Monday, April 21, 2008

Cooking

As I learn about healthy eating through friends and books they recommend, I tend to try to apply it to our life and eating. As I look back to the way we used to eat to today we've come along way baby. But two areas I really have trouble with are vegetables and beans.

I never ate vegetables growing up unless it was in mom's vegetable soup or the choice was corn. My dad use to gripe about me not eating the green beans, but it wasn't until I began dating David and then married him, that I ate green beans and peas. Yes Dad was shocked and, I think, quite delighted that this new son-in-law had such an affect on his little girl.

Now I fix corn, green beans, peas, or broccoli. We eat raw carrots, celery, and the various colored peppers. I'll even stir-fry veggies from a frozen package or ones I cut-up. But I really have a hard time remembering that we need to eat more veggies each day, not just once. But I also want some new ways to eat veggies to take advantage of those on sale at the store or at the farmer's market later this spring and summer.

In that light, I borrowed the book, Vegetable Heaven by Mollie Katzen. It has some nice recipes in it, but I'm a little scared to try. My fear of not liking it, or the kids' (which I know they won't anyway, it takes giving it to them over and over again, but sometimes I fear the battle) grumbling prevent me. Also it is often easier for me to eat something at someone else's home and then ask for the recipe, because then I know I like it.


Same with beans. I hated beans growing up, but I'm learning to like them. But I want to somehow add more variety to the beans, than baked beans or bean soup. This would not only help health wise, but also make it a bit easier on the wallet at the checkout. However the fears listed above, are keeping me from this too.

I know silly excuses and I need to just jump in and start cooking, but fear is a hard thing to overcome. Anybody want to come cook for me? Or have us over for supper?

5 comments:

Jenny Chavez said...

Talk about irony. I am eating carrots, broccoli and cauliflower. How is it that I LOVE veggies and you not so much? I try to eat a salad every day so that I can get in all my veggies.

Maria said...

I love to check your blog.
vegies....
We at the Arndt home eat about the same vegetables that you all do.
Spinach salad with hot bacon dressing and boiled eggs is very popular here. We also like to throw fresh spinach in with a normal green salad.
We love cucumbers.
Beans... have a great white chicken chili recipe.
I also like to make a taco dip with the bottom layer as refried beans.
On Everyday Italian today, Giada (sp?) made a spinach and bean dip with garlic. I would love it but I wonder about the kids. ????
We add beans to spanish rice, hamburger and corn. My kids love this meal.
Maybe you should take a break and have your kids do a unit on cooking for School! Have them discover the ways to infuse vegetables into your diet.
Or maybe... go lay down on the couch and order in chinese take out!!!!! :)

Karen said...

My kids love to make themselves Bean Burritos for lunch. Refried beans, a little cheese, lettuce, shredded carrots, tomato and sour cream wrapped in a warm tortilla shell.

I also make a salad with fresh spinach, cut up cauliflower, chopped fresh tomato, and cooked bacon broken into bite-sized pieces. The dressing is made with 1 cup mayonnaise and 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese, mixed well. My children think it tastes like a BLT. I may add croƻtons next time I make it. The original recipe called for raw red onions, but that would be a BIG turn off for my kids.

Kristi Heinz said...

Do you eat Asparagus? It is so wonderful just sauted up with garlic and olive oil. It really is good.

I can get Ben to eat zuchinni. I shred it and put it with parm. cheese, bread crumbs, and some egg. Then you make them into patties and saute in butter. YUMMY! He east them up!

Have you tried carrots with honey and mustard? It is sort of a Cracker Barrel recipe. Ben love them.

Beans, that is another story. I have a recipe for Mean Beans. It has apple pie filling, sausage, syrup, bbq sauce. They are really good. They are a meal in themselves.

RPW said...

We struggle with vegetables around here, too. I have gotten far enough to cut up some lettuces and put them in a salad spinner and put them back in the fridge.... :)

As far as cooking, I LOVE to roast them. Coat them in a healthy oil and a bit of salt and put them in the roasting pan, often throw a roast on top (also coated with a little oil and an herb rub, so that it doesn't blacken easily)...and then 350 till everything is cooked. The roasting brings out the sugars and makes them sweeter.

I used to have Vegetable Heaven, and some of the things did seem outlandish. The thing that balanced out a lot of it was that things like the bean stews, etc. only really cost around a dollar per serving to make. Give it a try. You aren't losing much if they don't like it.

One thing I've found, is that if I like it, and make it several times, they often come around or at least learn to tolerate it, and that is a good skill to have as well.