Bf hates veggies...now what?

[mk3_gurl]

My bf doesn't like : broccoli, asparagus, and califlower. My usual dinner veggie side is either a tossed salad which includes iceburg lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers...or I am adventurous and add red oinions. Or sometimes I just use those carrot, peas and corn frozen mixes with some butter. Oh and I do carrots with butter and a "veggie" seasoning that he likes.

Any ideas? And no...I can't dump the bf

 

[Maverick2272]

Has he tried them a lot of different ways and doesn't like them at all, or has he only tried them one or two ways and didn't like them that way?
Sometimes we try something one way and don't like it and assume we just don't like that ingredient at all, but then we try it another way and end up liking it a lot.
cauliflower for instance can be made into a substitute for mashed potatoes, broccoli done with a cheese sauce, etc. Also if you are going to try and get him to try them done a way he has never had before, make sure they are as fresh as possible and find a good TNT recipe. I know I usually don't like asparagus but if done fresh and right it is not bitter and I do like it.
If he has tried them several different ways and doesn't like them, there is nothing you can do about those. Just concentrate on other veggies that he will eat.
In all honesty my list of veggies I hated ten years ago was three times as long as my list now. Tastes change and his may as well.

 

[Andy M.]

I guess you cold make two separate veggie dishes, one for each of you.

How about other veggies that you didn't list such as eggplant, zucchini, turnip, parsnip, butternut squash, etc.

Ask him to try a hated veggie mixed with veggies he likes.

 

[kitchenelf]

And remember, perfectly cooked FRESH veggies are so much better than frozen (and certainly most canned). Try roasting some broccoli, or cauliflower, or beets, or turnips - they surprised a few veggie haters I know.

 

[GotGarlic]

DH doesn't like broccoli, carrots or cauliflower, but loves onions and all kinds of peppers, so we have those frequently. When I make salads for the two of us, I put different things in each - I can't stand raw onions, but he loves them, etc. He never thought he liked asparagus till we were dining with friends one night, sharing tapas, and they ordered pan-roasted asparagus with sesame seeds. He loved it, and he loves roasted asparagus, too. HTH.

 

[auntdot]

I know of no relationship in which both people like and dislike exactly the same things. So you don't get to eat cauliflower, broccoli and asparagus often. Me - I don't get to eat fish, which I dearly love. Sure I could make it for myself but just don't get around to it. My fault, no one else's. The better half of us will eat steamed sea bass in a Chinese place but no where else - go figure. But I had better get on point.

Maverick has a great idea about cooking the veggies in different ways, but I have to agree with your bf about the cauliflower. Have had it many ways and I just don't cotton to it. Oh I can choke it down if am served it by someone who does not know my preference, but it has never made me happy. (If there is a he** they will serve me bananas and cauliflower eternally. Maybe I deserve it but I don't think I ever did anything that bad.)

But there are so many other veggies out there. Peas, beans (there are a lot of beans to be had), lentils, carrots, artichokes (something that does not go over well here either, sigh), corn, rutabagas (toss that in because I like to spell it), peppers, onions, fennel (on this we both agree - blech), corn, cabbage, okra (one of my favorites), just cruise the market.

Oh yeah baby corn, Asian veggies, there are all kinds of possibilites. And then there are mushrooms.

So totally agree with bf about the cauliflower distaste, man has a palate in my humble opinion. Like broccoli, but were it to be banned would not suffer any particular angst. It is just OK, except as a soup in which it can be spectacular. But the asparagus thing would be a problem. Fresh asparagus in the Spring is a total joy, to me it means the world has become alive again. Steam it, saute it, bake it, it is one of the most wonderful experiences a palate can experience, at least as far as a veggie can take it.

So toss some shrooms with baby peas, or make candied carrots, or make okra and tomatoes - there is so much to do with veggies.

And if you find a good buy of asparagus make it for yourself.

Me, I gotta go and buy some fish.

 

[Dina]

Most guys like corn and potatoes. Give him some V8 Fusion juice for his drinks. It has fruits and veggies in it. Just don't tell him what's in it.

 

[Maverick2272]

On a side note, but still on topic:

Last night DW wanted creamed spinach with supper. I don't like spinach, and the only way I will choke it down is as creamed spinach. So she made it up, and I decided to play a twist on it and added some lemon zest.
I loved it, no one else would eat it LOL. So here I found a way to get myself to eat a vegetable I wouldn't normally eat, and everyone else hates it. But that is OK, next time around I will save the zest for my portion only.
Now, if I can get DW to eat cooked carrots I will be in business!!

 

[Yakuta]

Hi Maverick, you indicated you are not adventurous nor is your husband but I did have to chime in about cuisines that have extremely flavorful vegetarian dishes. No offense but steamed veggies or creamed or just even plain roasted are pretty bland and not everyone's cup of tea.

Have you tried Asian cuisines that dress up the veggies so well that you don't miss the meat.

I would say if not try some stir frys and carrots in them will be an easy sell. I am Indian and given majority of Indians are vegetarians there are many many creative options.

For example creamed spinach made as Saag has so much oomph and flavor that you would never miss meat. Same with eggplant and cauliflower. If you eat Aloo Gobi (translated as cauliflower and potatoes) with all the fragrant spices you would not miss meat. Again it takes a full spice pantry and some adventure to try these.

I also love Italian and Middle Eastern dishes and they also make use of vegetables in a very creative way. If you eat a falafel sandwich you know what I mean. You can stack in a lot of veggies and the little fritters are made of beans.

 

[Fisher's Mom]

I've mentioned this before but most guys will eat anything if it's wrapped in bacon. That's how I get my sons to eat asparagus and green beans. Make a bundle of 3 beans or spears (after blanching them), wrap a half or a whole piece of bacon around the bundle, line them up on a baking sheet, season with salt/pepper/soy sauce/whatever, broil until the bacon is crispy. Plus, they can eat the bundles with their fingers - another plus for guys. For cauliflower or broccoli, I've had success serving them with a mornay sauce. Good luck!

 

[Maverick2272]

Hi Maverick, you indicated you are not adventurous nor is your husband but I did have to chime in about cuisines that have extremely flavorful vegetarian dishes. No offense but steamed veggies or creamed or just even plain roasted are pretty bland and not everyone's cup of tea.

Have you tried Asian cuisines that dress up the veggies so well that you don't miss the meat.

I would say if not try some stir frys and carrots in them will be an easy sell. I am Indian and given majority of Indians are vegetarians there are many many creative options.

For example creamed spinach made as Saag has so much oomph and flavor that you would never miss meat. Same with eggplant and cauliflower. If you eat Aloo Gobi (translated as cauliflower and potatoes) with all the fragrant spices you would not miss meat. Again it takes a full spice pantry and some adventure to try these.

I also love Italian and Middle Eastern dishes and they also make use of vegetables in a very creative way. If you eat a falafel sandwich you know what I mean. You can stack in a lot of veggies and the little fritters are made of beans.

You mean my wife. I am the husband, LOL.

On here I am usually referring to my cooking at home. I am not very adventurous as you stated. If given a TNT recipe I will try something for the first time, but I am always worrying about whether or not it is 'above' my skill or not.
My wife, on the other hand, has no such inhibitions and will just leap into something for the first time, she doesn't worry as much about it not turning out so well.
But when we go out, that is a different matter altogether. Chinese from Chinatown, Korean, Indian, French Vietnamese, Malaysian, Thia, etc. I think next on our list is Ethiopian.
That does remind me, about the spinach: We did try a curry from one of our favorite Indian restaurants on Devon in West Rogers Park that was spinach and goat cheese. It was great and I scarfed it right down! I love the Naan as well as the Tandoori. Most times we go there, we don't even have meat unless it is part of the Tandoori Platter.

Edit: And I forgot, there was a great restaurant in Rolling Meadows called Chow Patti that was a vegetarian restaurant, very good food!

 

[Yakuta]

Sorry the names don't necessarily tell me the gender so I will remember that next time. Yes I live in the northwest side of Chicago and plenty of options for Indian (India House, Thai Garden, Hot Wok, Bamboo Hut etc.) and other cuisines on this side as well but again a lot of these are easy to prepare at home and if you eat the different cuisines it should not be hard to get veggies in your diet.

Also as I stated start out with a spice pantry and some Asian sauces then it's not that intimidating.

My recommendation is that if you ever make it to the Northwest suburbs (look like you do since you mentioned Rolling Meadows) go to Vali foods (they have two locations - Arlington Heights Road and Golf Road and second Higgins Road and Roselle Road). They have a lot of ethnic type ingredients and the prices are also very good. Stock up and then try to venture into a dish one step at a time.

All the best.

 

[auntdot]

Yakuta always has great ideas. Indian cuisine has so many fantatic veggie reciepes - if there is any dish better than Saag, well I don't know about it.

And there are many far eastern recipes that are fantastic.

Also, one can cook veggies with meat, or seafood, or at least meat broths.

Right now am thinking about kale and ham shanks.

Or make string beans with ham bits.

Focusing in on Southern US cooking. Nathalee Dupree has a recipe for new potatoes with English peas that I doubt anyone could dislike.

Or can make fried corn.

And I have not even hit Chinese cuisine.

We are omnivores and cook with both meat and veggies. And sometimes eat just a veggie meal because it tastes good.

But veggies can be made to be delightful. And if you have to add some meat stork or pieces of beef the vetties can sometimes be made better.

Tossing out the dreaded cauliflower, the OK, but not adored, broccoli, or the adored asparagus can be dealt with.

But there is a whole world of veggie dishes out there. And as a committed meat eater, at least some of the time, I love veggies.

think you could get your bf to enjoy some of the stuff.

 

[mk3_gurl]

Thanks for the replies. However, I'm looking for an idea to add as a side. Like when I do a starch, meat...and then a veggie.

 

[Uncle Bob]

Green bean casserole....Squash casserole....Fried Squash patties...Fried Okra....

 

[BreezyCooking]

Mk3gurl - you just need to venture far far beyond the 3 common vegetables your boyfriend dislikes.

Good grief - there are literally hundreds of different varieties of vegetables out there. Your boyfriend just doesn't like THREE of them - LOL!!!

What about peas & beans (green snap, yellow wax, sugar snap, snow pea, English green pea), greens (Swiss chard, spinach, collards, turnip greens, mustard greens), root vegetables (beets, celeriac, parsnips, carrots), squash (zucchini, yellow summer, winter squashes) - Lord, one really can't list them all. These are just the most common ones found at most supermarkets & farmers' markets.

Edited to add that it probably wouldn't hurt to start trying different salad greens either. What you describe isn't "adventurous" in any possible sense of the word - lol!!!

 

[Caine]

Thanks for the replies. However, I'm looking for an idea to add as a side. Like when I do a starch, meat...and then a veggie.

How about mock mashed potatoes, made with cauliflower? If you don't tell him, he'll never know the difference.

Or, you could just bop him on the forehead, like in the commercials.

 

[Jeff G.]

two choices.. don't serve those three veggies, serve enough for yourself with something else for him(he won't care, trust me...).

 

[~emz~]

A nice salad would be great. My sister doesn't really care for vegetables but she'll eat some green leaf or romaine lettuce with apples, pecans and cheese with some sweet onion vinagrette. It's really nice and sometimes, when the green leaf lettuce is a little bitter, the apples balance it beautifully.

 

[Constance]

My bf doesn't like : broccoli, asparagus, and califlower.

My husband didn't like them either when we got married, but he has learned to love broccoli, asparagus, and brussels sprouts since then, and he will eat raw cauliflower on a salad.
I don't think he'd ever had them prepared properly, and his tastes have probably matured, as well.