Need some vegetable ideas....

[Felicia85]

I want to start eating more veggies but I'm not quite sure what to add. I eat salad and cucumbers but not sure what else I can add to my diet.... Any idea's welcome.

[VictoriaT]

Hi Felicia
I make sure that when I eat a burger or chicken, I put some pickles or lettuce along with it.

Also-I love broccoli and cheese, cauliflower and cheese, green beans and cheese, anything and cheese :D :D :D

Another cool thing I tried was a "taco" salad--I put lettuce, onion, small amount of tomato and some beef in a bowl. Put on sour cream and some salsa for the dressing. It was yum :yum:

Hope these help.
Vicki :wave:

[SooCee]

There are many recipes <a href="http://atkinscenter.com/food/recipes/vegetables.html">here</a>

You could change them I guess and make them simpilar if you need to.

SooCee :wave:

[razzle]

salads are best if they are spinach; romaine is the second-best choice; mixed "mesclune" greens are good, too. Avoid iceburg.

in the northern hemisphere, this is the time of year to experiment! buy fresh veggies at a local farm and make them that day: green beans, brocolli, cauliflower, asparagus, various summer squashes (I prefer yellow skinned ones and swear they taste different than green ones!). Steaming them and leaving them still with some bite / crispiness is best for nutrition.

With squashes, I like slicing them with a vegetable peeler for "noodles" -- then you do whatever with them that you once did with spaghetti.

Try swiss chard as a sandwich wrap.

Cold, raw slices of turnips and kohlrabi are nice with a dip of your choice. If you like radishes, this is a good way to eat them, as well. Also wonderful raw is the rainbow of bell peppers.

Artichoke hearts and tomatoes are slightly higher in carbs, but a half cup is a nice addition to any summer meal.
Greens like chard, mustard greens, and kale are a bit of an acquired taste. I prefer them quick stir-fried in saved bacon grease. Southerners in the US stew them for hours, and maybe you'd prefer that form of cooking instead. It's a good idea to acquire this taste--these are the densest-nutrient veggies there are!

You might even like okra.

Lemon grass, tomatillos, and other "exotic" veggies are fun to experiment with. All those mushrooms taste different from one another--try a few of them, too.

Go to a farm or big grocery and start picking out small amounts of veggies you haven't yet tried. You'll find some new favorites.

[Twiggy]

Razzle, your descriptive prose about the glories of vegetables was a joy to read. I love your enthusiasm for healthy food and cooking.

Felicia, I make little eggplants treats that are fun for snacks and appetizers:
Slice a small, Japanese eggplant into thin discs-approx 1/4 inch thick
Lay slices out on a cookie sheet and brush with olive oil.
Broil [close to heat source] until one side is browned, about 3-5 minutes.
Remove from oven and carefully flip slices over and broil on the other side.
Remove again from oven. Sprinkle slices with oregano, freshly grated parmesan cheese, salt and pepper.
Put back under broiler till the cheese browns and crisps.

[reech4strz]

:eek: OHHH has anyone tried this, it is in his newest book. ON page 478 . This is as close as it gets . The longer you let it sit, the better!!! My ten year old and hubby just loved it. I just cannot believe how much this tastes like the real thing!!!!! 4grams carb(2 digestible) protien 2 gr, fat 8 gr, calories 85 , and six servings. Im not sure if im supposed to post his recipes here is why i have not, but if I am able can someone let me know and i will revise for those that do not have the book.

[Kristine]

My favorite veggie trick of the moment is to cook them and coat them in tasty salad dressings. You have to watch the carb count, but it only takes a Tbsp or so for a serving of veggies. My current favorite: steamed green beans with Greek dressing, with a little extra feta on top for good measure. :) Another fave: Kraft's three-cheese ranch on cooked sliced mushrooms and zucchini.

[kiwi2]

Cucumber and red pepper salad is one of my favorites - lots of crunch and flavor. I just chop up red pepper and cucumber, add lots of feta cheese, and some vinaigrette.

Sauted eggplant in some olive oil (with maybe a smidgen of garlic) and thyme, and add crumbled goat cheese at the end.

Saute cabbage, mushrooms or fennel in butter until soft.

Last night I even tried sauted radishes for the first time. Not great, but it was a nice change.

Roast radicchio halves and at the end put some blue cheese on until it melts.

I find that having an interesting veg. side dish really helps keep me from getting bored.

hope this helps!
kiwi2

PS- Twiggy, your eggplant things sound fab - will make soon!

[TriciaW]

Greetings! My new favorite thing is Broccoflower (sp). Green cauliflower. Chop up head, melt 1/3 stick butter in large sautee pan, add broccoflower-leave on med high for about 5 min covered, then uncover and turn down heat. Cook until tender-add Spike, or whatever you like. They get brown and slightly crunchy. This works for cauliflower, broccoli, green beans, asparagus and especially cabbage. I rely on this method when I need comfort food. Very satisfying!

[micsing]

Try this easy one for squash!!

Take a zip lock bag....shake up some sliced yellow squash, onion and zucchini with a little olive oil and seasoning.....roast in George Foeman roaster or oven.....Yum......have even sprinkled with parmesean cheese prior to serving.....add's something different when you're tired of salad!

[acohn]

Following up on Razzle's recommendation of kale, I've posted a recipe for sauteed kale with bacon (http://www.majicom.com/NR/Kale-Bacon.pdf) (courtesy of Emeril Lagasse, reprinted with permission). My GF, who doesn't like kale, was willing to eat a serving with dinner.

Note: You'll need Acrobat Reader to open the recipe document.

[etoiles]

Stuffed peppers are always on option. My husband and I had the most delicious meal out of these... roasting some poblano peppers until the skin was blackened, then you peel the skin off, while that was happening scramble some eggs with bacon, after peeling the skin, cut a slit and remove the seeds and stuff them with eggs. Top with cheese sauce and voila!

Any low carb veggies chopped up with cubes of mozzerella and with a dallop of pesto is also delicious!

Roasted asparagus is nice, before roasting coat them with olive oil and salt.

Artichoke boiled for approx. 40 minutes (in salted, lemon juiced water) and served with melted butter and lemon juice. 9 carbs for 1 med. artichoke, but they're good for sharing.

Make a fajita and stir fry lots of peppers and some onion.

Mushrooms stuffed with herbs and cream cheese and baked.

homemade coleslaw. (you can buy the preshredded cabbage!)

[NOT_MINIME]

I have to say that I have never tried eggplant before tonight and I never will again. It had the texture of bananas with the taste of hot, rotting cucumbers. I just shuddered at the horror in my mouth.

Is this the consistancy it should be? If so, what the heck do you all like about it? lol

[NOT_MINIME]

Afte that last post, I thought I would add one of my all time favorite recipes--pan fried asparagus.

Heat a dash olive oil and a pinch of hot chilly peppers in a frying pan. When hot, add the asparagus. Keep rolling it around in the pan until tender--about 8-10 minutes. YUM!

I also chop off the hard bottoms about 3 inches and then make a soup with these and leeks and anything else in the fridge.

[geo53562]

Hey NOT_MINIME--

I think you should pass on the tour of the Greek islands!:roll:

[NOT_MINIME]

Geo! Does that mean the Greeks serve a lot of eggplant. My hubby and I are divers and have toyed with the idea of going to Greece. I have shied away from this idea as I got bigger and bigger, but now we are planning a trip in the spring. I should be able to fit into my dive gear again. Yipee!

But NO Greek islands if we have to eat that 'gag'plant. lol