[itsjustpeachy]

Hi guys! I was wondering if anyone had any tips on making vegetables more exciting. I'm not a person who hates vegetables but eating plain veggies can sometimes be so boring/bland! I've been making an effort to increase my veggie intake and I'm looking for recipes, spices, tricks, etc. that make eating vegetables a little more fun

So far I've had some luck with:
hummus and raw veggies
roasted artichokes with lemon dipping sauce
zucchini "fries" baked in the oven
steamed broccoli with garlic, lemon, and a tiny bit of parmesan

Looking forward to learning more

[giselley]

I have started the mcdougall low fat vegan type (starch solution) diet and I have been experimenting with trying to get away from mayonnaise and cheese. I totally love mayo! Today I made a masala Mumbai potato sandwich with onions. Actually, with mustard and spices, without cheese. I am starting to really like potato sandwiches. Potatoes make me lose weight.

Have you tried sauteed zucchini and eggplant cut up and add tomatoes and onions and chili, put this mixture in taco shells, with shredded lettuce and sprinkle of salsa on top. Serve with brown rice and black beans. yummy.

Hummus sandwiches, veggie sandwiches in pita pocket bread.

Veggie pocket pies or calzones or dumplings are also good. I leave out cheese because that is why I am overweight.

Veggie and noodle casserole. My brother makes a great potato and cauliflower casserole.

If you really want to see lots of vegetarian cooking without cheese, get a vegan cook book. Lots of good recipies. I am not a vegan or vegetarian really, but I like to eat without meat, eggs, dairy, oil. At least 99% of the time.

[nonameslob]

Roasted veggies! Pretty much any combination, with any spice flavoring you may like. I like to roast some veggies with a little olive oil and then serve them over lettuce with balsamic dressing, some cheese, maybe garbanzo beans, any other salad fixings I want. Or broccoli just how you described, except roast them and then toss in lemon and parmesan. Roasted cauliflower tossed in buffalo sauce is also delicious.

Stir fries are another good way to incorporate veggies. I usually make my own sauce, cook whatever protein I want then lightly cook the veggies (frozen or fresh), add the sauce and protein to the pan, and then serve over brown rice.

Zucchini/squash noodles in place of or in addition to pasta.

Grill a marinated large portabello mushroom cap and serve on a bun like a burger.

I add a handful of spinach to pretty much any soup I make.

You can also check out the "Volumetrics" thread for lots more ideas!

[zippitydoodah]

Just an idea......I suffer to get in all my veggies. I have recently been making smoothies and you can put an alarming amount(like 3 cups) of spinach in it before you actually taste it. It makes the smoothie green but it tastes fine and you get those extra leafy greens in.

[Penny105]

If I want low-effort veggies that aren't plain, I nuke them in the microwave until soft, then toss them with a tbsp or two of my favorite salad dressing. It's tasty and quick. Sesame, Ranch, and blue cheese dressings are good. Or whatever dressings you like.

Also, if I have a sauce-heavy meal, I'll mix in like a cup of extra veggies because the sauce will coat them. I also do this with microwave meals when I eat them, or with canned (or homemade) soups.

[wolfchan]

I'm a big fan of roasting veggies until they're crispy around the edges and dressing them up. Some of my favorites:

Broccoli, before roasting it toss with a small amount of olive oil and garlic. (plus a sprinkle of chili flakes if you like spicy food)

Brussels Sprouts, slice them, toss with a smidge of olive oil, roast, add a squeeze of lemon juice.

Zucchini roasts up nicely with some salt and paprika, or pretty much any seasoning you like.

[haredown]

I'll have to try these!

[Emma121]

I sometimes look at Indian recipes.Ex. Aloo goobi. I just change it a little bit sometimes to get it low fat.

[grannynancy]

Another one for roasting veggies and for using google to search for and learn about a veggie and some feature recipes.

[Esofia]

Look at recipes from cultures which use vegetables heavily, that'll give you ideas.

You can cook a stir-fry for two with 1/4 tsp oil, or something equivalent such as a curry, so vegetables don't have to be dry and joyless.

Spices definitely help!

Actually, I'm a wee bit flummoxed at the idea of boring vegetables. I'm vegan. Vegetables are a large part of what I eat. Even when I make something really simple, like sautéing a red pepper with some almonds and herbs to put on pasta for lunch, it's not boring. I'm guessing that it's about coming from traditions which aren't strong on cooking veg. I've got family in the Middle East, so I grew up with delicious veg cooked in a variety of ways.

These days I can't cook properly due to disability. All I can really manage is buying frozen veg, soaking beans, and making things in the slow cooker. With a good selection of spices, and things like tinned tomato and coconut milk powder, I am still producing fabulous, tasty meals.

[Esofia]

You can buy spice mixes which can really help, by the way. Try garam masala, tandoori masala (check it's all spices, some are mostly colouring), ras el hanout. Or za'atar for a herb mix which is amazing in salad.

[grannynancy]

I do a LOT of stir fries. Curries, hot sauce, sweet and sour, etc. And there are packages sauces but be careful on some of those if you ware watching salt or sugar. The variety is endless

[Esofia]

Good point about packaged sauces. I tend not to buy those for that reason. For Indian food, a nice basic sauce is a tin of tomatoes, a couple of spoonfuls of coconut milk powder, garlic and ginger (I use puree for both, you can even buy it mixed together), and spices to taste. I make curries in the slow cooker, so I don't add extra oil, and this is for a curry making 4-5 portions. Plus veg and beans, of course, and I eat it with rice while my partner eats it with naan.

[zlinky]

melt cheese on broccoli

[Doctorsnetsa]

if I like storing vegetables in the freezer for only one or two days ahead, because I prefer to buy vegetables suddenly so that the vegetables are still fresh and delicious to consume