Much to my families dismay I’m starting a little experiment this year. We are going to venture into the veggie forest, getting to know all the different varieties, learn some new cooking techniques, and embracing all the joy and vitamins they have to share!
The challenge… fairly simple.. try a new vegetable each month and push to have a vegetable at dinner every night. The vegetable will be identifiable – I’m not hiding anything in the food – everyone will know exactly what they are eating. I’m sure it will make for some lovely dinner conversations with the family anxiously waiting for the next vegetable installment.
We are a somewhat typical family (although I often wonder lately.. what is “typical”.. a topic for another post I suppose). My husband and I have three children, a daughter who is 11 and twin boys that are 8. We try to eat healthy food and cook at home more than eat out at restaurants. I also try to serve a vegetable with dinner every night but sometimes that turns into a fruit due to time issues.
In all honesty I have to admit that my family does not LOVE vegetables and would prefer to not have them present at dinner. Actually, I think if you asked them they would say they LOATHE vegetables. Sadly I must also admit that I use to love vegetables as well. When I was younger most of my favorite meals were just vegetables. However, as I have gotten older, my vegetable intake and “love” has gone down. (I think I will blame the children – seems like a good excuse). I don’t enjoy preparing vegetables for dinner – especially if they need much more than dumping the frozen bag into the boiling water. All that chopping, creative spicing, and cooking – has just become one more thing on my never-ending To Do List that I prefer to put off for another day.
So that’s our challenge. It is as much of a challenge for me as it is for my family. AND I’m sure we will have lots of stories to share along the way. Feel free to send recipes or thoughts our way.. as we venture down this new road (we may need all the help we can get).
Watch out veggies forest….. I’ve got my protective gear and I’m coming in!
Posted by Suzy on January 12, 2010 at 9:52 pm
Do you have the Moosewood cookbooks? They are a good place to start.
Veggies are so good! You will learn to love them again.
Posted by Douglas Beard on January 13, 2010 at 1:58 am
I would go hard core greens, almost everyone I know loves salads. Even if they are just an accent to a meal. With just a little variety I think that you really can do this and get everyone on board. I think that it is easiest to go with veggies in this order, raw, steamed or grilled. I eat them all of those ways. How big a garden do you have? I’ll think about some really good suggestions for you.
Posted by sarahtfox on January 13, 2010 at 6:33 pm
Folks are sending me recipes and I thought I would share them as well.. some great ideas!
Thanks everyone.. let the adventure continue!
I’d like to help you in your quest to incorporate more veggies! Here are a couple EASY recipes that I know work- see if you want to try ‘em…
Roasted Spiced Carrots
2 T olive oil
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 T sugar
1 t cumin
1/2 t salt
1/2 t cinnamon
2 pounds baby carrotts
1/4 cup raisins
juice of 1 lemon
1/4 chopped parsley
Heat oven to 400, combine oil, garlic, sugar, cumin, salt, cinnamon and carrotts in a shallow baking pan. Roast 20 min or until fork tender. Remove from oven and add raisins and lemon juice, toss with parsley. From real simple magazine
Caramelized Broccoli (food and wine magazine)
3 T olive oil
2 heads broccoli (1 1/4 pound) stems peeled and heads halved lengthwise
1/2 c water
3 garlic cloves,thinly sliced
pinch of red pepper
2 T lemon juice
In a large skillet, head 2 T oil and add broccoli, cut side down, cover and cook over med heat until richly browned (8 min)
Add the water, cover and cook until broc is tender and water has evaporated (7 min). Add remaining oil, saute garlic and pepper until brown (3 min). Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Fall Veggie Chili
1 T olive oil
2 med carrots, sliced
2 med parsnips, peeled and sliced
(adds 1 yellow bell pepper, chopped)
1 med onion, chopped
2 cans red kidney beans (or whatever beans you like), rinsed
4 T chili powder (less if you don’t like spicy)
1 28 oz can chopped tomatoes
2 c broth (veggie or chicken)- optional
In a soup pot, heat oil on med, add carrotts, parsnip, onion and bell pepper, cook 6-8 min until tender. Add chili powder, tomatoes (and their juice), beans and 2 C water (or broth). heat to boil, then reduce to med and cook 10 min.
serves 4, from Good Housekeeping Oct 08
Spicy Eggplant and Califlower
from real simple jan 04 but adapted by zoe
3 cups cooked rice (I use brown)
1.5 t salt
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 T freshly grated ginger
1/3 C olive oil
2 t thai red curry paste (such as thai kitchen brand)
3 small eggplants (I use zukes, green beans, all kinds of stuff instead), sliced
1 head califlower, broken into florets
1 15 oz can chickpeas/garbanzos
preheat to 450. Cook rice however you like to do it (I use rice cooker). Meanwhile, whisk together the garlic, ginger, oil (use it all even though it seems excessive), curry paste, salt and 1/2 C water. Toss veggies with this mixture then transfer to a roasting pan on a single layer. Roast at 450 about 30 min, stirring halfway through if you can remember (i don’t). Add the chickpeas in the last 5 min of cooking. (recipe says to toss with bean sprouts and fresh basil leaves, but I don’t do that).
Serves 4.