6 tips for cooking delicious vegetables

Steamed or raw vegetables are boring. Here's some ways to make vegetables delicious, without pushing up their calorie counts.

Here's just a few simple ways to make vegetables more delicious:

• Drizzle with a little honey.
• Grate on a light sprinkling of cheese.
• Toss with olive oil, lemon, salt and pepper.
• Mix with a small amount of soy sauce and sesame oil.
• Sprinkle with a vegetable-friendly herb like savory, rosemary or basil.
• Grill with just a light coating of olive oil, salt and pepper.
• Add a jolt of heat with a few drops of your favourite hot sauce.
• Stir-fry with a little oil and curry powder.

• Most sauces that work well on pasta work well on vegetables, too.
• Serve spaghetti sauce over steamed green beans or strands of luscious spaghetti squash.
• Make lasagna with strips of eggplant or zucchini in place of noodles.
• Make "cauliflower and cheese" in place of "macaroni and cheese."

• Frozen vegetables need only to be heated through, so you can add them directly to the simmering soup. In a few minutes, you'll have a hearty lunch or a light supper.
• Microwaving the carrots lets you add them to the soup fully cooked. Otherwise, they need simmering time to soften.

Pile on the dark green lettuce, fresh herbs, sliced tomatoes and onion. But leftover vegetables from last night's dinner can be delicious, too. How about a turkey sandwich with grilled zucchini?

Don't let leftover green beans, peas, carrots, beets, asparagus, corn or other vegetables go to waste. Simply serve with lunch as a cold veggie salad, topped with a spritz of lemon juice and a dash of coarsely ground black pepper.

• Finely shredded carrots, cabbage, lettuce, squash and other vegetables add wonderful textures to cooking. Use them in dishes that are lacking such healthy ingredients.
• Add to soups, pasta sauces and even rice dishes. Or use the vegetables as a bed for your chicken or fish.
• Try keeping a container of shredded vegetables in your refrigerator, with the goal of using them up over the next three to four days.
• If you have a lot of shredded vegetables left over, just sauté with a bit of olive oil, lemon juice and herbs for a terrific side dish.

Lots of people aren't big fans of vegetables, but we all need them to lead healthy lives. Even small tricks, like drizzling them in honey, can make vegetables more appetizing without ruining their nutritional value.

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