What are your favourite vegetables?

[MintMunchie]

I realise that it's the most boring question in the world but I'm trying to eat a mostly plant based diet and though I love vegetables and eat a lot of them it's always good to try 'new' vegetables and new ways of preparing them.

So which vegetables do you eat most often and how do you prepare them?

Aubergine, courgette, tomato and potato

I oven bake aubergine. Split down the middle add cooked mince with a tomato sauce onion spices and put back in the oven.

Pak Choi - lightly fry 3 sliced garlic cloves in ground nut oil add the stem of pak Choi for 2 minutes then the leaves. Add tablespoon of light soy sauce & oyster sauce & cook for a minute or so until wilted.

Buttered leeks - knob of butter in pan. When melted add sliced leeks, S & P. Sweat for 4-5 minutes (had last night with beef Bourguignon & today with roast chicken)

Parsnips 🤤🤤

Artichoke- I just get cans and add them to salads, pasta sauces or pizza

Beetroot- I love pickled beetroot w. chilli on flatbread with smoked mackerel pate, but roasted is delicious too

Napa cabbage- kimchi!

Red cabbage- coleslaw, cooked with apples or in a stir-fry

Garlic- basically with anything, but I particularly love roasting it in its skin and eating the pureed roasted insides.

I get a vegetable box so that forces us to try new things or eat things we would normally avoid.

At this time of year I quite like roasted things of any sort. Stuffed onions are lovely.

Baked or fried aubergines are amazing with some oil and herbs.

Broccoli, roasted or dry fried so you get little crispy bits, with lots of garlic, chilli and soy.

Aubergine fried in olive oil is my absolute favourite and I could probably eat 1-2 by myself no problem.

Over summer, oiled pak choi on the bbq was incredible so could probably recreate that grilled.

Big, meaty portobello mushrooms are a firm favourite too.

My current favourite is green beans and mange tout dry fried until they are blistered and charred and then tossed with a bit of sesame oil, loads of garlic and chilli and some salt and pepper.

Cauliflower. It can be grated or chopped to imitate grains or roasted whole for a nutty flavour.

Let’s not forget its excellent cheese sauce carrying properties.

It’s substantial and filling and delicious!

Cauliflower - tandoori style with mint yoghurt or sticky sesame (CCK recipe).

The much maligned Brussel Sprout.

Brussels Sprouts. Don’t know if it’s the pregnancy talking but I could eat a bowl full with pepper and smothered in bisto onion gravy

Asparagus in season

I've also been enjoying going through my parents' 80s M&S cookbook - glazed turnips, petit pois à la Francaise etc. Actually quite tasty!

Ohhh, Brussels sprouts roasted with maple syrup and chestnuts. Amazing. That's what I'm having for tea.

Sweet potatoes avocados swede

Brussel sprouts - in literally any format. I love them. They're really good in Mac and cheese. Peas are fab in that too!

Sweet potato - baked, oven wedges, curried

Tomatoes - chopped very small with shallot lemon juice olive oil and salt - simple but amazing

Slow roasted carrots and parsnips

Stir fry veg inc lot of pak choi in soy etc

Celery oh my god I love celery - even the smell mmmmm

Baked leeks in cheese sauce or fried in butter

Cauliflower cheese

Most veg are awesome with cheese

Cabbage
Broccoli
Onions

Romanesco cauliflower because of its colour and shape. (The spirals are fractals.)

Asparagus for its dipping possibilities, only eat it during its English season though.

Endive for its bitter taste and its shape. Try endive, rocket, orange or pink grapefruit and black grape salad with a citrus dressing.

A quick way for leeks is to pile chopped leeks in a jug or bowl, add a knob of butter and microwave for two minutes. Give a stir and another minute if needed. Lovely buttery leeks that keep their bright colour.
For carrots, grate, pile into jug, add butter, microwave for one or two minutes, stir in a teaspoon of wholegrain mustard before serving.

Aubergine
Parsnip
Peas
Raw cauliflower

Butternut squash as well

Samphire.
Sweet potato oven baked wedges with salt and chilli seasoning.
Cauliflower steaks from m&s in marinade.
Asparagus