Eat Your Vegetables – or Try Something New!
I confess that eating my vegetables is something that I have to make a point of doing. I don’t care for most cooked vegetables. If the texture is less than crisp and it’s not corn-on-the-cob, you’ve pretty much lost me. I do enjoy salads with a variety of raw veggies and I continue to add to the raw repertoire, but salads are time consuming to make and (the way I like them) have a lot of ingredients.
And I’m bored with my go-to steamed broccoli or green beans. So I thought something that might motivate me to include more vegetables – maybe something that could be grilled or steamed – in my main meal of the day, is to try something that’s new to me. Here’s 7 that I’m considering.
1. Okinawan purple sweet potato – I’ve tried to like regular sweet potatoes but, unless they’re pumped up with brown sugar and served in a pie crust, it hasn’t worked for me. However, I understand the purple version tastes different – it supposedly has a sweet, nutty flavor. It’s touted as being high in vitamin C, folate, potassium, calcium, phosphorus and antioxidants. Apparently preparation is comparable to regular potatoes – bake, steam, boil, etc. I even saw a gnocchi recipe for them. Really? Purple gnocci? Hmmmm.
2. Romanesco – It kind of looks like a sea creature to me. It’s closely related to both broccoli and cauliflower, but is reportedly much milder and sweeter than either. Although its appearance is intimidating, romanesco is apparently versatile and as easy to prepare as broccoli. In spite of its Italian origin and name, I’m having a little trouble picturing it served with spaghetti!
3. Kohlrabi – Even though I’m not crazy about cooked cabbage, my curiosity was peaked by this ‘cousin’ when I saw it referred to as a ‘nutritional powerhouse’ with it’s high levels of vitamin C and and fiber. Reportedly tasty both raw and cooked, it needs to be peeled thoroughly — the top two layers need to be removed.
4. Sea Beans – Don’t confuse these with seaweed – they’re not really from the sea. But they are found in salt marshes, beaches and mangroves. They’re described as quite salty with a crunch like sugar snap peas. While I don’t really need to find more vegetables I like raw, in addition to being good in salads they are apparently popular additions to stir-frys and are good steamed and lightly dressed. No need to add salt to this one. As a matter of fact, it may not be a good choice for those who need to watch their sodium intake.
5. Parsnips – Based on its look, it’s not surprising that it is related to the carrot, but did you know it’s also related to parsley? Parsnips are touted as being high in vitamins and minerals (especially potassium) and containing antioxidants as well as both soluble and insoluble dietary fiber. Nice, but not nearly as impressive as the fact that they were once used as a sweetener in Europe before cane sugar was available. Mmmm, vegetable candy!
6. Watermelon Cucumbers – even though they’re not sour, they are sometimes referred to as a Mexican Sour Gherkin because they’re native to Mexico and South America and used to make pickles. These crunchy cucumbers have been described as having a slightly sweet, refreshing flavor with a hint of lemon. Even though they are not a logical addition to my expanded can-be-cooked vegetable list, I am smitten by how cute these miniature watermelon look-alikes are and I couldn’t think of another way to work them into the conversation!
7. Kale Chips – As I shared with you earlier this year, I have started adding raw kale to my salads and smoothies. Now I’m ready to take the next kale step by baking it into a chip (although there is still no way I’ll be adding it to ice cream any time soon!) I’m kind of looking forward to trying this – it’s simple and fast. And it’s a ‘chip.’ I suspect it won’t taste as much like a potato chip as I’m hoping for, but if it has some crunch, I’m willing to give it a try with sandwiches. [Click on the picture to view a short video which shows how easy they are to make.]
Which of these super veggies have you tried? Please share your likes, dislikes, veggie recommendations, and favorite methods of preparation.
I love Kale chips and up until a few years ago had never tried parsnips. They are great! We use them in several recipes. Rachael Ray calls them carrots with an attitude! The others I have never tried but have heard of.
‘Carrots with an attitude’ sound like something I would like! High praise for kale chips – there’s a very good chance that I’ll be making my first batch tonight! -El
I have had Kale chips and with the right seasoning they are really good. I’ve never heard of sea bean or kohlrabi so I’m going to have to try those. Thanks for the suggestions.
I’m glad you’re going first on the kohlrabi, Tresa – let me know what you think!
I haven’t taken the time to make kale chips and all of the ones I can find in stores seem to have nuts which I’m allergic to but they seem promising. I have some purple potatoes but not sweet potatoes. Have you had purple asparagus? You can get it through the Oklahoma Food Coop sometimes, it’s sweeter than normal asparagus.
Most of the recipes I saw for kale chips had only 3 ingredients: kale, olive oil, and salt. Several had additional seasonings. How easy must that be??
I’m not crazy about asparagus, but friends recently served grilled asparagus wrapped in bacon and I actually went back for seconds. I’m pretty sure it was the crispy bacon that ‘swayed’ me! I haven’t tried purple asparagus, but ‘sweeter’ always appeals to me, so I’ll be on the lookout for that one – thanks for the suggestion, Lisa!
I’ve done the kale, also, and I like it. Packaged ANYthing is not the same as making it yourself. I haven’t tried any of the others, but they are intriguing…
I believe you were the one that suggested ‘massaging’ the oil in instead of drizzling on – must give that a try! -El