Eating My Veggies

Now that I'm working at home, I'm taking more time to cook dinners and make sure we're eating healthy. One of my weaknesses lately (read: the past year) has been veggies. Sometimes I love veggies and sometimes I hate them. I've gone from the highs of eating buckets of farm fresh veggies daily to the lows of my daily dose only coming from the lettuce and tomato on a burger. (Yesterday's veggie serving did indeed come from my Smashburger.)

I've found the best way to deal with my tumultuous relationship with vegetables is to find recipes I love and avoid forcing myself to eat things I hate. (I dislike raw veggies or steamed veggies. Unless they're dipped, nay enshrined, in cheese.) So I'm trying to brainstorm great ways to eat vegetables. I know that when I ask questions of you, dear reader, you sit there mute, pouting at my request for interaction. But just this one time, pretty please, will you help a gal out?

I'll even do you a favor and tell you some of my favorite go-to veggie recipes that will get me to eat the things:

Roasted Asparagus
I love asparagus, especially roasted. Here's my favorite way to eat the cute little guys:

Turn oven to 400. Place asparagus on cookie sheet (I use a pizza stone), and drizzle with almond oil (or just olive oil) and celery salt. Toss. Cook for 12 minutes or until getting a little crinkly. I don't know why, but I love asparagus with celery salt. It's a great combo.

Southern Greens
My Florida grandfather, and subsequently my mother, loved to eat his greens this way. I suppose it would only truely be Southern if I cooked them in bacon fat or hamhocks, but I don't keep those ingredients around the house.

Heat a small amount of olive oil in a saute pan. Add heaps and heaps of spinach. (I usually fill the pan to overflowing, as it cooks down so much). Add one or two garlic cloves, minced. Cook until tender and bright green. Drizzle with hot sauce (Tabasco or otherwise) and vinegar to taste.

Summer Squash With Basil
I adore basil in the summer time. I simply can't find enough things to put it on. This is one of my favorites.

Thinly slice half a summer squash (yellow) and half a zucchini. Heat olive oil in a saute pan. Add squash and zucchini and 1 or 2 cloves of minced garlic. Cook until tender and bright. Add a goodly amount of torn fresh basil. Sometimes I'll add fresh sliced tomatoes or onions if I'm in the mood.

Amber's Almond Green Beans
This is one I made up while playing around one day, and we thought it was delicious.

Boil water and cook green beans for 15 minutes. Heat butter in pan and toast some sliced almonds and a clove of garlic, minced (can you tell I like garlic?). Combine with green beans and add a dash of lemon juice and sherry. Season with salt and sprinkle with a small amount of shredded parmesan.

OK, now it's your turn. What will get you to eat your veggies? Any interesting spice or herb combos? Any surprising way to hide vegetables in your meals?