Your favourite veggie side dishes?

[Two_Hares]

Hey everyone! So I will be honest, before diagnosis (and even a bit after 😳) I was never a big fan veg. I'd have the occasional salad if I was on one of my repeated, short-lived attempts at Slimming World stints, I'd eat onions and peppers if I was having fajitas (along with 4 wraps and a pot of creme fraiche) and I'd occasionally shove a steam bag of veg in the microwave with my tea if I felt I needed to be "good". The only time things were different really was if I went to Wagamamas and I'd always make sure to face plant into a portion of their wok fried greens. Swoon. Since I started cleaning up my diet about 4-5 weeks ago, I have upped my vegetable consumption by about a million percent and thoroughly enjoyed it. I've made tasty stir fries, delicious salads (never thought I'd see the day!), and even preferred my jalfrazi with a side of steamed greens instead of rice (okay, maybe not preferable to a naan, mind you but you can't have everything...)

Anyway, I wondered what everyone's favourite thing to do with veg is? I've been on Youtube/Insta looking at recipes for ideas (home made wok fried greens get in my belly) but I'd love to hear what everyone else's favourite way to have them is?

 

[rebrascora]

I think the key with low carb eating is to make veggies taste great and that is often achieved by the addition of fat in the form of cream, butter, cheese, cream cheese or olive oil. The fat also provides the calories that you are not getting from carbs and keeps you feeling full for longer.

Two of my favourite veggie side dishes are cauliflower cheese made by parboiling the cauli then coating in a mixture of cream cheese, sour cream and chive dip, a teaspoon of wholegrain mustard and half a teaspoon of paprika, followed by a liberal covering of grated cheeses, usually Red Leicester, Mature Cheddar and parmesan and browned off in the oven or under the grill.
or
Ratatouille with roughly chopped Mediterranean veg including onion, peppers, courgettes and aubergine fried in a very generous amount of olive oil with mixed herbs and then tinned chopped tomatoes, a little tomato puree added and a glug of red wine and mixed in and then baked in the oven with a good covering of grated Gruyere cheese until bubbling and the cheese starting to go golden. It goes really nicely with burgers or steak or sausages or I can just eat a whole bowlful just on it's own, hot or even cold depending upon the weather.

I also love cabbage or leeks sweated in a little butter and then tossed in bacon fat or a good dollop of cream cheese stirred into them before serving.... works best served with bacon or gammon.

 

[Two_Hares]

I think the key with low carb eating is to make veggies taste great and that is often achieved by the addition of fat in the form of cream, butter, cheese, cream cheese or olive oil. The fat also provides the calories that you are not getting from carbs and keeps you feeling full for longer.

Two of my favourite veggie side dishes are cauliflower cheese made by parboiling the cauli then coating in a mixture of cream cheese, sour cream and chive dip, a teaspoon of wholegrain mustard and half a teaspoon of paprika, followed by a liberal covering of grated cheeses, usually Red Leicester, Mature Cheddar and parmesan and browned off in the oven or under the grill.
or
Ratatouille with roughly chopped Mediterranean veg including onion, peppers, courgettes and aubergine fried in a very generous amount of olive oil with mixed herbs and then tinned chopped tomatoes, a little tomato puree added and a glug of red wine and mixed in and then baked in the oven with a good covering of grated Gruyere cheese until bubbling and the cheese starting to go golden. It goes really nicely with burgers or steak or sausages or I can just eat a whole bowlful just on it's own, hot or even cold depending upon the weather.

I also love cabbage or leeks sweated in a little butter and then tossed in bacon fat or a good dollop of cream cheese stirred into them before serving.... works best served with bacon or gammon.

I've had broccoli cheese and loved it but weirdly have never tried cauli cheese - definitely going on the list! Ooh I never thought about leeks! I'll get some next time I need to top up my veg drawer and try that as it sounds delicious.

I bought some cabbage from the supermarket this week to try it fried with either pancetta or chorizo. Never thought of adding the cream cheese though! I'm loving that I can add flavour with things like cheese/cream etc that I'd normally avoid if try to lose weight.

 

[trophywench]

I cook leeks in the microwave - no water cos they ARE mainly water! Just remove outer leaves, slice widthways into a pyrex dish, good dollop of butter, cling film over the top and blast on 100% for 2-3 minutes.

 

[Two_Hares]

I cook leeks in the microwave - no water cos they ARE mainly water! Just remove outer leaves, slice widthways into a pyrex dish, good dollop of butter, cling film over the top and blast on 100% for 2-3 minutes.

This is sounds like even I, the most terrible cook I know, couldn't mess it up! Definitely trying it!

 

[trophywench]

If not cooked enough, beauty of it is just bung it back in for longer. The fresher the leeks are, the easier they'll cook. Take ages to cool down though so doesn't matter if the meat's not done enough when the leeks are.

 

[Inka]

I adore vegetables. I often choose my veg accompaniment before I choose my meal I’d say that you don’t have to make veg posh or spend time making a ‘proper’ side dish out of it. Tonight, for example, I just had steamed runner beans with black pepper.

But you asked for veg examples, so:

Homemade ratatouille
Red cabbage casserole (it does have apple in so has some carbs)
White cabbage stir fried with a few juniper berries
Red cabbage raw salad with macadamia nuts and a spicy lime dressing
Roasted Mediterranean vegetables (inc whole garlic bulbs - yummy!)
Cauliflower cheese

Mainly the thing is to have plenty of veg, so if just boiling or steaming it is easiest, then do that. To my mind, most veg is tasty unadorned and lovely and fresh.

There’s a really great Ottolenghi book that concentrates on veg. There are some potato recipes, but lots of not carby stuff too. It’s called Plenty

 

[rebrascora]

I cook leeks in the microwave - no water cos they ARE mainly water! Just remove outer leaves, slice widthways into a pyrex dish, good dollop of butter, cling film over the top and blast on 100% for 2-3 minutes.

Yes, that is exactly how I do my leeks but then sometimes add the dollop of cream cheese and mix in after cooking.... and the same method with cabbage......zap in microwave for 2 mins with a knob of butter and then tip into frying pan and toss in bacon fat.
I tend to do most veg in the microwave as it is so quick and easy.

 

[trophywench]

Oh - a brief squeeze of lemon juice does wonders for the 'tender green veg' things like peas (frozen ones are actually fresher than 'pod' ones, unless you've literally just picked them outside your back door, runner and whole pod beans (do they have a proper name?) asparagus and any young leaf veg from wilted lettuce to baby kale!

 

[SueEK]

Peas - I hate veg

 

[trophywench]

Peas - I hate veg

Sorry - not sure what you mean there Sue?

 

[SueEK]

Simples, I don’t like veg apart from peas, carrots and basic salad. Like is a gentle way of putting it, I hate it, it makes me gag, if it’s on my plate I don’t want to eat anything else on it. I wish I did as it would make life easier

 

[nonethewiser]

Boiled steamed fried like most veggies, not fussed how they come.

 

[SueEK]

Sorry - not sure what you mean there Sue?

Hi forgot to press reply on your post but I have and is just after yours doh!!

 

[Sparkle]

This is sounds like even I, the most terrible cook I know, couldn't mess it up! Definitely trying it!

I think you'd have some stiff competition from my husband!

 

[Kaylz]

broccoli steamed or roasted, green beans, cauliflower, asparagus, kale all steamed or roasted, pak choi steamed xx

 

[eggyg]

I’m another ratatouille fan. After many years of making it I have honed it to perfection. I roast my courgette, aubergine and peppers first so they don’ t go mushy once you add your tin toms. It’s great with chicken, steak, pork and lamb chops.
Savoy cabbage with pancetta, garlic and cream. Cook cabbage, drain. Cook pancetta or streaky bacon ( cut up obs) and garlic in oil. Add cooked cabbage and stir in cream. Again ideal with meat.
Braised leeks. Slice leeks length ways, lay in oven dish, add chicken stock and stick in the oven until tender.
Broccoli and cheese, be a devil and add cauli too. Multi coloured!
Chopped salad. Iceberg and/ or romain lettuce, chopped into bite sized pieces. Chop tomatoes, cucumber, peppers etc into bite sized pieces. Add a tin of drained chicken peas. Then tear some buffalo mozzarella and scatter over. Add S & P and a drizzle of good olive oil.
Grilled asparagus, my favourite veg, blanch first, wrap in Parma ham, brush with butter and griddle. Nice with poached eggs.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Since my youngest became vegan a few years back we've eaten mostly vegan as a family (saves on cooking multiple meals!)

There are lots of great and really tasty recipes in the Bosh books. All plant based. Some of the main meals are quite carby, but there are loads of great ideas to choose from.

 

[Lanny]

I love spinach, broccoli, sweetcorn, peas & carrots! 😛

I always get frozen as it’s so convenient especially only cooking for one & the ultimate in convenience is the new fangled frozen micro steam bags. My favourite one being the Tesco Greens & Corn with 4 out of my 5 favourite veggies in: everything but, the carrots; sometimes get Birdseye Super Sunshine mix as they’re about the same size veggies & more or the less the same mix, just without spinach & has carrots!😛😎 The tesco one is the only micro steam bags I’ve found with spinach in it so, it’s my staple that’s always in the freezer!😛

 

[Pine Marten]

Cor, I'm feeling hungry already! I must try the cauli cheese and ratatouille methods that @rebrascora posted .....<slurp>.....