Favorite vegetables and how to cook them

I bake both asparagus and shaved Brussel sprouts at 400 for 10 minutes then flip them and another ten minutes on the other side. My husband absolutely hates veggies but will eat both of these when I bake them.. for the asparagus wash them break off the ends then lay them out on a baking sheet not touching, drizzle a tiny bit of olive oil on them and add any seasonings you want I just do a little salt and pepper and I think its mccormick? veggie seasoning then throw it in the oven. when I do the Brussel sprouts I buy the green giant pre washed pre shaved in a bag. I put them in a large bowl and drizzle a little olive oil and throw some seasonings in it and mix it around then spread it over a baking sheet and cook it the same way. they come out super flavorful and crunchy. be careful with the olive oil though especially on the asparagus because they get way to greasy rather then crunchy easily. and the 10 minutes is just a guestimate just keep an eye on them and when they look good to you flip them or take them out. I like them a little bit charred.

Favourites would be the Asian greens - bok choi, gai lan, choi sum, water spinach...and top of the list is snow pea shoots. Quick stir fry in a wok with a little garlic and a dash of oyster sauce or abalone sauce....

If cooking more Mediterranean, then omit the oyster sauce and use an olive oil vs peanut oil....just as I'd cook chard, beet tops, Brussels sprout leaves,

I had a great combo for dinner tonight- diced eggplant, yellow squash, baby Portobello mushrooms, and red bell pepper. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. Roasted at 425 for 40 minutes. I served it alongside a marinated pork tenderloin with a bit of balsamic vinegar and a baked potato. Sooo easy and delicious!

Breakfast salad: one soft boiled egg, 10g bacon, balsamic vinegar and olive oil, and a cup of spinach or mixed greens. It tastes way better than it should.

Sauteed mushrooms: mushrooms, garlic, and balsamic or red wine vinegar. I can put those on almost anything, or eat them as-is.

Roasted red peppers: bell peppers, oil, heat. They go with so many things, depending on the spices.

Sweet potatoes: baked, buttered, and sugared.

Omelets: I put almost any vegetable I habitually buy into these--usually right before they go bad. A quick saute, a few grams of cheese, and I don't have to throw out half of my crisper drawer.

Bitter greens, beans, onions, mushrooms, beans, berries and seeds in a salad. Mixing them optimizes their nutrition and cancer fighting properties. 8 ounces of tiny diced meat fried in a soup pot, onions fried, add 2 quarters chicken broth, beans, 2 small boxes of frozen collards-kale-turnip tops, 12 grinds of pepper, 1 tablespoon vinegar. Soup for a week.

I broadened my palate by buying a new vegetable on sale that I'd never tried before, then googling a recipe.

A kohlrabi peeled, sliced thin and eaten fresh, is a treat.

Baby Bok Choy are delightfully crisp and tender, somewhere between celery and cabbage. This is my favourite recipe for Bok Choy. https://www.pinterest.com/pin/361132463848164122/

mpat81 wrote: »

I had a great combo for dinner tonight- diced eggplant, yellow squash, baby Portobello mushrooms, and red bell pepper. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. Roasted at 425 for 40 minutes. I served it alongside a marinated pork tenderloin with a bit of balsamic vinegar and a baked potato. Sooo easy and delicious!

^^^^ Sounds like we've got the same idea!

Grilled asparagus brush with olive oil and soy sauce mixed. If spears are over sized, par boil first.

Beets - choose small beets and boil whole. Skin should slip right off. These take awhile. These should be good cubed and roasted (not tried yet).

Non-lettuce salad: Shredded carrots, sliced celery and thawed green peas. Mix in Newman's Sesame Ginger dressing. The dressing is very light. You can sub thawed French style green beans for peas.

Snap peas, raw. I can eat the whole bag. Just wash 'em up, no dip needed.

I made a hash for my husband and I by offsetting the amount of potatoes with equal amounts of diced zucchini and yellow summer squash.

1 T olive oil
1/2 medium zucchini, small dice (about 1 1/2 cup)
1/2 Yellow summer squash, small dice (about 1 1/2 cup)
1/2 large yellow onion, diced
1/2 large bell pepper, diced
5 baby new potatoes, washed, small dice (I don't peel mine)
2 T water
cracked black pepper, salt, and other seasonings as desired

Optional: 3 links chicken chorizo, or other sausage

Sautee onions, squash, and pepper in olive oil until nearly translucent over medium low heat. Add potatoes, water, seasonings, and sausage, if using, reduce heat, and put a lid on the pan. Check after 15 minutes. Cook until potatoes are soft and releasing their starch. Brown, if desired by cooking as long as desired.

You can steam veggies (my favourite for steaming are green beans, brocolli and carrots) then add a little bit of garlic, salt and tsp of olive oil. Mix it all together and serve. This also goes for grilling them - zucchini, eggplant and peppers are yummy when grilled and mixed with garlic and just a tsp of olive oil.
Sauted veggies - my go to combination is onion+carrots+peas and then whatever other veggie I fill like adding (green beans, kale, zucchini, tomatoes,...)
Also have you tried ratatouille? The easy version (this one is my fav https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUeDMqi_-dE) really doesn't take much time, it's super yummy and you can make it in batches, and have for next few days.
I also have a recipe on MFP for Spicy beans - http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/GsKiki/view/spicy-beans-790590. This recipe has sausage in it, but it is really super yummy without it as well. And you can mix and match your veggies inside to your liking.

^^^^ Sounds like we've got the same idea! [/quote]

Haha, yes I think so! I always call this a ratatouille, (probably inaccurate), it is sooo good!

The Kale recipe that I probably consume too much of:
1/2 tablespoon olive oil and 1 clove chopped garlic, heat till garlic starts cooking
add in kale - I usually go by the handful (but maybe 150-200 g for 2 people as a side?)
cook/stirfy kale briefly so the oil and garlic are evenly distributed
put in about 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup of water (I usually just guess at this, tbh)
put lid on and steam for about 5 minutes
remove lid and cook off water, stirring pretty regularly
remove from heat and add vinegar of your choice to taste (white, apple cidre, or balsamic work well)

This works really well with a kale/spinach mix too!

I have jumped on the 'zoodles' bandwagon - spiralized courgette/zucchini, little bit of oil and lightly fry it.
I love sweet potato mashed up, mixed with whatever is around (lentils, grated carrot, mashed beans) and turned into burgers. Again lightly fry. They fall apart a bit, but taste lovely. I suspect that mixing it all together with an egg would bind it and give you more solid burgers but have yet to test the theory.
Can never find them here other than at Christmas but sprout tops are beautiful (I hate actual sprouts), cooked in veg stock, but don't let them go mushy.
I'm also a fan of roasting pretty much any veg. Very finely sliced potatoes, sweet potatoes, peppers, butternut squash.
Lentil soup (technically not a veg) is always a winner and super simple to make (and tastes soooo much better than it looks).
Beetroot roasted with balsamic vinegar is lovely mixed up with some soft goat's cheese, plain yogurt and pickles (sounds like a really odd mix, but it is a delicious mix of sweet and sour flavours).
Fattoush is lovely and a bit differnt to a regular salad (http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/fattoush).
Avocado with a bit of lemon juice, some hummus (broad bean and asparagus hummus is my favourite) on bread/crackers/more avocado.
My theory of veg is a bit 'throw it all together, see what works and try and remember for next time.

Pizza is a vegetable right? Haha... I steam all my veggies and Spinach is my favorite!

I like baby bok choy. I add it to soups and stir fry's, or I just steam it and have it either with butter and pepper or soy sauce. Yum.