What is your best veggie recipe and/or preparation tips?

I am looking for yummy ways to prepare veggies and/or recipes containing veggies.





My husband and I do not like a lot of vegetables, but we want our kids to grow up liking everything - it is hard to lead by example when there isn't much we like. Our kids actually eat far more veggies than either of us.





We will eat salads with spinach, green leaf lettuce, cucumber and carrots. We eat green beans out of the can (which I know aren't that great for you) and I really can't think of much else we eat. I make salads often so that we do get some greens but I know we need so much more. So I am looking for you yummiest recipe to help us start to enjoy veggies more.





Things I'll probably never eat are iceberg lettuce %26amp; cooked carrots. I am really trying to get myself to eat tomatoes but I just can't seem to. I am now growing them in my garden because I hear they are much better fresh. 10 pts to the one we like best!What is your best veggie recipe and/or preparation tips?
Here are my top picks based on what my family loves:





Green Beans with Bacon


Note: I LOVE these, but my girls don't like too much vinegar.





1/8 lb. bacon, diced - I used 4 or 5 slices - probably more than 1/8 lb)


1/2 onion, minced (or shallots)


1 pound green beans, trimmed (I used a bag of frozen)


1/2 teas red pepper flakes [optional]


salt


1 Tablespoon butter, softened


1 1/2 Tablespoons white vinegar (1/2 T. = 1 1/2 teaspoons)


Freshly ground pepper





Steam beans. Meanwhile cook bacon over moderate heat, until golden. Remove bacon from skillet, add onions and cook until softened and translucent. Add beans, pepper flakes and salt and saute for about 2 minutes or so.





Add butter, vinegar, pepper and more salt if needed. Toss until combined. Sprinkle with the bacon bits. Serve - 4 portions.








Papa John's Greek Spinach and Rice


[Note: Papa John is my grandfather and not the pizza guy]





1 medium onion, minced


1/2 cup tomato sauce


1 package frozen spinach


1/3 cup Uncle Ben's rice


salt/pepper to taste





Saute onion in a bit of olive oil. When translucent, add tomato sauce, rice, and frozen spinach. Cover with a lid, and cook on low heat. Stir occasionally to break up the spinach. Add a bit of water only if needed. Salt and pepper, if desired. It is done when the rice is.





NOTES : Actually, this works just as well with canned spinach








Cauliflower Nutmeg


[Note: I know a lot of people don't like cauliflower, but give this one a try. My sister-in-law is BY FAR the pickiest eater when it comes to veggies, and she loves this dish. She has been known to make it and NOTHING else for dinner.]





2 shallots, diced fine


2 boxes cauliflower, frozen


OR


1 headfresh cauliflower cut into flowerets


1/2 teaspoon whole nutmeg, ground fresh or more to taste


1 teaspoon parsley [optional]


salt and pepper to taste


1 Tablespoon butter





Cook cauliflower until tender in as little water as possible - microwave or however. Then drain. Or if you have a steamer, steam. No need to drain.





In skillet, saute the shallots in butter until translucent and tender. Add the drained califlower, grate the nutmeg on top, sprinkle on the parsley [optional -- we don't use it], toss all and serve.








Roasted Brussel Sprouts





1 1/2 pounds brussel sprouts


3 Tablespoons olive oil


3/4 teaspoon salt


1/2 teaspoon pepper





Preheat oven to 400掳. Cut off ends of sprouts and pull off any yellow leaves. Place on a sheet pan, dribble olive oil over, salt and pepper, then toss all together. Spread out in one layer. Roast 30 to 40 minutes, turning them over half way through. Remove and can resalt if needed.





You can use frozen ones - if so you might want to lower the temp to about 375, so they can cook all the way through. Fresh ones are fine also.





This process removes all the bitterness and heavy cabbage taste. Really makes the sprouts quite delicious.








Last, but not least -- the receipe that has my girls begging for more.....broccoli! Yes, broccoli. I kid you not. They will eat this over anything else on their plates.





Broccoli and Bread Crumbs





1 1/2 pounds broccoli flowerets or 1 pound


3-4 slices of bread, crusts removed


6 Tablespoons butter [could probably use a margarine or butter substitute here]


salt and pepper


1/4 teaspoon allspice, optional


sprinkling grated cheese, optional





Steam broccoli in a steamer. Place bread centers into food processor, and pulse to make bread crumbs Melt butter in a skillet until just beginning to brown. Add bread crumbs and toss around in the butter. Season. Toss broccoli in with the crumbs, add sprinkling of cheese and serve. [Note: We never use the allspice or cheese.]What is your best veggie recipe and/or preparation tips?
Hello! Here are 2 favorite easy recipes: Flavorful Summer Squash: 3 med. yellow squash,2 med. zucchini,slice them both. 1 med. red onion,slice and seperate rings,1 tsp. minced garlc, 1 Tbl. olive oil, 1 tsp. dried parsley flakes, 1 tsp. dried basil, 1/2 tsp.oregano,1/2 tsp. thyme, 1/4 tsp. salt(I prefer sea salt), 1/2 C. shredded motzerella cheese. Saute squashes,onion, garlic in oil until crisp-tender. Stirring occasionally. Stir in all seasonings and remove from heat. Sprinkle with cheese cover and let stand until cheese is melted. Makes 6 servings. The cheese is a good cover for the taste of the veggies as well as all the seasonings and it looks great!! Have the kids help it sometimes makes them want to try what they make. Nutrition facts: 2/3 C equals 83 calories,4 g fat,(1g saturatd fat) 5 mg cholestorol,147 mg sodium(less if you use sea salt),9g carbs, 3 g fiber, 5 g protein Diabetic exchanges: 2 vegetable, 1/2 fat.


The other one to help you get over your tomato fear(especially with home garden tomatoes this will be great)! It is called Pineapple Salsa: C. diced fresh pineapple, 2 med. tomatoes seeded and diced, 3/4 C. diced sweet onion, 1/4 C. minced fresh cilantro, 1 jalapeno pepper seeded and diced, 1 Tbl. olive oil, 1 tsp.ground corriander, 3/4 tp. ground cumin, 1/2 tsp. sea salt(preferred), 1/2 tsp. minced garlic, Baked tortilla chips. Combine all ingredients. Cover and refrigerate until serving. Makes 3 1/2 C. Nutriton facts: 1/4 C(calculatd without chips)equals 29 cal., 1 g fat, 0 cholesterol, 87 mg. sodium(less with sea salt),5 g carbs., 1 g fiber, trace protein. Diabetic exchange: Free Food!! This has vegs but you'll never now it with the flavor of the seasonings and that pineapple relaly gives it something to behold!! Enjoy!! I hope you like these and it helps you all out!!
I hated brussell sprouts until I tried them like this. Take fresh little brussell sprouts that have been trimmed of any bad spots and the stem end. fry slowly in butter/margerine until tender and add sliced polish sausage at the end when theyre just starting to brown. Salt and pepper to taste. Yum, honest!
lately I have been putting olive oil and kosher salt on veggies and grillin them outside.. so much flavor
I'm not much for veggies, and I am not crazy about tomatoes either, but the one salad I really love is just cooked elbow macaroni ,mayonnaise (do not add anything to it to thin it out) cut up tomatoes, celery and cucumber. The juice from the tomatoes thing out the mayo. Add season salt to taste. Really good on a hot summer day. Refreshing!


You can add any other veggies you might like also,
I find that roasting vegetables makes them really appetizing, because it caramelizes the sugars and makes them much sweeter. In Italy, you can always go to a restaurant and get a plate of grilled or roasted veggies, with everything from carrots to fennel to tomatoes to (sometimes) pears! All of the recipes that I link to, I have actually made and enjoyed.





Spinach Salad with Creamy Cashew Dressing (YUMMY!)


http://www.thriftyfoods.com/recipes/reci鈥?/a>





Stuffed Tomatoes (experiment with stuffings)


http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/鈥?/a>





Honey Ginger Carrots


http://sidedish.allrecipes.com/az/HnyGin鈥?/a>





I also suggest going to the public library and getting out some cookbooks. Only get ones with good, color photos so that you'll know if the food you're cooking looks good or bad! When you find a recipe you like, you can just make a photocopy so you'll remember it forever (and you don't have to bother paying for the cookbook!) Martha Stewart's mini-magazine called FOOD is also really good- the recipes are always simple and there are lots of good, healthy veggie dishes using seasonal ingredients.
I posted a Broccoli-Rice Casserole on your other thread... cut back on the brocc a bit if you need to, and work up to the amt. called for.





I find garlic-butter goes a long way in seasoning veggies. From carrots to broccoli to fresh (or frozen) green beans, it helps them all.





Do y'all do dry beans or peas? That is a great sourc eof nutrition and fiber for you and the children. Red beans, white (navy) beans, black beans, even a handful of lentils tossed into soups. (IMO soups are a great way to get a bit of nearly everything in one sitting!)





Keep up w/ your salads often. Veggies don't HAVE to be cooked! There's no reason you can't serve raw ';baby'; carrots w/ a lite Ranch dip a couple times a week. Kids love dipping, anyway. Experiemnt w/ making your own salad dressings. They are incredibly easy, cost WAY less than bottled, and taste fresher. Simple vinaigrettes are what I'd start w/. I buy Good Seasons to use in recipe, not for dressings. ;-) But I buy the kit that has the free carafe, as that costs less than buying 2 packets alone. (go figure...) But I use those carafes to make and shake my own vinaigrettes, adn store any leftoversin the fridge for later use.





A few more reicpes....


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** Macaroni Grill Roasted Garlic Lemon Vinaigrette **





Source: Birmingham News, August 30, 2002





2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar


3 Tbsp. honey


陆 tsp salt


陆 oz. roasted garlic (I use the jar stuff to save time and effort)


3/4 cup virgin olive oil


陆 lemon, juiced (no seeds)





Place vinegar, honey, salt and roasted garlic in a food processor. Puree until garlic is chopped very fine. With the food processor still running, add olive oil and lemon juice. Refrigerate until ready to use.


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** TGI Friday's Mandarin Orange Sesame Dressing **





--The Oregonian Newspaper





1/3 C. orange marmalade


1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper


1/4 tsp. ground ginger


1/4 tsp. garlic powder


1/4 C. white vinegar


2/3 C. vegetable oil


2 Tbsp. soy sauce


3 Tbsp. sesame oil


2 Tbsp. honey


1/4 C. mandarin orange sections, chopped


Mixed greens


Grilled chicken breasts, sliced





Measure marmalade, cayenne pepper, ginger, garlic powder, vinegar, oil, soy sauce, sesame oil and honey into a blender container. Cover and blend on medium speed for 30 to 45 seconds.





Transfer to a small bowl and add the chopped orange sections. Stir to mix, cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days.





Serve over a bed of mixed greens, topped by sliced grilled chicken breasts.


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So simple and so good! The flavors are gerat! I've also used bagged coarse-shred coleslaw for this to save time.





** Cabbage Casserole **





1 small cabbage or 1/2 large


1 med. Vidalia onion


1/2 stick margarine


salt and pepper


1/4 cup mayo.


1 can Cream of Mushroom or Celery soup





Topping:


1 stick (1/2 cup) margarine


1 cup grated sharp Cheddar Cheese


1 stack round butter crackers, crushed





Preheat oven to 350潞F.


Coarsely chop cabbage and place in 2 to 3 qt. casserole dish. Chop onion and place on top of cabbage. Melt 1/2 stick marg. and pour over cabbage. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. In small bowl, mix soup and mayo together. Spread over top of cabbage mixture.





To make topping: Melt remaining stick of margarine. In small bowl, mix melted marg., grated cheese, and crushed crackers. Sprinkle cracker cheese mixture over top of casserole. Cover w/ foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 15 minutes until top is brown and inside is bubbly.


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Try these to enjoy fresh or frozen green beans.





** Green Beans with Bacon-Balsamic Vinaigrette **





2 pounds green beans


2 bacon slices


1/4 cup minced shallots


3 Tbsp. coarsely chopped almonds


2 Tbsp. brown sugar


1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar





Cook green beans in boiling water for 2 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water. Drain well; set aside.


Cook bacon in a small skillet over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove bacon from skillet. Crumble; set aside. Add shallots to bacon fat in skillet; saut茅 1 minute. Add almonds; saut茅 1 minute. Remove and let cool. Add sugar and vinegar; stir until sugar dissolves. Add crumbled bacon.


Pour vinaigrette over beans, tossing gently to coat.





Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 3/4 cup)





CALORIES 75(31% from fat); FAT 2.6g (sat 0.5g,mono 1.4g,poly 0.5g); PROTEIN 3.4g; CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; CALCIUM 54mg; SODIUM 50mg; FIBER 2.8g; IRON 1.4mg; CARBOHYDRATE 11.8g


Cooking Light, November 1996.





--Cooking Light Complete Cookbook


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Ridiculously easy and fabulous in flavor! Do yourself a favor and buy a small block of REAL parmesan cheese for this dish. You will not go back to the green can, I promise! :-)





** Roasted Asparagus with Parmesan **


Serves 4





2 bunches asparagus (1陆 lbs.), washed and ends snapped off


1陆 Tbsp. olive oil


Kosher salt


Freshly ground black pepper


录 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese





Preheat oven to 450潞F. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss asparagus with olive oil. Season with S%26amp;P to taste. Arrange in an even layer on pan, and sprinkle w/ parmesan cheese. Roast until asparagus is tender and cheese is melted, 10-15 minutes. Serve immediately.





--Everyday FOOD
Peel Vidalia onions and place in a microwavable dish. Lay several strips of bacon over them, add Worchestishire sauce sprinkle over. Add a little salt and zap about 3 minutes per onion in dish. Very sweet and good served as a vegetable.
My two favorites are broccoli (I take frozen, cover it with plastic wrap and nuke it until warm) covered with melted cheese or chili con queso. Sometimes we add bacon and make a meal out of that. My other favorite is what we call fake mashed potatoes. Take cauliflower (either steam fresh or use same microwave method as broccoli) and mash it with butter and then add Parmesan cheese or sour cream and chives. Both are yummy!
orange broccoli....Super simple! you need broccoli and orance marmalade thats it. cut the broccoli up into chunks. Boil a BIG pot of water the biggest you have. put the broccoli into a strainer in the sink and pour all the boiling water over it this is called blanching. the btoccoli will be a very bright ,, pretty green, and still crunchy in the middle. then just mix it in a bowl with enough orange marmalade to coat it lightly. yummy
Ratatoui, It is an all veggie recipie with tomatoes, eggplant, okra, and other veggies Look it up on the internet.





Sorry I can't halp you much, my mom makes it and I absolutely love it.
Oven roasted broccoli.





Take 2 broccoli crowns (the top part, not the stems, I find them too woody.) rinse them and separate them into florets. Shake off the excess water.





In a small dish, take 1-2 garlic cloves (we like lots of garlic), peel and slice them. Shake in 1/4 tsp of salt and red pepper flakes to taste (1/2 tsp generally) add in 1 Tablespoon of Extra-virgin olive oil.





Pour this over the broccoli florets in a baking pan and toss lightly with your fingers to coat. Bake in a 400 degree oven for about 15-20 minutes until edges are browned and crispy.





I'm picky about my veggies, and I love this.
I love grilled veggies. Potatoes, carrots, onions, asperagus, zucchini, squash, mushrooms, you name it. I cut them into bite size pieces, sprinkle on whatever spices I'm feelin that day and some olive oil. Then I put it on my grill pan or sautee until tender.





I've gotten my children to eat more veggies by making one pot meals. Adding the veggies into a casserole type dish along with your meat, potato, rice, noodles...whatever, helps them to eat more and it smothers the taste and texture when you eat it with something else.





Good luck!
this is my very fav veggie recipe.........


8 oz sliced mushrooms


1 bunch green onions.. chopped


2 stacks celery.. chopped


` green pepper.. chopped


garlic powder


seasoned salt an fresh ground pepper


1 stick butter


1/2 c Parmesan cheese


melt butter add peppers cook 2 min then add celery 2 more min add onions 2 more min add mushrooms add garlic and salt and pepper...... cook til veggies tender... add cheese serve
Make Veggie Pizza. Here's the recipe. Take two rolls of the refrigerated cresent roll tubes. Spread them out on a cooking sheet. So they are flat. Put them in the oven for 5 minutes on 350 or 400. Doesn't matter the size. Then in a bowl mix Ricotta Cheese, Parmesan, and a little Cream cheese. When the cresent roll sheet is cooled. Spread the cheese mixture over the top. And add any vegatable you may want. I thinly slice carrots, green peppers, red peppers, califlower, brocoli, and some times add banana peppers. It's great with kids and you'll love it.
Fresh green beans, drop in a deep fryer for a min. and remove and add a dash of soy sauce, nice side dish, crisp and flavorful.


Trying to eat tomatoes, Try this, thinly slice a green tomatoe, add salt and pepper dip in egg and flour and fry in a little grease, there really great and alot different flavor than a red ripe tomatoe I see you like greens, and thats ok, their better for you.try some zuccini squash the same way as the tomatoes slice thin, dip in a marinar. good luck.
Hello


Try this,


Boil some Basmati rice and leave to one side.


Peel potatoes and chop into cubes, then boil (not too soft) leave to one side.


Get approx four large cloves of garlic,or more. Grate on a cheese grater as fine as possible, then do the same with a some fresh ginger(as much as you like) Peel and chop Spring onions(loads of).


Gently fry onion, garlic and ginger, add salt ,pepper (chilli pepper-not too much) add two tins of chick peas (washed) add water -not too much,then boil for 15mins or so, then put rice, potatoes into large bowl then pour in chick peas and mix lightly. This dish goe's very well with fresh roasted vegetables and a dollop of mayo. Enjoy.
One of my favorites is asparagus with a little olive oil drizzled over it, sprinkled lightly with sea salt, and baked in the oven for about 15 minutes. It's light, simple, and delicious. You can also use macadamia nut oil on it, but it's really hard to find. The only reason I have it is because a friend brought it back from Hawaii for me!