Eating vegetables is good for your health. You should be eating more vegetables than anything else in your diet. Vegetables alkalize your system and are loaded with the vitamins and minerals that are essential for your body.
If you ever ate boiled cabbage or beetroots as a child, you might be convinced that vegetables don’t taste good. The truth is that we also need to nourish our taste buds and there are several ways of cooking vegetables so that they taste delicious.
Vegetables can make a simple, quick and tasty meal. It’s just a question of learning some simple tips and techniques to add flavor to your dishes. There are so many ways to cook veggies and fill them with the flavors we love without compromising nutrition.
Here are some tips that will help you to cook up a delicious meal at the drop of a hat and they won’t break your budget either. Even though simple steamed vegetables can be delicious on their own, using these ingredients will add complexity and depth of flavor to any dish. Follow these tips to turn even the most boring vegetable preparation into a delicious and satisfying meal.
1. Lemon Juice
Lemon is just the best flavor enhancer that there is. A touch of citrus will perk up any vegetable dish, but some are the perfect marriage. Lemon juice on asparagus or green beans will send you to foodie heaven but do also try different varieties or lemons and limes or even an orange.
Lemon is delicious in a citrusy salad dressing with olive oil. Lemon is also delicious combined with garlic. Lemon zest can emphasize the citrus flavor as well as enhancing the vegetable’s own flavor. To get an even fresher taste use both, or use the zest of one citrus with the juice of another.
Lemon zest transforms corn on the cob and lemon on spinach not only freshens the flavor, but it will also allow you to absorb the iron in spinach thanks to the addition of vitamin c.
2. Fresh Herbs
If you don’t have a few pots on your windowsill with fresh herbs, you can buy bunches of them in the supermarket. Fresh herbs added to just about any dish transforms it into something special. You can add them at the beginning of the preparation for deeper flavor sprinkle them on top as a flavorful garnish.
Don’t be afraid to use the flowers. Thyme or rosemary is delicious on veggies like roasted potatoes, eggplant or zucchini, but their flowers are beautiful and add a delicate, subtle flavor.
Fresh parsley is easy to keep and adds robust flavor. You can keep both the flat leaf and the curly parsley for variations in style. Oregano is your pizza’s best friend, but it is also delicious in salads and adds flavor to lemon. You can find it in big bunches fresh in summer, but dried works well in winter.
3. Turmeric and dried spices
Turmeric has been getting some really good press lately for its curative properties. Turmeric helps with digestion, pain relief and is a potent anti-inflammatory. It gives your roasted or fried veggies a mild, spicy flavor and a beautiful yellow color. Turmeric should always be used with oil and pepper to reap the most of its health benefits.
Squash, pumpkin and sweet potatoes get delicious with a sprinkle of cinnamon and nutmeg. Peas go well with thyme, mint or lemon. Carrots and beets taste amazing with a sprinkle of cumin and turmeric. Nutmeg is good for leafy greens.
Fresh parsley, both flat leaf and curly, is easy to keep and adds robust flavor. Oregano is your pizza’s best friend, but it is also super delicious in salads and adds a lovely depth of flavor to lemon. You can find it in big bunches fresh in summer, but dried works well in winter.
4. Fresh Ginger
Ginger is delicious and very healthy. It is full of nutrients and has a very long history of various curative use. There is nothing better for a sore throat, flu or a cold than hot water, ginger and lemon juice. Ginger can also be used for an upset stomach, nausea, vomiting and other digestive issues.
It can be used fresh, dried, powdered or as juice. Raw ginger is easy to find and can be grated over salads for a delicious, fresh, tangy addition. Slivers of it in your sir fries give a slight bite and a special flavor to your veg. Aromatic, pungent and spicy, ginger adds zest to Asian stir fries and many fruit and vegetable dishes.
5. Sauces
This doesn’t mean you have to drown your vegetables in sauce, but some sauces or dips can make simple vegetables into a five-star meal. Some sauces like sweet and sour sauce are ready made and make your quick vegetable sauté into a special meal.
Pesto sauce is a real winner with vegetables and its delicious cheesy basil flavor enhance a variety of vegetables, both raw and cooked. Steamed vegetables are delicious with a Chinese garlic sauce. Raw vegetables dipped into a simple olive oil and lemon oil sauce make a great entrée.
You can make a warm melted cheese dip, or a salsa verde with parsley or even use sour cream or Greek yogurt for a great dip. Homemade mayonnaise with its smooth, silky texture will make your raw or steamed vegetables the star of the table.
