Five ways to learn to love vegies

Are you getting your five serves a day? There’s a rainbow of vegetables that give us plenty of vitamins and protective antioxidants. But only seven per cent of us are eating enough veg. So, here are five easy ways to turn vegies into rock stars!

1. Drizzle veg with extra virgin olive oil

This is the oldest trick in the book. Splash a tablespoon of good-quality extra virgin olive oil over cooked vegies, toss to coat and serve. And look out for flavour-infused olive oils, such as garlic, chilli and roasted onion.

2. Squeeze on a little lemon or lime juice

For a subtle tanginess, add lemon juice or zest to steamed broccoli, green beans, asparagus, peas or other vibrant vegetable. Bonus: You’ll also get vitamin C.

3. Toss in fresh herbs

Just a sprinkle of chopped fresh herbs, such as parsley, dill or chives gives a gourmet touch to cooked beans, carrots and peas. Root vegetables, such as sweet potato, beetroot and carrots, pair well with woody herbs like rosemary and thyme for a flavour burst.

4. Use aromatic garlic or onion

Garlic or onion give an instant lift to your vegies. Try sautéing sliced garlic in olive oil and add leafy greens like silverbeet, kale and spinach — yum!

5. Add a handful of seeds or nuts

Who can resist the rich aroma of lightly toasted nuts and seeds? Choose from either flaked almonds, chopped cashews or hazelnuts, or sesame and sunflower seeds or pepitas to add a nutty crunch to salads and Asian greens. They’ll even manage to bring Brussels sprouts to life!

Don’t forget classic flavour combos like honey carrots and cauliflower cheese — but go easy on the toppings; you still want the vegies to shine! Even a small crumble of feta adds loads of flavour to vegies and salads.

Bottom line

Only lightly cook your vegies, especially broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage which give off a pungent smell when overcooked. Cooked vegetables taste their best when just tender.

And for a real taste sensation, sometimes all you need to do is change the cooking method. Try roasting your vegies in the oven or quickly stir-fry in a wok.