How to make green vegetables taste nice?

JIL

WantToBeSE wrote: »

Do they go really soft and squidgy if cooked for that long?

No surprisingly they don't, but they are not squeaky on your teeth. I really liked the texture.

My mother used to make a white sauce to serve with her veg, it went over most things green, but especially green beans, broad beans, cauliflower and broccoli. I think it was because she grew the veg in the garden and wanted us children to eat it.

WantToBeSE

suki1964 wrote: »

Go look at a few Indian or Chinese cook books or online.

The other week I found a recipe for braised cauliflower in oyster sauce. Looked pretty awful tbh but omg it was delish. There's a whole host of dishes using cabbage and broccoli

There's a great Indian cabbage dish I like, can't mind the name but it's basically sliced cabbage, grated carrot which is cooked with a mix of spices and lemon juice. Really tasty and goes with anything. Madhur Jeffrey even suggest serving it with sausages

Thanks, some great ideas! I have found a Lebanese cook book about vegetables, so have downloaded a free sample of that onto my Kindle to get ideas.
That Indian cabbage idea sounds nice, I'll make sure to try thatm especially as i love carrots. Should i use a particular cabbage for that, or will any suffice?

PasturesNew wrote: »

All veggies are better steamed than boiled/simmered.

Cabbage: steamed I love it just with mash and gravy. Shredded you can mix it with mash to make bubble/squeak. Use whole leaves to wrap stuff - e.g. rice/savoury mince, use a leaf to wrap them, lay them down and steam until the cabbage is soft, and/or cover with a (tomato?) sauce and steam until cooked.

Broccoli: Can substitute for bubble/squeak variation. Can stir fry. Can add into quiches. Can eat raw with various dips. Can make soup either as a main or sub ingredient.

Cauliflower: Cauliflower cheese. Various cauliflower soups/variations. Roasted with/without spices. Can eat raw with various dips.

Green beans: Can add in to vegetable curry.

Asparagus: Serve/cook with a bit of melted butter. Use in quiches.

Brussels: Just steam them, very nice. Can serve with tiny bits of fried/crispy bacon and/or chestnuts. Can halve and fry them, I'd steam them first, then use the frying just to brown them. Shred them for bubble/squeak.

Peas: Pea soup. Use in curries. Throw into stews/casseroles. Can use in quiche.

I have never actually tried Asparagus. So i might try that. I see that you can buy spears or tips...which is best??

JackieO wrote: »

If in doubt a goodly dollop of sweet chilli sauce or red onion chutney.You can buy from Lidls/aldi's batts tomato and chilli chutney and its gorgeous but then I do like spicy food anyway

Oh yes, sweet chilli sauce makes everything better!

WantToBeSE

monnagran wrote: »

When I was cooking for a lot of young children cabbage of any sort was a complete no-no. However, if I sliced it very finely, cooked it briefly, stirred a good knob of garlic butter into it and called it something else, (can't remember what but it was vaguely French sounding) then it disappeared like snow in summer.

Now I make my own coleslaw with grated carrot, grated courgette, FINELY sliced leek or onion, FINELY sliced white cabbage, FINELY sliced red cabbage plus anything else your heart desires or just happen to have knocking around and mixed with a good dollop of mayonnaise even hardened veg haters seem to enjoy it.

I love my tablet. Ever tried grating a 'corvette'?

Also, if there is some sauce or herb that you really like add lashings of it to any veg. Mine is mint in the summer and a spoonful of mint sauce in the winter. It improves anything for me and always gets shoved into cabbage, peas, soup or anything I'm not keen on or that just needs a lift.

x

Brilliant ideas! Thanks I love mint, sweet chilli sauce, garlic and basil. That coleslaw sounds lovely too.


I saw some fennel in Tesco last week. I love fennel tea, so I'd be interested in trying that..anyone have any suggestions for what to do with it, how to prepare it etc?

WantToBeSE

Wednesday2000 wrote: »

I think steamed cabbage is delish with some mash and brown sauce.

Everything is lovely with mash and brown sauce I'll try that, thanks

JIL wrote: »

No surprisingly they don't, but they are not squeaky on your teeth. I really liked the texture.

My mother used to make a white sauce to serve with her veg, it went over most things green, but especially green beans, broad beans, cauliflower and broccoli. I think it was because she grew the veg in the garden and wanted us children to eat it.

I love garlic, so might try and make a garlicky white sauce to pour over Thanks for the idea!

WantToBeSE

Butterfly_Brain wrote: »

Fry savoy cabbage with sliced onion, bacon and garlic.

Make cabbage rolls basically cabbage leaves filled with mince or vegetable rice put into an oven dish an pour over a tomato sauce made from tomatoes, garlic and herbs, sprinkle with cheese then cook in the oven. Lots of different recipes for them on the internet.

I used to crumble up a cooked garlic baguette and serve it with veggies and the children wolfed it down.

Garlic butter, mushroom or cheese sauce also helps

BB, i am just reading through the thread and writing down ideas, and noticed that i havent responded to your post. Apologies.

I adore garlic and garlic bread, as do the kids, so am definitely going to use the idea of crumbling one up!
Cabbage rolls also sound great! As does cabbage and bacon..yum!
Thanks

Butterfly_Brain

You are welcome WTBSE x

pigpen

WantToBeSE wrote: »

I feel so silly because i am a fully grown adult and shouldn't be so picky. Ilike lots of healthy foods, but green veg is just so difficult! Especially when you had it boiled to death as a child.

I am just the same in addition to food sensitivities there is a lot I cannot or simply will not eat... and not just veg either! I hate tomatoes, red fruit makes me itch, salad, grapes and garlic give me a horrendous upset tummy... and i loathe cauliflower, kale and asparagus.. see.. terrible!

I found just trying stuff as it was cooking helped.. I could then judge how long to cook stuff to my taste.

LameWolf

WantToBeSE wrote: »

I didnt know peas were edible raw!

When I was a kid, my grandad used to grow peas, and I'd be sent outside to harvest them for dinner. I used to get in trouble for splitting open some of the pods and eating the peas on the way back up to the house.:rotfl:

WantToBeSE wrote: »

I feel so silly because i am a fully grown adult and shouldn't be so picky. Ilike lots of healthy foods, but green veg is just so difficult! Especially when you had it boiled to death as a child.

Cut yourself some slack - I'm vegetarian, and I dislike green leafy veg. So does my DH, so I simply don't serve the stuff. Life's too short to force down food you dislike, imho.

We do eat lots of root veg, toms, aubergines and salady things - though not lettuce (I like it but DH doesn't, and it's not worth buying a whole lettuce just for me).

Oh, and beetroot is so vile I won't allow it in the house!:eek:

WantToBeSE

pigpen wrote: »

I am just the same in addition to food sensitivities there is a lot I cannot or simply will not eat... and not just veg either! I hate tomatoes, red fruit makes me itch, salad, grapes and garlic give me a horrendous upset tummy... and i loathe cauliflower, kale and asparagus.. see.. terrible!

I found just trying stuff as it was cooking helped.. I could then judge how long to cook stuff to my taste.

Thats a good idea..why didnt i thinkof that!? :rotfl:

LameWolf wrote: »

When I was a kid, my grandad used to grow peas, and I'd be sent outside to harvest them for dinner. I used to get in trouble for splitting open some of the pods and eating the peas on the way back up to the house.:rotfl:
Cut yourself some slack - I'm vegetarian, and I dislike green leafy veg. So does my DH, so I simply don't serve the stuff. Life's too short to force down food you dislike, imho.

We do eat lots of root veg, toms, aubergines and salady things - though not lettuce (I like it but DH doesn't, and it's not worth buying a whole lettuce just for me).

Oh, and beetroot is so vile I won't allow it in the house!:eek:

I won't allow brussel sprouts across my threshold.They are the most vile things on the planet. I cant even bear the smell of them. Bleugh!

[Deleted User]

I adore brussels with crispy bits of bacon mixed in and grated parmesan on top

My neighbour has just knocked and given me two packets of sealed vacuum packed beetroot thats ready to eat. Will it freeze do you think or will I be eating beetroot for the next fornight Its dated until end of April but I am away for a week in April ??