New found romance with vegetables....

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melbhall
melbhall Posts: 519
in Food and Nutrition
I have finally rekindled my love affair with vegetables! I'm 7 months pregnant and have gone through many food phases during this time. I've gone from strawberry itallian ices, chocolate chip cookies, sushi, pizza rolls, iced mocha coffees and now FINALLY vegetables! I have had a huge salad or vegetable based dinner for the past week! Yay me!

Here's the kicker...I'm not creative, and am out of ideas. What recipes should I look up that utilize lots of vegetables. Maybe my love affair is due to the fact that I am close to a fresh produce store, and several health stores so I have more choices. Either way, craving or availability, I want to take advantage and eat more veggies.

This is what I currently know how to make: spaghetti squash, veggie quesadillas, veggie lasagna, vegetable soup, and egg and veggie omlets.

What are some your favorite recipes that are either all veggies or use a ton of them? Please help my love affair continue. I don't want this to just be another phase!

Replies

  • DeBlue
    DeBlue Posts: 254 Member
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    Try using French-cut green beans and/or spaghetti squash as a substitute for pasta next time you make Italian. Delicious!
  • nab22
    nab22 Posts: 168
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    Sorry, no specific recipe, but make things with BEANS!! I love them, black beans especially. You can make dips, soups, burgers, the list goes on and on, and the recipes all usually have tons of veggies in them too
  • AggieCass09
    AggieCass09 Posts: 1,867 Member
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    stir-frys are delish! Add any veggies you like and saute with some olive oil, when they are cooked add some sort of low-sodium sauce (teryaki, schezuwan, general taos...etc) and enjoy!

    Also try different salads like taco salad (healthy of course!) or adding cottage cheese to a salad with balsamic vinegarette...so yummy!
  • AZiemba
    AZiemba Posts: 17
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    I hear you! I just had a baby 6 months ago and I am pureeing all his food for him and the whole thing has just renewed my love of veggies. Since I have all these purees on hand, I am cooking my way feverishly through the Jessica Seinfeld cookbook which is all about adding purees to recipes. I highly recommend that cookbook (and an immersion blender for the purees).
  • merrillfoster
    merrillfoster Posts: 855 Member
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    Stir fry--I make them with peppers, onions, broccoli, mushrooms, sugar snap peas, zuchinni, snow peas, sprouts, or whatever else I have around. I usually add sliced beef or chicken too. Just marinate (I like 1/2 olive oil, 1/2 soy sauce, but do it to taste) for a couple hours, add the whole mixture to the pan, sautee till cooked, and voila! I also like to cook some spaghetti and add it to the pan with everything else, but rice works too. Or just plain. Whatever your preference.
  • AlexUSAF
    AlexUSAF Posts: 5 Member
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    Try vegetable burgers :) They are delicious alternative to regular meat...for example try the one at Subway ("Veggie pattie") That way you get more veggie taste but sorta just different.

    Or try gratins. They are always good filled with veggies. I also love veggie lasagna (replacing meat with all kinds of veggies.
  • Tarah1357
    Tarah1357 Posts: 139 Member
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    I like to make a big fresh salad and then pour a cup of steamed seasoned veggies over it...It ends up being a huge portion and really filling. Sometimes I eat a small piece of bread or something with it for more substance. I love veggies...I try incorporate them wherever I can. I also sometimes make scrambled eggs (or omelet) tossed w/ cooked broccoli, bell peppers, onion, & zucchini as well :) On the weekends that makes for a really filling bfast! :)
  • ahappyapple
    ahappyapple Posts: 128 Member
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    I would love to try some of these things. I am not a big vegetable eater so I am a little leery about it. :)
  • PegasusDeb
    PegasusDeb Posts: 665 Member
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    I'm a big stir-fryer! Love adding anything I can find! I also got turned on to a steamer. Baby taters, carrots, broccoli... yum! I also add grated carrots to everything from tuna to meatballs!
    I also like baked sweet potato fries, and just tried baked butternut squash fries. Yum!
  • melbhall
    melbhall Posts: 519
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    Great ideas! Thanks all! I'm usually pretty adventurous but just lacking ideas. Now I have a ton! And I love veggie burgers, but had never made my own, perhaps I will now!

    Thanks for the Jessica Seinfeld suggestion, I forgot all about her book, and I would love to save money and make my own baby purees! I'm about to move again, and our new house is a few minutes from a huge farmers market! I'm adopting my grandparents way of eating, in the summer they raise a garden and rarely eat meat, they litterally eat vegetables every night for dinner. They are old, healthy and happy! Since I don't have a green thumb, I'm going to take advantage of living near the market!
  • AZiemba
    AZiemba Posts: 17
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    You will love making baby purees! It's so not even that much work. We usually cook some stuff up on Sunday and give him all sorts of crazy stuff. Especially if you have access to a farmer's market, it would be great. And if you have the cookbook, you can make great meals for the rest of your family too. We love love love almost everything we've tried in that book.

    Good luck and enjoy your last few (uncomfortable) weeks of pregnancy.
  • sctracy
    sctracy Posts: 41 Member
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    I LOVE Ratatouille: I saute garlic, 4 tomatoes, one onion, then add a cubed eggplant, two red peppers, two zucchinis, and a can of white beans. I sometimes eat it over whole wheat pasta with grated parmesan. It's soooo delicious! Enjoy the rest of your pregnancy! :)
  • melbhall
    melbhall Posts: 519
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    I LOVE Ratatouille: I saute garlic, 4 tomatoes, one onion, then add a cubed eggplant, two red peppers, two zucchinis, and a can of white beans. I sometimes eat it over whole wheat pasta with grated parmesan. It's soooo delicious! Enjoy the rest of your pregnancy! :)

    Now that's one I have never ever thought about! Sounds so yummy! Thanks!
  • Julesjhj
    Julesjhj Posts: 150 Member
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    I love roasted vegetables. Roasting them really brings out the flavor and sweetness. Its really easy, just cut up what ever you have on hand and toss with a little olive oil, salt and pepper. I use Benissimo olive oil that has basil and herbs infused in to it. I also use a couple of pinches of herbs de provence. I often toss this with asparagus and add a little parmesean and bake at 450 for 10 min. It works with cauliflower and broccoli too. My favorite is a pan full of root vegetables like carrots, onions, beets and fingerling potatoes.

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