Need help with vegetables!

just2liveagain

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I need to be able to look back at this thread too because I have the exact same problem as the OP. I like veggies but when I go to the store I just stand there because I dont even know what to buy, or what to do with it when I get it home.

I always do the exact same thing in the store! lol I thought I was the only one!

just2liveagain

I used to not like veggies, then I started eating them raw are realized I liked them! Salads are a great way to eat veggies, and there are so many types (with and without lettuce)
My favorite way to eat cooked veggies is grilled, YUM!
I agree that your best bet, if you are intent on cooking them, is to find a good website. You could get the veggie you want to cook then google recipes for it (eg "broccoli recipes") that way you find a wide variety of ways to cook it, and different options of other ingredients. I usually look through recipes until I find one that sounds tasty using mostly ingredients I already have or use on a regular basis.

This is my problem! I have googled recipes before but a lot of times the recipes that come up have SO many ingredients in them, and I'm like whoa I don't have any of that, so I would have to buy like 10 items aside from the main ingredients just to flavor and season it, I can't do that! But I'm glad I asked people here because these are simple ways to prepare veggies that don't call for 50 ingredients! haha

LilMermaid6411

Veggies are fairly new to my diet as well. My husband and I started eating seasonally, which means we primarily buy seasonal produce from local farms. It's forced us to be creative. Some suggestions (I don't have calorie counts on these because I haven't made them since joining MFP last week):

Stuffed peppers:
Cut peppers in half, clean and stuff with anything and everything. My favorite so far, is onions, tomatoes, a little prosciutto, spinach and mozzarella cheese. Bake at 350 for 20 - 30 minutes.

Butternut squash soup (we use the same process for sweet potato soup)
Cook butternut squash by cutting in half and placing in oven cut-side down for about 30 minutes at 350.
Scrape out squash and add to blender or food processor. Add chicken stock until it's liquified. Transfer to pot on stove to bring to boil and add more stock until it reaches the consistency you like. Add whatever fixin's you like. We like goat cheese.

Spaghetti Squash:
Cut in half and place cut side up in baking dish. Fill dish with 1inch water and bake for 45 minutes at 350.
Remove insides by running fork along insides until it shreds.
Add sauteed garlic, salt, pepper and parm cheese

Sautee spinach with garlic and tomatoes and top with goat cheese.

AllRecipes.com is really great and so it just experimenting in the kitchen with different recipes and tastes. I've never been a fan of frozen veggies, though there is absolutely nothing wrong with them. Supporting local farms is really important to us, which is why we buy very little produce from the grocery store. It's been an added challenge, but great so far.

emstgm

For super simple and quick, I take fresh veggies like broccoli, cut it up, steam it, and then toss in a bowl with a little olive oil, salt, pepper, and red wine vinegar. Super simple and tasty.

cramernh

Youtube.com has AWESOME free videos on how to cook things... Video Jug is great.. they give a list of ingredients - so you just click pause, and you can write them down.... gives step by step instructions..

There are TONS of free vidoes on food preparation techniques and such.... you can even learn how to do the mother-sauces as well....

in the end though - this requires your total dedication to changes and incorporating things...

Get your knives sharpen, baby!!!!

nygiantschick

You should sign up with allrecipes.com, it is free and there is also an app for it, if you have a smartphone. The recipes are rated and they come from regular people just like us. With allrecipes.com you can type in the dish you want to make or the food you have, like chicken or broccoli, and a TON of recipes will appear with that specific ingredient. People leave comments about how to improve or substitute certain ingredients in the recipes.

The best thing for you to do is experiment. If you don't have a lot of money, then I recommend visiting Wal-Mart for frozen veggies that you can use in cooking "experiments." Good luck.

^this

gentlygently

Cooking in a pan of hot watercon top of the cooker works well for most veggies - wash veggies, cut into large chunks, poor boiled water from kettle into pan containing your vege with a little salt with the heat up high and a lid on. When it starts really boiling turn down the heat (usually to about 2.5 on the dial) and check the pan is now gently bubbling (it's called simmering). After the time below check with a sharp knife to see if it is done. Drain and enjoy! Simple eh!

Potatoes take about 20 mins
Carrot slices or batons, pumpkin chunks, celariac about 15
(only bother to peel pots/carrots if the skin looks really yucky)
Broccoli stems about 10
Peas mAnge tout and french beans about 5

Start testing for done-ness before these times in case you have small pieces or have been boiling them a bit hard. You want them just as they go soft not once they are all mushy - but that takes quite a few mire minutes.

Don't do courgettes or cabbage this wAy though (small amount of water, knob of butter, lots of pepper gentle simmer for 10 mins with lid on)


For mash - start off the potatoes, add in other vege if you are mixing it in after eg 5 mins, then after all is cooked drain add some milk and butter or yoghurt salt and pepper and mash it all together with a fork or masher...

just2liveagain

Thanks again everyone for the ideas!! They all sounds great

CashierCantin

Green giant have fantastic frozen veggies that steam in the bag. They are what I eat 99% of the time. 5 minutes and you have a whole bag of chopped broccoli or green beans or whatever you want without much effort. If I want flavor later, I just spray ICBINB spray on my serving and then sprinkle on some garlic powder.

No added sodium or anything. Its just the veggies. Plus with them being frozen, then steamed, you won't lose as much nutrients as overcooking them on the stove.