Vegetables - how to make them more tasty?

G

gogetter22

New member
Hey guys.

Does anyone have any tips on making vege's more edible. I hate them. I have tried mixing them with gravy but im kinda getting sick of that. Any sugestions would be appreciated.

Gemma xoxo
 
I've said it here a thousand times... and in a book I recently read by a chef... it backed up my assertation.

Try roasting them...

Put the vegetables, broccoli, eggplant, zucchini, asparagus, green beans, brussel sprouts, onions, whatever on a cookie sheet.. Sprinkle with a tablespoon of olive oil and put in a 450 degree oven for about 15 minutes -

Wonderful roasted vegetables...
 
Hmm that's a tough one. Trying to disguise the taste doesn't really work IMO, even broccoli smothered in cheese sauce still tastes like broccoli. If you are just trying to up your intake of veggies you you could try one of the " super green" supplements. If you are trying to eat more veggies because veggies are a low cal and good for you food you'll just have to experiment until you find something that works for you. I don't typically burn out on veggies but if I do get bored I mix veggies in some kind of ethnic dish. Curry wakes up veggies for me as does grilling or roasting, some zucchini brushed with olive oil and tossed on the grill is tasty treat. With all the different veggies out there I have a tough time believing you "hate" all of them, the variety of tastes and textures is staggering.

Here are some things I like.

corn and peppers with a dash of olive oil and romano cheese

pan fried zucchini, mushrooms and onions, a tbsp of olive oil goes a long way

steamed broccoli with crushed garlic on top

roasted anything

baked potato topped with home made pico de gallo

kim chee

onion, tomato, fresh basil, goat cheese and oilve oil

...and what can't you make a salad out of? I can amaze my family with a bag of coleslaw, cherry tomatoes, black olives, baby corn, artichoke hearts (water packed), romano cheese, cubed lean ham and a few tbsp of light Italian dressing. I've even made salads using pizza toppings to get kids to eat it, turkey pepperoni, Italian turkey sausage and sun dried tomato salad dressing can make anything interesting. Salads are where its at for me. I can eat a loaded mixing bowl sized salad and keep it under 500 cal.
 
Grill them. Grilled vegetables taste SO much better than steamed or boiled, in my opinion. If you have calories to spend you can use olive oil or balsamic vinegar.
 
I can't imagine putting gravy on a vegetable (other than a potato, but potatoes are different). I really love veggies so I don't need a whole lot of anything to make them more tasty.

I really like a mixture of shredded carrot, thin green/red pepper strips, thinly sliced onion and brocolli florets. I just throw it all into a microwave safe bowl and nuke it til it's hot and tender crisp. The flavors meld together in a really pleasing way.

But, if you don't like vegetables, perhaps some marina sauce would make them more palatable for you. I love roasted zucchini with a little marinara and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese on top.
 
I'm from new york originally -by gravy I assumed they meant a marinara sauce.. which is a good way to disguise veggies.. though I love a really good vegetable spaghetti sauce -with julienned zucchini, carrots, and mushrooms.
 
maleficent said:
I'm from new york originally -by gravy I assumed they meant a marinara sauce.. which is a good way to disguise veggies.. though I love a really good vegetable spaghetti sauce -with julienned zucchini, carrots, and mushrooms.
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LOL! That's a new one for me. Gravy, in my book, is made with meat drippings (or some flavoring agent) a thickening agent (flour or corn starch) and water or broth. It sounded like a gross vegetable accompiment and not very "diet".

Learn something new every day!
 
it might very well be the stuff that people put on mashed taters.. but in italian american neighborhoods - gravy is red sauce :) and that's far less gross on vegetables than the brown stuff is :D
 
My Boyfriend loves to cook, and he cooks a lot with veggies! Here are some things he has made that are to die for!

Roasted Tomatoes....

-Cut tomatoes into equal sized slices (probably an inch to a half-inch thick)
-Lay them out on a baking sheet with tinfoil.
-Set yer oven to 220 (6 hours) or 320 (3 hours--Kind of cheating but quicker)
-Sprinkle some Thyme leaves on each tomato, some salt, pepper, extra virgin olive oil and pop them in the oven for whichever time you picked.
-Take them out after 6 or 3 hours, let them cool a bit, and eat!

Garlic Carrots...

-Boil some (chopped) carrots (don't make them mushy!)
-Cut up some very fine shallots and fresh garlic
-Put extra virgin olive oil in a sauce pan
-When it heats up throw in the chopped shallots and garlic (Along with a good bit of Thyme!)
-Sautee the chopped carrots in this oil until they are done.
-Take out just the carrots don't eat the shallot and garlic unless you want to. And definitely don't eat those Thyme sprigs!

Not sure if the Extra Virgin olive oil is bad or not for weight loss, but I'm sure with the tomatoes you don't need it at all, and with the garlic carrots you could always boil them in water seasoned with garlic, thyme and shallot. I have had them this way too and they are very delicious.

-N-
 
Roasted Tomatoes....

-Cut tomatoes into equal sized slices (probably an inch to a half-inch thick)
-Lay them out on a baking sheet with tinfoil.
-Set yer oven to 220 (6 hours) or 320 (3 hours--Kind of cheating but quicker)
-Sprinkle some Thyme leaves on each tomato, some salt, pepper, extra virgin olive oil and pop them in the oven for whichever time you picked.
-Take them out after 6 or 3 hours, let them cool a bit, and eat!
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those are pretty close to sundried tomatoes...

and olive oil is a good oil .. but does have calories... so good for weight loss - in moderation it's fine...
 
They tasted quite similar to sundried tomatoes except less bitter. And the edges are crispy while the middle still has that gooeyness.

Just read the calories on the EV olive oil.... 120 per Tbs! Well... That's only 40 per teaspoon, so I'm sure I could work with that!

-N-
 
dont forget that you really do need fat in your diet = and the fat in olive oil is a good fat...

the calories in vegetables are quite low - so it does balance out quite nicely...
 
making vegies more tasty

soup is awesome, try minestrone, roasted capscicum, potato and leek

My fave is pea and rocket soup:
-fry some garlic and onion in olive oil
- add 1.5L stock and heat until boiling
- add 700g frozen peas
- 100 g rocket
whiz with the whizzer and eat with parmesan and some spare rocket.

If you can eat enough fruit, you're getting most of your vitamins and minerals. (except for a few like lycopene in tomatoes, or starch in potatoes - rice is the alternative).

slowly add vegies to your meals over time and you'll eventually develop a taste for them!
 
I'm only Italian by association, mostly through the stomach. Gravy, when referring to Italian food, must have some kind of meat in it. If it's tomato and herbs, then it's marinara.

One thing to consider with vegetables is to use fresh. I love vegetables, but frozen or canned is just not the same. For some, this goes without saying, but I know people who's idea of greens gets defrosted in the microwave.

I love grilling veggies on the barbecue. Take some zucchini and slice it long ways into strips, about 1 inch wide and a half inch thick. Put them in a zip lock bag with some balsamic vinegar, a little cold pressed olive oil, some salt and pepper, and any herbs that strike your fancy, and give it a good shake to coat everything. Then grill them on the barbecue till it softens, turning it every so often. It doesn't take long, but oh, so good.
 
onmyway said:
soup is awesome, try minestrone, roasted capscicum, potato and leek

My fave is pea and rocket soup:
-fry some garlic and onion in olive oil
- add 1.5L stock and heat until boiling
- add 700g frozen peas
- 100 g rocket
whiz with the whizzer and eat with parmesan and some spare rocket.
Click to expand...
rocket????
 
rocket = arugula a slightly peppery green in the cabbage family...

It's name comes from the French word for it--rocquett
 
maleficent said:
rocket = arugula a slightly peppery green in the cabbage family...

It's name comes from the French word for it--rocquett
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Another new bit of information comes my way via this site.

Arugula....is it possible it's an ingredient in my package of spring greens that I get at Costco? The word is familiar...but I'm not sure if I've ever had it before or not.
 
I usually chop up and stir fry broccoli and onions with olive oil, garlic powder, and this random generic "asian" spice. I also eat frozen veggies with salsa. I like dipping carrots in hummus. Also just try mixing it in with foods you already like, for example I put them in my spaghetti sauce.
 
Dips and Rocket

I had another idea - Dips. I made lots of dips on the weekend so that I can dip vegie sticks in them. The dips I made were:
- beetroot dip
- tzatziki
- spicy capscicum
- guocamole
- salsa (can be used on tacos, as a dip, on fish...anything)
All with fresh vegetables of course. You can spread all of these on your sandwiches too.



rocket is a green leafy vegie like spinach or baby bok choy or lettuce. You can eat it cooked or raw. It's has an almost spicy taste. Look for it in the supermarket, it should be in packets. I ALWAYS have a packet of it mixed with baby spinach in the fridge. I add it to everything...fibre, vitamins and taste in seconds.

Alternatively, just used baby spinach in that soup instead.
 
Judyb said:
Another new bit of information comes my way via this site.

Arugula....is it possible it's an ingredient in my package of spring greens that I get at Costco? The word is familiar...but I'm not sure if I've ever had it before or not.
Click to expand...
It's usually part of the weed mix - i mean the mesclun salad or spring greens sold in the cello packages at a lot of stores...not one of my favorite greens... but it's better than some...
 
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