Vegetable Help

herisson

Ive set myself a challenge a few weeks ago to incorporate more vegetables and fruit into my diet. Foods i would never have eaten before or have eaten but not enough.

The only veg id mainly eat are mushrooms, onions, peas and broccoli....excluding salad veg

The main fruit i would eat often are blueberries and tomatoes

I found myself stuck a rut and bored with my food so i set myself the challenge.

So far ive done:

veg
sugar snap peas - loved
baby corn - not too bad
avocado - despise
sweet potato - loved
celariac - it was ok need to explore more
sweetcorn - used to love it now hate it
spinach - majorly addicted
green beans - also addicted
cauliflower - liked

This week was bok choi and bean sprouts. Have to say i adore them. Tonight i did something a little different and baked the bean sprouts and some green beans in filo pastry and had with wilted spinach and bok choi.

Fruits:

grapes - loved
pineapple - loved
mango - was nice
lychee - love it...its a big treat to have it

next week is dragon fruit. but tbh i find fruit very sweet and not overly fond of it.

There are some veg that i know i just cant stand like cucumbers, carrots and aubergines.

This up coming week im planning on doing artichoke or turnip.

I know i like turnip but never eat enough of it. But im a bit stuck as to what i can do with it. The only thing i can think of is boiling it or roasting. And artichoke, im completely lost on. Ive never had it before, no idea what to do with it.

Has anyone any ideas?

Or is anyone would like to join me they can

Shenshen

I have to admit that I would use turnip very much as a filler - to bulk out dishes like shepard's pie, hotpot, soups and stews.

Maybe try it in a minestrone? My quick-cheaty recipe for that is to chop up any leftover veg you have around into very small chunks, boil it in some stock with some broken up pasta, then stir through some tomato paste.

Artichokes I find very hard to get here. If you can get your hands on fresh ones, my favourite way of eating them is to just boil the entire artichoke in some salted water. Once it's soft, just peel of the leaves, dip the bottom of them into any kind of dip you like (personally, I love a honey mustard dressing for that), and just tear the soft bit off the leaf with your teeth. Once you're through with the leaves, make sure to get rid of those hairs inside and then eat the heart in the same way.

If, like me, you can only find the hearts in tins, try stuffing and baking them, that works really nice.

Alun

herisson wrote: »

I know i like turnip but never eat enough of it. But im a bit stuck as to what i can do with it. The only thing i can think of is boiling it or roasting.

I found half a turnip in the bottom of the fridge last night as it happens I made a kind of vegetable tagine with it plus some carrots and chickpeas and had it with lamb chops and couscous, it was great! It soaks up flavours like the moroccan spices I used really well, and also works well in curries where you might have otherwise used butternut squash or pumpkin.

Tilly

Up until about 3 months ago I only ate green veg. Now I eat most veg. My fav right now is carrots and parsnips chopped into squares and pooped into boiling water for 7 mins to soften a bit. Drain and fry them off in some coconut oil with whatever herbs and spices you like and add one or two fried eggs on top

Dizzyblonde

Carrot and turnip mashed together is really nice.

I never ate peppers much until a few years ago, and now I eat lots of them but I need them to be well cooked or else they give me indigestion. If you make something like a ratatouille, you can freeze portions and take it out when you need it.

My recipe:
2 courgettes or one huge one
2 red peppers
2 yellow peppers
2 onions
2-3 fat cloves of garlic, crushed
salt & black pepper
1 teaspoon of dried basil
Half a teaspoon of dried thyme
1 teaspoon of sugar
1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar (optional)
Olive oil
Tin of tomatoes
*You could also add mushrooms or aubergine.

Dice the veg and slice the onions. Saute onions in oil until soft. Add courgettes and fry for a while. Add peppers, after a few minutes add garlic. Throw in everything else and simmer gently for a couple of hours.

It keeps in the fridge for up to 5 days, and freezes very well.

kylith

M&S have grilled artichoke hearts in jars and they're lovely. I've seen whole artichokes in ethnic grocers' on Moore St.

It's a great idea what you're doing. I discovered recently that I actually really like olives. And I'm still not mad on cucumber, but it's not the revolting thing it used to be. Your tastebuds change as you age so it's always worth trying stuff every couple of years.

Personally I found dragon fruit quite bland.

seventeen sheep

Do you ever eat courgettes? Courgette chips are amazing! I'm also dying to try courgetti (it is what it sounds like - courgette spaghetti!) once I get my hands on a spiraliser!

kylith

seventeen sheep wrote: »

Do you ever eat courgettes? Courgette chips are amazing! I'm also dying to try courgetti (it is what it sounds like - courgette spaghetti!) once I get my hands on a spiraliser!

Do you deep fry them? I'm not a massive courgette, but it's another one that's not as bad as I remember it as long as it's not overcooked.

seventeen sheep

kylith wrote: »

Do you deep fry them? I'm not a massive courgette, but it's another one that's not as bad as I remember it as long as it's not overcooked.

Nope I'd either use olive oil or coconut oil, bit of salt and maybe garlic, in the oven for around ten minutes or less. It tastes like proper junk food even though it's not!

kylith

seventeen sheep wrote: »

Nope I'd either use olive oil or coconut oil, bit of salt and maybe garlic, in the oven for around ten minutes or less. It tastes like proper junk food even though it's not!

Do they go crispy in the oven? Sorry for all the questions, I actually only cooked my first courgette last week, and I have another one that needs to be eaten soon.

seventeen sheep

kylith wrote: »

Do they go crispy in the oven? Sorry for all the questions, I actually only cooked my first courgette last week, and I have another one that needs to be eaten soon.

I would squeeze the chips in kitchen roll before putting them in oven at maybe 180/190, to remove moisture, and that makes them go nice and crispy.

herisson

kylith wrote: »

M&S have grilled artichoke hearts in jars and they're lovely. I've seen whole artichokes in ethnic grocers' on Moore St.

It's a great idea what you're doing. I discovered recently that I actually really like olives. And I'm still not mad on cucumber, but it's not the revolting thing it used to be. Your tastebuds change as you age so it's always worth trying stuff every couple of years.

Personally I found dragon fruit quite bland.

I still hate aubergines and cucumbers...i cant even look at cucumbers without feeling extremely nauseous

I used to love carrots and sweetcorn but i cant stand them. Sweetcorn i can only eat if its mixed into a salsa with jalepenos.

I saw the artivhoke hearts in M&S i might pick some up tomorrow evening and try them out.

herisson

seventeen sheep wrote: »

Do you ever eat courgettes? Courgette chips are amazing! I'm also dying to try courgetti (it is what it sounds like - courgette spaghetti!) once I get my hands on a spiraliser!

I did an wasnt fond of them but i might try courgetti with red pesto. My housemate tried it and loved it.

She just used a peeler and shaved it into strips and then sliced them into smaller strips.

Mrs Fox

I got one of these julienne peelers to make courgetti. I'd love (to win) a spiralizer as I know I'd use the hell out of it. Don't think I'll invest in one just yet as this peeler does the job... for now...

lazeedaisy

Is it swede or turnip?

A huge difference, and most people I know would call swede turnip?

Swede is great mashed with parsnip, if you don't eat carrot it's a shame as its nice in it.

Ne thing I love is grated raw beet root and the juce of an orange mixed together, it's lovely.

lazeedaisy

seventeen sheep wrote: »

Do you ever eat courgettes? Courgette chips are amazing! I'm also dying to try courgetti (it is what it sounds like - courgette spaghetti!) once I get my hands on a spiraliser!

I saw one at the weekend in the Nicholas Moses pottery shop, they have a weird range of kitchen stuff, weird in that you never know what you find!

kylith

lazeedaisy wrote: »

Is it swede or turnip?

A huge difference, and most people I know would call swede turnip?

Swede is great mashed with parsnip, if you don't eat carrot it's a shame as its nice in it.

Ne thing I love is grated raw beet root and the juce of an orange mixed together, it's lovely.

Swede is a variety of turnip.

Parsnip is evil.

Dizzyblonde

kylith wrote: »

Parsnip is evil.

Roasted parsnip is delicious

kylith

Dizzyblonde wrote: »

Roasted parsnip is delicious

Did anyone else's mum cut parsnips to look like potatoes and hide them in stews. It's how I learned the meaning of betrayal.

The Hill Billy

Now, that is evil!

Dizzyblonde

kylith wrote: »

Did anyone else's mum cut parsnips to look like potatoes and hide them in stews. It's how I learned the meaning of betrayal.

No. Your mother was truly sneaky.

Shenshen

kylith wrote: »

Did anyone else's mum cut parsnips to look like potatoes and hide them in stews. It's how I learned the meaning of betrayal.

No, but my gran did that to me mixing salsify into white asparagus - I feel your pain.

Lovely Bloke

My ma used to make spud & parsnip mash. Eugh.

mymo

I dice butternut squash into cubes, boil until just done and pop into a pan with coconut oil, garlic, dash of sweet chilli sauce, pine nuts and baby spinach, cook just enough to get flavours in, and then wilt in spinach.
Nice with fish or chicken.

herisson

This week i didnt have time to find artichoke so i went with Rocket and Courgette.

Yesterday i made Courgetti with red pesto and mince and a rocket and feta cheese side salad.

It was pretty good. But im still not sold on courgette. I still have another courgette so im going to think of something to do with it.

Today i made Sweet Potato and Rocket soup with low GI bread.

Surprisingly nice. It had a lovely kick to it from the rocket. Loads left over for the freezer too.

nompere

herisson wrote: »

This week i didnt have time to find artichoke so i went with Rocket and Courgette.

Yesterday i made Courgetti with red pesto and mince and a rocket and feta cheese side salad.

It was pretty good. But im still not sold on courgette. I still have another courgette so im going to think of something to do with it.

This is a post I put up some months ago in a different thread:

I've been using a Michael Barry (the Crafty Cook from BBC's original food and Drink programme) courgette recipe for years.

For two or three courgettes - around a pound:

Wait until everything else is almost ready, then put a spoon or so of olive oil into a very hot pan. Add a chopped clove of garlic, and the courgettes cut into 1/2 inch thick slices. Put the lid on the pan and shake over the heat for about 30 seconds. Remove the lid, add a tablespoon or so of tomato puree, put the lid back on and shake for another 30 seconds.

That's it!

Kovu

I always pan fry rounds of courgette, roasting hot pan, bit of butter and make sure I get them charred on both sides before letting them cook until soft all the way through. Then a touch of salt & it's omnomnom time.

Shenshen

herisson wrote: »

This week i didnt have time to find artichoke so i went with Rocket and Courgette.

Yesterday i made Courgetti with red pesto and mince and a rocket and feta cheese side salad.

It was pretty good. But im still not sold on courgette. I still have another courgette so im going to think of something to do with it.

Today i made Sweet Potato and Rocket soup with low GI bread.

Surprisingly nice. It had a lovely kick to it from the rocket. Loads left over for the freezer too.

My favourtie courgette recipe is a very simple one:

1 sliced courgette, a few slices mushrooms, 2 sliced cloves of garlic all thrown into a hot pan with a little olive oil and fried until the courgette and mushrooms go a little brown.
Add a good splash of balsamic and keep on the heat for another minute or so. Add a little salt if you like, and then crumble over some feta cheese.

irishjuan

A nice thing to do with turnip and celeriac is to bake them in a salt crust. Make a dough with 400g sea salt, 400g water, and 800g flour. Rest this for half an hour, and wrap in a washed, dried celeriac/ turnip. I tend to peel, or at least top and tail it too. Bake for around half an hour at 180 degrees, or until it's soft enough to stab through. Once peeled, you can either eat, or cool and eat later. Cut into ribbons with a mandoline, it can be nice with a winter salad.

josephineperry

I usually eat cauliflower with besciamella sauce. You could try to mix some cauliflowers with turnip. Basically, you boil the vegetables in salt water, and when they are ready (not too soft), you drain them and put them in an oven pan with some besciamella sauce and a little cheese (like cheddar), for about five minutes. They are delicious!