Vegetables

[East]

Just curious...

Is there any secret recipes or preparations for vegetables that you know of where the vegetables are al dente (barely cooked...not at all mushy)...and that don't involve cheese?

I am thinking of trying to combine different fruit and veggies ...maybe some kind of dressing...I do it cold in salads but I am thinking something where at least the veggies are steamed a little bit..

I am flirting a bit with the vegan route again and I am really on the fence. When I did it before...I didn't give it a second thought and what spurred me into becoming a vegetarian at the time was the film I saw as a student at San Jose State in one of my classes which showed the mother cow crying for her babies...and how they kept the calves in these horrible pens....

I still rarely eat beef...been that way most of my life now...because I have a hard time getting those cows out of my mind...and I don't really like the taste at all. If I do have it...gotta be a hamburger because I can't see it and it doesn't look like a cow to me. .but this time it is because I know I will be giving myself a better chance of continued good health.

Problem is...I LOVE seafood and I like chicken/turkey a lot...not sure I want to give one or both up and I don't really eat a lot of either anyway. I mostly use chicken in stuff cut up...

..so I am thinking if anything...I can figure out how to replace some of those things with veggies but the al dente thing kinda cancels out most recipes....mushy cooked veggies are a definite NO....

I like some of the ways the Chinese restaurants cook veggies and their flavors but I am wondering if there are other suggestions anyone has....

I like everything except for squash and eggplant

[Borg69]

Steamed, WOK'ed, or Grilled (in tinfoil) are all good.

I too don't like 'em mushy. Most of that is preparation and not leaving them to cook too long. I like them with just a little EVOO, garlic powder, a bit of sea salt and fresh ground black pepper.

If you're WOK'ing them with a meat (chicken), cook the chicken first until it's nearly done and then add the veggies last - or in stages of firmness: Carrots/Green Peppers first, Onions middle, Mushrooms last so they all end up about the same firm texture.

[East]

Oh man borg...of course! Grilled! It never even occurs to me to do it myself but when I am elsewhere I love grilled veggies...

Is there any kind of fruit that is ever grilled?

I do steam and sometimes wok....

[Borg69]

Oh man borg...of course! Grilled! It never even occurs to me to do it myself but when I am elsewhere I love grilled veggies...

Is there any kind of fruit that is ever grilled?

I do steam and sometimes wok....

Pineapple and perhaps mango (???) are the only fruits I can picture being grilled. I suppose apple and pear might not be bad, depending on seasoning added, but why would you want to? I hate to admit I'm really not much of a fruit eater. I'd rather put them in a fruit salad with a bit of yogurt, grapes and walnuts. (BF makes a great Waldorf Salad).

My main go-to vegetables are Broccoli, zucchini, and asparagus as a main side dish. Peppers and onions always, green beans and peas if they're FRESH.

[East]

Yeah...I remember now I have had grilled pineapple and loved it. I am wondering if watermelon would work?

Thing is...if I could expand my options I could seriously consider vegan but I also think that giving up what I love might be stupid since I am gonna die anyway LOL

Compromise might be the best plan and grilling is something I never think about. Marinade might be fun to figure out too.

[Borg69]

[MENTION=18508]East[/MENTION] -

I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around warm fruit... Instead of Watermellon, you might try Honeydew and/or Cantaloupe ? Baked/grilled Pears might be good? I think fruit should be FRESH, and RAW.

[East]

[MENTION=18508]East[/MENTION] -

I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around warm fruit... Instead of Watermellon, you might try Honeydew and/or Cantaloupe ? Baked/grilled Pears might be good? I think fruit should be FRESH, and RAW.

I have baked apples with cinnamon before with good results...pears might be good too....

I know what you mean though...I was thinking originally cold fruit w/warm veggies. I guess I could experiment. I use cranberries with green beans regularly but they are dried....

[Borg69]

I've seen (but not eaten) some breaded, fried, sliced eggplant made into "hamburger patties" for a veggie burger. Are you brave enough to try that???

[LONDONER]

Lightly boil cut up broccoli and carrots and then sautee them quickly in the wok with a good quality olive oil. I sometimes add a little powdered bouillon and maybe a tiny dash of Tamari.

Sautee onion and a couple of cloves of garlic, add peeled shrimps and a cut up mango. Keep sauteeing a little and then add some torn up leaves from a Romain lettuce and sautee until the leaves are limp, about two minutes. A salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste. Serve on a mound of brown rice. This is a beautiful dish to look at; the pink of the shrimps, the orange of the mango and the green of the lettuce,

[East]

I've seen (but not eaten) some breaded, fried, sliced eggplant made into "hamburger patties" for a veggie burger. Are you brave enough to try that???

No...eggplant does a weird thing to my mouth and there is something about it where my throat closes up and gags...same with squash.

I have tried veggie burgers though a lot and most have been tasty...I like it when I can taste peppers. I eat peppers raw a lot...like fruit.