[SollysMom]

DH and I eat a decent amount of veggies (don't get me started on my super-picky 2.5y/o) but I'd like to broaden the variety. The problem is that DH probably would NOT like to broaden the variety. He's super-picky (wonder where DS1 gets it? <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/lol.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="lol">) and a creature of habit, so he'd be fine eating the same 3-4 veggies all the time. Here are our preferences/limitations...<br><br>
DH: As I said, he's very picky. The only veggies he really likes are roasted broccoli/brussel sprouts and spinach (but only steamed, or sauteed in oil/garlic if it's mixed with pasta or something). He likes tomato sauce but doesn't like actual tomatoes or sauce that has chunks in it. Since he likes spinach and also bitter things, I've gotten him to try kale a couple times and he liked it but I haven't figured out the best way to prepare it for him. He doesn't like salad at all. He'll eat raw or cooked carrots if I insist, but he won't enjoy them (I even tried roasting carrots then tossing wih honey, which I thought was delicious but he was "meh" about them). He used to regularly eat canned corn, peas, or green beans for lunch, but hasn't been doing that lately.<br><br>
Me: I like most anything. I'm not a huge fan of zucchini/summer squash but will eat them. My biggest thing is I need stuff that's easy to make. I tend to buy convenience items, like spinach and kale from the bagged salad section, and baby carrots. I usually do frozen broccoli and brussels, and I like frozen "cooked winter squash" from Wegmans which I do for lunch sometimes. I like yams, but DH does not. I buy frozen edamame for lunch/snacks too sometimes. I adore asparagus but rarely buy it because DH says he doesn't like it, but he recently confessed that he's never tried it so I'm going to buy some and roast it and I just know he'll like it that way.<br><br>
So what are some other veggies that I should try, and how should I prepare them? TIA for any replies <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/smile.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="smile">

 

[faeriecurls]

Since he likes spinach, why not saute some swiss chard and serve that with pasta or over polenta. Another one to try would be broccoli rabe - I blanch it, then saute it with garlic, olive oil and crushed pepper, you could do it as a side or mix with pasta.<br><br>
Roasted cauliflower is really tasty (an I am not a fan of cauliflower) - cut it up, toss in olive oil, salt & pepper and roast until crunchy (I like mine close to burnt).<br><br>
Have you tried roasting some butternut squash?<br><br>
I don't like sweet with most vegetables, so when I roast things like squash or carrots (which I mix with parsnips) I usually do just olive oil, S&P or sometimes I'll do sweet potatoes with chili powder and cumin, maybe a pinch of cinnamon.<br><br>
Hope that helps!

 

[Storm Bride]

Kale: Make kale chips. I've had people who hate kale gulp them down.<br><br>
When you say he doesn't like salad, do you mean <i>all</i> salads? Dh used to hate salad, but he enjoys the ones we make now, with spring mix. He just didn't like iceberg lettuce much.<br><br>
Let's see...does your dh like onions and garlic? I saute kale with both of those. I also like stir fried fennel.<br><br>
Sweet potatoes or yams (the terms are used differently in different areas)? Have you tried those? DH doesn't care for them much, but does like them in some curries and such.<br><br>
I'm having trouble thinking of much, because I love almost all veggies...

 

[SollysMom]

Thanks for the replies! Since DH likes leafy greens (cooked) I'm thinking I could try some different ones like chard. I'm sometimes at a loss for how to serve various greens though... My go-to is always to sautee in oil and garlic then toss with pasta, but I feel like I'm then doing the same meal over and over again even if I switch the type of green and the type of pasta.<br><br>
I've done kale chips and he really liked them. I need to try to remember to do some every time my oven is on.<br><br>
With squash and yams/sweet potatoes, I like to do the salty/sweet thing and just season with S&P. But since carrots aren't quite as sweet to me naturally, I love doing the thing with the honey. DH doesn't like yams, only white potatoes.<br><br>
He really does hate salad. He tried raw spinach a week or two ago when he had no other options and said it was tolerable, but he would never eat raw greens if there was absolutely anything else to eat.

 

[ollyoxenfree]

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<div>Originally Posted by <strong>SollysMom</strong> <a href="/community/forum/post/15374788"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/community/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a></div>
<div style="font-style:italic;">DH: As I said, he's very picky. The only veggies he really likes are roasted broccoli/brussel sprouts and spinach (but only steamed, or sauteed in oil/garlic if it's mixed with pasta or something). He likes tomato sauce but doesn't like actual tomatoes or sauce that has chunks in it. Since he likes spinach and also bitter things, I've gotten him to try kale a couple times and he liked it but I haven't figured out the best way to prepare it for him. He doesn't like salad at all. He'll eat raw or cooked carrots if I insist, but he won't enjoy them (I even tried roasting carrots then tossing wih honey, which I thought was delicious but he was "meh" about them). He used to regularly eat canned corn, peas, or green beans for lunch, but hasn't been doing that lately.<br><br>
Me: I like most anything. I'm not a huge fan of zucchini/summer squash but will eat them. My biggest thing is I need stuff that's easy to make. I tend to buy convenience items, like spinach and kale from the bagged salad section, and baby carrots. I usually do frozen broccoli and brussels, and I like frozen "cooked winter squash" from Wegmans which I do for lunch sometimes. I like yams, but DH does not. I buy frozen edamame for lunch/snacks too sometimes. I adore asparagus but rarely buy it because DH says he doesn't like it, but he recently confessed that he's never tried it so I'm going to buy some and roast it and I just know he'll like it that way.<br><br>
So what are some other veggies that I should try, and how should I prepare them? TIA for any replies <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/smile.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="smile"></div>
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Red bell peppers are the universal favourite here. I roast them (often with zucchini and broccoli), stir fry, put them in risotto, add them to pasta dishes, or just cut them up and serve them raw.<br><br>
How about:<br><br>
Cauliflower or rapini instead of broccoli.<br><br>
Asian greens (bok choy, choy sum, napa etc.) and chard (silverbeet) are similar to spinach, kale and mustard greens<br><br>
Parsnip and turnip instead of carrots<br><br>
Snow peas or snake beans or garlic scapes instead of green beans.<br><br>
Lentils are easy to prepare.<br><br>
Beans are great - borlotti, cannellini etc. If you shell them yourself, it's a little extra work, but the flavour is wonderful.<br><br>
Roasted fresh beets are delicious - try them dressed with a little olive oil, balsamic vinegar and goat cheese. It's a little more work than a quick saute of leafy greens, but worth it.<br><br>
I like winter squashes, especially kabocha, but it sounds like that won't work for your family.<br><br>
There are veggies that I never buy because I don't like them. Eggplant tops the list. Artichoke (too fussy), fiddlehead (don't like the texture), fennel, celeriac.... Some of these might work for your family.<br><br>
Too bad about salads. In summer especially I find they are great to offer, because I can just put out the ingredients and let the picky people build their own.

 

[faeriecurls]

Look to see if you can find white yams... they are excellent!

 

[Chakra]

What I did was buy vegetarian times magazine (awesome recipes) and I started having vegetarian nights for dinner. We are not vegetarians but it really really helps us learn to cook and eat more veggies. I like the magazine also bcus they use cheese which is my favorite!

 

[BetsyS]

My dh went from being "eh" about salads to liking them when I found a salad dressing he liked. His happens to be Good Seasons Italian dressing, made with canola oil and white vinegar. Not the healthiest, but it'll do, and he now loves salads.<br><br>
In the summer, we do a lot of lettuce-less salads (cause it's too hot to grow lettuce here in the summer; it's a fall and spring crop for us). Probably our most common is cucumber slices and/or cherry tomatoes, with green onions tossed in Italian dressing.<br><br>
We also like cucumbers in a mixture that is equal parts vinegar, water, sugar, with a bit of salt. You can drain this somewhat and add something creamy, too (like sour cream, yogurt, or heavy cream).<br><br>
In the summer, we eat a lot of cold stuff (salads, sandwiches, etc), cause it's hot where I live. In the winter, I make a lot of one pot meals (soups, stews, curries, pasta, tacos, etc), and I just add veggies to that. They often take on the flavor of whatever I'm cooking, so you just notice the whole, not so much the parts.

 

[puffingirl]

For a cold option, what about a coleslaw-type dish (no leafy greens!)? I detest mayo so I make ours with a variety of oil-vinegar mixes (sesame oil and rice wine vinegar with sesame seeds for an asian flavor; cumin, lime juice, olive oil and cilantro for a more tex-mex flavor, etc). DD likes what I call "rainbow slaw"--shredded red cabbage, a package of broccoli and carrot slaw, yellow corn, green mild chiles and the tex-mex flavors above.<br><br>
Sounds like you're getting a lot of the dark, leafy greens and some cruciferous veg (broccoli, brussel sprouts) so it might be worth putting your effort into other areas to expand what vitamins you're getting--go for some orange and red veggies! Roasted butternut squash with thyme and onion is a fave here (in the warm months it is good in a roast veg mix with other veggies served at room temp or cold--it's like a "non-salad" salad. I second the idea of red or orange bell peppers. If he likes softer textures, roast them. Otherwise, they are great grilled or in fajitas. Raw, with dip, or in big chunks instead of crackers for really hearty dips/spreads (like little scoops). If he doesn't like sweet potatoes, have you tried them as fries? We could eat PANS of those here.<br><br>
With summer coming up, what about gazpacho? Tons of veg--way delicious. Avocado? Either sliced or as guacamole?<br><br>
It's bedtime and now I'm hungry again.... <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/winky.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="Wink">

 

[EyesOfTheWorld]

Radishes are in season now, and last year they became my new favorite veggie <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/love.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="love"> They're great raw, and even better roasted or sautéed with a little butter. We especially love to grill them - they get all caramelized and amazing.<br><br>
I saw someone recommend swiss chard above and it's a favorite of mine too! This is one of my favorite ways to prepare it - <a href="http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Sauteed-Swiss-Chard-with-Parmesan-Cheese/Detail.aspx" target="_blank">http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Sauteed...se/Detail.aspx</a><br><br>
Kohlrabi is another one we discovered through the CSA last year (great way to find new veggies!) - we prepare it similar to the "Sauteed Kohlrabi" recipe on this page - <a href="http://www.eatwiththeseasons.com/kohlrabirecipes.html" target="_blank">http://www.eatwiththeseasons.com/kohlrabirecipes.html</a><br><br>
ETA - Just about all veggies are better grilled!

 

[kavamamakava]

With my children, they love fruit so much that I don't put a lot of energy into broadening their horizons. I just like to make sure we have as many colors represented as possible in the fruits and veggie group.<br><br>
It seems to me that your DH would probably like bok choy or baby bok choy since he likes spinach and broccoli.<br>
One thing my kids really love is oven roasted veggies. I toss them in a bag with seasonings like cracked pepper and sea salt and some crushed garlic and also olive oil. Then I bake them on pretty high heat until softened, turning a few times. Sort of like baked french fries but I don't use much oil. I cut them into thin strips and use things like sweet potatoes, red bell peppers, asaparagus, brussel sprouts, diff types of mushrooms...<br><br>
I also find the trick to be adding veggies to things that have the flavors they like. Like if the family likes pasta and smooth red sauce, dice some veggies up like zucchini and multi-colored bell peppers and sautee with some onions and serve them on top of the pasta.<br><br>
What about prepared salads instead of garden salads? Like tabouleh or three bean salad with diced veggies in it or coleslaw with red and green cabbage? Raita is a nice condiment that has tons of grated cucumber in it.

 

[staceychev]

Don't lose heart if he doesn't like Swiss chard. I love my leafy greens: spinach, kale, dandelion... but I really can't stand chard.<br><br>
Lots of good ideas here... sometimes it's also in the preparation. I second the idea of getting Vegetarian Times or a vegetarian cookbook. Lots of good ideas in there, even for omnivores.

 

[SollysMom]

Thanks so much for the replies! Slaws/other salads probably won't work for DH because to add to his pickiness, he won't go near condiments with a 10-foot-pole so that includes mayo, salad dressings, even oil/vinegar. I think I'll try roasted red peppers, roasted winter squash, etc. Roasted seems to be the way to go with him. <i>Maybe</i> I can even get him to try roasted yams/sweet potatoes, or I can even just do white potatoes for him on the days I do yams.<br><br>
My other worry is that I don't know how I'll do veggies all summer. We don't have A/C and our house gets deathly hot, and it's 10x worse if I use the oven. We have a grill but it's charcoal and takes a long time to fire up. I may see about getting a countertop grill (or my mom says I can borrow hers) so I can grill veggies indoors in the summer.

 

[mambera]

If he likes roasted veggies, the Foreman grill is super easy and doesn't cause a heating problem. I know it's nonstick so may be an MDC no-no but it is great for grilling veggies. Red peppers, eggplant, zucchini, cauliflower, onions all work great. Also I sometimes do them in the toaster oven if I'm not heating up the regular oven.<br><br>
I love sauteed kale with chopped garlic and sun-dried tomatoes. Got that one recently from an MDC mama and it's awesome. Doesn't need to be mixed with pasta, works as a side dish all on its own.<br><br>
Another awesome one is sauteed butternut squash: cut in chunks, saute in olive oil 10-15 minutes (until soft when pierced), add in 1 minced hot pepper (if you like spicy) and saute another minute. Mix with full-fat plain yogurt and serve over rice or in a tortilla, topped with crumbled queso fresco. Yumm.<br><br>
If he likes bitter could you do broccoli rabe? That's really good sauteed in olive oil with minced garlic and it's super healthy as well. Also my mom does boiled greens (beet greens, dandelion greens): boil until you like the texture and dress with olive oil, salt, and lemon juice or vinegar. I love those but my DH can't stand bitter greens so I never make them.<br><br>
Crustless veggie pies are very friendly for veggie haters. I do them with grated zucchini (3-5 of them) or frozen spinach (2 pkgs). Salt, squeeze, and drain in a colander for about an hour (otherwise pie will be too wet). Chop and sautee an onion. Mix the spinach/zucchini, onion, 1/2 c bread crumbs, 1 pkg farmer cheese, 1 bunch fresh dill, 1/4 c olive oil, salt, pepper, and 2 eggs. Put it in a pie pan, swirl some more olive oil on top, and bake at 350 for 1 hour. Top with yogurt or sour cream to serve.

 

[SollysMom]

Wouldn't you know, my creature-of-habit husband sat me down for a serious talk yesterday and said that he's uncomfortable with me trying too many new foods <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/lol.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="lol">. He said that after a hard day at work, he gets really upset if there's something unfamiliar at dinner. He didn't say this in a control-freaky kind of way - he said he's fine with me trying new things and is happy to make his own dinner if I warn him in advance.<br><br>
I think what I'm going to try is making new veggies in addition to something we'd normally eat, as an extra side dish, and then encourage him to try a bite or two but not get upset if he doesn't want to.<br><br>
We do have a George Foreman, but DH uses it for chicken all the time and I feel like it never gets totally clean between uses, and since I'm a veg I don't feel comfortable cooking my veggies on it.

 

[sophiesgrandma]

You can steam any veggie in a covered glass pot in the microwave with very little water (a couple of tablespoons). Most vitamins are retained and it only takes 3-4 minutes. This way your house won't heat up in summertime.<br>
You can delete the water after its cooked and add the oil and spices and toss.

 

[SollysMom]

Had a small success the other night. I tried roasting asparagus (which was delicious but it was a little overdone) and red peppers. The red peppers were PHENOMENAL and DH even tried a little and said they were good.<br><br>
My dad made a roasted vegetable ratatouille for Mothers' Day and there was some eggplant in there which tasted so good roasted, so I'm definitely going to add that to my repertoire too.