Vegetable heavy meals using only a stove top?

ainokea8
ainokea8 Posts: 95
in Food and Nutrition
Hi everyone!

So due to some health problems I've been having, I've been recommended to go on an anti-inflammatory diet. Here's the problem though....anti-inflammatory diets are very vegetable heavy and low on carbs. The main ingredients in my meals are usually some form of carb (pasta, potoatoes, rice) with some meat and veggies as a side. The truth is, I don't actually know of any simple easy to make vegetable dish as a MAIN entree that ONLY uses a stove. I'm in college and I only have access to a stove so that's another problem. Everytime I go on google to search for a vegetarian dish, I am often confronted with some gourmet recipes which include ingredients that are way out of my budget. I just want something simple. Anyone have any recommendations?

Replies

  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
    Search for bean and vegetable soups/stews.
  • hhadley06
    hhadley06 Posts: 8 Member
    Stir fry! You can make it super vegetable heavy, and pretty much any veggie you like/want to eat can go in there. They can definitely be hearty enough on their own without rice. Although there are some nice stir fry pans out there, you can honestly make it with any saute pan. It's also nice because you can add any sauce/seasonings you want so it doesn't feel like you're eating the same thing every meal (I often do them as a 'clean out the fridge' meal). I honestly don't know a lot about low carb diets, but if you search for "low carb stir fry", you can get tons of ideas! :)
  • AlyssaJoJo
    AlyssaJoJo Posts: 449 Member
    Stir fry! You can make it super vegetable heavy, and pretty much any veggie you like/want to eat can go in there. They can definitely be hearty enough on their own without rice. Although there are some nice stir fry pans out there, you can honestly make it with any saute pan. It's also nice because you can add any sauce/seasonings you want so it doesn't feel like you're eating the same thing every meal (I often do them as a 'clean out the fridge' meal). I honestly don't know a lot about low carb diets, but if you search for "low carb stir fry", you can get tons of ideas! :)

    THIS!!!!! Seriously stir-fries. You can do almost anything with them. Any meat you want, any fresh veggies you want, any frozen veggies you want - and they work well with non-meat protein like tofu, beans, etc. you can get as simple or as creative you want. They can be cheap meals, or more when you have the budget for them. You can easily add rice, noodles, etc for fillers. And they are almost ALWAYS better as left overs so making a bunch and then having a few extra meals has always worked nice for me.

    Plus this: http://www.fortysomething.ca/2012/05/15_basic_stir_fry_sauce_recipes.php I've had this link booked marked for awhile now. It helps me find a sauce when I'm out of some things in the kitchen. I've used some just as they are, or I've used them to then create my own. I love it.
  • SusanL222
    SusanL222 Posts: 585 Member
    Here's an easy, yummy way to get loads of vegetables into your meal: Let's call it "Veggie/Protein Scramble". For the protein, brown 1 pound ground meat (beef, turkey, sausage, etc), tempeh, or tofu and set aside. In a large skillet, add some olive oil and saute a good amount of onion and garlic, then add lots of chopped veggies. Last night I gathered the following from the garden to use: kohlrabi, beets, carrots, potatoes, summer squash, bok choi, basil, and various dark leafy greens, including the beet greens. Add the veggies to the pan with those needing the longest cooking time first and the greens last. After the last addition, add some dried oregano and a little Bragg's Liquid Aminos (or tamari/soy sauce), cover and simmer until veggies are soft. Stir in the protein and serve. Enjoy!
  • sympha01
    sympha01 Posts: 942 Member
    You can steam veggies on the stovetop. I like to use cooked eggplant chunks under pasta sauce as a low calorie, high fiber alternative to pasta.

    I also like a salad of very lightly steamed or parboiled broccoli, carrots, peppers with shredded poached chicken and a cold peanut sauce or peanut dressing.
  • kd1575a
    kd1575a Posts: 21 Member
    You can pack a lot of vegetables into an omelet! I also made a lot of stir fry and vegetable/bean soups in college, using mostly frozen veggies because there wasn't a ton of room in the kitchen to chop by hand. Add a side salad to anything you're eating or have a side of baby carrots with a low carb sandwich.

    Roasted vegetables can be really delicious too-throw veggies in the oven until they're crispy and then toss with a small amount of quinoa or rice. OR do what I do and make roasted broccoli and eat it in massive quantities, like chips or french fries. So delicious and crunchy! If you toss the roasted vegetables with nuts and a little bit of balsamic and crumbled cheese, it could be a great, complete meal.
  • Ang108
    Ang108 Posts: 1,708 Member
    I don't understand your problem at all. I am on a 10 serving or more a day anti-inflammatory diet and always use the stove top.
    I steam vegetables, simmer them, cook them in plain water, in broth, stir-fry them in a wok, fry them in a pan...and of course eat them raw in salads.You can use all kinds od vegetables in dishes like stews, soups, patties, with different sauces ( if you have the calories for it ) and in many different ways.
    I also wonder, if you don't use a stove top the only choice is bake or broil the vegetables, which I hardly ever do. because I prefer to eat beneficial oils unheated for their slightly better health benefits.
  • pleasurelittletreasure
    pleasurelittletreasure Posts: 236 Member
    You could also have a Cobb Salad or Chef Salad for dinner. I have fibromyalgia and during flare-ups, I have to go really low carb to function. These salads can be modified to be lower salt than what you would get at a restaurant and are easy to whip up.
  • markrichtsspraytan
    markrichtsspraytan Posts: 89 Member
    Frozen veggies are your friend. Broccoli cuts, okra, spinach, all kinds of veggies are usually only about $1 for a bag with 4 servings or so. Skip the mixes with corn and rice in them though. Add pepper, garlic powder, lemon pepper, Sriracha, anything you want. Thin sliced chicken breasts can be easily cooked in a pan on the stove with an olive oil spray so you only use a little.
  • socalkay
    socalkay Posts: 746 Member
    What about raw vegetables? Salads, celery and peanut butter, carrot sticks... I also like to make scrambled eggs with veggies... whatever you have around - bellpepper, onion, squash, etc - chop them up and throw them in and sprinkle all with jack cheese before serving.
  • HeidiCooksSupper
    HeidiCooksSupper Posts: 3,836 Member
    Think of replacing the starch you are used to eating with a veggie. For instance, tonight, we had an egg and cheese stuffed portobello that would have been very tasty on a bed of rice or spaghetti but we had it on a bed of green beans instead.

    There are a bunch of cheap condiments you can get that work very well with adding flavor to veggies. Mustard, for example is great. Tonight I made a dressing for the green beans of mustard, honey, capers, and butter. This can just as easily be done with an inexpensive honey-mustard like French's and dill pickle relish.

    I've often thought it would be fun to get a bunch of college friends together to have a spice trading party. Set a budget amount for everyone to kick in like $10 or $15. Get snack-sized baggies, stick on labels, and either order spices online or find the health food store with the best loose spice collection. Then, spend the party splitting up the collection of spices -- maybe exchange recipes.

    I also have some hints for building up your condiments and spices on my hobby cooking blog at

    http://heidicookssupper.com/blog/2009/03/06/squits-and-dollops-of-flavor-or-stocking-your-refrigerator-door/

    http://heidicookssupper.com/blog/2009/03/06/travel-to-exotic-places-like-cincinnati-and-buy-spices/

    http://heidicookssupper.com/blog/2009/08/25/a-word-about-rosemary/

    http://heidicookssupper.com/blog/2009/03/06/a-word-about-mustards/
  • Jlbland123
    Jlbland123 Posts: 34 Member
    Bump
  • Kontxesi
    Kontxesi Posts: 86 Member
    Stir fry! You can make it super vegetable heavy, and pretty much any veggie you like/want to eat can go in there. They can definitely be hearty enough on their own without rice. Although there are some nice stir fry pans out there, you can honestly make it with any saute pan. It's also nice because you can add any sauce/seasonings you want so it doesn't feel like you're eating the same thing every meal (I often do them as a 'clean out the fridge' meal). I honestly don't know a lot about low carb diets, but if you search for "low carb stir fry", you can get tons of ideas! :)

    THIS!!!!! Seriously stir-fries. You can do almost anything with them. Any meat you want, any fresh veggies you want, any frozen veggies you want - and they work well with non-meat protein like tofu, beans, etc. you can get as simple or as creative you want. They can be cheap meals, or more when you have the budget for them. You can easily add rice, noodles, etc for fillers. And they are almost ALWAYS better as left overs so making a bunch and then having a few extra meals has always worked nice for me.

    Plus this: http://www.fortysomething.ca/2012/05/15_basic_stir_fry_sauce_recipes.php I've had this link booked marked for awhile now. It helps me find a sauce when I'm out of some things in the kitchen. I've used some just as they are, or I've used them to then create my own. I love it.

    Another vote for stir-fries. Once you get the sauce basics down, you can do just about anything.

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