Interesting ways to cook vegetables?

[FastLaneGirl]

Does anyone have any interesting recipes for cooking vegetables as a side dish?

I like to eat lots of different veg with my evening meal, but the default option is stir fry and I'm now thoroughly bored of it! Not very keen on just boiled or steamed veg, I like lots of flavour and variety. Roast veg are ok, but I'm hoping for some different ideas.

So open to any ideas as long as they are relatively quick. I eat anything and am fairly competent in the kitchen

[Ritchie335is]

Chargrill dry or with a bit of oil in a griddle pan?
Not sure what else really.

Deep fry?

[AMLK]

I do not like cooked carrots, but if they are lightly boiled then put in the oven with a little bit of honey drizzled over and some sesame seeds on top then they are delicious!

Chargrilled cougettes and aubergine and good.

How about braised celery or ratatouille(sp?).

One of my Mum's best for roast dinners is mash medley using a variety or carrots, butternut squash and parsnips.

As you said stir fry is good - lots of different sauces you can use to add variety. Or stir fry some veg, add some mexican spice and pop it in a tortilla wrap with/without salsa, guacamole or soured cream.

[Simpo Two]

I encountered parsnip strips deep fried in batter at the weekend - delicious!

[Cotty]

I saw something ages ago about cooking savoy cabage. Basically you put cling film in a desert/ breakfast bowl, lay in large savoy leaves so they overlap the bowl. fill the cavety with more leaves and fold over the overlaping leaves. pull the cling film over the top and put a heavy weight on top.

Microwave and turn out onto a plate. It comes out like a round cabage pie that you can cut into and serve slices like a cake. I never found any more details and not been tempted to try it to see if it works.

[Mobile Chicane]

Get a copy of Jane Grigson's Vegetable Book.

Loads of ideas there.

[grumbledoak]

There are only so many ways to cook things, and you've ruled out three of them.

I'd look more to flavour combinations to make it interesting; spices, bacon, anchovies, etc.

You could try this: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Flavour-Thesaurus-Niki-Seg...

[Mobile Chicane]

grumbledoak said:

There are only so many ways to cook things, and you've ruled out three of them.

I'd look more to flavour combinations to make it interesting; spices, bacon, anchovies, etc.

You could try this: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Flavour-Thesaurus-Niki-Seg...

Great book that. It's vying with Jane Grigson's Vegetable Book for the cookbook I refer to most often.

[Pferdestarke]

Steam some curly kale and toast some walnuts and hazelnuts in a dry pan. Smash them to smithereens and add to the kale along with a beurre noisette.

Season and serve.

[thetapeworm]

Spinach and garlic is one of my favourites at the moment, very simple.

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/2943/spinach-wi...

[Cotty]

FastLaneGirl said:

Roast veg are ok, but I'm hoping for some different ideas.

What veg do you roast? Tried diferent veg?

How about making a foil parcel, chucking in some baby carrots, lemon juice, a little white wine, seal the parcel and banging in the oven.

[FastLaneGirl]

Thanks guys ('n' gal!) some good ideas and importantly books to buy

I don't have a microwave but apart from that everything else is a goer. Apart from battered parsnips, I'm trying to be healthy

My main theme is definitely just different flavours for a stir fry, as it is still the simplest way to eat loads of veg in one go. Think a trip back to the Oriental superstore is in order, but Mexican is a good idea also. If all else fails, I'll just add chillies!

Sesame carrots - - I do my mum's (Japanese) version of this which is lightly fried in very thin julienne strips, a splash of sake to soften and toasted seeds to finish, but the honey & oven idea is a good one. In fact, would be lovely with baby carrots so I shall grab some, thank you

It's great to have some inspiration, been stuck in a rut lately (ie. laziness) so will look into the recommended books and try a few ideas, cheers!

[escargot]

Boulangere? Typically done with potatoes, onion and garlic but you could add any root veg or indeed mushrooms as I did the other night.

It's like a dauphinoise but with stock instead of cream. Very easy.

[juice]

Not really a side dish but great for when you fancy some veggies its bloody tasty and with the chickpeas you get some protein...

Morrocan chickpea and veggie stew

Onions
Carrots
Peppers
Mushrooms
Green/Yellow Squash (Courgettes)
Butternut Squash
New/Baby potatoes
2 x tins tomatoes
Vegetable stock
Dried Rasins
Can Chickpeas

Spices

Turmeric
Cinnamon
Cumin
Small amount of ancho chilli powder
Cayenne Pepper

Fry onions, potato, butternut squash for about 5 mins in some Olive oil
Add spices and cook for about 2 mins
Add rest of veggies
Cook for another 3 mins
Add tomatoes
Cook for another 5 mins
Add stock to just under level of veggies
Simmer for about 35 mins
Add chickpeas and rasins
Cook for 5-10 mins

Serve on Cous Cous



Even better with some minced lamb kebabs on top..

Edited by juice on Monday 11th October 22:28

[Lefty]

juice said:

Not really a side dish but great for when you fancy some veggies its bloody tasty and with the chickpeas you get some protein...

Morrocan chickpea and veggie stew

Onions
Carrots
Peppers
Mushrooms
Green/Yellow Squash (Courgettes)
Butternut Squash
New/Baby potatoes
2 x tins tomatoes
Vegetable stock
Dried Rasins
Can Chickpeas

Spices

Turmeric
Cinnamon
Cumin
Small amount of ancho chilli powder
Cayenne Pepper

Fry onions, potato, butternut squash for about 5 mins in some Olive oil
Add spices and cook for about 2 mins
Add rest of veggies
Cook for another 3 mins
Add tomatoes
Cook for another 5 mins
Add stock to just under level of veggies
Simmer for about 35 mins
Add chickpeas and rasins
Cook for 5-10 mins

Serve on Cous Cous



Even better with some minced lamb kebabs on top..

Edited by juice on Monday 11th October 22:28

That looks and sounds awesome but I think my Mrs would make me sleep outside.

[juice]

Yeah...that is an unfortunate side-effect...Parp !

[paulmurr]

Cauliflower covered in cumin and oven baked is excellent, as are honey roast parsnips. My personal favourite at the moment is vichy style. That is a little water, a little butter and a little sugar and salt in a pan and basically boil the veg dry so the syrup glazes the veg. Excellent. It also means that you don't overcook the veg because you use so little water.

[AndyAudi]

Stir frying I love Brocoli & Sweet Chilli Sauce

Discovered these carrots whilst making stock for a Nigella Chicken soup recipe.
Whole carrots boiled in chicken stock and cinnamon for a long time (1hr plus). The combination gives the carrots a fantastic flavour.

Also with stock, I like doing my roasties in a dish in the oven filled with an inch or so of stock (plus some smoked bacon & onions). As time passes the stock boils off but potatoes absorb all the flavours. When done the top half of the potatoes are crispy with the bottom soft. Spoon out along with the bacon & onions.

[thegreengoblet]

I came across this one which we all love. Peel and dice a swede (2cm cubes). Par boil for 10 mins then into ice cold water. Melt some butter and a little oil in a frying pan. Add the drained swede along with some fresh finely chopped Ginger. Add a good helping of honey. Caramelise until golden and serve. Very nice with duck. You can vary the amount of Ginger and honey to taste.

[bazking69]

thetapeworm said:

Spinach and garlic is one of my favourites at the moment, very simple.

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/2943/spinach-wi...

Chuck some Indian cheese and spices in and you're talking. Sag paneer. Epic.