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.

Asparagus under the grill

Yum

I moved to a place with a really tiny kitchen and no room for gadgets like steamers (or even a microwave!). I steam veg by putting about an inch of water in a pan, lid on and simmer. Then I drain the excess liquid when done and usually melt in a little butter, salt and pepper.

Garlic makes everything taste better!

I steam kale, drizzle it with olive oil, and put lots of sea salt on it. It's delicious, I can eat a massive bowl and still want more. Kale is very good for you, and it takes about 7 minutes to steam it.

kohlrabi - just raw
sweetcorn - steamed (2 min microwave) from frozen
peas - steamed from frozen

You don't actually need a steamer really - I just put a little boiling water in the bottom of the pan (like 2cm), then pop in the veg and put on the lid. I just find it's less faff! Then drain and add butter and salt. It's how I cook broad beans, green beans, asparagus etc.

For sweet potatoes they're really good baked whole in the oven - just prick with a fork and rub with oil and salt first. They're much quicker than regular jacket potatoes! And you don't need to worry about cutting them up too which is good if your knives are a bit crap.

Do you like spicy/hot things? Radishes are great in the summer if so, eat whole or slice thinly into a salad.

Cut in half & de-seed peppers brush with olive oil, place in oven proof dish cut sode up, roast in medium oven until soft & just going Brown on the cut edge around 30-40 mins depending on your oven temp. Crumble some feta cheese on top. I love this cold for lunch, so much easier than sandwiches if you chuck them in when you've got the oven on for something else. They keep in the fridge for 2-3 days.

Also delicious with butternut squash, aubergine ,& courgette

Do you not eat potato op? The most versatile veg of all. New potatoes (available now) with butter and fresh mint, are heavenly.
Beetroot, cooked from fresh or use the cooked vacuum packed ones. Don't personally like it in vinegar.
Avocado? Must be ripe though. They are usually sold hard and unripe and you need to leave them in a sunny place to ripen. Avocado pear mashed on toast with a poached egg is lovely, or just sliced and eaten with vinaigrette.

You can also boil the celeriac in 15-20 mins and then mash it the same as you would potatoes, or slice it into wedges and roast to be quicker.

I just thought about beetroot too. The natural kind, not pickled. Really tasty in salads or cooked. My favourite is stacks of beetroot slices and feta roast in the oven, but you don’t have to cook.

Black beans, chick peas and lentils are a great base for stews, curries and salads. Avocado is a bit more pricey, but quite versatile too.

If you're not keen on veg I would be really really careful to not overcook. Nothing will put you off more than overcooked mush!

Lightly stir fried or steamed cabbage, add a little butter and squeeze some lemon over
Stir fried brocolli with chilli and garlic
roasted red onion, sweet or new potato, peppers, courgette
Greek salad
Griddled asparagus
Griddled courgette

I've never used a steamer

celeriac cut into rounds and fried is great as a burger 'substitute'
it's really tasty

@longearedbat Ooo yes I do eat potatoes and avocado. How do you cook new potatoes? Just boil them?
Aaaaaa beetroot tastes like soil

This is delicious and easy to make, I couldn’t be bothered with the sauce but the carrots are lovely with it.

Garlic salt on cooked veggies never hurts either.

I’d recommend trying them gradually & using the season to guide you. That way, they will be cheapest and tastiest.

The easiest way to tell is to only buy British grown veg - decide when you are in the supermarket and see the Union Jack flag.

Right now asparagus is best IMO. Trim off the non pointy end and either roast (with olive oil, s&p) for about 20 mins, or steam for about 6 mins.

Pretty much all veg can be boiled, steamed or roasted, just for varying lengths of time.

Roasted squash? Raw beetroot grated into your salad?

www.eatingwell.com/article/15858/how-to-cook-20-vegetables/

My DS loves grated carrot either with raisins and vinaigrette or frankly just on its own but he doesn't like raw carrots in batons nor particularly cooked carrots.

For new pots, op, give them a good wash, cut any large ones in half, just cover with water and bring to the boil. Simmer for about 15 mins, until tender (poke with a knife to check for tenderness). Drain and let them sit in their steam for a minute or two so they are dry. Add salt, pepper, plenty of freshly chopped mint, or mint and parsley, and a generous knob of butter. If you are greedy like me serve with extra butter available.
Try Jersey Royals. They are only around for a short time, which is now.
We are having them tonight with sirloin steak, mushrooms and asparagus. I'm already hungry!

I'm really excited to try these! Do I need to use butter? A lot of your lovely recommendations contain butter which although tastes great, probably isn't the best for my waistline [grins]

If you're not sure about carrots, when you boil them put a bit of salt and a bit of sugar in the water and it will bring out the sweetness of the carrot. Much more delicious.

In things like mashed swede you do need to use a bit of butter, but you don't need to put it on stuff like new potatoes - it does make them better though!

No, you don't need to use butter op. My partner never puts butter on his veg, it's on the table, but I'm the only one who uses it. Probably why he's very slim and I'm not. We also have to watch our salt consumption. However, using plenty of herbs helps, and at least they're not fattening.
Another favourite of ours is sweetheart cabbage. Sliced very thinly and cooked for a few minutes, it's delicious (er...especially with butter....).

Celery is much nicer slow cooked in a soup or stew. The same for carrots. Carrots are also nice mashed with potato.

If you're not a fan of fresh beetroot, you might like pickled beetroot from a jar, but it's not to everyone's taste.

Also, parsnip is lovely roasted like a potato.

Big advice here!!!!

Don't follow those chefs who say to cook your veggies "al dente". Cook them until they're softer. They get more sweet and easier to eat. My kids eat vegetables much more than I ever did!!!

Also don't be afraid to drizzle honey on roasted vegetables or butter on steamed/boiled vegetables.

Good luck!

Baby corn is amazing! Pan fried cabbage is lovely and so are kale crisps (just add salt
, oil + any seasoning you want + bake in oven). Not sure if seaweed counts but I’m a huge fan!