Veggies!

lithezebra
lithezebra Posts: 3,670 Member
in Recipes
Picky eater here. I'd be perfectly happy not eating vegetables at all. What are your favorite ways to prepare vegetables? I'm in desperate need of more delicious ways to get my 5-7 servings a day.

Replies

  • iulia_maddie
    iulia_maddie Posts: 2,780 Member
    Veggies? No.
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  • anifani4
    anifani4 Posts: 457 Member
    Well, I grew up eating fresh veggies and love them cooked many ways. If you're new to trying them you might saute them in olive oil or butter until crisp tender. Or roast them in the oven. Roasting is easy... use an olive oil spray or toss the cut up veggie in a bowl with a little oil plus whatever herbs you enjoy (I like garlic and rosemary) , spread on cookie sheet in a single layer (line it with parchment or foil for easy clean up) and bake until tender. The amount of time depends on the sizes and density of the veggie. There are lots of recipes out there so google "roasted cabbbage" or whatever and get some ideas for combos and spices.

    I find that Roasting brings out the sweetness in veggies. And of course there are plenty of tossed salad ideas....use a mix of tender greens and chop up whatever else you want to add....cherry tomatoes, bright colored peppers, radishes, carrots. I like to add a little bit of fruit sometimes....almost any berry, diced pear, or diced apple go well.

    Good luck. Just keep trying untl you have several favorites. Your body will love you for giving it the nutrients and fiber in veggies.

    I'm teaching myself about leafy greens like kale, collards, chard, etc. It's an adventure and finding I like them in vegetable soups as well as sauteed with oil or butter, onions or garlic. For the tougher ones additional simmer with broth until tender.
  • daydream_believer
    daydream_believer Posts: 332
    Roasting is easy... use an olive oil spray or toss the cut up veggie in a bowl with a little oil plus whatever herbs you enjoy (I like garlic and rosemary) , spread on cookie sheet in a single layer (line it with parchment or foil for easy clean up) and bake until tender.

    THIS! i particularly encourage cutting the veggies up into thin slices - like chips - and braising them with olive oil. delicious.... especially sweet potato and zucchini for me :)
  • Laura_beau
    Laura_beau Posts: 1,029 Member
    I agree on the roasting front!

    Beets, parsnips, butternut squash, carrots, onions all taste deliciously sweet after roasting in evoo, S&P and any herbs/ spices you fancy. Try drizzling balsamic vinegar on them or honey to make them even more yummy.

    Or there's the 'hidden' veggie route that people use with kids. blend up cooked carrots, onions, celery (or whatever) and mix into tomato, garlic & herb sauce and have with meatballs and courgette/zuchinni ribbon 'pasta' or spaghetti (Or GF Pasta). Or mix cooked broccoli or peas with garlic, parmesan, evoo and toasted nuts and make a veggie pesto- smear onto meat or fish.

    Make delicious curries & stir frys and get inventive with cuisines. Many Asian & Indian dishes are veggie but OMG are they yummy and flavoursome with herbs, spices etc....

    Here's a couple of stonking recipes:

    http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/4495/fragrant-aubergine-curry

    http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/7742/fiveaday-tagine

    http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/96608/sweet-potato-spinach-and-lentil-dahl

    Get a good cookbook or search online for dressings, and use them on your veggies. They DO NOT need to be bland, and eating them should be nice, not a chore. Here are a few nice combos:

    - Roasted carrots with sesame seeds & orange dressing.

    - Asian slaw: Grated carrots, red onions, shredded cabbage with a zesty chilli & lime dressing with coriander (cilantro), mint & chopped peanuts.

    If all else fails- blend them into a smoothie with fruit & ice/ yoghurt and chug it down!!
  • drop_it_like_a_squat
    drop_it_like_a_squat Posts: 377 Member
    Try incorporating veggies into smoothies!
    www.undressedskeleton.tumblr.com ; Taralynn got many recipes for smoothies on her blog & you wont even taste that there's veggies in them! :)
  • lizlee8
    lizlee8 Posts: 92 Member
    bumping for later! all great ideas so far!
  • vivaldirules
    vivaldirules Posts: 169 Member
    I grew up dreading veggies except potatoes and maybe tomatoes. But they've slowly grown on me over the years. Then, when I decided 3 years to commit to big changes, I knew I needed to eat a lot more of them. So I went to restaurants that serve lots of veggie dishes to try some out. Mediterranean restaurants, for example, often serve lots of veggie dishes (not just salads and steamed or boiled things). I went to one and they had a Veggie Sampler which was a large platter that they put one tiny serving of every veggie "side" dish on. I ended up with 13 different veggie dishes (more than I could eat) to try all at once. I liked them all but loved several of them. It took me a couple of trips there but I was quickly able to learn what kinds of vegetables I might like and how I might cook them at home. I am vegetarian about every other day now with just some fish or chicken or turkey on the alternate days. Good luck!
  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
    Breakfast - smoosh an avocado on toast. Or top with tomatoes. Add spinach and mushrooms to scrambled egg or omelette.
    Snacks - baby carrots with humous, celery sticks, blast an aubergine(eggplant) in the microwave and scoop the soft flesh out and make a dip with it.
    Lunch - salad made from baby spinach, radishes, artichoke hearts, olives, baby beetroot.
    Dinner - ratatouille, a veg stew with tomatoes, aubergine, peppers, courgette (zucchinni). Or a stir fry with lots of shredded cabbage, bell peppers, baby corn. Soup made from cauliflower or brocolit and blue cheese. Or roast squash and red pepper. Or carrot and coriander.
  • lisiloulah
    lisiloulah Posts: 125 Member
    I love stir-frying them - you can do it really healthily if you use a spray oil on the pan and then just add the herbs and spices you want (I use chilli, garlic and ginger) and a good slug of soy sauce and it tastes better then anything you could buy from a takeaway or a shop bought sauce! It doesn't have to be any particular veggies either - I even put cauliflower in mine and I won't eat it on it's own! :smile:
  • EmmaKarney
    EmmaKarney Posts: 690 Member
    Oh jeez i LIVE for vegetables!

    I like to roast things like potatoes, parsnips, carrots, onion, fennel, beet

    I love roasted broccoli and cauliflower but steamed broccoli is just as nice. Roasted green cabbage cut into wedges is incredible!

    Steamed greens like kale and spinach are amazing with a teeny bit of butter and a grind of salt.

    I get a delivery of organic veg in a box every week and make sure as hell I use it up which means every single day including a large helping of veg into all our meals.

    If you don't eat vegetables what do you eat??
  • lithezebra
    lithezebra Posts: 3,670 Member


    If you don't eat vegetables what do you eat??

    I eat yogurt, fruit, nuts, eggs, meat, beans, and oatmeal, of course! I'd be perfectly happy not eating vegetables at all, but I do eat them. I put veggies in soup. I make green papaya salad, and a few other salads which have strong enough flavors to make veggies taste good. I make cabbage au gratin. It's just that if I'm stressed, preparing vegetables is the first thing I stop doing. That, and I won't eat most of them plain, so it's a lot of work.
  • lithezebra
    lithezebra Posts: 3,670 Member
    I'm teaching myself about leafy greens like kale, collards, chard, etc. It's an adventure and finding I like them in vegetable soups as well as sauteed with oil or butter, onions or garlic. For the tougher ones additional simmer with broth until tender.

    Tomato tames a lot of greens, for me. I taste the bitter in a lot of vegetables. I love chard though. It's sweeter than spinach, and more tender than kale. I put it in tomato based soups, especially with beans and ham.

    Thanks for the roasting ideas!
  • lithezebra
    lithezebra Posts: 3,670 Member


    - Asian slaw: Grated carrots, red onions, shredded cabbage with a zesty chilli & lime dressing with coriander (cilantro), mint & chopped peanuts.

    If all else fails- blend them into a smoothie with fruit & ice/ yoghurt and chug it down!!

    Definitely time to make Asian slaw.....yum!

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