4 Ways to Veg Out

For some people, eating straight vegetables is tough. You might be one of these people. Perhaps you find yourself bored of the same old vegetables, verging on becoming a vegetable yourself. Then again, the taste may not be to your liking, or maybe it's the texture. I personally have never had any of these problems aside from the being bored out of my mind part, but several members of my family certainly have. In fact, my youngest brother claims that he can still taste the tomato on a sandwich even after it's been removed. Future husband (haha.) beware, because if you're picky or a proud carnivore, I've got some tricks up my sleeve ;)

Blend 'em up and hide 'em in things
Whether they're carrots, tomatoes, zucchini, bell peppers, onions, or any other vegetable, blend them up and use them as a thickener or flavoring for sauces and stews. You still get all of the benefits of the whole vegetable, you just can't see them. Put the pulp of carrots or other "pulpy" vegetables (shoot, you can even use apple pulp) into ground meat for burgers or meatloaf. This is perfect for picky eaters and kids.

Use them as replacements for grains
My mom's digestive system is really messed up, so she has to eat gluten free. Over the years, I've come up with ways to "recreate" some of our favorite meals without using products with gluten (or any other flour products for that matter). Making quiche using thinly-sliced potatoes as the crust is great, and sort of reminiscent of scalloped potatoes, without all of the fat. You can also use spaghetti squash as a replacement for spaghetti. Go Italian and use thinly sliced eggplant or zucchini in the place of lasagna noodles.

Replace "traditional" fats with them
I'm sure you've heard of the whole banana ice cream with one ingredient (spoiler alert: it's bananas) and applesauce in cake. But you can also blend up avocados with a little lime juice and use them to replace mayonnaise in chicken or tuna salad, or on sandwiches as a spread. I also love making chocolate frosting and mousse out of avocados.

Marinate them
This is less "hiding" them and more transforming them. A little vinegar and some spices (try to avoid salt, as pickling brines can make vegetables super high in sodium very easily) go a long way. I've just recently gotten in to using this type of technique in my food, inspired by Asian fusion cuisine. I just love the little sides of spicy, freshly-pickled cucumber slices or tangy-sweet slaws that come with barbecue and soups. Some rice wine vinegar, chili flakes, and a twist of lime are all you need to make a simple, tasty marinade.

What do you do to transform fruits and vegetables to include more of them in your diet? Let me know, because I always love new ideas!

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