hint of olive oil (or spray with a light mist), season to taste and roast at 400.
Zucchini and asparagus are awesome this way. I want to try green beans.

Slice zucchini super thin (use a mandolin if you have one), drizzle with a touch of olive oil, fresh lemon juice, and grated Parmesan.
I had this at a restaurant once and could not believe how delicious it was!

Toss cherry or grape tomatoes (sliced in half) with balsamic vinegar.

Treat them like pasta - toss steamed veggies with a little tomato sauce.

Cut into even chunks, marinate in Italian salad dressing, grill as kabobs

Grilled asparagus topped with a little balsamic vinegar is awesome!

Dalton1720

Thanks guys! I have a lot of new things to try now.
Im baking a sweet potato wrapped in foil tonight for dinner!
Lets see how this turns out… (:

ktg503

You might try roasted with balsamic vinegar as well. I do brussel sprouts that way and it's heavenly, but you can also do carrots, asparagus, broccoli, etc. Just slosh some balsamic over and add a little EVOO and black pepper if you like some spice.

abadvat

Thanks guys! I have a lot of new things to try now.
Im baking a sweet potato wrapped in foil tonight for dinner!
Lets see how this turns out… (:

Onions, peeled, little bit of the top part cut off, a couple of drops of balsamic vinegar in order to penetrate, rub the outer layer with salt and pepper, wrap in foil, oven like a baked spud - knife trial after 20 mins to check if ready (better if you have ashes!).
Artichokes, need to be cleaned of the outer leave - some olive oil on the top in order to penetrate till the heard - lemon juice salt, pepper, foil.... 40 to 45 mins depending on the size of the artichoke.

tracydr

Mint chutney. Pesto.
When you use large quantities of leafy herbs you're getting a truly nutritious treat. You can play around with the seasonings, decrease the oil, nuts and cheese in the pesto and add some chicken stock in place of oil.
Mint chutney is super fast, lasts in the fridge at least a week and has no fat, no cheese, no nuts. You can eat mint chutney on crackers, pita, naan, and even chicken ,fish or hamburger!
Pesto, try it for a topping on other veggies. Top a baked potato or spaghetti squash! You can also make pesto out of different herbs or greens like arugula or kale.