Veggie cooking recommendations?

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Francl27
Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
edited August 2015 in Food and Nutrition
Ok I'm getting burned out on veggies. I've been using steamable frozen veggies and I love the convenience of it... but I'm just getting tired of broccoli, carrots, and cauliflower (even mashing the cauliflower). And I'm getting over zucchini too...

I have some frozen Brussel sprouts that are steamable too but any suggestion on what to do with them after they are steamed? They are pretty bland.

And does anyone have any suggestion for other ways of cooking veggies? I like the convenience of frozen veggies and I'm the first one to admit that, as much as I like roasted veggies, I don't really care for the extra oil calories and the preparation time, but I'm all ears if anyone can tell me some easy to prepare veggies that taste delicious... I eat them because they are low calorie and filling though so usually putting a lot of things on them to make them tastier kinda defeats the purpose.

ETA: I do realize I'm very annoying.
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Replies

  • irenehb
    irenehb Posts: 236 Member
    edited August 2015
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    I use thick mint sauce on my steam veggies, low in calories (vinegar based) and sodium.
    Though, personally I can eat steamed veggies plain, even when I was overweight.
    I also use the grill (think it is called broiler in US) to cook and brown veggies like mushrooms, capsicums, and zucchinis. Grilling it adds flavour without any additional fat or sauces. You could sprinkle herbs on top, for some more flavour.
    Note we have a separate grill, just above the oven.
  • Meganthedogmom
    Meganthedogmom Posts: 1,639 Member
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    Hmmm I like to sautee my veggies with garlic, onion and either olive oil or calorie-free cooking spray. Lately I've been using butter in small amounts. To me, it's worth it :)
    Also have you tried sautéed zucchini with a little Parmesan cheese?
    For sweet potatoes I like to add a little bit of pumpkin pie spice, and sometimes I'll add a little brown sugar to my steamed carrots.
  • hekla90
    hekla90 Posts: 595 Member
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    Grill them on a panini press
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    Yeah I've done zucchini with parmesan... I could try grilling again I guess, but I'm not sure what kind of veggies actually turns out ok when grilled?

    I swear I'm just burned out on veggies, lol.
  • Cortneyrenee04
    Cortneyrenee04 Posts: 1,117 Member
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    Take a break from them :) they'll taste better in a week.
  • ms_smartypants
    ms_smartypants Posts: 8,278 Member
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    I love to steam green beans (not the can kind) ...has some lemon juice and add 1 TBSP of almonds ....so yummy ....roast squash ...stuffed mushrooms
  • 626Ashley
    626Ashley Posts: 32 Member
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    Do you have a spiralizer? I make zoodles from time to time. That's good. How about cutting up some onions and peppers and cooking them in a skillet with Pam and scramble them in egg whites. Or cooking them in a wok with teriyaki sauce and shrimp. Veggies are good in soup...
  • LKArgh
    LKArgh Posts: 5,179 Member
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    -Salads. It will require buying some fresh vegetables, but e.g. a couple of tomatoes, a cucumber and some lettuce can provide salad for a couple of days, so it will add some variety.
    -Add vegetables to rice, stir fries, pasta sauce. You will still have your vegetables, but as part of the main meal, not a side dish.
    - Omelettes with vegetables, works especially well with spinach, peppers, tomatoes, asparagus, or any combination of these.
    - Cooked in tomato sauce. Cook any vegetable you like (green peas work great if you prefer frozen, and so do green beans) in tomato sauce (canned tomatoes, tomato juice, or even pasta sauce from a jar will do, or you can just puree fresh tomatoes) and cook them with a bit of oil and whatever herbs you like, either in a pot or in the oven. Throw a couple of potatoes in there while cooking, and you got a full meal.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    Yeah but using something to dip adds calories to them too, lol. I eat them because they are filling and low calories, so it would defeat the purpose.

    Maybe I should just make soup. Again. Even though I'm the only one eating it.

    Keep the ideas coming though! It's just a lot of things I already do. I think I'm just burned out on veggies (but no, not eating them is not an option, or I'll be hungry all day).
  • Gianfranco_R
    Gianfranco_R Posts: 1,297 Member
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    Francl27 wrote: »
    Yeah but using something to dip adds calories to them too, lol. I eat them because they are filling and low calories, so it would defeat the purpose.

    Maybe I should just make soup. Again. Even though I'm the only one eating it.

    Keep the ideas coming though! It's just a lot of things I already do. I think I'm just burned out on veggies (but no, not eating them is not an option, or I'll be hungry all day).

    a good low calorie option is "sautéing" them using some vegetable broth, instead of oil.

  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,626 Member
    edited August 2015
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    Get yourself a copy of "The New Vegetarian Cooking For Everyone." So many, many veggie recipes in there. The "Oh, She Glows" site is very popular and there's a book there, too.

    There are millions of veggie cookbooks out there and lots of recipes online.

    You can always google a food and add Alton Brown's name to it and see what pops up. He was very big on teaching people to make veggies in ways they would actually enjoy. Like google "cauliflower alton brown" or whatever veggie and see if something pops up. He did a show on almost all the veggies. The only show names I remember are "Give Peas a Chance" and "Field of Greens" but almost every single veggie got it's own show at some point.

    Edit: I pulled up the Field of Greens show. Watch a minute and a half and see if it sounds like something you might enjoy checking out. :)

    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=t5sq5-VFp5I
  • InCHarmsWay
    InCHarmsWay Posts: 103 Member
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    Tons of veggies turn out great when grilled- peppers, zucchini, yellow squash, eggplant. The bit of charring gives them a smoky flavor which is a nice change.

    Also, you can roast tons of stuff without much added oil. I use parchment paper over a pan to avoid things sticking to it, which drastically cuts down the need for oils. That way you usually can just get away with a tiny bit of oil or cooking spray. I do this all the time with garlic or different herbs/spices sprinkled on top to add flavor.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    edited August 2015
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    grill or roast them with balsamic vinegar instead of oil. No calories, lots of taste, and they will still carmelize.

    Edit: Also, stewing them with meat is good for many vegetables. I love orange vegetables stewed with pork.
  • Protranser
    Protranser Posts: 517 Member
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    Broccoli is great if you blanch it! Sliced squash in an oven at 350 for ᤾25 minutes comes out good. I've not had much luck with toasting kale, but if you have a dehydrator, you could made a miso paste dressing for your kale and dehydrate it ,but it's something like a snack, and dehydrating is a lengthy process, like crock pot cooking.

    Roast spaghetti squash is nice too and can add volume to many meals. Bonus with spaghetti squash: toast spaghetti squash seeds with some oil and your preference of spices.

    Actually, squash/zucchini is flexible and has been served sweet, like in muffin form, or savory. You can find recipes online.

  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
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    courtenaymichele wrote: »
    Tons of veggies turn out great when grilled- peppers, zucchini, yellow squash, eggplant. The bit of charring gives them a smoky flavor which is a nice change.

    Also, you can roast tons of stuff without much added oil. I use parchment paper over a pan to avoid things sticking to it, which drastically cuts down the need for oils. That way you usually can just get away with a tiny bit of oil or cooking spray. I do this all the time with garlic or different herbs/spices sprinkled on top to add flavor.

    This^

    Grilling & roasting.

    Foil packs are great for veggies. Reynolds Wrap has lots of ideas on their website. Slice potatoes thin, add sliced carrots, onion and celery. Season (worcestershire, soy sauce, garlic pepper...whatever) and put an ice cube (or 2) in the packet for moisture and fold up. Cook 6 or 7 minutes on each side.

    I have a Weber grill pan. It's like a square wok with holes in it. It let's me toss the veggies around in it. I pre-boil some new potatoes & throw in fresh green beans and peppers. I add veggies, oil and garlic to a zip-lock bag and coat the veggies before putting on the grill.

    Frozen veggies are great for a lot of purposes. But sometimes they hold too much water to get the desired texture for grilling or roasting. Brussels sprouts have too much water in them - I have yet to make them anything less than mushy.
  • GillianLF
    GillianLF Posts: 410 Member
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    I put mine in the oven and roast them. I do this with both fresh and frozen veggies. I keep it interesting by adding different seasonings.
    I love garlic and basil, ginger and black pepper, balsamic vinegar and pink salt.

    I sometimes will add a can of tomatoes too and have it with fish or chicken.
  • crystalewhite
    crystalewhite Posts: 422 Member
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    I use a mister with olive oil when I roast my vegetables, it adds a few calories but not as much as if you poured oil directly on to the vegetables.
    I also use garlic or lemon oils to add flavor, you don't have to add too much oil to get a lot of it. I take a pound of cubed potatoes and toss them in the garlic oil with some herbs. I only need a tablespoon and this makes about 4 servings so it's only about 15 extra calories. It's harder to toss things like broccoli since the florets like to absorb all the oil.
    If you like onions, I will also toss some of those in with my roasted vegetables, they give some more flavor as well.
  • KristinaG_is_losing_it
    KristinaG_is_losing_it Posts: 63 Member
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    I make frozen veggies for lunch a lot and I get burned out too. Mrs.Dash seasonings help (I buy the salt free ones) also I love love making veggies on the grill or oven. Even if I'm burned out from steamed broccoli or cauliflower, throw some good balsamic on those babies and let it marinate for a bit and then throw em in the oven. If I'm sauteeing them in a pan I use Trader Joe's coconut oil spray. Also I love raw veggies too even without dips, snap peas are my favorite.
  • crystalewhite
    crystalewhite Posts: 422 Member
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    kristinaalice18 wrote: »
    I make frozen veggies for lunch a lot and I get burned out too. Mrs.Dash seasonings help (I buy the salt free ones) also I love love making veggies on the grill or oven. Even if I'm burned out from steamed broccoli or cauliflower, throw some good balsamic on those babies and let it marinate for a bit and then throw em in the oven. If I'm sauteeing them in a pan I use Trader Joe's coconut oil spray. Also I love raw veggies too even without dips, snap peas are my favorite.

    That Mrs Dash Table Blend is good on everything! Especially chicken.

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