Cookaholics Bulletin Board

Hello All,

A challenge has been thrust upon me. We have a family member whose diet consists largely of burgers, grilled cheese and pizza and "stuff in a box". When we go out, this family member is adamant about not having any vegetables.

Sorry to be a bit cryptic about "this person".

I told our family member that I could prepare a vegetable dish that they would really like. I have some thoughts (i.e. tempura, onion rings, etc.). I could use some other ideas.

Thanks in advance.

Ken

Ken
I have a friend who hates "cooked" veggies except she likes roasted cherry tomatoes (tossed in olive oil, chopped basil and salted) and loves CI's roasted rosemary potatoes....potatoes quartered, tossed in olive oil, kosher salt and finely minced rosemary; cut side down on a cookie sheet and roasted at 400 for 10 minutes, then turned so other cut side sits on the cookie sheet for another 10 minutes. They get crispy on the outside and creamy inside and the rosemary and salt give them a great flavor.
Those are the two that my veggie hating friend will eat.
Ilene

Ken,

The first step is to find out what flavors they really like in non-veggie foods: cheeses, seasonings, cooking techniques, etc. If they are "veggie-haters" then they are probably fussy eaters in other ways as well. Then you produce a vegetable dish which incorporates many of the flavors they like ... only with vegetables.

Dishes which have broad appeal among the steak-and-potatoes crowd include:

1. Spanakopita
2. Gratins/casseroles of various sorts, inc. veggie lasagna
3. Baked sweet potatoes (these are shockingly nutritious)
4. Vegetable soups
5. Empanadas
6. Hummus, baba ganouj, etc.
7. Vegetable curry

The trick is to make unheathy, tasty food using lots of vegetables. Once they get over their idea that vegetables==healthfood==bad, you can wean them onto salads and the like. If you throw brocolli/quinoa salad right at them, they'll dump it in the trash.

However, I personally would not take your "challenge", given that this person clearly makes their terrible eating habits a point of pride, and sounds likely to lie about whether they liked something or not just to prove a point. It's a loser's game for you.

Doesn't pizza count as a vegetable now?

There was a cookbook came out a few years ago that was recipies for getting vegetables into foods that would not otherwise have them, in order to then get them into picky eaters. Like pureed spinach in the brownies......
But Fuzzy is right on target. A breaded, fried green bean or mushroom can be ignored as a "vegetable", but enjoyed as a snack.
Will they eat raw vegetables at all? Sometimes this is a texture problem, and keeping things crunchy is helpful.

My veggie ambivalent DH will eat a surprising number of things so long as there's cheese sauce on it. Gratins are a favourite too, especially potato and cheddar ones. But if someone is determined to dislike something, all the cheese in the world might not help.

If they like pizza, then tomato sauce isn't a problem. A veggie lasagna might work if the pieces were small enough (or pureed in). Pasta and tomato sauce? Potatoes are generally safe (hassleback potatoes are pretty friendly to non veg folks, or mashed, or cheesy). Cornbread? Onion blossoms? Onion rings/straws on a steak or burger? Not terribly healthy, but a start.

Awesome feedback all, please keep the comments coming. Very very helpful! Thanks so much!!

There is a wonderful corn casserole called "Dynasty Corn Casserole". It's delicious. My grandsons are in love with it and we're having it for Christmas. One of them is a devoted vegetable hater. First time he ate it, he looked closely at a forkful and said "is there corn in this?" There is so much cheese and peppers in it you kind of miss the corn. Google the recipe. It's really tasty.
fitzie

These are favorites from Wegman's:

http://www.wegmans.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10052&catalogId=10002&langId=-1&productId=675570

http://www.wegmans.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10052&catalogId=10002&langId=-1&productId=675570

http://www.wegmans.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10052&catalogId=10002&langId=-1&productId=566719

Also, carrots are delicious, peeled, wrapped in aluminum foil, and baked until soft, about an hour. It makes them very sweet and tasty. I have done three pounds at a time, and they all got eaten.