Help me feed my family more vegetables.

[staceyobu]

I can do green beans, peas, squash. I can do a plain salad. I'm sad to say that I'm a little lost in the realm of brussel sprouts, cauliflower, and asparagus.

 

Anyone know of easy, tasty recipes and the basics of fixing veggies? We're really trying to make some dietary changes around here. We tend to eat meat and potatoes... pasta and bread. Help!

[littlebug42]

Last week, I made my own pasta sauce and I added pureed carrots and some spinach to it and stuck it in the blender. Then I made lasagna with it. My oldest daughter ate a ton of it but would be horrified to know it had carrots and spinach in it. Of course, I have no plans to tell her either. I am struggling with this right now myself so I'll take whatever little victory I can get.

[happi duck]

I've had good luck with asking each kid to make a list of 5 fruits and 5 vegetables they like. This helps me not get stuck in a rut and reminds me to grab their more expensive favorites on sale when I can.

 

I also like to make up a vegetable tray that I can take out for snacks and easily put away. If you start with a store bought tray you can keep the container and just keep filling it up. I have found that if the veg is right there on the table ready to eat we all eat more veg.

 

Homemade vegetable soup is also a great way to get more veg.

[Dandelion]

I'm sad to say that I'm a little lost in the realm of brussel sprouts, cauliflower, and asparagus.

 

 

We eat quite a bit of cauliflower, asparagus, and broccoli - all steamed (no brussel sprouts though - I don't really care for them or the gassiness they tend to produce ;)). Steaming is easy and keeps more of the nutrients (and flavor in my opinion) in the veggies than some other forms of cooking. If you're not familiar with steaming, you can pick up a steamer basket for a few bucks at most supermarkets (probably costs $5 or less). To steam, fill a pot or pan with enough water so that it just barely reaches the bottom of the steamer basket. Once the water comes to a boil, add vegetables and place a lid on top to cover and reduce heat to medium. Most vegetables will be ready in less than 10 minutes (just check after about 5-7 min. and gauge it from there). Sometimes I serve them plain (they taste great when they're steamed!) - other times I'll make a simple sauce like an herbed butter sauce to go with them (basically just melted butter with tarragon or other herbs sprinkled in it - doesn't get much easier than that!).

 

My kids also love sweet peppers (mainly red, yellow and orange) - I just cut up a bunch into "sticks" and put them out for snacks or as a side dish with dinner.

 

HTH! :)

[Aubrey]

They sell steamer bags for the mic on the same aisle as the foil & other wraps. Buy a package & follow the instructions. You may not want to go that way forever, but I think it will help train your tastebuds as to how steamed veggies *should* taste (much better than when I steam them stovetop). Then it's easier not to overcook them.

 

But the bags are pretty wonderful. There are also steamer bags of veggies in the frozen food aisle. If you get a bag of...anything, I think, except brusselsprouts, you follow the directions on the bag, & honestly, they're so good, they're usually gone before we actually start dinner, w/ kids coming by & snacking on them. They're pricey & don't go very far (I can't remember if it's 2 or 4 servings/bag), but again, they'll kind of serve as a plumbline for what veggies *ought* to taste like.

 

I was surprised how sweet they were. I've read the ingredient list at least a half dozen times, I was so surprised. But they're just veggies. :001_smile:

[Cleopatra]

For asparagus, I brush some olive oil on it, give it a little salt and pepper and broil it on low (or bake it at 400F) just until it's done. Then you can eat it as is, or grate a little Parmesan cheese on it right after you take it out of the oven. (Real Parmesan - not pre-grated or that Kraft stuff). Don't over cook them, or the flavour won't be very good.

 

My favourite recipe for brussel sprouts is to steam them until they are almost done (not too long; they should still be a bright green). Then I heat up a pan, put a little olive oil in it, add maple syrup and saute the brussel sprouts for a couple of minutes, seasoning them a little with some salt and pepper. These you can't overcook either or they tend to taste like old socks.

 

A good salad recipe with vegetables is:

 

1 lb. cooked beets

5 oz (6 cups) arugula (or mixed salad greens)

2 oranges, segmented & segments halved

1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese (or you can use goat cheese)

1/2 candied walnuts

 

Viniagrette:

1/2 good-quality walnut oil (store it in the fridge when opened as it can go rancid if left out. You can substitute good-quality extra-virgin olive oil)

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 Tablespoon orange juice

1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest

5 Tablespoons sherry vinegar

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 Tablespoon finely minced shallots (or onion, in a pinch)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

Shake together all ingredients in a jar.

 

Cut the beets into bite size pieces. Toss with 1 to 2 Tablespoons vinaigrette. Place arugula in large salad bowl. Add about 3 T. of the vinaigrette and toss. Transfer to a platter and arrange beets, orange segments on top; sprinkle with feta cheese and candied walnuts. Serve.

 

(I candy the walnuts by heating about 3 Tablespoons of honey in a pan and bring it to a boil. I quickly throw in the walnuts, let them cook a little until the honey darkens (not too dark or it will start to burn), then take them out and put them on a well buttered plate. If you need them ready quickly, place the plate in the freezer but not too long because you want them flexible enough to pry apart and separate.)

 

Have fun experimenting!

[Caterpiller]

aspargus with olive oil and lemon peper (or just lemon juice) baked untill soft is one of my absolute favorites!!

 

Mushrooms can go in a lot of things, ever had a portabello hamburger? the mushroom actually replaces the patty, its really good! You could also just add them ontop of a regular hamburger. or put them in pastas or stroganoff, or in omlets or salad. They are really good stuffed as well, basically you just cut off the stems and chop them up, add crushed dry bread crumbs and spices and pop that back into the mushroom and bake on a greased cookie sheet untill piping hot.

 

Spinach is really good in dips, or omlets. i don't like it in salad personally.

 

Califlower and broccolli both cook easily in the microwave for a few seconds in a tiny bit of water. Then you can put cheese on top, or other seasonings.

 

Carrots cooked in a pot with honey and butter, or brown sugar and butter untill soft are delicious. my daughter perfers them raw.

 

a diffrent kind of greenbean dish is to add a tablespoon or two of pickle juice and a pinch of sugar, sounds weird, but its delicious! or try adding a little bacon grease instead of butter.

 

Bellpeppers are really versitle. You can put them in almost anything really, salad, stir fry, pasta, meatloaf, pizza, omlets... stuffed Bellpeppers are delicious!

 

thats all i have for now =p

[Peela]

I would expand on your "plain salad" skills.

Here is a salad for me:

Various leafy greens (not iceberg lettuce) such as cos lettuce, or baby spinach greens.

Carrot sticks

Grated beetroot

cucumber slices

various sprouts (I especially love sunflower sprouts)

sliced capsicum (only red and yellow- green isn't ripe)

herbs such as basil and mint

sliced or baby tomatoes

dried tomatoes

olives (so many types!)

celery

corn scraped fresh off the cob

avocado

radishes

seaweed

sometimes some cabbage (red or green)

various nuts (sunflower seeds, almonds, macadamias)

 

Covered with a dressing. My current favourite dressing is mango dressing, made from mango, lemon juice, garlic olive oil, salt.

 

You can toss all the salad ingredients together, or place them separately on a platter. I like to toss them in a big bowl and sit for half an hour in front of the TV and munch away. Ds and dh prefer theirs in separate pieces on a plate so they dont get all mixed together. They also liketo eat while watching tv- eat this sort of thing. Because it can take a lot to get through a big bowl of salad. But especially if you add avacado and a good dressing- it is very filling.

[Jamee]

We've found ourselves eating a lot more spinach. We add it to lasagna along with other veggies chopped up nicely. Hubby actually chops veggies into a lot of our meals: spaghetti sauce, meatloaf, etc. We also eat a lot of bell peppers, tons of onions--that goes into just about everything. We have found that raw veggies go over much better than cooked. I like to saute green beans with garlic and a dash of soy sauce, the boys then drown it in mustard. For salad, I usually get a bag of baby greens/reds which we like a lot better.

 

Good luck in your quest. We're trying to do more veggies too.

[IsabelC]

Minestrone is a nice easy one pot meal, and you can pretty much throw in any vegies you fancy.

 

I have found it helps to get into the habit of adding vegies to any dish that uses mince (ground meat). So whenever I am doing spaghetti bolognese, or burgers, or chilli beef, etc, I just throw in some grated carrot and zucchini (courgette) with the meat, it mixes in and you don't even notice it.

 

Stir fries are very easy to make. It's just a matter of having everything washed and cut up before you start to cook. Then you add the ingredients in order of how long they'll take to cook.

 

You might like to try being more adventurous with your salads too. If you and your family aren't so keen on raw veg, you can grill, bake or lightly steam things before adding them. You can make the salad into a complete meal by adding meat (or tofu or pulses).

[OrganicAnn]

I think the simplest way to eat any vegetable is to steam it or cook it in water till it is just done. Then add butter or olive oil and salt and pepper. This gives everyone the best idea of what the vegetable tastes like. Once your family decides that they like or dislike a vegetable then you can move on to more complex recipes.

 

Also you (parents) have to develop a good attitude for vegetables. My daughter loves cooked beets (again fresh beets cooked in water with a little butter salt and pepper). Lots of kids would turn up their noses at beets, but they are so good for you.

 

Also try things like artichokes. I find kids love to pull off the leaves and dip them in butter. We clear off the choke when our DD gets to it and get the heart ready for her, but almost prefers the leaves to the heart (so I get the heart - yum!)

 

We grow lots of veggies so we get them fresh from the garden - most peas don't make it inside. But you can get good stuff from your local farmers market.

 

I saw a recipe recently what had cooked potatoes and onions with some zucchini. I think it was a great what to add something new to kids with something familar potatoes. We often ask our DD to try new things and if she doesn't like it that is okay. If we ask, she has to try one bite. It works well. She just recently has begun asking us to try things (ketchup on cauliflower - come on just one bite) and so we did. Turn about is fair play.

[Alessandra]

These are all super easy, prep time less than 5 minutes, and include some extra flavors (salt, garlic, cheese) in case everyone doesn't like plain veggies yet.

 

Broccoli -- cut into small florets (a little top with a little stem) and steam (use a steamer insert in a regular pot) for 3-4 minutes. Toss with soy sauce. Optional: sprinkle with sesame seeds.

 

Swiss chard -- tear the leaves off the ribs, than tear or cut the biggest leaves into several pieces. Heat some oil in a pan, toss in the chard, along with a clove or two of minced garlic, and use a kitchen tongs to turn the chard over, so all the leaves cook -- takes about 3 minutes (leaves will shrink). Sprinkle with salt to taste. When done, add just a drop of vinegar, preferably balsamic.

 

Zucchini -- use small zucchini. Cut off the ends, then cut in half lengthwise. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, paprika (for color) and put in 350° oven or toaster oven until softened (about 15 minutes). Variations; use heavy cream instead of olive oil; sprinkle with parmesan about 5 minutes before taking out of oven.

 

Greek salad -- chop up cucumbers & tomatoes. Add lots of crumbled feta. Vinaigrette dressing (try Good Seasons brand, if you don't have one that you like).

Edited April 18, 2010 by Alessandra

[whitestavern]

I can do green beans, peas, squash. I can do a plain salad. I'm sad to say that I'm a little lost in the realm of brussel sprouts, cauliflower, and asparagus.

 

Anyone know of easy, tasty recipes and the basics of fixing veggies? We're really trying to make some dietary changes around here. We tend to eat meat and potatoes... pasta and bread. Help!

 

Some quick favs off the top of my head, roasted cauliflower. Simply break into florets, toss w/olive oil, salt and pepper and roast (single layer) at high heat in oven til brown. SO good. Do the same with asparagus. Snap the bottom ends off, toss in olive oil, salt and pepper, and roast in a baking dish til crisp tender. Brussel sprouts are good sliced or shredded and sauteed with a little bacon, or something sweet like apples and spices. Or, put them whole into a baking dish, dot with butter and cover. Cook til tender. Beets are another overlooked veggie...and my dc love them. If fresh, take off greens and boil for like an hour. Put under cold water and the skins will rub right off. Then slice and add a little butter and serve. Or, use cans and just heat up on the stove. Sauteed cabbage is yummy as well. Slice and saute in oil with salt and pepper and/or your fav spices.

[Faithr]

I recently discovered roasted veggies. So delicious and easy to make. Chop up a red pepper, a red onion, asparagus, zucchini, mushrooms and new potatoes. Cut up into about 1 inch chunks. Toss with olive oil and salt and pepper. Stick in the oven at 400 degrees for about 25 minutes.

 

We regularly do baby carrots, sliced cucumbers, celery sticks, bell pepper slices, chinese peapods and cherry or grape tomatoes as raw veggies we munch on during lunch or dinner. For cooked veggies, which my kids don't like as much: corn (either on the cob or not), peas, broccoli (I like to steam it and then toss it with vinaigrette while still warm, then chill it while I make the rest of dinner). Very delicious. You can also buy those packages of broccoli, cauliflower and carrots and do the same. Beets taste delicious chopped up and cooked in a bit of water until just tender, toss with olive oil, lemon juice and salt. It's fantastic!!! My kids won't eat beets though, so I eat them all!

 

Carrot slaw is another good thing for kids. Grate up a carrot per person, add a handful of raisins, toss with either apple cider or orange juice. You can add a bit of salt or sugar to heighten the tastes. Let this marinate for a bit before serving.

 

My kids like fresh green beans too, but for some reason won't eat the frozen or canned variety. I steam them and dress them with salt and butter.

[thescrappyhomeschooler]

You can put a lot of veggie purees into homemade soup. I have put cauliflower puree in chicken noodle soup; carrot and celerey puree in potato leek soup; pureed greens in beef vegetable soup. No one can see them, so there are no objections!

[mcconnellboys]

Asparagus that's not too large in diameter is great lightly steamed with a hollandaise sauce over it. Just put it in boiling water for 3 minutes or less. And hollandaise is easy! Take a stick of butter and melt it over heat, adding two or three teaspoons of lemon juice and a dash of cayenne if you'd like a little kick. Break about three eggs, yolks only, into a blender. When the butter just begins to boil, take it off and immediately begin pouring it into the eggs as you start to blend. As you get it all in, top the blender and speed it up for a few seconds. It should whip up into a great, creamy yellow, lemony sauce.

 

For brussel sprouts, you need them fresh and only just boil them a couple of minutes. They are great with almonds toasted in butter poured over them.

 

For cauliflower or broccoli - both are great just slightly steamed, again for only about 3 minutes. I'm saying "steamed", but I usually just drop them in boiling water, then put them in a colander and rinse with cool water to stop the cooking as I don't own a "steamer".

 

Topping with lemon juice or the hollandaise I mentioned above is good. Topping with a garlic butter would be good. OR we like to eat them and other vegis raw with a homemade dip. (I'm recalling these things off the top of my head, so if you are interested I can check the actual recipes to make sure I've got amounts right. I tend to be a throw it all in kind of cook, LOL.)

 

Dip for vegis: Take about 8 ounces of sour cream and combine it with the same amount of mayonnaise. Stir in about three TABLEspoons of parsley flakes and three teaspoons of dill. Add two teaspoons of Beau Monde and chives. Stir well and let sit in the fridge for a while to marry the flavors. This dip gets better over the course of a few days, so you might want to make more and pull out the vegis every day! A little goes a long way, too.....

[Quad Shot Academy]

I have found keeping it simple is the best way to introduce new veggies. I make a main dish that they like: pasta, grilled chicken, steamed potatoes, nachos, taquitos. Then I add a couple steamed veggies. I use a steamer that can steam multiple kinds of veggies at one. I throw in a few choices, salt and serve on a platter. The kids pick the kind of veggies they want, but try at least 1 piece of everything. Just go to the produce section and buy 1 new thing each week. But cook at least 2 veggies with each dinner. My kids favorite fresh produce are artichoke, asparagus, broccoli (has to be fresh), carrots and sweet potatoes. I cook all of these in the steamer, salt, serve with butter on top and that is it!

 

We are also big on a variety of salads. I make nacho salad, greek salad, spinach, romaine, chef . . . I am always trying to come up with different salad combinations to keep from getting bored.

nacho: taco seasoned ground beef or chicken, beans, fzn corn, romaine, cheddar

Greek: romaine, tomato, cucumber, grape, feta

Spinach: mandarin orange, strawberry, almonds,

chef: ham, egg, cheddar, romaine, spinach, traditional veggies

[Gratia271]

These recipes sound great! I need to write them down.

[Annie]

I know one other person mentioned beets, but I had to put in a second plug for them! I didn't think I would like them, but they're delicious! I was sad when the beet season ended here last summer. I would cut them up in coins or wedges, coat lightly with olive oil, sprinkle with a little salt, and roast them in the oven. YUM!

 

We do most of our veggies pretty plain. I steam most things. We'll occasionally put on some butter or oil, and my DH likes pepper on his squash, but I mostly just eat them plain.

 

If you ever make fruit smoothies, throw in a hand full of spinach or kale. It changes the color, but you get in some good veggies. If you have a good blender that will make them smooth, I think carrots would probably also work in a smoothie...

[LibraryLover]

We like curries and stiry fries, and I think it's pretty easy to get losts of veggies into all this way. Here is a Thai chicken/sweet potato/spinach dish. I haven't followed recipes in long while, but this one looks good and close enough lol I use jasimine brown rice and I add far more of the veggies. I don't limit myself to chicken breasts, either, and I have never used brown sugar in my thai curry, and I use much more curry. I've also used carrots and other veggies. This is what I would consider a cool weather meal, but it's not that warm for some of us yet. I grill all sorts of veggies in summer. Sweet potatoes and peppers etc are wonderful on the grill. To speed things up, I cut the sweet potatoes in half and give them a bit of a head start on the stove. Sweet potatoes steam fine in a strainer. The I brush w/olive oil, & sprinkle a little salt & pepper over them before I put them on the grill. I don't peel them, but I do gently scrub the skins with a veggie brush.

 

Thai Sweet Potato Spinach Curry

 

Ingredients

1 tablespoon neutral oil (I use coconut oil in these sorts of recipes. A little goes a long way)

1 medium yellow onion, diced

1 cup low-sodium or homemade chicken broth

1 (14-ounce) can light coconut milk

2 tablespoons fish sauce

1 tablespoon brown sugar

2 teaspoons (or to taste) red curry paste

1 teaspoon Sriracha hot chili sauce, or to taste

1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced into 1/2 inch cubes

12 ounces boneless skinless chicken breasts, sliced about 1/4 inch thick

5 ounces fresh baby spinach leaves

 

Directions

Heat the oil in a skillet. Add the onion and saute until tender. Add the stock, coconut milk, fish sauce and brown sugar. Bring to a simmer, add the curry paste and stir until it dissolves.

Add the sweet potato and simmer for 10 minutes, or until almost tender. Add the chicken, cook 3 - 4 minutes. Stir in the spinach and cook until it just wilts.

 

My kids loves greens in a stir fry. Bok Choy, kale, chards, sliced or shredded cabbages etc are excellent this way. Rainbow chard makes a gorgeous looking dish.

Edited April 18, 2010 by LibraryLover

[elise1mds]

Snow peas! I love to add them to salads or make some dip and just eat them on their own. They make great snacks. I also have no problem with broccoli and/or cauliflower & cheese as long as there's a good ratio of vegetable to cheese sauce, and the kids love it. Asparagus is one of my kids' favorites if I saute it in olive oil with some good herbs and a little salt and pepper. I do have to make sure to get thin ones. Have you ever tried butternut squash?? That's another favorite around here. You take the rind off, cut it into chunks, drizzle it with olive oil or honey and salt and pepper and roast it at 350 for about an hour. SO soft and delicious. Making that one for dinner tonight, actually, to go with shepherd's pie.

 

Also, here's a GREAT recipe to go with Brussels sprouts... I hope you have fun with new veggies!

 

 

Autumn Beef-Barley Dinner

 

2 T. vegetable oil

1-1/2 lbs. stew meat in 1” chunks

1 large onion, diced

6 c. water or broth

1/2 c. barley (see note for quick-cooking barley)

2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. oregano

1/2 tsp. pepper

1 lb. Brussels sprouts, halved

1 can diced tomatoes

Brown the beef in hot oil. Add onions, water, barley, oregano, and pepper. Heat to boiling; lower heat and simmer 1-2 hours or till beef is tender. Add salt and Brussels sprouts. Simmer 30 minutes more. Add tomatoes and heat through.

NOTE: If using quick-cooking barley, do not add the barley until you add the tomatoes.

[cougarmom4]

I often include a plate of fresh veggies/fruit with our meal. I put at least 4-5 different things--cherry tomatoes, carrots, cucumber, green peppers, cauliflower, broccoli, apples, strawberries, grapes, etc. At first I told the kids they had to eat at least 3 different things. This allowed them to not have to try them all...for example, my daughter who very much dislikes tomatoes, or my son who dislikes green peppers.

 

This is a very easy way to add veggies in...and also a great way to fill up growing kiddos who are constantly hungry.

[Crimson Wife]

So long as your kids don't have a weight problem, ranch dressing and cheese sauce are absolutely the way to go in getting them to eat a broader variety of veggies.

[Mejane]

Best-ever brussel sprouts:

 

Cut sprouts in half, spray with olive oil, and season with kosher salt and pepper. Roast in 400* oven for approximately 30 minutes (or until browned and tender.) Sprinkle with parmesan cheese if desired.

 

They are sweet and not at all bitter. They're so good, we eat them right out of the pan.

[LibraryLover]

I must be on a sweet potato kick. lol Tonight I cut up two large ones & steamed them, and cooked up some quiona. (We love quiona because it's tasty, but also because it cooks up super-fast - as does millet- and my family loves it in just about anything). I sauteed about a cup of chopped kale in some olive oil, added the quiona, and sweet potato chunks and tossed with a bit more olive oil, some salt & pepper , and finished off with a little lime juice juice. I served it with baked wild salmon, and romaine lettuce tossed with red bell pepper). In hindsight, I could have sauteed some slivers of onions with the kale; that would have been nice.

Edited April 20, 2010 by LibraryLover

[msjones]

My kids eat more salad when I add any of the following to the salad:

apples, cheddar cheese cubes, sunflowers seeds, bacon bits, croutons, orange sections, dried cranberries, raisins, toasted almonds, parmesan cheese.

 

I also put out fruit or veg platters at afternoon snack time. They like the carrots, cucumber, celery cut into thinner pieces (about the width of a pencil) rather than chunky. Also, mine already love fruit, but they eat even more fruit if it's sliced and put on a pretty tray.

[CamperMom]

1 lb. Brussels sprouts

4 Tbsp. butter

Juice of 1/2 lemon

salt and pepper

 

Trim and and wash sprouts; steam until just barely tender. Halve each sprout lengthwise. Melt butter in a saute pan, add sprouts, cook until heated through. Add lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste. Stir them up and serve.

 

Serves 4-6

 

Oh my, these are good. We make this recipe when we can get the sprouts still on the stalk. The kids like to pop them off the stalk to help out with the cooking.

[charlotteb]

Have you ever read the book "Deceptively Delicious" by Jessica Seinfield? It shows you ways to sneak veggies into common recipes. It is meant as a way for trick picky eaters, but I love the idea of using it to add extra veggies to things you wouldn't even think of!

[Tina]

My kids like their broccoli and carrots raw. I often make a veggie pizza for lunch.

Spread two packs of crescent rolls over a cookie sheet, sealing all the perforations, and bake as directed. Mix an 8oz cream cheese (low fat is fine) with a pack of dry ranch dressing, adding a bit of sour cream to make it spreadable. Spread over the baked cooled crust. Top with finely chopped broccoli and cauliflower. Sprinkle with shredded cheese. We often skip the cheese. Cut into squares and serve. My mom adds some shredded carrots and slivered red or green peppers, too.

 

At a recent PC party, she took those Tostito Scoops, squirted a bit of ranch dressing in them, and filled them with finely chopped broccoli and carrots.

[CalicoKat]

I can do green beans, peas, squash. I can do a plain salad. I'm sad to say that I'm a little lost in the realm of brussel sprouts, cauliflower, and asparagus.

 

Anyone know of easy, tasty recipes and the basics of fixing veggies? We're really trying to make some dietary changes around here. We tend to eat meat and potatoes... pasta and bread. Help!

cauliflower -

 

Trim off the green leaves off the bottom.

Plunk the sucker whole in a bit (1.5 inches) of boiling water in the bottom of a sauce pan.

Cover and let it steam until done. (still whole, but soft & spoonable)

Slide it out whole on a plate and put a pat of butter on top.

 

My family will only eat it this way.

 

Or for a potatoe substitute and low carb dish you can steam it then mash it up like you'd do mashed potatoes for Faux Tay Toes!

 

Brussel sprouts are good steamed with lemon juice and a bit of salt.

[texasmama]

My kids eat the heck out of homemade salsa with chips. It is canned tomatoes, chopped garlic, onion, fresh cilantro and jalapenos to taste in a food processor. Even the picky child eats it...sometimes for breakfast.:tongue_smilie: They are allowed as much of this as they want since it will "cure what ails ya". I also saute and puree veggies to put in spaghetti sauce and no one is the wiser. Smoothies are a great way to get lots of fun and healthy fruits and veggies in. You can put spinach and tomatoes and avocados in them and no one will know as along as you also toss in a banana and some blueberries.