So I have a problem, my bf doesn't particularly like vegetables. I have allergies to a lot of raw vegetables and fruits so the veggies have to be cooked (carrots, celery, some nuts, peaches, plums, apricots, apples, cherries etc).
Does anyone have any suggestions/recipes for making vegetables (preferably the green/dark green kind) that would be good for getting someone whose idea of a balanced meal is a burger and fries to eat them?
And once again, they sadly do need to be cooked or bad things happen to me.
For help, here's a list of vegetables he's moderately okay with eating if he has to: green beans, asparagus, broccoli, green peas, corn, carrots, lettuce. Ideally I'm looking for something that would help him to branch out a bit or that will taste un-vegetabley enough for him to want to eat them regularly.
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I will put my thought-hat on. Ham and Lentil soup would probably be a good one. Utterly crammed full of carrots, leeks, onion and lentils but also flavoured with a bit of ham to give it that hammy taste that meat fans love so much.
or
Be like seinfeld's wife and hide them in his brownies
(I think I'll grind up these green leafy things and cook them into brownies... wonder where she got that idea....)
For green beans, try sauteeing them in a little oil, then squeeze a bit of lemon on them.
Broccoli's the same way, just a quick steam instead of boiling them like crazy, then a bit of salt and lemon, or garlic on them. Or even sprinkle some cheddar cheese on them.
Boiling the shit out of vegetables is the worst way to cooking vegetables. A good stir fry, whilst not as healthy, will certainly taste better and be better received than a "boiled-to-shit" head of broccoli. Edit: I doubly agree with rook, I hate mushy vegetables too, I love crisp crunchies, and I see he like green beens and I'm willing to bet he likes it too.
You crunchies are heathens.
Pre-heat oven to about 375 degrees.
In a frying pan, brown 1 pound 80%-85% lean ground beef over low heat with a splash of red wine, salt, pepper, rosemary, cumin, garlic (flavored to taste), as well as approx 1/2 yellow/white onion and 1/2 lb mushrooms until meat is browned (obv), onions should be translucent and mushrooms should be brown and soft.
Remove from heat and transfer to a large caserole dish. Add flower a tablespoon at a time and stir gradually to mix with the grease from the meat and thicken it into a gravy. Spread evenly over the bottom of the caserole dish. On top of the meat/onion/mushroom mix, add your favorite vegetables--I like green beans, peas, corn and chopped carrots. Again, spread evenly to create a layer of vegetables.
Finally top with a thick layer of mashed potatoes (approx. 1 pound, a single large container of pre-made mashed potatoes will do--all you have to do is microwave and stir, though I tend to add extra garlic and dill as well). Spread evenly and cook in over for about 30 minutes (until the mashed potatoes are browned on top and thickened. Allow to cool a little bit, then cut into squares and serve.
You can mix in a ridiculous variety of vegetables and get a little of each of them into each serving--it's a great way to get someone to eat a vegetable that isn't lettuce. And since it's a hot dish, all the vegetables inside will be cooked (you may want to avoid using carrots since those take the longest to cook through).
added:
Jesus, you must make the worst pot brownies ever. That's not how you're supposed to do it.
Thanks for the suggestions so far! I'll ask him at lunch what he doesn't like about vegetables.
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Black-Bean-and-Sweet-Potato-Stew-with-Chilies-and-Polenta-Triangles-15577
I like leafy green veges sauteed with minced garlic and olive oil. My favorites are spinach, escarole, or broccoli rabe. You can toss with a little lemon, or spicy peppers, or white beans to make it more interesting. It's so much better cooked fresh than chopped frozen spinach.
Veges can go on pizza (broccoli, spinach, artichoke hearts are good, in addition to the typical peppers and onions) or in quiche, or a casserole. (These things all have cheese in common. This is not a coincidence.)
If he likes asparagus, now's the time to eat it. (It's so much cheaper and tastes better when it's in season.) I like it roasted with olive oil and a little kosher salt, but if he needs more persuading you can add hollandaise sauce.
Pasta primavera's good and easy to make. Last week I had bell pepper, onion, zucchini, mushrooms, asparagus and spinach, but you can use what you like. Tomatoes are good, hot peppers, peas (shelled or sugar snap peas), broccoli. You saute the veges in oil (add them according to how long they have to cook- for example peppers and onions go in first, spinach last). Add in cooked pasta. You should already have enough oil from cooking the veges, add a few tbsp cream (heavy cream, or marscapone cheese is really good here), salt and pepper, and parm cheese. You can add meat too if you want- shrimp, chicken, sausage, or ham/bacon/pancetta. Or you could use it as a vege-heavy pasta salad as a side for a burger.
People have mentioned soups, but don't just focus on vegetarian soups. Put meat in there. You can put some extra carrots, celery and onions in a pot of chicken soup, and when it's done cooking, ladle some of them into a blender with some broth and puree them, then mix it back in for a broth that is richer/tastier, more colorful, and smuggles in more vegetables.
edit- Humph. Will he eat soup lukewarm? I wonder, since the broth is already thick, if you mix in enough brown rice, it'll almost be like chili. That's a stretch though I guess.
Recipe!
Serves 4
Amount Measure Ingredient
1 cup 8 ounces, 240 ml Olive oil
1 cup 4 ounces, 112 g Onions, ½ inch (.6 cm) dice
1 cup 4 ounces, 112 g Green Bell peppers, ½ inch (.6 cm) dice
1 cup 4 ounces, 112 g Zucchini, ½ inch (.6 cm) dice
2 cups 8 ounces, 224 g Eggplant, ½ inch (.6 cm) dice
2 cups 12 ounces, 336 g Tomatoes, seeded, ½ inch dice
(.6 cm) dice
2 each Garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons Thyme, fresh
2 each Bay leaves
1. Saute (high heat, some oil, toss/stir frequently) each vegetable (except the tomato) until done (they should be tender but not mush, usually like 3 or 4 minutes). Then put them in a bowl to the side.
2. When all the vegetables are cooked, put them back in the pan, add the tomatoes, and the seasonings and let it cook for 20-30 minutes. If it starts to look dry you might want to add some water or chicken stock, but the tomatoes and other veg should give you enough moisture.
3. Remove the bay leaves and then serve it hot for awesome, delicious times.
Jordan of Elienor, Human Shaman
Battle.net: Fireflash#1425
Steam Friend code: 45386507
haha of course I don't. I suspend my lipids in boiling water and add the foliage.
Ingredients:
· 2-3 Chicken breasts, cut into small chunks
· 1 Can Cream of mushroom soup
· 1 Can Cream of chicken soup
· 1 Can Cream of celery soup
· 1 Soup can of water
· 1 Can (or more) of Pillsbury-type biscuit dough
· Seasoned salt
· Chopped vegetables (baby carrots, red potatos, celery, corn, etc)
Directions:
· In large pot combine chicken (salt and pepper to taste before cutting), soups, water, and chunked vegetables.
· Season to your taste
· Cover and cook on low heat for 1 ½ hours. Stir occasionally.
· Shred into finger-size pieces and add biscuits, re-cover pot for 10 to 15 minutes.
Cut all ingredients into thumb size or smaller pieces to insure that they are cooked throughout, otherwise you will just have to cook longer. I usually buy a small bag of baby carrots, a few red potatos, and one of those bags of frozen corn that are like, 3 servings or 2-3 cups worth. Make sure to stir fairly regularly.
I've shared this recipe with a few friends, and it's been universally loved. Also makes great leftovers
I am completely serious. I found this using StumbleUpon, my aunt cooked it up on Thanksgiving and I had 3 servings of this compared with 1 serving of everything else. Now, I already like broccoli, but this was miles above in taste.
Oh my god yes. I didn't even think anyone else knew about this awesome food.
That looks really good, good enough to put myself on the waiting list for that book at my library. It reminds me of this recipe that I saw last week and was planning to try sometime soon:
Roasted Shrimp with Broccoli
It'd probably still be good with the shrimp if you kept the garlic and parmesan instead of the different spices in that recipe. Or you could put some chicken breasts (skins and bones) in the oven, then add the broccoli about 20 minutes in.
That sounds delicious and I'm a big fan of brocoli. Gonna have to try it this week!
Battle.net: Fireflash#1425
Steam Friend code: 45386507
Very easy dish that conveniently serves 2: bacon and brussels sprouts.
Ingredients:
• 1 bag brussels sprouts (from Trader Joes, just the right size)
• 3 slices bacon, sliced crosswise into small pieces
• 1/2 cup dry vermouth
• minced shallot and/or garlic (optional)
Directions:
1. Rinse and dry brussel sprouts and chop each sprout into 3 or 4 crosswise slices (discarding the root end).
2. Fry bacon pieces in a 12-inch skillet until just crisp.
3. Add chopped brussel sprouts, stir, and saute in bacon fat over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Most should be carmelized on one side. Stir and continue to saute until well-carmelized all around, about 5-10 minutes longer.
4. Add shallots/garlic, if using, and saute until just fragrant, not more than a minute.
5. Add vermouth to pan and stir to scrape up browned drippings. When boiling, lower heat to medium-low or low and simmer until liquid is completely reduced and pan is almost dry, about 7 or 8 minutes. (Vegetables should be tender; if not, add a bit more vermouth and continue cooking until desired tenderness).
6. Add salt and pepper (don't be shy) and serve piping hot.
Broccoli -
steamed, then smothered in cheese sauce (the key is not over cooking like others have said before me)
Asparagus -
steamed, then smothered in cheese sauce
brushed with olive oil & balsamic vinegar, salt & pepper, and grilled (best on a real grill, but george foreman will work in a pinch)
Green beans -
Cut up bacon into bite sized pieces and fry it up with some minced garlic. Once it's mostly cooked, add the green beans. You can also chop up some onion and fry it with the bacon.
Mixed Veggies -
Kabobs! Pineapple, broccoli, zucchini...whatever really..., and some kind of meat. Brush with sauce of some sort. Again, a real grill is best, but geoge foreman will work in a pinch.
The Best in Terms of Pants on JCCC3
Grilled asparagus with salt and pepper.
Steamed cauliflower with cheese on top!
I'm a big fan of the regular old carrots and peas in a beef stroganoff.
Mashed potatoes!
Or how about a meat pie? You know, like a pot pie you buy at the grocery store but homemade with all sorts of vegies and a little meat of your choice.
Secret Satan
this is the best way to cook any and all vegetables
sautée in olive oil or butter with chopped/minced garlic in a frying pan
add a pinch of salt and pepper to taste, if you feel like it
squash, zucchini, mushrooms, asparagus, spinach, broccoli, peas, corn, etc
pretty much anything done this way tastes great and takes less than five minutes to cook
spinach you really only have to put in the pan for about 30 seconds (any longer and it wilts too much) but make sure to let the garlic brown and cook in the oil for a bit to really let the flavor soak into the oil
if he doesn't like vegetables cooked this way then you should consider breaking it off.
this recipes sond so delicious!! My sister hates vagetables and I always try to cook something for her with vagetables that she might like! It didn't worked the last few times! So do you think one of you could tell me a recip that she might like???
Thanks a lot in advance!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMI7wNYfiow Vegetables in general
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZvrqXbkBT84 With peas
Broccoli, diced bell pepper (Orange bell peppers are good for the heart, apparently), carrots and anything else you want to put it. Steam the veggies, but start with the carrots a few minutes early so they soften more. Mix up 1 part Frank's Red Hot with 1 part white vinegar. Doesn't need much. Mix sauce in with steamed veggies and serve.
So simply and easy and amazing.