I'm looking to eat more healthfully, and that includes eating a lot more fruits and veggies. I'm trying to branch out and really try new things, but I'm finding that vegetables, the way I make them, can be boring. So help me spice them up, please! Side dishes, main dishes, whatever you got...I'd love to hear some ideas for ways to make the vegetables.

Quick steam fresh organic veggies and season them with your fave herbs

Buy a high quality juicer and JUICE IT !!

Eat them raw - or roasted and grilled is YUMMERZ TOO

Do you ever roast vegetables instead of steaming them? Green beans, broccoli, brussels sprouts - all are excellent roasted. Cut broccoli into bite-sized pieces and brussels sprouts in half (you can leave the beans whole or break them into smaller pieces if you wish), toss them with olive oil and salt and pepper, and roast on a baking sheet for about 20 minutes at 400 degrees F. (You can stir them half-way through roasting - but you really don't need to.)

Delicious - and very, very easy.

I like mine steamed, not very exciting. I also like to sprinkle a little olive oil on them, salt and pepper and put them on a baking sheet in the oven, till they are tender. I tend to find my kids will eat them more often this way.



^^Great minds think alike, I saw yours right after I wrote mine.
[Edited 4/2/09 11:55am]

PaisleyPark5083 said:

I think roasting brings out the natural sweetness in the veggies - something kids would find appealing.

Genesia said:

Thanks. That sounds good. Lately I've gotten in this habit of just sauteeing asparagus or squash in olive oil and a little garlic--which I love, but it's getting old. Love this roasting idea, because it sounds nice and convenient.

Efan said:

Asparagus roasts beautifully, too - as does cauliflower.

Genesia said:

asparagus, carrots (sliced long) and zuccini (green and yellow)

I make a meeean vegetarian spaghetti!

Curried veggies with chickpeas is delicious too

and cabbage rolls (stuffed with rice and vegetables, then covered with tomato sauce and baked) are good too

best recipe EVER for vegetables:


















































put a thick piece of medium rare beef on top of them.

JerseyKRS said:

WORD!

RenHoek said:

+2

My fave thing ever is soup

saute some onions and carrots (that you've processed quite finely beforehand)
throw in a finely chopped celery stick
after a couple of minutes, pour in 2 litres vegetable stock and a can of crushed tomatoes.
Rinse 1/2 cup of pearl barley and throw in (soak them overnight to cut down on cooking time)
season with paprika and curry powder or if you like it spicy, use madras past :droll:
3/4 an hour before turning the heat off, throw in a diced potato
12 mins before turning heat off, can of lentils or borlotti beans, and half a cup of little pasta

it's ready when the pearl barley isn't hard anymore

Just looking.

ZombieKitten said:

Wow, that sounds good! Thanks!

Efan said:

I just had a bowl for breakfast couldn't wait for lunch
you can put in any vegies, zucchini, mushroom, whatever you like, estimate how long it takes to cook, and put it in the soup that long before serving up.

Carrots cut and roasted w/ butter and sprinkled generously with coconut.

.....


When I roast a chicken I stick a 1/2 of a garlic a lemon 1/2 and fresh rosemary or basil inside the bird ... I chop yams, red/blue/yukon potatoes, onions, carrots ad sometimes white yams (those are REALLY sweet) and bake them in the casserole pan with the bird.

The veggies take on the flavors of the garlic and rosemary.

you want to eat healthy?


you want to consume more vegetables?


you want to try new things/recipes?







this is my answer:

Genesia said:

thanks for making me hungry,
im going to juice up some beet-celery-green apple juice.

the key to juicing is when you buy your veggies, wash them as soon as you bring them home, then place them in the fridge. So they are always ready when your ready to juice.

My fave in the summertime is to grill fennel and zucchini.
Just slice 'em lengthwise and brush olive oil on them. Sprinkle with coarse salt and herbs.

Especially the fennel
[Edited 4/2/09 19:05pm]

johnart said:

we have fennel growing wild along our fenceline - keeps seeding from next doors I like a fresh fennel and orange salad



goes nice together!

AND I like roasted beetroot with walnut and feta salad



and roasted sweet potato, pinenut and chilli salad

steamed green beans and roasted capsicum in a little olive oil with garlic

Thanks for those pictures Charlotte, now I'm hungry, and I just had dinner!

ZombieKitten said:

Yum! I never used it in salad.

JerseyKRS said:

A couple tweaks: rare beef - and hold the veggies.

slice sweet potatoes, drizzle with olive oil and season with ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon.

Roast about 30 minutes or so, pausing every now and again to reposition them. I leave 'em in until there's some nice burn and crust on most of them -- but not until they're charred. It's a timing thing.

These taste sooooo good with sauteed green beans seasoned with garlic pepper, all washed down with some nice, iced white peach tea.

ThreadBare said:

fresh ginger or powder?

ZombieKitten said:

blasphemy !!!

Fresh Asparagus:

Cut ends off, wash, marinate in Olive oil, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce and pepper. (reserve part of mixture)

Lay out flat on foil, put under grill in over (or roast), after a few mins give them a quick turn, grill/roast for a few more mins (do not let them get too soft, stay firm in center). Then remove from oven and drizzle reserved mixture on and serve.

ThreadBare said:

Roast sweet potatoes.....

I usually bake mine in foil, take out, pull skins off, small dab of real butter, sprinkle of lemon juice, sprinkle of cinnamon and all spice.