help me eat my veggies

[Shay]

Okay I know we do recipe threads and even veggie threads but this one is a little different in that I need to find away to eat veggies when I really DO NOT like them. There are very few I can handle without torturing myself. I want to find a way to enjoy them! Any ideas from fellow veggie haters that found a way to enjoy (or at least tolerate) them would be GREEAAATTT! Anyone else with a recipe you think might hide some of the veggie flavor post away. By the way I have tried the cauliflower as potatoes thing and it was very UNsuccessful! Thank!!

[Finelly]

I feel your pain. THey are not my favorite, either. <sigh>

Ok, well, jicama is one thing you could eat a cup or two of a day, if you cook it. (I know people like it raw, but I can't stand it). Slice it up. Put it in a skillet with 1/4 cup or more of butter. Sautee until golden brown. Add splenda and a ton of cinamon. It tastes like fried apples.

Zuchini is also good. Grate up about 1 to 2 cups of zuchini. Mix with 1 or 2 eggs (1 egg per cup). Add salt and pepper - pinch of each. Add 1 tablespoon flax meal if you have it - if not, no biggie. Heat up olive oil in a pan. Throw the zuchini into the pan and flatten it out. Cook until golden brown on one side, then flip to the other. Now, the key here is to top it with something. I like sour cream. My husband likes salsa. My son likes sour cream AND salsa.

One other thing I've tried that works is to take your day's allowance of green leafy veggies (2 cups or 1) and blend it in the blender. It makes a mush. Add it to whatever thing you are cooking with ground beef - just add it in with the ground beef and cook it however you are cooking it. When you mix it up really well with the raw meat, it eliminates the taste and texture of the veggies.

[nikki_e]

How about a tasty cheese sauce over brocolli, cauliflower, spaghetti squash, etc? I have to be careful though, because I could easily overdose on my heavy cream and cheese by eating a cheese sauce.

Easy Cheese Sauce:
Bring a pat of butter and some cream to a boil. Add shredded cheese and let melt (while stirring). Add more cheese until you have reached the thickness you prefer. Voila...cheese sauce!

One veggie that I swear does not taste like a veggie is spahetti squash. Just my two cents.

[DebbietheHugBug]

Help here :wave

I tried spaghetti squash once and it was awful. I probably didn't cook it right. I was trying to make my own spaghetti while hubby & daughter were having the real stuff. How do you cook it so that it tastes like I keep hearing it does? ensive

[michigangirly]

i like preparing my veggies with some garlic and butter. mmm. always "spices" it up!

[nikki_e]

For my spaghetti squash, I leave it whole and puncture it several times with a fork. Put it in a dish and microwave it until the outside becomes a little soft (12-16 minutes depending on the size). Slice it open and use a fork to pull out the strands of "spaghetti". I like it with a cheese sauce, or just with a little butter, and salt and pepper. Spaghetti squash is my favorite veggie at the moment (and easiest to make).

[DebbietheHugBug]

Yes, love that! But I don't know how to cook the spaghetti squash. I baked it in the oven and I think I got it too done. How long to cook and what temp? I really want to include this veggie more in my meals. :nod

[DebbietheHugBug]

Nikki, we must have posted at the same time!

Thanks, I'll try it that way :nod

[nikki_e]

All this talk about spaghetti squash is driving me crazy...now I'll need to stop at the store on the way home. I never thought I'd be this excited about a vegetable. It makes me wonder what other veggies I've been missing out on all these years too.

[Laurenfra]

What about pumkin. This is my new favorite. You can make a pumkin pie omiting the crust and subbing the evap milk with heavy cream and the sugar with Splenda.

I also just mix a can of pumkin with a brick of cream cheese and whip. If my fa is a little low I add some cream when I am whipping. With or with out splenda it is good.

[DebbietheHugBug]

Lauren, I would love some pumpkin ideas. I made a pumpkin recipe once and it turned out so bad I had to throw it out. What are some faves here? I could go to the recipe section but I would like some dishes made and loved by you all :nod

[Terry]

Spaghetti squash is my favorite. I cut in half, scoop out the middle then put a little water in it..... lightly cover with plastic wrap or a paper towel then nuke a half for about 8 minutes. Comes out perfect, just drain water and use a fork to scoop out the strands. A little butterand s&p or maybe some parmesan cheese and there you have it!

MMM MMM Good!

[Bugaboo]

I haven't really experimented a whole lot with this recipe because I just discovered it. However, it's cheap and easy and so far I really like it. If you don't like gyro sauce though, I'd skip it completely.

Veggie Dip/Topping
1/2 C sour cream
(or you could do 1/4 C sour cream and 1/4 C plain yogurt...depends on what rung you're on)
1/4 C finely chopped English cucumber
1/2 teaspoon dillweed
1/4 teaspoon dried mint, crushed (I don't add this...hate mint except in gum)

Mix all together in a bowl and it's ready. Last night I put it on herb rubbed pot roast, put a bit of salt over the top (I like salty) and it really gave it a delicious boost. However before this WOL the gyro stand at the mall was always my first choice so I don't recommend if you don't care for gyros.

Another way to get veggies in would be to try different prep methods. I love cooked cauliflower, but don't like it raw at all. Or mix try mixing veggies with something stronger flavored like meats. Say broccoli and cut up chicken with an alfredo or cheese sauce over the top. If you like a lot of flavor garlic, italian seasoning, basil, hot sauces and etc are all excellent "maskers". Hope that helps! Let us know how it goes!

[Shay]

I am going to do the cheese sauce with some of the veggies that I can somewhat handle. I think I will try the spaghetti squash...though I don't like squashes (of course) with the cheese as well. The zuccini patty think might work as well.

I did the turnip hashbrown thing and I do recommend that if you likes eating hashbrowns with over easy eggs mixed up with them (I used to love that). I seasoned them with season salt before frying them. The only complaint was they didn't get crispy. I figured if I fried them long enough they would but they just turned black :confused

I want to find celeric and try them as "chips"...I here that is good.

I was looking at the jicama yesterday at the store and it seemed like it had a lot of carbs, but I know it is listed as okay so I will try it too.

Thanks for the ideas...keep em coming!!!

[Finelly]

Spaghetti squash is a weird squash, because it is all stringy. You know it is cooked when you can easily scoop the strings out. It will always be crunchy.

When I make it with parmesan, I use real parmesan, not the ground stuff that comes in a can. For some reason, it makes it taste better.

I also make it with butter, sugar-free no carb maple syrup, and cinamon.

I hear it is also good with alfredo sauce.

If you are expecting to be able to eat it with meat sauce, I would caution you. It isn't like eating spaghetti, that's for sure.