Rethink your style…
Your cooking style that is. Adding fat isn’t the only way to pump up the taste…Try some different cooking techniques:
Blanching: This technique is common among Asian cooks & may be one of the reasons the Chinese eat so many more vegetables than Americans. This method helps keep veggies from getting overly bitter. Steam veggies 30 – 60 seconds, then remove them from the heat & drop them in cold water. This stops the strong flavors from developing. Stir-frying also preserves flavor by cooking quickly.
Broil some Brussels Sprouts: Slice thawed sprouts in half. Drizzle with lemon juice & olive oil then sprinkle with sea salt & garlic powder. Place on middle rack of oven & bake at 425 for 25 minutes (tossing them ½ way through bake time).
Slow that onion down: The onion family (which includes leeks, shallots, & garlic) is rich in compounds suspected to fight cancer. But for you onion haters, the sharp flavors & smells can be nauseating. Try slow roasting onions, which brings out the sweetness & cuts the sharpness. Also, sautéing them in a little olive oil over low heat until caramelized mellows out the flavor too.
Play with Presentation.
We eat with our eyes first! So it helps to slice & dice unappealing veggies & fruits into attractive shapes… Arranging them on a pretty plate can also pump up the palatability factor.
With kids, giving foods fun or silly names can help too! I have been known to label some favorites as: Strawberry Mountains or Broccoli Trees. Come up with your own silly labels & your kids may forget that they’re “yucky”.
Read Up on the Vegetable You Hate Most
Sometimes knowing why something is so very good for you helps you to overcome your resistance. Many times just talking about how healthy a given food is creates a level of curiosity for it. Understanding why something tastes bad (bitter, bland etc...) – combined with repeated, regular exposure – actually makes it easier to stomach. If you knew that kale could help protect you from cancer, you might be more willing to forget the taste & eat more of it, particularly if cancer runs in your family & is a concern for you.
Indulge Your Inner Sweet Tooth
Everyone knows that sweet tastes better to us than bitter. Even babies start off with a preference to sweet foods. So why not indulge in some of the sweeter veggies? Yams, squash, peas & carrots are all naturally sweet and they all pack plenty of nutritional advantages!
Splurge on Something Fried
I hate to even add this to the list but it is okay to have fried veggies on occasion… The most important thing though is that it should be occasional. Remember fried treats (French fries, battered-&-fried onions etc…) are a splurge! In some cases they can pack a day’s worth of calories… so eater be ware!!!
Do you have any additional ways you’ve found to make your veggies yummy? I’d love to hear them!!!
Friday, January 22, 2010
Monday, January 18, 2010
15 Ways...continued
Chill Out Man!
Here’s another way to eat seasonal veggies. Eat frozen veggies! Did you know that frozen vegetables are picked at the peak of ripeness and then flash frozen? Flash freezing is the space age technology of quick freezing (usually within seconds) & is done on location where the produce is harvested. This locks in all the flavors, juices, vitamins and minerals and allows the products to keep for long periods of time. Each product is kept in this frozen state until it is thawed, ensuring that it will be just as fresh as when it was frozen. Flash frozen veggies & fruits retain more nutrients and a whole lot more flavor!
Get Thee to a Market!
This one kind of goes hand-in-hand with, “Holding out for the best”. Did you know that the flavor of cruciferous veggies intensifies the longer they’re on the shelf? Farmer’s Markets are a great way to take advantage of just picked produce. They are a whole lot fresher than your local grocery store’s produce & you are also supporting local farmers. Give it a try some time…you may be amazed at how different broccoli tastes when it is only a day or two old vs. a few weeks!
Keep Them Safe from Bad Company!
Storing many fruits and vegetables in the same shelf/drawer can cause them to become bitter tasting. Carrots, squash, some herbs and parsnips can become very bitter when stored near apples, apricots, avocados, peaches cantaloupes, peppers and tomatoes because of the ethylene gas they emit. Keep them in separate crispers.
Add Some Sneaky Vegetables...
If you or your child doesn’t like the taste of vegetables, soup, chili or pasta sauce may be your best solution: I routinely add pureed sweet potatoes and carrots to my chili and pasta sauce. No one in my family can tell the difference, not even my husband (our resident sweet potato hater)! Shhhh, don't tell!
You can also bake them into goodies. Sneak grated carrots or zucchini into muffins & breads. Or you can add pureed carrots, sweet potato, pears or plumbs to the next cake you bake. (I use baby food…Yes! Baby food. It’s already pureed & I don’t have to worry about sifting out any lumps).
Sign Up for Eggplant 101
Most people have no idea the nutritional bounty encased within the purple skin of an eggplant. I consider myself extremely adventurous when it comes to food…I have eaten things a lot of people wouldn’t even consider. But when it came to eggplant, I was, well…an eggplant virgin. I had never tried it until a year or so ago. Wasn’t even interested until I ventured out & made my first Eggplant Parmesan…It was amazingly good!
When buying this fiber- & potassium-packed veggie keep in mind it’s size does not matter. If your thumb leaves an indent that doesn’t bounce back, the eggplant will be spongy, tough & bad tasting. To further improve it’s taste, check out it’s “belly button”: At the blossom end, they have either an oval or round dimple. Buy only the ovals!!! The round tend to have more seeds & less “meat”. To reduce it’s bitter tendencies even more, after you peel & slice it, sprinkle it with salt & then wait ½ an hour, rinse then continue with your recipe. (The salt draws out the water, which contains the bitter-tasting compounds.
Eggplants are worth the trouble: The insides are high in cancer-fighting polyphenols; the pigments are high in antioxidants.
next time....Rethinking Your Style!
Here’s another way to eat seasonal veggies. Eat frozen veggies! Did you know that frozen vegetables are picked at the peak of ripeness and then flash frozen? Flash freezing is the space age technology of quick freezing (usually within seconds) & is done on location where the produce is harvested. This locks in all the flavors, juices, vitamins and minerals and allows the products to keep for long periods of time. Each product is kept in this frozen state until it is thawed, ensuring that it will be just as fresh as when it was frozen. Flash frozen veggies & fruits retain more nutrients and a whole lot more flavor!
Get Thee to a Market!
This one kind of goes hand-in-hand with, “Holding out for the best”. Did you know that the flavor of cruciferous veggies intensifies the longer they’re on the shelf? Farmer’s Markets are a great way to take advantage of just picked produce. They are a whole lot fresher than your local grocery store’s produce & you are also supporting local farmers. Give it a try some time…you may be amazed at how different broccoli tastes when it is only a day or two old vs. a few weeks!
Keep Them Safe from Bad Company!
Storing many fruits and vegetables in the same shelf/drawer can cause them to become bitter tasting. Carrots, squash, some herbs and parsnips can become very bitter when stored near apples, apricots, avocados, peaches cantaloupes, peppers and tomatoes because of the ethylene gas they emit. Keep them in separate crispers.
Add Some Sneaky Vegetables...
If you or your child doesn’t like the taste of vegetables, soup, chili or pasta sauce may be your best solution: I routinely add pureed sweet potatoes and carrots to my chili and pasta sauce. No one in my family can tell the difference, not even my husband (our resident sweet potato hater)! Shhhh, don't tell!
You can also bake them into goodies. Sneak grated carrots or zucchini into muffins & breads. Or you can add pureed carrots, sweet potato, pears or plumbs to the next cake you bake. (I use baby food…Yes! Baby food. It’s already pureed & I don’t have to worry about sifting out any lumps).
Sign Up for Eggplant 101
Most people have no idea the nutritional bounty encased within the purple skin of an eggplant. I consider myself extremely adventurous when it comes to food…I have eaten things a lot of people wouldn’t even consider. But when it came to eggplant, I was, well…an eggplant virgin. I had never tried it until a year or so ago. Wasn’t even interested until I ventured out & made my first Eggplant Parmesan…It was amazingly good!
When buying this fiber- & potassium-packed veggie keep in mind it’s size does not matter. If your thumb leaves an indent that doesn’t bounce back, the eggplant will be spongy, tough & bad tasting. To further improve it’s taste, check out it’s “belly button”: At the blossom end, they have either an oval or round dimple. Buy only the ovals!!! The round tend to have more seeds & less “meat”. To reduce it’s bitter tendencies even more, after you peel & slice it, sprinkle it with salt & then wait ½ an hour, rinse then continue with your recipe. (The salt draws out the water, which contains the bitter-tasting compounds.
Eggplants are worth the trouble: The insides are high in cancer-fighting polyphenols; the pigments are high in antioxidants.
next time....Rethinking Your Style!
Saturday, January 16, 2010
15 ways to make broccoli & cabbage as delicious as chocolate (well, almost)! continued:
A date with a dip!
No, I’m not talking about the kind of “dip” you may have dated in High School! Pairing dips with veggies is a match made in heaven. Bring out raw veggies with a bowl of dip or favorite salad dressing as a snack next time your family is in front of the T.V. Sometimes, taking veggies away from the dinner table "ups" their appeal. I have done this with my daughter for quite a while & it’s still a treat to sit in front of the T.V. with some peppers & carrots sticking out of her favorite Ranch in a fancy glass!
Say Cheese Please!
I have found that a little cheese can work flavor miracles! I mix a couple American cheese slices with some skim milk and melt it in the microwave then drizzle over broccoli, cauliflower, or Brussels sprouts. You could also toss bits of your favorite cheese (feta, parmesan, cream cheese etc.) over steamed green beans, spinach or kale.
Hold out for the best!
The best secret for enjoying produce is buying them in season. The earlier they are picked (before they’re ripe) the more bitter they can taste. By the time they reach the store many times they are mushy or they never ripen properly. Vine ripened produce eliminates almost all the bitter flavors. However, this means you will not be able to get locally grown asparagus in April or mangos in March.
next time...Take a chill pill!
No, I’m not talking about the kind of “dip” you may have dated in High School! Pairing dips with veggies is a match made in heaven. Bring out raw veggies with a bowl of dip or favorite salad dressing as a snack next time your family is in front of the T.V. Sometimes, taking veggies away from the dinner table "ups" their appeal. I have done this with my daughter for quite a while & it’s still a treat to sit in front of the T.V. with some peppers & carrots sticking out of her favorite Ranch in a fancy glass!
Say Cheese Please!
I have found that a little cheese can work flavor miracles! I mix a couple American cheese slices with some skim milk and melt it in the microwave then drizzle over broccoli, cauliflower, or Brussels sprouts. You could also toss bits of your favorite cheese (feta, parmesan, cream cheese etc.) over steamed green beans, spinach or kale.
Hold out for the best!
The best secret for enjoying produce is buying them in season. The earlier they are picked (before they’re ripe) the more bitter they can taste. By the time they reach the store many times they are mushy or they never ripen properly. Vine ripened produce eliminates almost all the bitter flavors. However, this means you will not be able to get locally grown asparagus in April or mangos in March.
next time...Take a chill pill!
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
15 Ways To Make Broccoli As Delicious As Chocolate (well, almost)!
Some day I'm going to ask God about this one: The very chemicals that make veggies so good for us (phytonutrients) are the same ones that cause us to shudder at the sight of steamed greens. What's with that?
We certainly understand that increasing veggie consumption is critical, but it doesn't mean we (or our kids) are happy about it. For some, it isn't the taste but the lack of taste that makes us turn up our noses at veggies. But with a little extra information, I have learned that we can conquer veggie resistance!
Here are 15 ways to turn veggies you loathe into foods you may even crave:
Eat the babies:
In some veggies, flavors intensify as the plant matures which is why "baby" versions have wider appeal. Not only do most kids find baby veggies more flavorful & less bitter, but they prefer the texture too. They're also kind of fun!
Oil Them Up!
Years of fat-phobia have conditioned us to shun oils. But using fats judiciously can go a long way in helping us love our veggies. The link between veggie avoidance & certain cancers is strong enough to justify some extra calories. Fat (olive oil, butter, cheeses) not only makes food taste better, but as it mixes with seasonings, it transforms veggies into some downright yummy side dishes!
next time...We'll talk about a date with a dip!
We certainly understand that increasing veggie consumption is critical, but it doesn't mean we (or our kids) are happy about it. For some, it isn't the taste but the lack of taste that makes us turn up our noses at veggies. But with a little extra information, I have learned that we can conquer veggie resistance!
Here are 15 ways to turn veggies you loathe into foods you may even crave:
Eat the babies:
In some veggies, flavors intensify as the plant matures which is why "baby" versions have wider appeal. Not only do most kids find baby veggies more flavorful & less bitter, but they prefer the texture too. They're also kind of fun!
Oil Them Up!
Years of fat-phobia have conditioned us to shun oils. But using fats judiciously can go a long way in helping us love our veggies. The link between veggie avoidance & certain cancers is strong enough to justify some extra calories. Fat (olive oil, butter, cheeses) not only makes food taste better, but as it mixes with seasonings, it transforms veggies into some downright yummy side dishes!
next time...We'll talk about a date with a dip!
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