Help me eat my veggies!

[Anonymous]

My kid has grown up, so now I am only cooking for one. I have to sort of force myself to eat vegetables, though I know I should (and served them with every dinner when she was home).

Do you have any side dish/vegetable recipes that you actually look forward to eating? Thank you!!

[Anonymous]

Even a casserole recipe, with say spinach, would do the trick!

[Anonymous]

I am obsessed with roasted cauliflower. Olive oil and salt and some time in the oven. Amazing.

[Anonymous]

Roasted vegetables are really tasty. I use this book a lot:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-roasted-vegetable-andrea-chesman/1116763585

[Anonymous]

I’m not great about veggies when I’m alone either. I do put broccoli/onion/spinach in my egg almost every morning.
I get steam in the bag broccoli and add that to whatever I’m eating for a few days for dinner.
Carrots and celery in ramen if I make ramen…
And bagged salad…. Put whatever protein you want on salad.

[Anonymous]

Try some recipes from the eastern side of the world - Indian, Thai etc. and you will begin to love veggies the most!

[Anonymous]

I really like roasted broccolini. Just S&P and olive oil, roast till it gets a little frizzled on the heads.

Asparagus spears wrapped in prosciutto with a small piece of cheese, then roasted.

Lots of bagged salads are good, like a PP said. Especially for lunch - just add some chicken or shrimp and it’s a meal.

[Anonymous]

The key to veggies is to use a little fat. Whether it’s salad dressing, cheese, cream, olive oil, bacon, etc., it mellows them.

Here are some things you can try:

zoodles (zucchini noodles sauteed in olive oil, garlic, and salt), topped with alfredo or vodka spaghetti sauce. These cook down a lot, so start with more than you think you want. Precut zoodles seem really expensive, but you can buy a spiralizer. I like my vegetti which is easy to use but can trap food in tight places. I have a dedicated toothbrush that I run over it before I put it in the dishwasher.

frozen stir-fry/Asian blend vegetables and/or sugar snap peas - serve with ramen, potstickers, fried rice, etc. I like to top with Trader Joe’s furikake seasoning, Kikoman’s terriyaki sauce, and unsalted sunflower seeds.

Add broccoli or mixed vegetables (broccoli, carrots, and cauliflower) and a little mustard to mac and cheese.

Put broccoli and cheese sauce on a baked potato.

The Knorr rice/pasta packets are convenient. Add a drained can of protein (chicken, tuna) and some veg. Here are some combinations I like:
Cheddar Broccoli rice with chicken and a lot of broccoli (let cook a little before you add broc so it doesn’t overcook)
Creamy Chicken rice with chicken and drained canned mushrooms
Butter and herb pasta with tuna, onions, and sugar snap peas

Spinach is wonderfully versatile. Throw some in a cheese sandwich, eggs, etc., just add it towards the end of cooking time because it’s easy to overcook. It pairs excellently with mushrooms and/or tomatoes/marinara. If you use canned, be sure and drain thoroughly. Generally, I think fresh or frozen is better. It’s also good sauteed with garlic, salt, and olive oil. Sometimes I like to mix it with rice, onions, garlic, salt, mustard, mushrooms, crushed red pepper if you like spice, and some type of creamy/cheesy binder (ricotta, alfredo sauce, etc.),

Escalivada - Spanish roasted vegetables. (needs fresh vegetables). I’m afraid I don’t have a specific recipe, I just google it.

Here’s a family favorite. Grandma called it gumbo because it had okra. My husband refused to call it gumbo because it’s not an authentic gumbo, so we call it Slum Gullion which is what Grandma called it when she was out of okra.
Brown ground beef with garlic and chopped onion. Add canned tomatoes (I usually add diced, but you can use whole), tomato sauce, green peppers, and okra, and maybe a little water. Once the okra is softened, stir in some instant rice, take off heat, and let it sit while rice cooks. Put cheese in top (we use colby but you could use cheddar or any variety you want).

* I generally use frozen vegetables.

* If you used canned mushrooms, inspect them for black areas where grit is trapped. Lately, I’ve been finding more and it’s the last thing you want in your dish.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am obsessed with roasted cauliflower. Olive oil and salt and some time in the oven. Amazing.

+1 add a bit of tumeric. Very tasty.

I love all kinds of roasted veggies.

Broccoli, carrots, potatoes, zucchini... just toss with some olive oil, salt and pepper.. put in oven at 375... et voila... yummy veggies.

[Anonymous]

Peas, carrots, corn.. sauteed with a bit of butter.

[Anonymous]

Drink them in a smooothie. The sweetness of the fruit/yogurt overpowers sonething like carrots or spinach so you don't taste it, but still get the benefits.

[Anonymous]

Can you pair up your veggies with sonetging you like?

Cucumbers + Feta or like carrot + dip. Celery + peanut butter. Try a new salad dressing.
Stuffed peppers for dinner.

[Anonymous]

Do you like mushrooms?

I love mix of mushrooms and whatever green veg I happen to have - broccoli, asparagus, green beans. Sauté mushrooms, add grated garlic or garlic powder, add chopped onion and when mushrooms are almost done add cut up green vegetable. Cook till tender crisp, salt and pepper and it’s great on its own with some crumbled feta or as a side dish.

[Anonymous]

Roasted veggies are also my go to. Sometimes it’s raw veggies and hummus as my side
Or easy arugula salad with drizzle of olive oil, lemon juice, S&P. Parmesan shavings. Pine nuts if I have on hand
Look up Asian dressing with peanut butter, sesame oil and ginger, my kids will happily eat kale when it’s dressed with this. I keep Trader Joe’s frozen ginger cubes on hand for this. It’s also excellent with shredded cabbage

[Anonymous]

I love Trader Joe’s sauerkraut. I like to put it on an open-face hot turkey and cheese sandwich.

I like to put spinach or kale in (drained canned) beans, along with onions, green peppers, bacon/ham, garlic, mustard, ketchup/tomatoes, optional cheese and/or crushed red pepper.