I've only eaten a handful of veg: Best vegetables to try?

[foodislifewifi]

I'm 23 and the vegetables* I have tried to date are: lettuce, cucumber, spinach, tomato, carrot (not a fan), celery (really not a fan), aubergine, onion, brocolli, cauliflower(cheese), garlic, leek, pepper, sweetcorn, courgette

*I know some of these are not vegetables

What do I need to try and how do I make them? Quick and easy to serve along meals preferable, vegetarian.

Have you tried carrot both raw and cooked?

I’d go green beans next.

Sorry, just boil them for a few minutes, drain and add a little butter.

There are a few different kinds, french beans, stringless beans, ‘Traditionally sliced runner beans’ but you can treat them all the same.

Should say on the pack how long to cook for if you’re in the UK.

If you liked the spinach, how about some other leafy greens e.g. cabbage, kale, chard. Steamed and dressed with a little lemon juice and black pepper they make an excellent side dish with almost anything, and are very nutritious.

Mushrooms? Lots of people have said to me they don't like them, until they try ones I've cooked fry with butter and garlic, and make sure you cook them til they caramelise on the outside wet, slimy mushrooms with no flavouring are disgusting.

Peel and cut into quarters carrots, parsnips. Toss in oil and roast for forty minutes at 180 degrees. Add tomatoes and peppers if you like.

Can also oven roast sweet potato and squash. Again peel and cut into decent sized chunks.

Butternut squash, diced, well-seasoned and roasted in the oven until slightly charred around the edges is delicious.

Asparagus is currently in season. Steamed and then smothered in melted butter, coarse salt and black pepper it's amazing. Or you can make any number of fancy sauces to go with it, like hollandaise. This thread is making me hungry!

Have you tried baby corn?

Celeriac is tasty if you roast it whole in the oven. Just rub it with oil, but of salt and mixed herbs. Cover in foil and roast for couple of hours, then open the top for 20-30 mins at the end so it goes crispy. When it’s cooked, slice off the top and mash the inside with butter and a bit of garlic. It’s delicious!

For something quicker, have you tried stir fries with bean sprouts, shredded cabbage, water chestnuts, baby sweet corn, mango tout and other veg you have already tried? So easy then just add a stir fry sauce and diced tofu or Quorn Pieces for protein.

@GreyishDays Yes I have tried both raw and cooked carrot. Cooked is nicer but I really don't like raw. Can you eat the whole bean or is it like a pod?

I think rather thinking it that way, look at some recipes that use veg, eg veg tagine, veg lasagne, Veg curry, Bean stew. And see what veg is required.

@LiveFatsDieYoGnu How do you steam? I'm absolutely clueless pan of boiling water with something on top (in which you put the veg) I presume? What does the something have to be e.g. can I just use a sieve?

Yes, eat whole beans except broad beans.

@BellaVida sounds lovely but probably don't have the budget to cook something in the oven for a couple of hours

@Sparklfairy I LOVE garlic mushrooms, I'm going to try a garlic mushroom creamy pasta dish soon.
@ClientQ Yep I've tried baby corn, it's quite nice but a bit bland just plain

@LiveFatsDieYoGnu, I demand you come to my house and make me that right now!

Peas? I like frozen ones but not tinned.

Can anyone recommend a knife that will cut e.g. sweet potato easily? Last time I tried I was a bloody mess

@sunbird24 Oh god yes I've had peas, forgot about them! They're harmless, not exceptionally tasty but not bad

Roasted whole sweet potato or cauliflower is delicious with olive oil and seasoning. Cold cooked.green beans make a nice salad. Grilled corn on the cob with butter.

Spanish omelette with peppers potato peas brocolli cheese

I love mashed swede with lots of black pepper and butter

To steam you generally need a steamer. Pan of boiling water, matching steaming pan (with holes in the bottom) on top (that's where you put the veg), then tightly fitting lid. Most veg takes approx 7 minutes. A sieve won't do it unfortunately.

Do you like stir fry? Either with stir fry sauce or just garlic/ginger/doing onions/soy sauce. Things like mushrooms, Pak choi/bok choi (or just normal cabbage), water chestnuts, bean sprouts, sweet peppers go really well in this.

Oh, and try artichoke hearts (either tinned or in oil) in salads. Yum.

Knife has to be really sharp (buy a sharpener) or you can soften in microwave or oven whole before attempting to cut it.