<p>There’s nothing better than steamed asparagus with hollandaise sauce, but now I usually have them pan roasted. You put them in a heavy skillet with a Tb of butter and a Tb of olive oil. Cook 3-5 minutes with the lid on and 3-5 minutes with the lid off. Amazingly good. You can eat them with just a simple squeeze of lemon or you can dress them up with goat cheese and cranberries, or bacon, or sun-dried tomatoes and olives or whatever else appeals.</p>
<p>I use my vegetable steamer for almost every meal… Best investment ever. I ususally will pour a little olive oil, sea salt and garlic over veggies before serving</p>
<p>The asparagus was delicious. I went with the extremely simple just a light brush with olive oil and grilling them on a grill pan. They did not need any salt. These asparagus were rail thin.
I discovered Kale on CC. I have been cooking it in a little olive oil with a splash of balsamic vinegar and raisins. I am going try it with rosemary.
Do non cauliflower eaters enjoy the mash?
Have never tried chard. It looks beautiful.</p>
<p>I am also a fan of roasted veggies. I make something similar to toneranger’s ratatouille and serve it over polenta for an easy meal. Another combination that makes a one dish dinner for me is roasted brussels sprouts with white beans, Parmigiano-Reggiano and toasted walnuts. I roast beets wrapped individually in foil and keep them handy in the fridge. Slip the skins off and they are great in a salad with nuts and bleu cheese or in a sandwich on good, grainy bread with goat cheese, arugula and a little vinaigrette.</p>
<p>I have been on a roasted vegetable soup kick. This usually means roasting the veg with olive oil, salt, pepper and an onion. Puree and add a little chicken broth and spices. If you are feeling naughty, then add a bit of cream before you serve.</p>
<p>This cauliflower recipe from French Women Don’t Get Fat is amazing. I am doing this from memory, so perhaps not exactly as in the book, but this is how I make it.
1 head cauliflower, cut into bite-sized pieces
cook in milk until just tender (watch carefully so it doesn’t burn or boil over; I use a large soup pot)
combine one cup of the hot milk with one beaten egg
put cooked cauliflower pieces in oven-safe casserole dish
pore milk-egg mixture over it
stir in some tiny pieces of cheese or grated cheese (Laughing Cow, swiss, gruyere, cheddar, parmesan)
add a few dots of butter if you wish
add some spices
bake in moderate oven till cheese melts, about 15 minutes
you can add grated parmesan to the top and put under broiler for a few minutes for a browned topping</p>
<p>This is so easy and just excellent. I use leftovers as the filling for quesadillas with spinach tortillas.</p>
<p>Love this kale salad. I’ve substituted walnuts for the seeds and dates for the currants. My D did it with goat cheese instead of gorgonzola. I’ve also left the cheese out. It’s wonderful.</p>
<p>What great recipes! I’m going to print out this thread.</p>
<p>bromfield, that kale salad looks wonderful!</p>
<p>bookiemom, I can’t wait to try the cauliflower gratin.</p>
<p>Mashed cauliflower - will be gobbled up even by cauliflower haters. I use a version that someone posted on the ‘exercise for dummies’ thread. It has sour cream or yogurt and horseradish in it.</p>
<p>The massaged kale salad that Bromfield linked was delicious. I wasn’t sure when I read the recipe but took the leap of faith. I used yellow raisins and spiced pecans because that is what I had on hand. H loved it. The two kids did not like it. I am going to add it to my recipe file.</p>
<p>I don’t see my method anywhere in this thread. I put the (rinsed but not dried, just shaken off) vegetable in the bowl I’ll serve it in. I add nothing at all. I put it in the microwave for one minute, check for doneness. Another minute, check for doneness. Etc. until done, which takes about four minutes for a large bowl of broccoli. Sometime I put out my favorite salad dressing for dipping, sometimes a bit of melted butter.</p>
<p>The water in the cells and from washing is sufficient to steam the vegetables, and it couldn’t be easier.</p>
<p>“I love almost all veggies roasted with olive oil and salt.”</p>
<p>Ditto. Brussels sprouts and cauliflower are the best.</p>
<p>For any bitter vegetable, like broccoli rabe, kale, etc., I love to do a saute with a bit of agrodolce. So easy! Saute the chopped vegetable in olive oil. Add salt, pepper, a handful of currants/raisins, and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. Put the lid on for a minute to steam, and you’re done.</p>
<p>If you have time, caramelizing some shredded onions in the pan first makes this so good that it can be a whole meal with polenta or pasta. But it’s great made the quick way, too.</p>
<p>Hanna-That is the usual way I make my Kale. I learned that here on CC. Must have been your post on another thread. I will try adding the onions to the mix. And I agree it tastes great. (confessions of a former vegetable hater!)</p>
<p>I made an Asian-style stir fry the other night that turned out well.
chopped green onion
chopped garlic
slivered carrot
saute in olive oil, add sesame oil
add sliced mushrooms, zucchini, cabbage, fresh pineapple
add pepper and soy sauce
serve over brown rice (added chopped ham to my H’s portion)</p>
<p>Thank you all, I’m learning so many good new approaches here. I’ve spent a lifetime evolving from my grandmother’s approach to vegetables, which was to boil them beyond 3 deaths. Or, she’d take ONE outer cabbage leaf, boil then roll it stuffed with ground beef and rice, bury it under a thin tomato sauce. She’d serve that alongside meat, as “the vegetable.” I loved her but not her vegetables.</p>
<p>Recently, I taught my son to front-load his apartment refrigerator with a visible mix of raw broccoli, baby carrots (bagged, washed) and sugar-snap peapods as a substitute grab for potato chips. That he’s agreeable to it, finally, thrills me. The trick is it’s easy for him to buy and mix. No cooking there. Nice color, cold crunch.</p>
<p>Glad you liked the massaged kale salad Mom60. It’s become one of my favorites. You can also make it without cheese–not as wonderful, but still good.</p>
<p>Same woman who gave me the kale salad, also gave me this recipe for green bean salad.</p>
<p>2 medium beets, 1 lb green beans, 2 shallots (thinly sllced), 1 T EVOO, 2T lemon juice
2T fresh basil (chopped), 2T fresh mint (chopped)</p>
<p>In a small pot, cover beets (whole and with skins on) with water and bring to boil. Turn down heat and simmer until tender, about 30-45 minutes. Drain, rinse in cold water, and remoe the skins. Slice beets in half and then cut each half into thin wedges. Let cool completely. Steam green beans (after removing ends) until tender (5-7 minutes) Drain well after cooled. </p>
<p>Mix beets, green beans, shallots, EVOO, lemon juice, basil and mint. Toss to coat. Salt and pepper to taste.</p>
<p>I absolutely love steamed broccoli or cauliflower with a little parmesan cheese sprinkled on top. It is so easy to make, tastes great, and is a great side dish for any kind of meat, chicken, fish or spaghetti.</p>
<p>Finally, a great fat-free way to season any kind of meat or vegetable dish is Shilling/McCormick Montreal Chicken seasoning. Try it, you’ll like it!</p>
<p>Okay, so my source is the freezer. Microwaving vegetables is simple, fast and retains the nutrients without using as much energy. Spice as you wish. I wish the TV chefs would get on the ball and make use of this cooking method. Save the long cooking times for fancy meals.</p>