How do you cook vegetables?

Frozen: I nuke them without adding any water.

Fresh: I toss them in a tiny bit of olive oil & pepper and roast them in the oven. 400 degrees for 10 - 20 minutes (depending upon the veggie).

I have a steamer, and I love using it to cook vegetables. I season them with the usual salt and pepper, but sometimes I'll use garlic pepper, cavender's greek seasoning, just whatever I feel like. The steamer works well with frozen veggies too. It gives them a completely different taste than cooking them in a pot of water.

Oh yeah, and you could also throw a little grated parmesan cheese on them. Yummie!

Steam is quick and easy. Get a steaming basket for a pot , put the veggies in with a tiny bit of water in the bottom and let er rip. I usualy steam my food untill it's brightly colored and soft. You dont want to get past the stage where the colors are at their brigtest. Any more cooking and you'r sopping the nutrients right out of them. You can also steam in a glass bowl in the microwave with a bi t of water in the bottom, cover with saran, poke holes.

Roasting is amazing too, chop up a bunch of veggies, coat in olive oil and salt (and maybe some italian herbs) and roast like lazy girl says, for 400 degrees for a few minutes...remeber to stir. its like making french fries! I rather enjoy roasted turnip and asparagus myself. and of course red pepper. YUM.

I HATE steamed and boiled veggies. Bland, tasteless and often overcooked!

I'm a year-round griller. Basically any fresh vegetable (and most fruits) works out on the grill. Just brush with a tiny bit of olive oil, season with fresh ground pepper and the flavour of the vegetable will really carry through.

My favourites:
- Asparagus (I didn't like asparagus until I tried it like this)
- Red peppers (I don't even buy roasted red peppers anymore... I make my own!)
- Pineapple (my favourite dessert! The sugar caramelizes on the surface.)
- Portobello mushrooms (make excellent burger replacements)
- Zucchini (cut into spears)

If I'm grilling my meats, I'll put frozen veggies in tin foil with a little olive oil and pepper and just roast that at the same time.

There's no need for vegetables to be bland and mushy or too crunchy!

Increasing vegetable intake is difficult for many people, so you are not alone.

First, boiling veggies leaches out the goodness they contain. If you aren't into the more crunchy veggies, try steaming. Generally, you can tell when they are done by the color. They'll turn vibrant! I'll take green beans and dash on a little pepper, onion, and some garlic powder. Or with zuccini and yelloq squash, the onion, garlic, and a couple dashes of paprika. I love plain broccoli - you can tell if you over cooked it because it will turn from bright green to a dulled brown-green.

I love asparagus! Wash the stalks and break the end (it's very fibrous and will snap at a natural spot for it). Toss them in a little bit of olive oil. Few cracks of pepper, couple dashes of garlic powder. Then, I'll roast it in the oven @ 350F for about 10minutes. I'm trying to limit salt, but you could use garlic salt as well.

As I've gotten used to vegetables, I've been able to do a lot more. I really prefer the less cooked veggies as they have more flavor and aren't destroyed by the cooking. From what you said about being used to boiled veggies, it'll probably take you a bit to get used to properly cooked ones.

For recipes, you can google them.

we both grew up in a home eating vegetables boiled to death from a can with butter or bacon or ham.

I think I grew up next door to you:sad: I'm a reformed veggie-hater, and it took a lot of work. Over the course of the past couple of years I have figured out ways to learn to love them, in kid-friendly recipes. I now even eat broccoli ...raw...which my family still finds amazing. Here's how I started:
* Marinara sauce. You can hide a lot of stuff in here. I saute onions, garlic, and dump a baby food jar of sweet potatoes in it. If the kids don't like it chunky, put it in the blender for a minute. As long as you keep the pasta amount about the size of your fist, you're fine. Barilla makes a great multi-grain omega-3 that is white and fools the kids. The best news is that tomato sauce is a better source of lycopene than raw tomatoes. Good stuff, good for you.
* Raw carrots, celery, etc. as dippers. Start with ranch if you have to; move up to something healthier like a hummus.
*Sauteed spinach works in just about anything. Add a handful to a frying pan, sprinkle on a few drops of water, and sautee for a few mins. It will look like basil when you add it to pasta sauces, omelettes, etc. And the few minutes in the pan removes any bitter bite. Grab a bunch and slice thin with kitchen scissors, removing the stems.
*Broccoli slaw. Buy it pre-bagged in the grocery store. Add it to green salads, or add your favorite low-calorie dressing.
*Sweet potato fries. Some people really like these. You can make them home-made, or them pre-sliced and ready to bake in the frozen foods section.
*Add frozen spinach, squeezed dry with paper towels, to the cheese in a lasagna recipe. Let em think it's basil.
*Carrot sticks julienned instead of fries on the side.
*Chopped salads. For some reason, most veggie-haters and kids alike will eat a salad if it doesn't look like a plate of leaves. Chop romaine into smaller pieces, add some mixed greens, kitchen-sheared julienned spinach, etc. Look on the 'net for some fun chopped salad recipes.
*Try to avoid canned veggies (BPA is an issue here). Fresh is great (and tastes so much better), if you can prepare them within a couple of days. Frozen are often the best nutrient-wise, as they have been flash-frozen within minutes of harvesting, preserving the nutrients.

Start with trying to get at least one red and one green veggie a day. Of course, more is better, but most people don't even do this.

It's so great to hear when someone is trying to include more nutrition in their diet, not just counting calories. From a reformed low-fat-sugar-free-junk-foodie, trust me on this...eating food that makes you stronger will make ALL the difference.

I also grew up on canned veggies. Usually just corn (which is actually a grain) and green beans. When I found fresh green beans, I refused to ever eat any plant food from a can! I love to boil them for a few minutes then toss with evoo and garlic salt. A little goes a long way. I also like them raw! Dipped in hummus or homemade veggie dip, YUMMO!

For the most part, I steam my veggies. I don't steam long enough to lose the crunch though. I love the crunch. I also love to grill veggies. Peppers, eggplant, tomatoes, onions.... great on the grill!

I keep a stock of frozen veggies in the freezer. I buy them when they are on sale. But I don't use them more than once or twice per week. Nothing beats the flavor, crunch, and nutrition of fresh veggies!

we both grew up in a home eating vegetables boiled to death from a can with butter or bacon or ham.

I think I grew up next door to you:sad: I'm a reformed veggie-hater, and it took a lot of work. Over the course of the past couple of years I have figured out ways to learn to love them, in kid-friendly recipes. I now even eat broccoli ...raw...which my family still finds amazing. Here's how I started:
* Marinara sauce. You can hide a lot of stuff in here. I saute onions, garlic, and dump a baby food jar of sweet potatoes in it. If the kids don't like it chunky, put it in the blender for a minute. As long as you keep the pasta amount about the size of your fist, you're fine. Barilla makes a great multi-grain omega-3 that is white and fools the kids. The best news is that tomato sauce is a better source of lycopene than raw tomatoes. Good stuff, good for you.
* Raw carrots, celery, etc. as dippers. Start with ranch if you have to; move up to something healthier like a hummus.
*Sauteed spinach works in just about anything. Add a handful to a frying pan, sprinkle on a few drops of water, and sautee for a few mins. It will look like basil when you add it to pasta sauces, omelettes, etc. And the few minutes in the pan removes any bitter bite. Grab a bunch and slice thin with kitchen scissors, removing the stems.
*Broccoli slaw. Buy it pre-bagged in the grocery store. Add it to green salads, or add your favorite low-calorie dressing.
*Sweet potato fries. Some people really like these. You can make them home-made, or them pre-sliced and ready to bake in the frozen foods section.
*Add frozen spinach, squeezed dry with paper towels, to the cheese in a lasagna recipe. Let em think it's basil.
*Carrot sticks julienned instead of fries on the side.
*Chopped salads. For some reason, most veggie-haters and kids alike will eat a salad if it doesn't look like a plate of leaves. Chop romaine into smaller pieces, add some mixed greens, kitchen-sheared julienned spinach, etc. Look on the 'net for some fun chopped salad recipes.
*Try to avoid canned veggies (BPA is an issue here). Frozen are the best, as they have been flash-frozen within minutes of harvesting, preserving the nutrients.

Start with trying to get at least one red and one green veggie a day. Of course, more is better, but most people don't even do this.

It's so great to hear when someone is trying to include more nutrition in their diet, not just counting calories. From a reformed low-fat-sugar-free-junk-foodie, trust me on this...eating food that makes you stronger will make ALL the difference.

Yes to all of this! Great advice! I always sneak my veggies in -- yes, I'm 30, but sometimes you still gotta eat like a toddler! :bigsmile:

Spinach is great for this, as mentioned, you can steam it and add to anything! It's great in pasta dishes, curries, stir-fries, etc. I also like shredded zucchini for the same thing -- it's great mixed up in egg or tuna salad, you can really cut back on the fat that way too because the zucchini adds moisture.

I also second all the suggestions to try grilling or roasting. WAY better than boiling or steaming. Add a little olive oil and spices, and you'll be surprised. Roasted broccoli? With a little olive oil, garlic powder, and sugar? HELLO LOVER.

I use frozen veggies and steam them with very little water either on the stove or sometimes in the microwave either in the bag or in my pyrex bowl with the vented lid. I've become a recent fan of Mrs. Dash. That is the only thing I put on my veggies. I may add some dehydrated onions, but no salt and no butter. I grew up like you and thought veggies had to come from a can and had to have salt and butter. My husband is a salt aholic and he eats my veggies all the time with no complaints.

I will often mcrowave vegetables and then add a spritz of butter spray. I also saute frequently in a tablespoon of olive oil often adding diced onion or chopped roasted red peppers to the primary vegetable I'm cooking. I may then sprinkle with a spice like marjoram, thyme or basil.

If you have a metal colander or a steamer then use them. If the former, then put water in a saucepan, place the veg in the colander and the a lid on the top. Remove from the heat when desired crispness/softness is reached.
Also if using frozen the try thawing first, draining and cooking in a little water in a microwave. Put in for a shorter time than you think as you can alsways put in for longer if required.
Some good supermarkets/greengrocers or food stores will give you advise if you ask, but ask you must..

Hope this helps and good luck

I didn't read all of the threads but had to put my 2 cents in on this one!

1) Gas grill is AWESOME for veggies. Simply cut up veggies (onion, red pepper, mushrooms, squash, zucchini, broccoli, corn...anything!) into chunks, throw it all into a large ziplock baggie, drizzle with olive oil and salt/pepper, zip and gently toss with hands. Then, pour into hot grill basket and grill/toss until cooked as desired. This is the best way, imo to cook veggies.

2) Raw. Try a large, veggie-laden salad using raw veggies and lettuce. A low cal dressing can add tons of needed flavor.

3) Steam. Toss veggies in a steamer basket and cook on stovetop. Spritz with spray butter, salt/pepper when done. Dee-lish!

4) Sneak them in. The Sneaky Chef book talks about cooking and then pureeing certain vegetables and adding them to recipes like spaghetti, lasagna, mac and cheese and even cupcakes! BTW, spaghetti is a good way to get your veggies in...just pan sear onion, pepper, mushrooms along with ground turkey, then drain any grease and add sauce. You (and your kids) hardly know veggies are in there, especially if you finely chop the veggies. The sauce masks them.

5) Veggie scramble. Saute veggies and add to scrambled eggs. Eat plain or spoon onto crunchy toast.

6) V8. Enough said. (some say you can add certain veggies to smoothies, but I haven't tried this...apple carrot sounds pretty good, though!)

7) Get creative. Try dishes like stuffed peppers, pasta with veggies, and bean & veggies salads. Experimenting is key.

Hope this helps.
--Veggie Lover

I use fat free italian dressing in a fry pan instead of oil and cook them in there. Adds good flavour.

One of my favorite easy meals I am actually cooking tonight.

Roast chicken breast season with salt. pepper and garlic powder 350 degrees until cooked.

Meanwhile in a large saute pan, heat 2-3tbsp olive oil and add:

1 medium yellow onion sliced
1/2 green bell pepper sliced
1/2 red bell pepper sliced
3 cloves of garlic minced
8 oz sliced mushrooms
1 bag fresh baby spinach
1 can diced tomato's (flavored with basil and oregano)
season with salt and pepper
add chicken top with shredded mozzarella cheese.

You get a ton of veggies and a ton of flavor. You could even toss this chicken and veg dish with some pasta. Its yummy, give it a try