Veggie suggestions

I'm trying to cook healthy meals for me and my hubby and I need some veggie ideas. He doesn't like peas (which I love) so I usually end up serving french style green beans. There's some that we especially like: frozen Green Giant green beans with almonds. I made okra, but he was turned off by the slimy texture. Spinach is ok. I know corn is considered a starch, but is cauliflower? Any suggestions? 

Ya I'm in the same situation. Trying to find more veggies and healthy sides for my fiance and I as well. A few things that I've found that are good are steamed cauliflower, broccoli or carrots, sliced red, yellow and orange peppers baked in the oven, baby spinach salad, or steamed green beans with fresh garlic.

My favorite vegetable in the world is asparagus. I think it tastes a little like corn, only greener. I prefer it either grilled (for that, slightly fatter spears are better) or just barely blanched (the thinner the better, and cook for a literal minute, just until they turn bright green) and tossed with a little olive oil, salt and pepper. Mmm...

I used to be a devout hater of all things green. I've mostly grown out of it, although I still don't particularly like tomatoes and onions (I'm working on them), and I hate broccoli. I suspect it's because these veggies are my mother's favorites, and the ones she tried hardest to force me to eat as a kid. When I was in college, I was the least healthy eater of my 7 roommates, and I started eating veggies because I was embarrassed to be so picky. I would joke that I was working on a 'vegetable of the year,' but it was almost true!

Other veggies I learned to like pretty quickly - sugar snap peas and snowpeas (do either of these like green beans), bell peppers (red and yellow, in particular, and sooo good grilled), cooked carrots (always liked 'em raw), various flavorful lettuces (ditch the iceberg!), raw or lightly cooked cabbage, jicama and raw spinach.

Others that took a little longer, or the right recipe - green beans (sauteed over very high heat until brown in spots and soft), zucchini/summer squash (the thinner the better, and grill/fry/broil quickly and with very high heat, or add to spaghetti sauce), other dark leafy greens (love raw kale salads - cut into ribbons, bruise with your hands, make a salad with a creamy yogurt dressing. for other greens like chard, collard etc, I sprinkle with oil, vinegar and spices, and bake for 15-20 minutes), eggplant (thinly sliced on pizza!), cooked spinach in quiche or soup (but I have to dice it small, otherwise I can't take it), okra (pan-fried is okay, and healthier than deep fried), and radishes (raw or pickled).

For me at least, it wasn't the taste that bothered me, but the texture, so I generally prefer recipes that leave my veggies crispy/crunchy/charred - NOT falling-apart soft. In some cases, this means leaving them raw. In others, it means torturing them with high heat. My go-to method for cooking most veggies is either a really high-heat saute on the stove, or on the grill (or under the broiler) until the edges blacken.

Edit: I must be in the minority on the steamed veggies idea - I can't stand them. But it's easy and healthy, so give it a try. Maybe I'll tackle that next!

I made a concerted effort to find vegetables I liked.  I found that I LOVE bell peppers, and they make great additions to meals.  My fiance and I now add all kinds of veggies to stuff - onions, peppers, tomatoes, beans of all kinds, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, parsnips (like a really tangy carrot), eggplant, squash, okra, leafy greens, cucumbers and pickles...

Don't be afraid to branch out.  Look around the fresh section of your grocery store or tour a local farmer's market.  Fresh almost always tastes best, so try fresh if you're going to try something new, and look for recipes on the internet, or try it raw - that's what I did with bell peppers.

Oh, and doesn't everybody like sweet potatoes?

Oh, and cauliflower is definitely a vegetable.  Veggies you need to be careful with due to starch/calorie content:

Beans

Potatoes (including sweet potatoes, unfortunately)

Avocados (high fat content - but it's healthy fat)

Corn (counts as a grain)

Lots of good ideas! I forgot about sweet potatoes-Yummy :)

Unfortunately both my hubby and I hate peppers, bell or otherwise

I like the idea of looking for recipes on the internet, don't know why I didn't think of that before, duh, lol

Thanks!

Ever think about having pumpkin for breakfast... wonderful & energizing & super healthy! :)

salad is always good with vinegar and olive oil, fresh lettuce. There are many different varieties to choose from, spinach, cucumber, peppers, radish, tomato.

How about broccoli or cauliflower casserole, spaghetti squash with sauce. I put mushrooms, onions, garlic, squash, zucchini, peppers in my sauce.

Baked butternut squash French fries, baked sweet potatoes topped with salsa or Greek yogurt.

Stuffed green peppers.

Turkey or chicken tacos and burritos with lettuce, tomato, olives, peppers, onions, sprouts.

ham, green beans and potatoes in the crock pot.

Chili made with turkey, beans, tomato, squash, peppers, onions, garlic.

 

I like to toss veggies like green beans and asparagus with a little olive oil, salt and pepper and roast them in a 450 deg oven for about 10 minutes. They get a little brown in spots. Tasty. Carrots are good roasted as well, along with any winter-type veggies like parsnips and turnips. I also like swiss or rainbow chard sauteed in a bit of oil with garlic.

A favorite in my house is summer squash and zucchini sliced.  You take the steaming bags and place the squash and zucchini in there.  Add 1 teaspoon of olive oil and one package of McCormacks garlic and herb vegetable seasoning.  Seal the bag and shake it up.  Place in the microwave for 7 minutes.  They come out so tender and juicy and full of flavor.  I usually serve with Purdue already cooked southwestern style chicken.  One serving of chicken is 90 calories and one serving (1/2 cup) of each vegetable is only 20 calories.  I'm not quite sure how many more calories the McCormack's adds but I know its very minor.  So for less than 200 calories, you have a great dinner.

A quick way to do veggie sides is to put any veggies you like (sweet potatoes/ squash/ tomatoes/ asparagus/ mushrooms) in the oven at about 400 F for about 20 minutes. Sprinkle with olive oil, garlic, any other herbs you like.

A nice Indian way to cook things like cauliflower,beans, potates, cabbage etc is to steam or blanch for 2 minutes in boiling water. Drain. Then heat 1 tsp of oil in a skillet, add a touch of asafoetida (you can get it in most Indian supermarkets, but dont stress if you cant find it, just leave it out). Then a tsp of mustard seeds, which should start popping in 30 seconds or so. When they pop, add the steamed vegetable, some chopped ginger and green or red chile; stir fry for 5 minutes. If you like, add a little cumin or coriander powder, or any curry powder. Stir again and let powders coat the veggies well. Salt to taste and chopped cilantro.If you like add a tsp or so of shredded dry coconut.

Serve hot.

For veggie-lovers:

I love salads with everything: peppers onion, celery, cucumber, tomato, avocado (yes those are fruit), carrots, sprouts... the list goes on.

Also I love edemame. Sometimes I put it with quinoa and spinach, tomato, onion, sauteed bell pepper, onion, celery, and carrot, broccoli, etc. I also buy it from the frozen section in a bag mixed with baby corn, water chestnuts, bell pepper, etc. Microwave or steam it and it's ready in minutes!

Salad with mixed greens, roasted beet slices, nectarine or peach slices, toasted walnuts, goat cheese, and a light dressing (I use a homemade orange/lemon vinaigrette).

Corn and bean salad with bell pepper, cilantro, and either sour cream or some kind of vinaigrette.

For veggie-haters:

Bake spaghetti squash and eat it out of the shell with tomato sauce and Parmesan cheese! Yummy!

Mash up baked cauliflour and add milk, butter, or cream and seasonings. I think it tastes exactly like mashed potatoes. BUT mashed potatoes are a veggie, too!
Roast potatoes, including sweet potatoes, in the oven with salt and pepper and a little bit of olive oil. AWESOME french fries!

Add basil and tomato to grilled cheese sandwiches.

Stir-fry: Add things like baby corn, water chestnuts, the norm, but you can also put in steamed spinach, sauteed carrots, celery, onions, edemame, anything! This also works on rice.

Add mixed veggies (frozen works great) to pasta, and cover with cheese or tomato sauce.

Yummy salad with fresh mozzarella balls, basil, tomato, and red wine vinegar. You can also make these into kabobs. :)
Carrot and/or zucchini muffins.

No one has mentioned cabbage.

Chopped cabbage cooked with kielbasa is absolutely fabulous.  You get the veggie goodness but it doesn't taste so green.  There is also sauerkraut (watch the sodium though).  Stuffed cabbage is good too.