During the week, I try especially hard to make sure I've got plenty of vegetables with my meals, especially during dinner. However, I'm stuck in a rut and feel like I've lost my creativity. I can only eat steamed broccoli and green salads so often before I start to lose your mind!

I'd greatly appreciate your easy-to-prepared veggie dishes that can accompany a wide variety of everyday meals. What veggies do you throw together mid-week when you want something healthy, tasty and in a [relative] snap? Help me get out of my veggie duldrums!

Stir-fry string beans or broccoli with garlic, ginger, sesame oil, and soy sauce.

our personal favourite is asparagus. it's simple. take asparagus, arrange lengthwise in a corning or other suitable oven pan. drizzle with sea salt, olive oil and fresh cracked pepper. cook at 350 for 15 min. take out, drizzle with parmesan, put back in for 1-2 minutes, take out, and serve. delish.

another favourite is sweet potatoe french fries that we bake rather than fry. buy frozen from whole foods. low fat and very good.

quote:

Originally posted by BRR:

I can only eat steamed broccoli and green salads so often before I start to lose your mind!

Well, I certainly don't want THAT to happen!

I like to roast winter vegetables-- turnips, fennel root, parsnips, potatoes, onions, beets, carrots, baby eggplants, large mushrooms, etc. Cut larger veggies into pieces. Make a dressing of tomato sauce, dried basil (or oregano, or tarragon, etc.), salt, pepper, and lots of good olive oil; toss the vegetables, then roast in a pre-heated fairly hot oven (375-400°). Stir them every 15 minutes until done, about an hour. Grate fresh parmiggiano over them before serving.

You can also add some more delicate vegetables like fresh green beens, asparagus, peeled garlic cloves, but you have to add them half-way through the cooking so they don't burn.

I like to make a big pan of this, but take half of it out when it's half done, cool it fast (outside) and refrigerate it until I want it again later in the week. Goes with chicken, beef, pork, whatever, so it's a versatile side dish. Sometimes we just serve it on polenta if we don't want to eat meat.

quote:

Bored with Veggies: any ideas?

Perhaps LinuxRacer or Bella would like to chime in here with and interesting twist on zuchinni.......

Oh, you aren't THAT bored with veggies.....?

Quite often I throw zucchini on the grill cut in half lengthwise. I also throw a red or yellow bell pepper on sliced in half. Then a couple portabellas as well, all drizzled with olive oil. Then I cut them all up, mix them in a bowl with some fresh EVOO and they're ready to eat. You can springle some garlic salt or something on them if you want. They are easy and tasty too.

But if I really get in a rut, I grill up some pork roast and sausages with my steaks.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Foghorn Leghorn,

quote:

Originally posted by Gigond Ass:

...chime in here with and interesting twist on zuchinni.......

Sometimes zucchini can get really big.

And awfully friendly, too.

quote:

Originally posted by Gigond Ass:
Perhaps LinuxRacer or Bella would like to chime in here with and interesting twist on zuchinni.......

Oh, you aren't THAT bored with veggies.....?

You silly goose...we used eggplants...not zucchini.

For real though...we do frozen corn and peas in a rush.

I've done sauteed broccoli in EVOO, garlic, and salt and pepper.

I wouldn't even know where to start. I gotta million of em' I come from a very veggie house. Besides the grilling or hundreds of italian olive oil garlic things I do (Broc, Zuchini, Eggplant etc.), Try this:

If you like Cauliflower, I do sort of mash with it. Steam the heads in water (I use 3 or 4), a little Salt&Pepper. Once it is flaky and soft, not mushy, strain all the water out, mash with a potato masher. Don't wip. You want it flaky, not soupy.

Then Add butter, lots of grated cheese, a little fresh parsley and pepper. Add a little milk, if you want a little cream to it. It's very good, and if your watching the carbs, it's a great side. My kids love it.

Goes good with a bloody steak too.

Great ideas (except for the zucchini)! Keep 'em coming! ...er...whoops. Just more ideas please.

I'll definitely try the cauliflower recipe tonight. Sounds easy and tasty (and a departure from the ordinary).

quote:

Originally posted by Hunter:
Then Add butter, lots of grated cheese, a little fresh parsley and pepper. Add a little milk, if you want a little cream to it. It's very good, and if your watching the carbs, it's a great side. My kids love it.

I thought the point of vegetables was to be healthy eating? Loading it with butter and cheese defeats the purpose.

It's not "loaded". It makes a lot. Season it how you want. "Cooks" know how to do such things. With the crap you eat every day, this would be vast improvement to your diet.

Since I have respect for BRR, I will discontinue any argument in this thread. We will just have to agree to disagree.

For green beens Nicoise Salad is a good alternative.

Cook a bunch of green beans intil slightly crunchy and cool.
Arrange on a platter with black olives, boiled eggs and thinly sliced red onions. Optional extras include tuna, capers, tomatoes, and snow peas.

tis the season for brussels sprouts. Halve them, toss in olive oil, s&p, then roast or saute'. A small squeeze of lemon juice tossed in is goes nicely, as do finely chopped walnuts.

This is great. Who knew you were all such veggie hounds? Thanks!

Try this, works as a warm salad too.
Sautee slcied leaks (2 large ones) in olive oil untill tender. Add sliced baby bella mushrooms and a lot of garlic, sautee some more. As it starts to dry out, throw in a little sherry (if low on sherry, any white wine will do), a bit at a time (total amount about a half cup). When the mushrooms look done, add some baby spinach, salt and fresh pepper. Barely wilt the spinach. Enjoy!!

Let me start this by saying that I am NOT a veggie hound.

Try these. Get some shish kebab skewers. Pick from the following:

Onion wedges
Tomato wedges (or cherry toms)
Squash rounds of your choice
Side cuts of various peppers (flat slabs)
Mushroom caps or hunks of portabello

Skewer alternating pieces of these veges. Baste with EVOO or your choice of oil.

Grill on medium high heat on charcoal or gas grill. Turn often, and DON'T undercook. It's important the veges they get nice black stripes on them. De-Skewer and put crumbled feta chunks on top of veges....

or

I've also had great success (based on lack of leftovers and requests for recipe) brushing these kebabs very generously with Blue Mountain Jerk Sauce Click here.

This is a decent marinade for meat, but is INCREDIBLE on grilled vegetables.

PH

I make a dish once per week. I sautee diced orange sweet pepper with portabella mushrooms, a touch of fresh garlic, fresh black pepper and a few drops of olive oil in a frypan or wok to supplement a meal. Delicious, nutricious, easy to make.

Dick

quote:

Let me start this by saying that I am NOT a veggie hound.

I wasn't implying you were vegan, more of a Shirley Valentine kind of thing. Seriously, I was, and am, happy to benefit from all the yummy-sounding, easy vegetable recipes.

I love cauliflower yet somehow never manage to cook it myself. (How can you forget 'bout something you "love"? Who knows?) So, I look forward to making Hunter's recipe.

If we're grilling, we'll alsways throw some veggies on since we love the way grilled veggies taste (onions, portobellas, peppers, zuchinni, asparagus, corn, squash etc.).

Some other quick ones (some already mentioned)...

Anything steamed (broccoli, green beans, squash).

The same could be said for sauteed (just cut up the veggie, preheat evoo, add some chopped garlic and sautee veggie). We do this a lot with mushrooms, as well as peppers and onions.

A nice one with spinach... preheat evoo and garlic, add a can of garbanzo beans and sautee until slightly brown. Add a bunch of spinach and heat until wilted; salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Brussels Sprouts... use a mandolin and slive very thin. Preheat evoo, add about 3 scallions (chopped) and sprouts. Sautee until browned; salt and freshly ground black pepper.

The nice thing is we buy most of our stuff at our local farmer's market. So we just buy what looks good, or what is in season. This way we get a nice variety every season. Then we either steam, sautee or grill.

Roast a head of cauliflower with a bit of olive oil and sea salt. Make sure it is cooked really well. Asparagas sauteed in hot olive oil and then add a bit of soy and sesame oil at the end - can also add some roasted sesame seeds and cashews. Very tasy. Roasted baby carrots (real ones, not preprocessed little ones) in olive oil and cumin. Green beans blanched then sauteed with olive oil, soy and dried basil.
Enjoy.