How To Make Vegetables Taste Good
Vegetables come in all shapes, colours, textures, sizes and tastes. Some you like some you dont.
People especially children who do not like vegetables could be because they taste bland, it is the same repetitive vege dish or they just cant be bothered to try.
You cant change someones eating habits, but you can surely influence the thinking ofpicky eaters by changing the way and how you serve their dreaded food devils!
So how to you make vegetables more tasty?
I wont state the obvious about buying seasonal fresh vegetables and eating them before they start to wilt in your fridge.
We know that fruits and vegetables eaten as closest to their buying date retains most flavour.
For me the answer is simple, being more creative with flavours and cooking methods. Heres how:
Use A Skewer Or A Grill Basket For Small Pieces
Cherry tomatoes, zucchini rounds, and mushrooms are great on the grill, but they’re a little unwieldy. To keep smaller vegetables or pieces of fruit from rolling around or falling though the grate, pierce them on a skewer or use a grill basket. If you don’t have a grill basket, fold a 24-inch-long piece of heavy-duty foil in half and crimp up the edges to create a lip this “basket” will prevent the food from falling through while they still get plenty of smokey flavor.
Eggplant Spirals With Greek Yogurt Tomatoes And Cucumber
Personally, I’m all for recipes that involve four different kinds of cheese, but if you prefer a lighter take on an eggplant roll-up, this is the dish for you. This recipe starts off by grilling eggplant slices, just as in the recipe above, but fills them with chopped tomatoes and cucumber and a bright, creamy Greek yogurt spread flavored with refreshing mint and dill.
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Tips For The Best Grilled Vegetables:
How To Prepare Vegetables For Grilling
I find that grilling things whole or almost whole is the way to go. The more space you give your vegetables for grill marks, the more flavor youre going to get out of them. It also makes them easier to flip around on the grill without falling through the grill grates, believe me Ive had a few fall down there. Ok, so heres how to prepare your vegetables for grilling.
- Bell peppers: Seeded and quartered.
- Onions: Cut into 1 slices with skin left on
- Yellow squash, zucchini, and eggplant: Cut lengthwise into 1/2 thick strips
- Mushrooms: Remove stems
- Asparagus: Cut off the woody ends or follow my easy recipe on how to grill asparagus
- Corn: Remove silk. I also have an awesome post on how to grill corn on the cob with two different grilling methods
- Tomatoes: If you use roma, Id cut them in half lengthwise. Cherry tomatoes, I grill on a grill basket like this one. Or you could by small tomatoes that are still on the vine and use the vine as a little handle to remove the tomatoes when they start to blister.
- Cauliflower: slice into 1 thick steaks
- Broccoli: Trim off the fibrous bottom half of the broccoli stem, then quarter broccoli head into small trees.
- Romaine: Yes, you can grill lettuce and trust me, youll love it. Dont believe me, give this Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad a try and youll see how amazing grilled romaine can be.
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Best Seasoning For Stir
The stir frying method of cooking vegetables requires more personal attention.
You have to stand and be on guard while stirring the vegetables.
Time wise stir frying vegetables actually take less time.
Some of the best vegetables to make a stir fry side with are zucchini, mushroom, green beans, sugar snaps beans, carrots, peas, peppers to name a few .
Below are my recommended seasoning for stir fry veges.
Fines Herbs
Bring the aristocratic French flair into your repertoire.
A combination of aromatic herbs like tarragon, chives, chervil will make your main envy the vegetable side.
How to add Fines Herbs to vegetables
To bring the best out of both the seasoning and the vegetables, I would recommend stir-fying vegetables in butter and adding the herbs while frying.
Panch Phoron
Panch phoron may be a bit lesser known spice blend. All it is, is a blend of 5 whole spices like mustard seeds, fennel seeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds and nigella seeds.
As you can see from the mix of spices that it has a bit of all flavours in one teaspoon.
The colourful blend of spices give the vegetables an interesting texture and flavour.
How to add Panch Phoron to vegetables
Add one to two teaspoon of panch phoron for 2 cups of chopped vegetables to warm oil. Let the spices splutter in warm oil for few seconds before adding raw vegetables. Stir fry as you normally would.
Curry Powder
How to add Curry powder to vegetables
Chinese Five Spice
Ways To Season And Cook Vegetables Without Butter Or Oils
I’m a San Francisco-based freelance writer and blogger with nearly ten years of writing experience behind me.
These baby mushrooms are tasty in some veggie broth
Fresh vegetables are an important part of a healthy diet. Unfortunately, many people ruin their nutritional value by slathering them with butter or dousing them in oils to fry them up. Here are eight different ways to season and cook your vegetables without using butter and oil, so that they stay healthy and also taste interesting.
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Best Seasoning For Steamed Or Boiled Vegetables
Boiled or steamed vegetables do not need to be boring and bland.
Both these methods especially steaming is considered an healthy cooking option to retain the nutrients and natural flavours of the vegetables.
An easy way to boost the sleepy veges without any additional effort from your side is to add a handful of herbs or whole spices in the water or steamer you put the vegetables in.
Few of my favourite herbs to add to veges are:
Rosemary
A piney flavoured herb with sweet, savory, and aromatic undertone. Just a little goes a long way
How to add rosemary to veges
Add dried or a few sprigs of fresh rosemary directly to boiling water or the steamer and cook along with the veges.
Thyme
Earthy, savory with a faint minty flavour, thyme both fresh and dried adds a lovely aromatic flavour to the vegetables.
How to add to thyme to veges
Use both dried and fresh thyme leaves the same way you would use rosemary, directly with the vegetables.
Mint, Coriander and Parsley
These fresh herbs are my all time faourites and instant flavour enhancers. Give any vegetables a herby twist by choosing any or a combination of these herbs.
How to add to them to veges
Finely chop the herbs or tear them into small pieces and add them to the boiled vegetables with some butter or olive oil.
Italian Mixed herb
How to add Italian mixed herb to veges
There are two ways to use Italian mixed herb seasoning with boiled or steamed veges.
RECIPES TO TRY
Should You Marinate Vegetables Before Grilling No Marinade After
My big tip in this recipe that makes all the difference for the BEST GRILLED VEGGIES of your life is to because hot vegetables absorb flavour so much better than raw vegetables!
In fact, marinating raw vegetables is not really that effective at all. While some vegetables, like mushrooms and eggplants, will absorb oil and vinegars, they do not absorb flavour very well and they sweat when in contact with salt, making them less juicy and floppy not ideal for BBQing!
But other vegetables like capsicums/bell peppers and zucchini, theres really no benefit to marinating them when raw.
Oven instead? Stove?
100% YES! In fact, this recipe is pretty much my regular end-of-week fridge clean out recipe and I usually roast rather than grill the vegetables, simply for convenience.
You could even cook it on the stove just takes a lot of batches!
But theres no denying it the extra flavour you get from the char and the grease of a BBQ makes it tastier!
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How Long To Grill Vegetables
There’s really no end to the variety of vegetables you can grill, but these are the vegetables home cooks love to grill the most. You’ll tempt even the most dedicated meat-eaters when they see and smell the delicious vegetables coming off the grill. Don’t know how long to grill each vegetable? Keep reading for how long to grill each of these popular grilled vegetables.
How To Cook The Best Grilled Vegetables
Adding more plants to meals is always at the top of my menu planning, and summers bounty makes it even easier to do. With a hot grill already fired up for grilled chicken, fish, or kebabs, I love slicing up fresh vegetables and tossing them on the grill for a simple mezze-ish platter side. Even more, grilled vegetables are a healthy vegetarian main. Grill then chop them up for this favorite healthy pasta salad , or add them to healthy Mediterranean grain bowls, or turn them into this easy grilled veggie sandwiches slathered with ricotta cheese.
Grilling coaxes out every bit of deep, roasted, sweetness from any plain old veg. The concentrated heat brings out a lush, smoky char to each deliciously addicting bite.
This grilled vegetable recipe is another that isnt so much of a recipe but a method to master, and easy to master it is. These grilled vegetables skip the marinade and the skewers, and theres no need for a grilled vegetable grilling basket either.
Summer eats are meant to be simple, and these grilled vegetables are falling right in line.
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How To Grill Sweet Potatoes
Similar to potatoes, grilled sweet potatoes are another underrated star of grilling season! The grill adds a great smoky, charred crust, while the insides of the sweet potatoes are totally sweet & creamy. I grill up a batch whenever I whip up burgers, bbq chicken, or brats for dinner.
How to Grill Sweet Potatoes:
How To Make The Best Grilled Vegetables
Want to make perfectly charred, super flavorful grilled vegetables? Check out these tips before you fire up the grill:
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Our Top 10 Veggies To Grill This Summer
Try out a rainbow of summer vegetables to pull off your best grilling season yet.
Its officially the season for cooking and eating outside which coincides perfectly with bright, vibrant summer produce that makes its way into our stores. The best way to make the most of it all? Grill any vegetable you can. Check out some of our favorite veggie picks below for your grill, plus recipes to help you make the most of them.
How To Grill Vegetables
No matter what kind of vegggies you’re grilling, get tender, perfectly charred bites every time with these tips.
While grilling is traditionally considered a meat-lover’s domain, there’s good reason to add vegetables to the mix. Subtle charring and a touch of smoke bring out the best in summer’s bounty. But to get them just right, different veggies require slightly different methods. Most vegetables are suited for high, direct-heat cooking, while dense or larger veggies may require par-cooking or a lower temperature.
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Which Vegetables Are Good For Grilling
Almost every vegetable other than leafy greens are wonderful for grilling here are my favourites:
-
zucchini
-
eggplant / aubergine
-
red onion
Its a good variety of colour, textures, shapes and flavour, plus these are vegetables that are easy to handle on the grill without using any specialequipment or skewering.
What Goes Well With Grilled Veggies
Because they are just as delicious served warm or at room temperature, grilled veggies are an entertainers dream dish. Serve the grilled vegetables along any side just as they are, or consider adding a simple topping or sauce, like:
- Sprinkle veggies with shredded parmesan cheese or crumbled feta or goat cheese like in my grilled zucchini recipe
- Add a dollop of homemade basil pesto or arugula pesto
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, take a photo and with #foodiecrusheats.
- 1 tablespoonfreshly ground black pepper
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Ways To Use Grilled Vegetables
You can eat grilled veggies as-is as a side dish, but I often make extra vegetables to use in other recipes during the week.
- Pasta: Grilled veggies are the perfect addition to lasagna or fettuccine alfredo.
- Salad: Coarsely chop your veggies and add them to a green salad along with some shaved parmesan cheese and toasted pine nuts.
- Sandwiches: Layer grilled vegetables with fresh mozzarella, spinach and pesto for an amazing sandwich.
- Pizza: Chop your veggies and add them on top of a frozen cheese pizza.
How To Make Frozen Vegetables Taste Better
Frozen vegetables have a lot of water content. Grilling or baking is not the best cooking option as it will loose moisture and taste during the cooking process.
I recommend, stir frying, steaming or boiling frozen vegetables with salt to bring back life into them .
You can use the seasonings listed above to flavour frozen vegetables.
TO CONCLUDE
We know that eating vegetables is a must for a healthy and well balanced diet.
There is a wide variety of options of vegetables and seasoning that can be matched and create some amazing vegetable side dishes.
Being creative with what you have in your spice drawer and using a particular cooking method, you can turn those need to have veges into must have them.
Spices, seasonings, herbs, flavoured fat, nuts and souring agents all can change the vege game.
All you need to do is just start adding them.
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Sign Up For Our Free Ultimate Guide To Grilling
This comprehensive email series and FREE, printable e-book have all of the tips, tricks and tutorials youll need to gain confidence behind the grill this summer Youll learn:
- Exactly how to operate your gas grill + get all of our recommended grilling tools
- How to grill amazing proteins to use in your fav recipes
- The best way to grill any types of veggie
- And even how to make desserts on the grill
What are you waiting for? and enjoy a full summer of delicious grilling!
Grilled Corn Tomato Feta And Herb Salad
Corn on the cob is fun but notoriously messy to eat. If you want a side dish that’s a little more refined, consider using corn as the base for a salad instead. This one pairs grilled corn with ripe local tomatoes, salty feta cheese, and fresh herbsparsley, mint, and basil. It’s a simple dish, which means the quality of your ingredients is of paramount importance. As long as you start with the absolute best corn and tomatoes you can find, the salad needs no dressing beyond a little lemon juice and olive oil.
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How To Grill Vegetables In A Grill Basket
Sharon Palmer
Published on
Updated on
If you love grilled vegetables as much as I do, then youll really like the ease and convenience of using a grill basket to get this job done. Thats why Im sharing my Step-By-Step guide on How to Grill Vegetables in a Grill Basket, plus my favorite recipe for grilled vegetables. Living in California, I grill vegetables year round I just change up the variety of veggies depending on the season. Some of my favorite veggies to grill include eggplants, summer squash, onions, peppers, asparagus, potatoes, mushrooms, cauliflower, winter squash, sweet potatoes, winter squash, potatoes, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts, but you can choose beyond these options. The act of grilling brings on the caramelization process, which is why they are so delicious and versatile in numerous recipes. You can use grilled vegetables as a simple side-dish, as well as a topping for pasta, salads, grain bowls, pizza, and sandwiches.
Get the complete recipe for making these Herb Grilled Vegetables here.
