Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with cooking and vegetables

Alternative to tomato for vegetarian stew base.

piratebowling — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 09:23:40 -0800

I have a loose vegetarian stew recipe that I have made up that is wonderful in the sense that it is flexible and quick. It does have one constant, in that it has a tomato base. What can I sub the tomato content with? The recipe usually involves sauteing up some garlic or onions, throwing in a can of chopped or crushed tomatoes (pre-seasoned, or unseasoned) adding in a couple cups of legumes (chickpeas or lentils usually) then whatever veggies I feel like (squash, broccoli, mushrooms, kale, spinach, whatever I have around or feel like). I then serve it over cous-cous or some other starch. I find it fairly no-fuss and filling. I also like that I can play around with veggie and spice combos. However, the constant of the tomato base is beginning to bore me. What else could I put in there to sauce it up a bit and tie all the veggies and legumes together into a nice stew goodness?

recipes for a non-vegetable/fruit eater

Busy Old Fool — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 06:30:20 -0800

Friends are coming to dinner and I'm relishing the challenge of finding a recipe that will satisfy the picky eater who doesn't like any vegetables. Can you help? I'm not vegetarian, but I love vegetables and, when cooking for myself, frequently go weeks without meat.

However, among the friends who will be coming to dinner soon is one who detests vegetables and legumes of any sort. If they're minced up and unrecognizable (like onions in a sauce), it's OK. He likes meat, cheese, bread, potatoes, rice, pasta.

I have a mental block, because almost everything I can think of has some sort of vegetable component. Bobotie, curry, Thai dishes, moussaka... I'm sure there are loads of things that will suit him without just defaulting to meat with veg on the side which he can't have. (That's what has been served at other dinners he's attended and I'd like to do something a bit different.)

Any ideas?

Moving up to the Grilling Big Leagues

boots77 — Thu, 07 May 2009 06:24:10 -0800

Summer time is here and my grill has been cleaned and is ready for use. I need some summer grilling recipes and ideas. Hurry, the grill is hot! I always tend to grill the traditional hamburgers and hotdogs, but this year I want to try to leave the amateur ranks and try other foods on the grill. All meat, fruit, and veggie ideas are sought! And in particular, what do you do to give them a good flavor (rubs, sauces, etc...) Thanks all and happy grilling!

Chili When It's Chilly

netbros — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 21:19:44 -0800

I'm going to make a pot of chili tomorrow. Besides the usual kidney beans, tomato schtuff, burger and trinity, what do you like to put in yours to liven things up? I'm going to the grocery before I start, so please help me out with some favorite ingredients and recipes. Thanks in advance for your assistance.

My veggies need a makeover

craichead — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 15:08:24 -0800

Help me jazz up my roasted vegetables! This time of year, I subsist largely on roasted vegetables. My "recipe" goes like this: chop up a red pepper, a yellow pepper, a couple of potatoes, a red onion, whatever squash I happen to have on hand, and a half an eggplant. Stick them in a roasting pan with some fresh rosemary. Pour some olive oil over the whole thing, mix it up, roast for an hour at 400 degrees F., and eat. I put this in sandwiches, in burritos, eat it over rice, etc. It's easy and it's yummy. It's also getting a little boring. Can anyone think of some good things to add to my roasted vegetables to make them even more delicious and exciting?

Cuttin' Vegies.

AzzaMcKazza — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 18:40:25 -0800

Is there a site out there that has simple, easy to read diagrams on hot to cut different vegetables properly?

What to do with all these vegetables?

arha — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 17:01:24 -0800

Does anyone have great recipes that can use up a massive bag of vegetables? I am hoping I will end up with one or two dishes, preferably that I can then portion up and freeze. My sister is going away for the week, so she very generously gave me the bulk of her organic vegetable delivery. So I am now staring at enough vegetables to feed a family of four for a week, and while I do like my vegies there is no way a single girl can eat that much of them before they rot.

1 have: 2 heads of broccoli, one GIANT head of cauliflower, a large sweet potato, a sizeable bag of mushrooms, a bag of carrots, several onions, a bunch of bok choy, a head of celery and a capsicum (red bell pepper).

I know the most likely option is to make soup, but does anyone have any specific recommendations or recipes? Any other ideas?

I am really not wanting to make compost at the bottom of my fridge. Again.

and sometimes one cook can spoil it by himself

johnofjack — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 15:20:13 -0800

I made a big pan of broth and it's bitter. How do I correct it? I poked around a bit looking at broth recipes and it seemed they allowed for a bit of improvisation. So I made a pan of broth using all the odds and ends of vegetables I've had in the freezer awhile: onions, garlic, carrots, celery, mushroom stems, parsnip peels & ends, and parsley. Aside from that, all it had in it was water, a bit of salt, and a dozen lentils.

The broth is bitter. There's probably very little need for bitter broth.

I've searched online and failed to find the answer, and Joy of Cooking also didn't mention a solution.

Is there any way to correct the taste?

Living in Ottawa, how can I get a hold of some powdered vegetables?

Nish ton — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 20:18:23 -0800

Living in Ottawa, how can I get a hold of some powdered vegetables? How can an individual living in Ottawa (Ontario), get ahold of some powdered vegetables? I'm thinking in the kilogram(s) range. It can be ordered from the internet if the price is right - no more than $14 a kilo or so for carrots, say. I'm looking for broccoli, carrot, spinach, kale, sweet peppers, lima beans, tomatoes, green beans, celery, asparagus, and maybe squash, yam, collard greens, mustard greens.

You can see on alibaba.com they are certainly traded on an industrial scale regularly, but I've looked all around and called all around to herb and spice, bulk barn... almost nothing. Bonus points for powdered fruit too, citrus, mango, peach, papaya....

It ain't easy cooking green.

Inconceivable! — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 06:28:52 -0800

What do I do with all these unfamiliar veggies from the CSA? My CSA has started delivering vegetables for the summer, and once again I'm at a loss for what to do with some of them. Do you have any favorite recipes that use chard, kale, or mustard greens? What about kohlrabi, which I'm sure will be showing up again in abundance later this summer? I've been sauteeing the greens with garlic and eating them with beans and rice or polenta, but it's getting to be a bit boring.

cooking fresh, frozen, canned vegetables

mrkohrea — Sat, 01 Jul 2006 15:33:52 -0800

I've decided to eat more vegetables, and I have a few questions about the necessity of cooking them, the nutritional content of frozen vegetables, and how cooking affects the nutritional content. 1) What vegetables need to be cooked before eating? What happens if you don't cook them first? How long do you have to cook them (boiling, steaming, stir-frying or whatever method)? I'm not looking for fancy recipes. Just the vegetables by themselves pretty much.

2) I've heard rumors that frozen vegetables can often be more nutritious than "fresh" vegetables which have actually been sitting around quite a bit by the time you buy them. Any vegetables in particular? Are there any canned vegetables that are more nutritious than their fresh or frozen counterpart?

3) And if you have more to add to an old Mefi thread, Does cooking affect the nutritional value of vegetables?.

How can I get fresh okra in the US, outside of the South?

gurple — Mon, 21 Mar 2005 18:10:22 -0800

I want to cook with okra, but I live in the Pacific Northwest. Help with this specific dilemma would be great, or more generically -- any tips on finding produce that seems, at first pass, to be unavailable in a given area? I've already checked out all the local produce markets, and I've had a go at Googling the problem, but all I can find is that okra is available year-round in the South and May-October in "many other areas". I'll grow it if I gotta, but that won't help my short-term craving....

Brussel Sprouts

Utilitaritron — Wed, 27 Oct 2004 13:38:13 -0800

[VegetableFilter] What should I do with the brussel sprouts I bought?