Veggies

[jaybee]

I go hot and cold with veggies. If cauliflower, brussel sprouts, asparagus, brocoli, peas etc. are on the table, I'll eat big helpings. But left to my own devices, I rarely prepare them or even think of them for day to day meals. I wonder if anyone has culinary tricks that make veggies as hard to resist as a hamburger would be (for me)? I used to make delicious hash of ground up brussel sprouts with onions, mushrooms and garlic. This help my affections for about three months and then disappeared from my repertoire.

Veggies shouldn't be a struggle, but somehow they are. Ideas?

[Bux]

Variety might help. I imagine a steady diet of anything for three months will grow tiring. Nevertheless, it does seem a lot easier and more satisfying to eat a piece of protein thrown on the grille or in a pan. Vegetables take more effort or at least more forethought.

[spqr]

The proper role of veggies is to garnish a plate. I don't generally consider them to be "food", although there is at least one big exception to the rule (the potato). Which isn't to say I don't like veggies. Well, I don't really, but there are exceptions. I guess I am conflicted too.

[foodgeek]

I go hot and cold with veggies.  If cauliflower, brussel sprouts,  asparagus, brocoli, peas etc. are on the table, I'll eat big helpings.  But left to my own devices, I rarely prepare them or even think of them for day to day meals.  I wonder if anyone has culinary tricks that make veggies as hard to resist as a hamburger would be (for me)?  I used to make delicious hash of ground up brussel sprouts with onions, mushrooms and garlic.  This help my affections for about three months and then disappeared from my repertoire.

Veggies shouldn't be a struggle, but somehow they are.  Ideas?

It's hard to answer thsi question without knowing more abouyt your preferences, but when I want to eat a bunch of veggies and enjoy them I make a vegetable tomato sauce. I usually use (fresh) mushrooms, carrots, onions, garlic, bell peppers, summersquash. Fresh peas work but must be added near the end. I'm sure you could work other vegetables in as well, just don't overload the sauce with veggies.

I was going to suggest the british dish Bubble & Squeak (with cabbage or brussels) but your hash sounds similar. The TVFN web site (www.foodtv.com) should have the Two fat Ladies version. You can substitiute olive oil for the lard.

How about making a vegetable soup?

[spqr]

Just to be precise, we should stipulate that we are referring to vegetables and not fruits. Tomatoes, eggplants, zucchini, and such like are fruits, not vegetables, and there can be no objections to them.

[Rachel Perlow]

Time to bring up the

Roasted Cauliflower discussion again! Here's Jim Dixon's post from the middle of page 1 of that link.

I've got a bunch of simple vegetable recipes (I actually don't think of them as recipes, but more like cooking techniques) on my site. I cook this one about once a week, and it's really good...<p>tossed a sliced head of cauliflower (trim base, set upright on cuttng board, and cut 1/4 inch slices...okay if pieces break up, actually better if they do) with a bit of your cooking grade extra virign olive oil and a little salt<p>spread in single layer in baking dish (I like to use a cast iron skillet for this, but I use one for almost everything else, too)<p>roast in hot oven (375-400F), stirring occasionally, until browned around the edges, about 20 minutes.<p>drizzle with really good olive oil, more salt if like, and eat hot<p>Two of us easily devour a single head, and when we have any boys home, I always cook two and there are never leftovers.<p>Jim

We were quite obsessed with this cauliflower for a while there. Mmm, was it good, now I'm thinking about it again and will have to make it soon.

[Suzanne F]

Do you count salad as vegetables? Even if we don't have a separate veg or veg main course, we almost always a HUGE salad with various lettuces, bell peppers, cucumber, sprouts, carrots, tomatoes (in season), etc.

And roasted veg are an excellent solution. You can make a big batch while you're roasting some slab of protein; eat some fresh; eat some reheated plain the next day; turn them into your entrée the following day. YUM. Besides cauliflower, try broccoli, asparagus, pieces of squash -- with or without slices of onion.

[Cheffie3]

Although, I am not a vegetarian, I highly recommend Debroah Madison's book, Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone. She has a lot of good ideas for mixing and matching vegetables and herbs, oils, etc. When I get bored with my own variations, I usually refer to her book. Something else to try is McCormick's Vegetable Delight seasoning. A little of this and a bit of butter, will make any vegetable taste good.

[Dana]

Oven roasting veggies are quick and delish. I use any combo of the following:cauilflower, onion, garlic, tomato, yellow squash and zucchini, eggplant, and new potatoes. I quit using carrots, as the never seem to get done. Drizzle with evoo, season with s&p and some fresh basil. Sublime.

Family also like a quick saute of onion and garlic, yellow and zucchini squash and red bell peppers. One key, I think is combinations of veggies. A bowl of green beans, or corn, or asparagus gets boring pretty quickly. I like to add juice from half a lemon or a shot of good balsamic along with the butter to perk up the taste of any veg. JUST DON'T OVERCOOK THEM

[Double 0]

I've got to agee with Cheffie3. Deborah Madison's book really covers the topic excellently. I went to her restuarant(Greens) about 20 yrs ago, what a revelation, Veggies have never been the same for me. One my favorite veg dishes is a chopped salad(no lettuce). Just chop up your favorite salad vegs(cucummber, onion,peppers tomatoes(I know its a fruit), carrots,blanched string beans,etc). Mix with a can of chick peas(rinsed) some anchovies(or not), olives, feta, the juice of a lemon, ev olive oil,pepper and chopped herbs. Let it sit for a hour, grab some good bread,for sucking up the juices. Thats a whole meal in itself!

[John Whiting]

I quit using carrots, as the never seem to get done.

Shredded with the new (no. 3) coarse Microplane grater, they cook down thoroughly at the same rate as other softer veggies and give that sweet, indispensible carrot flavor.

In a chopped salad, even the dreaded iceberg lettuce, if narrowly sliced/shredded, provides acceptable bulk and moderates the flavor of overly intense ingredients or dressings -- the equivant of bread around an intense sandwich filling you wouldn't want to spoon up on its own.

[bigbear]

Ratatouille, hot or cold. I used to keep a batch in the fridge for guilt-free snacking and as a quick start for a last-minute pasta sauce. The Queen calls it "ra-ta-pooey." So now, I make it when she's out of town.

[snowangel]

Oven roasting veggies are quick and delish. I use any combo of the following:cauilflower, onion, garlic, tomato, yellow squash and zucchini, eggplant, and new potatoes. I quit using carrots, as the never seem to get done.

Try giving the carrots a start in the microwave, and then move them to the oven. I do it all the time.

[torakris]

Roasted veggies are a staple in our house, it is so easy to just toss in a tray of veggies when there is already something in the oven. For carrots I just cut them smaller than the potatoes or start them about 10 minutes faster. My favorite is roasting winter squashes, cut out the seeds and roasted cut side down until tender, when done I sprinkle with S and P adn drizzle with EVOO or butter. I just roasted a kabocha squash a couple of days ago and it was soooo good, the kids were fighting over the last piece.

I also a fan of Deborah Madison's Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone and use it quite often. She can make any veggie taste good and at close to 750 pages she gives you lots of choices. One of my favorites is a spring roll made with chinese cabbage and tofu and 2 days ago I made an avocado and citrus salad that was really good.

[jaybee]

The roasting idea sounds very good to me. It will produce tastes and textures closer to

roasted or grilled meats and allows for the inclusion of a lot of interesting variations. It's also easy to do. Thanks for that concept. I will work with it. I also think the Chinese approach of using meats more as a condiment or enhancment rather than the central part of a dish would work with the roasted veggies idea. Good ideas.

[Stone]

I would think that to make a veggie good enough to rival a hamburger, you'd have to destroy the "veggie" by adding cheese, sauce, etc. You might as well eat the burger.

I just try to buy new and different kinds of veggies. I prepare most of them simply -- blanching, steaming, etc., with a little salt, evoo, butter or soy. But I'm strange enough to love brussel sprouts.

[tommy]

i love grilled asparagus. with a generous dose of salt and pepper. and if you don't have a grill, a cast iron pan with ridges works just as well. hell, so does the broiler. i find they go wonderful with any grilled food.

i have to wonder why people think that they *need* to eat vegetables. take a multi-vitamin a day, and metamucil for fiber, and skip veggies if they don't do it for you. am i missing something? or is this simply something leftover from (ancient) upbringing. this reminds me of those who get on the soapbox about overcooking vegetables because "you cook all of the nutrients out of them!" so?

skip the spinach and have 2 burgers.

[mixmaster b]

How about sauteed greens in olive oil and garlic? I do broccoli raab, spinach, kale, and chard this way. Just rinse the greens, cut as necessary (broccoli raab gets slices across the bunch into about 3 sections, chard and kale I shred, and spinach stays whole), sautee in a bit of olive oil and garlic till done, salt and pepper (red peper flakes are good too) and eat. Very simple and good. Some cookbooks tell you to blanch the greens first, but I have had good results skipping that step.

Other bitter greens like radicchio and treviso are great sauteed with some fired pancetta. Maybe a bit of bacon grease will pique your interest? Works for me!

I also find that spending more $ on green veg in the market translates into less prep. I pay more for fancy baby spinach that doesn't need more than a quick rinse. Also asapration, that baby broccoli-like veggie, is loveley sauteed for a few minutes in a mix of butter and olive oil, and finished with a squeeze of lemon, s&p. Aspagarus is another one that takes little prep and just a few minutes to cook.

Grilling veggies is another way to make them more enticing. Portobello mushies, zuchinni, summer squash, and baby bok choy all do well on the grill after a quick marination in some olive-oil-based concoction.

Good luck with the veggies!

[torakris]

I am a veggie lover and tend to cook in the Asian style of having mostly vegetable dishes with a little bit of meat.

A really fail safe way with green leaf veggies, peas of any kind, and mushrooms is to sautee some bacon or pancetta then toss in veggie of choice (blanched if preferred) and season with S and P.

A great lunch (or side dish) is to grill some veggies on a ridged griddle pan , I like zucchini, red peppers, scallions, and asparagus, then toss them with couscous, a simple vinagrette, and some fresh herbs.

[Double 0]

i love grilled asparagus.  with a generous dose of salt and pepper.  and if you don't have a grill, a cast iron pan with ridges works just as well.  hell, so does the broiler.  i find they go wonderful with any grilled food.

i have to wonder why people think that they *need* to eat vegetables.  take a multi-vitamin a day, and metamucil for fiber, and skip veggies if they don't do it for you.  am i missing something?  or is this simply something leftover from (ancient) upbringing.  this reminds me of those who get on the soapbox about overcooking vegetables because "you cook all of the nutrients out of them!"  so?  

skip the spinach and have 2 burgers.  

I don't think you need veggies. I think they make the meal. Whats burgers without the fries, whats steak without the salad, what's roast beef without the mashed potato. Protein doesn't stand alone without some veggies,I think that veggies can stand by themselves. As far as long cooked(overcooked) vegs go, just ask some old time Italain about that.

[tommy]

double o, i'm not sure we're all considering "fries" to be "veggies." however, i do appreciate your definition!

[Double 0]

double o, i'm not sure we're all considering "fries" to be "veggies."  however, i do appreciate your definition!

I'm wondering why not? Is it a matter of preparation or is it the health issue? Is any vegetable that is fried not counted?

[GordonCooks]

My experience has lead me to believe that I do not consider veggies as a hearty staple.

My solution was hot and cold pastas - Broccoli, Roasted brussles, olives, favas, carmelized onions, chicken with penne - Cold pasta salad w crab meat, carrots, celery, green beans, ...you get the idea

[tommy]

I'm wondering why not? Is it a matter of preparation or is it the health issue? Is any vegetable that is fried not counted?

right.

[Margaret Pilgrim]

To add veggies to your diet, all you have to do is think outside the box. What you're really trying to get is a rainbow of color, regardless of whether it's a vegetable or fruit.

Since I only have to cook for my husband and me, "family dinner veggies" are often a huge bowl of ruby red grapefruit sections or sliced navel oranges; or platter of wonderful sliced tomatoes with goat cheese; or cucumbers in sour cream; or a plate of peeled cantaloupe slices; or peaches in red wine; or, like last night, after a fritatta with zucchini, broccoli, red and green pepper, red onion, Nieman Ranch ham and Spanish goat cheese, we had a bowl of blackberries and raspberries drizzled with fresh plum syrup and heavy cream. Sometimes dinner is a platter of indoor-grilled veggies with aioli: asparagus, portobellos, green onions, red onions, red peppers, eggplant, zucchini, radichio, Belgian endive, parboiled red potato. I serve a lot of things beside a mini salad or clump of dark green baby lettuce and cherry tomatoes.

And when it comes to warhorses like broccoli, beurre blanc and Bearnaise make 'em disappear in a flash.