vegetable ideas?

dreamerearthchild

hey everyone! sorry to say i don't have much to share, i'm actually asking for YOUR favorite ways to cook vegetables? I'm really trying to broaden my diet here and fit as many vegetables as possible. but let's be real, a few veggies just don't taste too good, especially alone. (i can eat just about anything if i can eat it with a bite of something else haha)

so feel free to share your ideas!!

bingwald

During the warm months I love grilled anything. A little EVOO, sea salt, and pepper and I'll eat about anything.
I also like to use zucchini to make pizza boats. (I'm a pizza junkie)
Mashed cauliflower instead of mashed potatoes. (My husband prefers this to potatoes. He adds garlic and parmisan and dresses it up)
I'll also throw frozen veggies into whatever I'm making. I tend to use the stir-fry frozen veggies more than the peas and carrots mix. We make a lot of brown rice and curry dishes with chicken to keep in the fridge, so that works great.

BekkahS1552

@bingwald ~ I like your idea of adding Parmesan & Garlic to mashed cauliflower... thanks for the tip!

iwannabinnarnia

I make pasta salads with veggies. Pretty much any veggie works.. cook some pasta (any kind), throw in your veggies (I typically use carrots, peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes) then a fat free dressing ( ranch and italian are my two favorite to use).. to make it a meal you can add diced chicken breast....

LabyrinthSoul

I love mushrooms! Especially Portobello... they have the reminiscent of "meat". So what I did last night for a Memorial Day "upgrade" was:

Ingredients:
Balsamic Vinegar
Portobello Mushroom (4)
Sweet Potato (1 large)
Cauliflower Floret (1 large)
Mozzarella
Cilantro
Tri-color peppers
Garlic
Sea salt

Spray or brush the Portobello's with Balsamic Vinegar and place in pre-heating oven at 350 degrees (it takes 9 mins for my oven to reach 350.

While the timer is going. I have 9 mins to get the other veggies ready.

Using the Microwave:
Boil and mash cauliflower (1 large floret)
Microwave then mash sweet potatoes (1 large)

Sliced sweet tri-colored peppers

Sliced Mozzarella cheese

Cilantro (fresh)
Garlic
Sea salt


Preparation:

Season to taste and mix cauliflower, sweet potato, and sliced mozz together
Now dried balsamic Portobello caps, I fill them with a mix of the mash above
Add tri-color peppers and cilantro with more Mozz (if you like)

Place in now Heated Oven for about 4-6 mins and VOILA its done in less than 20 mins.

It was a hit. My family loved them. This recipe makes about 4 servings

ACCTGQUEEN

I saute a zucchini (sliced) with a sweet onion in a little olive oil. Season with garlic powder and black pepper.

b3kah5

I was watching a rerun of EWL and the nutritionist recommended adding a little marinara sauce and a little Parmesan.

IndecisiveGirl2013

I like to stir fry veggies in chilli and garlic. I sometimes roast veggies after sprinkling over spices or seasonings (Cajun, curry powder etc). Or just squeeze over some fresh lemon or lime juice. Yummy

fifty6ford

Romaine lettuce .......cooked! I know it sounds weird but I absolutely love it. The original recipe is grilled, but I prefer to put it in the oven.

Grilled- cut romaine in half longwise. Brush outer side and cut side with EVOO, sprinkle both sides lightly with Montreal steak seasoning grill both sides just until the lightly char.

In the oven - after cutting longwise, cut across in strips about an inch and a half wide, put in a roasting pan, spray with cooking spray and sprinkle lightly with Montreal seasoning. If i have something else in the oven I just put it in and check it after a labour 8-10 mins. If I'm just cooking it, I use the broiler and check it after a few minutes, toss and put it back in. My husband also loves not only as a side but also on burgers and sandwiches.

iKapuniai

I absolutely love green beans. But not frozen, nor canned... must be fresh, and should still have a bite when cooked! I'm doing low sugar/carb so I like to fry it up with some coconut oil or butter, with onions and crispy bacon. Mmmmmmf!

2BeHappy2

My husband & I made a deal that if we swapped out pasta for spaghetti squash that we could keep his "meat sauce"
Ive heard some people say use the squash (adding a little butter, salt& pepper) like a side noodle but we haven't tried it that way.
My husband is willing to go along w/ me on certain things but I don't think he'd go on that!
Ive heard people talk about mock lasagna using slices of zucchini to replace the pasta.
I believe someone on here suggested zucchini boats.
Blend up a bunch of veggies and add it to your meatloaf.
Theres a new veggie item that forms noodles from veggies (vegetti?)
Ive heard of people using that and having zucchini noodles and making stir-fry

jerber160

I saute a zucchini (sliced) with a sweet onion in a little olive oil. Season with garlic powder and black pepper.

i've been dong a lot of zucchini recently from back yard. sauted misted olive oil, with handfuls of fresh sage, basil, parsley and dill. my mother would roll in her grave if she knew. i've been throwing the herbs in salad too... a nice kick

PaytraB

Fresh beans (as mentioned), either green or waxed or a combo, cooked with garlic and salt. Any leftovers can be made into a bean salad by adding finely diced onion, some fresh dill and tossed with a light vinaigrette.

I enjoy subbing spaghetti squash for pasta and using a regular pasta sauce, either with or without meat.

fifty6ford, I once worked with a lady who made lettuce soup. It was delicious, so I'm not surprised that grilled or cooked romaine is good. I am going to try that. Thanks for the new idea!

Edamame bean salad with red peppers, onion and sometimes corn is very tasty, too.

In general, adding garlic or sometimes a touch of hot sauce to the water adds flavor and spice to veggies.

Cauliflower mash is really good. I enjoy this a lot and will remember to add some parmesan and garlic next time. That sounds delicious.

fifty6ford

PaytraB, I first had cooked lettuce on a pizza when we relocated here from Ohio 7 years ago. It seemed a little weird to me but it was actually very good. I had heard of grilling it, but never tried it until this year.

I've been really trying to make vegetables more flavorful and interesting. It seems to be working because when we go to the store, my husband will say, "let's go see what veggies look good!"

Lelah77

I roast veggies in the oven a LOT and I also like to grill them. I use a spritz of oil, and a sprinkle of seasonings (whatever you are in the mood for -- Since I've started losing weight, my spice cabinet has become VERY extensive!!!) and pop it in the oven.

I like to sub burgers for a Portobello (brushed in balsamic, like a PP mentioned) but I grill it.

I shred carrots, zucchini, onions, and anything else that will stand up to a good shredding and add it to meatloaf, turkey burgers, meatballs, and any other ground meat concoction you can think of. You can easily double a recipe this way while minimizing the caloric increase. Plus, the extra fiber fills you up faster (and my family rarely ever notices the additions even though they all scoff at veggies in general.)

I enjoy steamed veggies with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese or a sprinkle of "Veggie Supreme" seasoning (made by McCormick, I think). Soooo good, and again, minimal calories added.

annadjanssen

The easiest tasty vegetables I think is a bag of frozen mixed vegetables ( I like the blend with squash in it or Normandy blend) on a cookie sheet, sprinkle on some lemon pepper and throw in the oven at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or so. They stay firm, taste fresh, and have no added fat or calories.

erinelise1

You can sneak in squash and mushrooms into a lot of dishes without really noticing. Also I love to use onions, different types of peppers, and sometimes celery when making soups, chili, spaghetti, or whatever for some extra flavor and to get more vegetables into my diet. I really struggle with getting enough vegetables every day. I have started putting spinach or kale into my protein shakes for one easy full serving of greens without a lot of effort. So now I really only have two worry about making sure I eat servings with lunch and dinner.

victoria_b482

I love to cook bell peppers and onions in a non stick pan with worchestershire sauce. I made my husband and kids meat balls out of ground turkey with spices and gravy with corn and potatoes which they loved. I only ate the corn with my onion and bell peppers thrown in on top of some spinach leaves and it was delicious and filling. Portebello mushrooms and zucchini would have been a great addition.

victoria_b482

I know what you mean. I put spinach and kale in my fruit smoothies I make and sneak veggies into the food I cook a lot. I do not eat a lot of veggies but when I do I usually sneak it in to get the benefits without making my taste buds suffer.

jerber160

I saute a zucchini (sliced) with a sweet onion in a little olive oil. Season with garlic powder and black pepper.

i've been dong a lot of zucchini recently from back yard. sauted misted olive oil, with handfuls of fresh sage, basil, parsley and dill. my mother would roll in her grave if she knew. i've been throwing the herbs in salad too... a nice kick

and I was recently introduced to adobo all purpose seasoning. I'm loving it.

aprice_12

Bok Choy is one of our favorites right now. I like to stir fry it with shredded carrots, onions, and garlic with some fresh grated ginger in a little olive oil. I have served baked chicken with it, stir fried chicken in it, and served ginger glazed salmon over it. Even my kiddos like it.

I add bok choy to salads and other stir fry ingredients as well. I like its mild flavor and satisfying crunch.