# Some quick and easy vegetable recipes, please?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-quick-and-easy-vegetable-recipes-please/472570>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [November 13, 2008, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-quick-and-easy-vegetable-recipes-please/472570 "2008-11-13T18:37:51Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 9\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\
**Post date:** [November 13, 2008, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-quick-and-easy-vegetable-recipes-please/472570/21 "2008-11-13T21:40:26Z")

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> [@jsgoddess](#):
>
> I disagree with this. Most of the time in my experience frozen is cheaper, and I think it’s also healthier in some ways.

When fresh is in season and local, it can be cheaper and healthier. That means that almost always, frozen is cheaper and healthier. In fact, frozen is often better than the equivalent fresh at the grocery store because it’s frozen right after it’s picked - it doesn’t ride to you in a truck.

Likewise, almost all year the canned tomatoes are way better than fresh, because they don’t have to look good and travel to the grocery store - they can just be good tomatoes.

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**Author:** ![NAF1138](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naf1138/32/3245_2.png) [@NAF1138](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NAF1138)\
**Post date:** [November 13, 2008, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-quick-and-easy-vegetable-recipes-please/472570/22 "2008-11-13T21:57:42Z")

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> [@Zsofia](#):
>
> When fresh is in season and local, it can be cheaper and healthier. That means that almost always, frozen is cheaper and healthier. In fact, frozen is often better than the equivalent fresh at the grocery store because it’s frozen right after it’s picked - it doesn’t ride to you in a truck.
> 
> Likewise, almost all year the canned tomatoes are way better than fresh, because they don’t have to look good and travel to the grocery store - they can just be good tomatoes.

Ah, so it’s my California bias showing in that respect.

Fair enough.

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**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\
**Post date:** [November 13, 2008, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-quick-and-easy-vegetable-recipes-please/472570/23 "2008-11-13T22:16:51Z")

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Sautee spinach with grated ginger, minced green chili, and a big handful of fresh cilantro. Salt to taste.

Sautee spinach with minced garlic and balsamic vinegar.

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**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\
**Post date:** [November 13, 2008, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-quick-and-easy-vegetable-recipes-please/472570/24 "2008-11-13T22:50:34Z")

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My first recipe is for Gingered Glazed Carrots, a recipe so yummy my 8YO _requests_ it!  
1lb bag frozen sliced carrots  
2Tbsp butter  
2Tbsp brown sugar (packed)  
1 tsp fresh grated ginger  
salt

Put frozen carrots in a pot with a splash of water and dash or two of salt; cook until softened. Add butter, ginger and brown sugar. Stir almost constantly until the sugar and butter melt to form a glaze. Yummy.

Creamed Spinach  
(I do not like cooked spinach in any of its permutations; my hubby loves this, though)

20 oz. frozen chopped spinach  
Olive oil  
2 cans cream of celery soup  
1 small onion, finely chopped  
salt and pepper  
Half&Half  
Cook spinach in microwave. While spinach cooks, sautee onion in olive oil. Drain cooked spinach, and add to pot along with soup and S&P. Heat through. If it is still too thick, add Half&Half until desired consistency is reached.

This can be quite successfully frozen.

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**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\
**Post date:** [November 13, 2008, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-quick-and-easy-vegetable-recipes-please/472570/25 "2008-11-13T23:14:27Z")

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> [@Zsofia](#):
>
> When fresh is in season and local, it can be cheaper and healthier.

I do look for good fresh vegetables when I go to the store. But I won’t pay $4.99 a pound for out-of-season fresh asparagus that just isn’t very good (in-season fresh asparagus is quite good, and I wish the asparagus season were longer, but the out-of-season stuff isn’t worth it). I’d rather have frozen broccoli than that. Frozen vegetables can also take a lot of the prep work out of having vegetables, which is a good thing for me.

Thanks for the recipes- a lot of them sound good! I’ll have to try them sometime…

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**Author:** ![spoike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/da6949/32.png) [@spoike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spoike)\
**Post date:** [November 13, 2008, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-quick-and-easy-vegetable-recipes-please/472570/26 "2008-11-13T23:30:47Z")

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First the testimony: Neither I nor my son enjoy tomatoes. Both of us despise the sweet and sour flavour of them. This dish, however, results in yummy savoury tomatoes, completely infused with the tasted of the shallots, garlic, oil and seasonings. It was awesome, and even resulted in my son asking for second helpings.

**Baked Tomato Slices**  
_adapted from [www.sassandveracity.typepad.com](http://www.sassandveracity.typepad.com)_

5-6 firm, ripe roma tomatoes  
2 shallots  
2 or 3 cloves of garlic, minced  
extra virgin olive oil  
dried oregano  
sea salt or kosher salt  
fresh ground pepper

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.  
Prepare a baking sheet by lining with parchment. Slice each tomato into 1/4-1/2 inch slices and place on the baking sheet. Drizzle the olive oil over all, then sprinkle generously with oregano. Slice shallot thinly, separate rings and place over tomatoes. Sprinkle minced garlic over tomatoes. Try to get one piece of shallot and some garlic on each slice. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Bake for about 1 hour, or until tomatoes and shallots are very brown. I actually baked ours for about 1.5 hours, but I wanted them extra roasted.  
Using a small spatula, place tomato slices in a shallow bowl and pour over pan juices. Let cool to warm or room temperature.

Enjoy with some bread and soft cheese (cream cheese, goat cheese and brie all work), if desired. Our meal consisted of the bread, tomatoes and cheese, plus a salad and a light vegetarian soup. It was very satisfying and very delicious.

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**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\
**Post date:** [November 13, 2008, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-quick-and-easy-vegetable-recipes-please/472570/27 "2008-11-13T23:34:49Z")

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Acorn squash-

Cut an acorn squash into thick slices (about 0.5 inches thick)

Clean out the seeds

Place each slice on a cookie sheet brushed with a bit of oil

Dot the squash slices with butter/margarine, or brush with olive oil

Sprinkle each slice with brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, pinch of salt

Ginger or cloves would be nice too.

Bake in a fast oven (375 ish) for about 15 minutes until tender. Add more brown sugar/butter midway through cooking if needed.

Serve each person a slice or two.

Yum!

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**Author:** ![Shayna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shayna/32/17976_2.png) [@Shayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shayna)\
**Post date:** [November 14, 2008, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-quick-and-easy-vegetable-recipes-please/472570/28 "2008-11-14T00:03:23Z")

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Sweet and Sour Red Cabbage

My recipe (well, actually, it’s my mother-in-law’s recipe) is somewhat similar to [this one](http://www.elise.com/recipes/archives/000481sweet_and_sour_red_cabbage.php), with a couple of substitutions.

Chop up a head of red cabbage  
Heat a couple of tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in a deep pot  
Throw in cabbage and stir/toss to coat  
Add about 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar (more if you want it more tart)  
Add about 1/4 cup honey (more or less to taste)  
Sprinkle with salt  
Stir thoroughly, put a lid on it and let it cook for about 15 minutes until soft.

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**Author:** ![Glassy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ea666f/32.png) [@Glassy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Glassy)\
**Post date:** [November 14, 2008, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-quick-and-easy-vegetable-recipes-please/472570/29 "2008-11-14T01:22:01Z")

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**Glazed roasted asparagus**  
These asparagus spears are tasty and crispy and sticky-sweet and good. My go-to company vegetable recipe, because it’s very easy but it seems elegant.

1. Preheat oven to 400 or so. Break the tough ends off some fresh asparagus spears.

2. Arrange asparagus spears on a lightly oiled baking sheet. (You might want to line your baking sheet with foil, as this makes a bit of a sticky mess – cleanup is the hardest part of this recipe.)

3. Mix together equal parts soy sauce and apricot jam. Throw in a minced garlic clove and maybe a little ginger, if you like. Pour this over the asparagus and toss to coat.

4. Roast – I’m not really sure how long – maybe half an hour? Pull one out and munch on it to see if it’s done.

These are quite good if you do them before the rest of the meal, and serve them at room temperature.

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