Veggies

[lilbean05]

I am in desperate need of some good veggie ideas. We will sometimes roast asparagus, or make glazed carrots, but for the most part I end up throwing frozen cut mixed vegetables into the microwave. This is SUPPOSED to be our backup method, but it has become more and more of the norm. And they are gross!

 

I would really love to hear how you incorporate vegetables into your (and your kids) diet everyday. We could really use some ideas.

 

TIA!

[Karen sn]

Be careful with your microwave.

Very very bad.

 

I sometimes put veggies in other foods - like mac 'n cheese is good with frozen green peas.

And I love a frozen bag of mixed veggies in rice with chicken.

I look forward to reading other ideas, because other than a good salad, I don't know any other way but steaming them as a side dish.

[abbeyej]

How 'bout salad? It's easy, healthy, and even my child who doesn't care for veggies is pretty happy to eat salad...

 

I also love green beans just blanched, then tossed in a little melted butter and lemon juice.

 

What about sautéing onions in olive oil, then adding diagonally sliced zucchini and yellow squash. Throw in some sliced fresh tomato when the zucchini is nearly cooked through, then toss with pasta. Add a little feta cheese, and it's a whole meal (and yummy too!). Good veggies for this time of year too!

 

You can roast broccoli just like you do the asparagus too. I think it's especially yummy that way.

 

You can also roast other greens like chard and kale -- just wash, cut (keep the chard stems, but discard the kale stems), toss with a tiny bit of olive oil and salt in a large, shallow pan and roast till the edges of some of the leaves start to brown. I usually pull it out and toss the leaves a few times during cooking. You can serve it like that as a side dish, or toss with pasta, lemon juice and parmesan.

[jewellsmommy]

We eat a lot of spinach. I buy it in the bag prewashed. My dd likes it plain. For me and dh I put 2 big handfull in a bowl and add about 2tbs of a balsamic vin. dressing, I mince a small clove of garlic into the bowl and add a wee bit sea salt and pepper and then put the lid on the bowl and shake. You can eat it like that or add chopped tomatoes or cucumbers. We eat this a lot. I am more inclined to use spinach leaves in place of lettuce, so many health benefits to spinach.

 

I don't know if this counts as a veggie, but I let dd chop up tomatoes and we took those and chopped spinach and chopped peppers, put into a pan, cooked with fresh garlic, added a few cubes velveeta (i know, not healthy) and made it into a dip. It was gobbled up quick.

 

I will also juice veggies and a little fruit together to serve at breakfast.

 

And even though I often use a jarred spaghetti sauce, I will blend/puree peppers, spinach, zuccini whatever I have, and add it into the sauce with fresh garlic.

 

When making mashed potatoes, I will add steamed cauliflower that has been processed in a blender, add chicken stock and a little seasoning. My dh hates cauliflower but will eat it this way.You can't taste it. Just don't try to store it in the fridge and reheat because the cauiliflower taste will come out!

[Pretty in Pink]

We eat salad most every night with supper. I always start with a base of mixed greens. To this I may add sliced tomatoes, a sprinkle of cheese, sunflower seeds, and shredded carrots. Sometimes we add walnuts, sliced apples and/or halved grapes, and feta. Fresh spinich goes wonderfully with sliced strawberries and balsamic vinaigrette.

 

Other nights I just slice up a few fresh tomatoes and sprinkle with cracked pepper, sea salt, and basil. You can dress it up with cubed mozerella if you like.

[Denisemomof4]

to spice up salads a bit, we add everything you can imagine to them: nuts, baby corn, pickled beets, olives, pickles, corn, peas, and every vegetable under the sun. We even add sardines, and we like them in salads. With the dresssing..... mmmmm. :D

 

We also do veggie trays with dip, summer salads include home made cole slaw, carrot and raisin salad, and any veggie you can think of blanched and marinaded in salad dressing. Sometimes I'll add chopped garlic to the dressing to really spice things up.

 

If you go on the internet and google vegetable side dishes or salads, I'm sure there's a wealth out there!

[mlgbug]

a spanish dish Vinetas (not sure the spelling)

 

Fresh Green beans. id say a 3 pounds. cut the ends and then into small pieces....TINY. like little thin disk.

 

cook some chicken cubes or meat your choice, bite size

salt and cummin to take

add minced onion (red is best)

minced red pepper (a whole one)

minced clove of Garlic

 

let cook for about 5 mins,

 

throw in all the fresh green beans, give a stir, some salt, and cover and turn heat down. let cook till the green beans are soft. season as needed

 

eat with a side of rice and an over easy egg on top. YUMMY

[OrganicAnn]

Stir Fry is a good way to use vegetables. Beef and Peppers or Chicken and snow peas.

 

I think having fresh vegetable on hand makes it easier to cook and serve vegetable.

 

I find that all vegetables can cooked with butter and salt/pepper to taste. So there is not need to look up recipes. Also a simple white sauce or cheese sauce is good with most veggies.

 

We have a vegetable garden so we are always working on using the fresh vegetable out of the garden or from the farmers market. If you eat corn on the cob fresh in the summer when its best, then you really don't want to eat it during the rest of the year when it is not as good.

[Peela]

Soups. Today I made cauliflower cheese soup, but it had other vegies in it too. Just chuck a wohle lot of vegies together with some stock and you have soup. Get creative with spices and you have interesting soup!

 

We eat most of our vegetables raw though. Whenever I go shopping I buy a packet or two of caesar salad- the ones with the little packets of croutons and dressing and cheese (you must have them in the U.S. too!) . It is my fall back and my kids just love those salads. They both reckon they could eat the whole packet each. I try to add whatever I have on hand- avocado, celery, olives, carrot sticks, red capsicum. You can add bacon if you want. But at the least, its cos lettuce.

 

Sometimes I buy coleslaw in packets too- just the grated carrot and cabbage. I add my own dressing.

 

I love to cook and will often cook from scratch, but there are some nights every week where I just dont feel like it due to being out too much, or tired or whatever, and I try to find the most convenient healthy fall backs. Packet salads have been great for us.

[abbeyej]

...red capsicum...

 

It's so funny which things have different names in North America! We call them bell peppers. :) (And whatever color they are... red bell peppers, green bell peppers...)

[Orthodox6]

http://vegkitchen.com/

 

http://www.tazarat.com/recipe.asp

 

http://www.globalvegankitchen.com/Recipes.html

 

http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/

 

The delicious possibilities with vegetables are endless !

 

What I never have done is to use "standard American practices" such as drowning vegetables in butter/margarine, camoflauging vegetables with heavy, sticky cheese sauces, and other common techniques. Kids don't like it, either ! My children did not start out liking everything I served, but by age ten, they all did. Individual vegetables "caught on" at younger ages.

 

If vegetables are "taught" as "normal", they will be accepted as "normal." (ancient maternal proverb)

Edited July 22, 2009 by Orthodox6

[TammyinTN]

I just chop up everything and toss it with a little evoo and cook until tender and add a little soy sauce. Very yummy!:001_smile:

[Year Round Mom]

I'm like the poster who puts peas in her mac'n'cheese!

 

I also put grated carrot in sloppy joes and other meals where it hides well (casseroles, etc.). Baby spinach leaves on our homemade pizzas. Extra diced tomatoes in our spaghetti sauce. Veggies on sandwiches.

 

I like to add fresh lemon juice to my sauteed veggies (in olive oil). Delish!

 

My girls will eat frozen peas right out of the bag. They think it's a treat! (My son, however, does not fall for that.)

 

HTH!

[Kathy in MD]

I have several sturdy salads that I like to keep on hand, a broccoli - cauliflower salad, a coleslaw and a carrot medalion salad (I saw a similar one on the boards within the past week or so). 3-bean salad also keeps well or can be quickly prepared using canned beans and bottled salad dressing. But for some reason dh feels it's his resonsibility to eat the entire broccoli salad in one sitting so it doesn't last. :glare:

 

I also like to keep raw vegetables cut up and ready to go. They can be served with a dip.

 

In the cooler months, I love to roast vegetables. Sometimes I see cold roast vegetables served as a salad.

 

But my best bet is to include them as part of the main course.

[AngieW in Texas]

asparagus

Trim the ends and wash.

Steam over a pot of boiling water until tender, but not mushy.

Melt 1tbs butter with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper in a skillet.

Add asparagus to skillet and stir fry.

 

brussels sprouts

I always buy frozen because they turn out mushy when I buy fresh.

Bring about 1.5" of water to a boil in a 3 quart pot.

Dump in one bag of brussels sprouts (10-16oz).

Bring back to a boil and then simmer uncovered until soft.

Drain and then mix with butter and salt.

 

Green beans, carrots, and onions

I don't like green beans or carrots alone, but they're very good like this.

Put a little oil in a skillet - maybe 1tbs.

Chop 1/2 cup up to one full cup of onion.

Add in one bag of frozen green beans and one bag of frozen sliced carrots.

Stir fry everything in the skillet until done.

Salt and pepper to taste.

 

Sugar snap stir fry

This is a frozen mix that I get at the grocery store. It has carrot strips, onions, sliced mushrooms, and sugar snap peas.

Put a little oil in a skillet.

Add the frozen stir fry mix and stir fry until done.

Salt and pepper to taste.

Sometimes I add sesame oil and/or Chinese chili oil.

[Lisa in the UP of MI]

The favorites at our house are:

 

salad

steamed veggies (usually fresh, but I also steam frozen veggies)

fresh (mostly carrots and cucumbers)

baked sweet potatoes with a little butter and brown sugar on top

 

I also include them in casserole type dishes and with noodles.