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I am looking for some guidance on how to prepare vegetables for someone who doesn't like vegetables. Neither myself nor my husband likes vegetables. I can't say I hate all vegetables though. I do like green beans, but only the canned kind that have been cooked for hours in something like bullion. I also like sweet potatoes, but only if they are cooked with lots of brown sugar and cinnamon. I like yellow corn but I consider that more of a starch. I also like carrots if they are cooked with something like honey or maple syrup to make them sweet.
As for my husband, the only veggies he will eat are mashed potatoes (if those even count as a veggie, forgot to mention that I love potatoes as well), fried okra, and raw carrots (he doesn't like the carrots cooked the way I do). And if you consider Bush's baked beans a vegetable, we both like that.
I am looking to find some other vegetables that I may like and that I might be able to convince my husband to try, and suggestions on ways to prepare them so they taste good to me. My taste buds are pretty high-sensing. I don't like anything that tastes remotely bitter or that tastes like grass. I also don't like anything sour. I like foods that taste sweet, or have a bit of zest (but not very spicy). I WILL NOT eat tomatoes or onions. I have had these enough to know that I don't like them. I will also not eat mushrooms.
I should also add that I'm not much of a cooker. So if I see terms like "steamed" or "sauteed" or "roasted" I get scared because I don't know what any of those mean! Of the veggies I like, I never fix them for myself. Any time I've tried to fix green beans the way I like, but they end up tasting like grass. But when my mom fixes them, they are perfect.
The foods we always eat are beef (hamburgers or beef tips with noodles), chicken (chicken parm, bbq chicken, oven fried chicken), pasta (spagetti, lasagna) and pizza. I know we need to start eating some healthy food!
Oh boy...as a veggie-lover I don't get this! I would die eating nothing but pasta and meat. But I do applaud your quest for eating more vegetables.
First - steamed, sauteed, roasted: Dead easy and very forgiving. Google those terms.
Steamed is just chopped vegetables in a little water on the stove top or in the microwave until done.
Sauteed is chopped vegetables stirred around in oil or butter until done.
Roasted is (usually coated with a little oil and seasoning first) chopped or whole vegetables stuck in the oven for 30-45 minutes until done. Actually you might like roasted carrots and other root vegetables; roasting brings out the natural sugars:
Get a pound of asparagus. Slice around 1/4 inch off the ends of each piece, rinse in cold water, and lay out on a paper towel to absorb the extra water.
In a frying pan on the stove, put around 1/4 cup of oil. I personally like using a mix of normal regular olive oil, and canola oil. Olive oil is healthier, canola oil fries better.
Heat that up around medium-ish, maybe a little hotter (but not much). You can tell it's ready for the asparagus when you drip a drop of water in the pan and it sizzles and pops.
Place the asparagus in the pan. I don't recommend dumping it, because excess water will splatter on you and might singe your arm-hairs - use salad tongs or one of those wooden bamboo tongs you can buy cheap from Pampered Chef.
Stir it all around, and give the pan a shake so that all the stalks are coated with oil. Then - add a healthy splash of soy sauce. If you're using leftover chinese take-out packages, figure 8 packages for a pound of stalks.
Lower the heat to halfway between low and medium, give the pan a shake every minute or so, until the stalks are coated with soy sauce, and sort of limp (not totally droopy).
Lastly - mince 3 or 4 cloves of garlic right into the pan, and give that a good stir and a shake. Around a minute later, turn the stove off, and serve.
One pan, no oven, very simple, absolutely delicious. You can use string beans if you prefer - green-beans as a lesser-quality substitute.
This isn't sweet, it's salty. But it's amazing, especially with chicken as a main course.
I may have to try these. If nothing else, they look pretty. Now I just have to learn how to pick out vegetables at the grocery store. I always skip the produce section!
Get a pound of asparagus. Slice around 1/4 inch off the ends of each piece, rinse in cold water, and lay out on a paper towel to absorb the extra water.
In a frying pan on the stove, put around 1/4 cup of oil. I personally like using a mix of normal regular olive oil, and canola oil. Olive oil is healthier, canola oil fries better.
Heat that up around medium-ish, maybe a little hotter (but not much). You can tell it's ready for the asparagus when you drip a drop of water in the pan and it sizzles and pops.
Place the asparagus in the pan. I don't recommend dumping it, because excess water will splatter on you and might singe your arm-hairs - use salad tongs or one of those wooden bamboo tongs you can buy cheap from Pampered Chef.
Stir it all around, and give the pan a shake so that all the stalks are coated with oil. Then - add a healthy splash of soy sauce. If you're using leftover chinese take-out packages, figure 8 packages for a pound of stalks.
Lower the heat to halfway between low and medium, give the pan a shake every minute or so, until the stalks are coated with soy sauce, and sort of limp (not totally droopy).
Lastly - mince 3 or 4 cloves of garlic right into the pan, and give that a good stir and a shake. Around a minute later, turn the stove off, and serve.
One pan, no oven, very simple, absolutely delicious. You can use string beans if you prefer - green-beans as a lesser-quality substitute.
This isn't sweet, it's salty. But it's amazing, especially with chicken as a main course.
I've had asparagus before, didn't totally hate it, but it wasn't my favorite. May have been the way it was cooked. This recipe sounds like it's cooked differently than how I had it. I will give this a shot. I don't like soy sauce though, is there anything I can substitute for that?
because im not a veggie lover, i can relate to your post and concerns...
here's a couple simple solutions,,
cover the veggies in beef or chicken gravy, if thats too heavy then use broth,,, disguise/cover the flavor..
in a blender,,,with beef broth throw in your veggies, let it soak,,,and use as gravy over your potatoes and or stuffing,,,or on garlic bread
or
use a crock pot-for like a chuck roast,,,and throw in the veggies,,, and gravy mix-cream of mushroom , or such,,,and everything will taste the same..
if you think you are veggie deficient,,,, then look at two in particular, spinach and broccoli,,,
you can eat them raw in a salad with ranch or blue cheese dressing, if the taste is really disgusting to you- then hold your nose, you cant taste them if your nose is plugged,,,
stir - fry's are also good- like teriyaki beef strips,,,then throw in some stir fry veggies,,,everything will taste the same,,,
I may have to try these. If nothing else, they look pretty. Now I just have to learn how to pick out vegetables at the grocery store. I always skip the produce section!
Do you have a farmers market....you must. That would be a good place to scout out recipes and vegetables.
Otherwise, no need to be scared LOL. Buy a pound of carrots (usually sold in handy 1lb bags for under a dollar. A couple of sweet potatoes, a couple of regular potatoes. Maybe some beets, turnips, parsnips, whatever looks pretty....vegetables are way cheaper per pound than meat so even if you screw up it's not a big deal. Feed failures to your dog.
Another way you can enjoy vegetables, is to use them as an accent in entree baking. This weekend I was in the mood for random vegetables and had no idea what to do with them. I picked a container of mushrooms, a single tomato, one new (red) potato, and one shallot. I went to the fish store and asked for some suggestions - they said definitely salmon. So I got some salmon.
I cut up the veggies, sliced the shrooms and the shallot, and laid the salmon down in a glass baking dish. Cracked some black pepper over the surface. I covered it with the veggies and a splash of olive oil, a sprinkle of dried dill, and a squeeze of fresh lemon wedge, and put it in the oven on 375 for 40 minutes, then at 325 for another 20 minutes. The fish was tender, flaky, and practically melted in my mouth. All the veggies were consumed as a side-dish for the salmon.
You can do the same thing with whatever veggies you prefer - the vegetables will give the meat/fish/chicken extra flavor, and the oils and juices from the meat/fish/chicken will flavor the veggies. Potato, bell peppers, carrots, celery, all do-able, and a colorful and tasty accompaniment to your entree. Best thing is, you're tossing the whole thing into a single pot or baking dish, so there's less to clean up when supper's finished.
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