I love most all veggies and they're a large part of my diet. We're not vegetarians but meat or fish or chicken is the smallest portion on the plate. That being said, I love the taste of mushrooms but hate the texture so I cook with them and then give the actual mushrooms to my husband. I can only eat 3 brussel sprouts before getting sick of them. I can eat kale in soup and Chinese but no other way. My favorite meal is a boiled dinner with smoked shoulder. Pesky1 I've tried spagetti squash and it tastes good but it's another texture I don't like but I love summer squash which is delicious. Kale, unless it's boiled to death, tastes a little leathery and bitter to me. It's a strong taste so probably not for you. Brussels sprouts are strong and cabbage like but I love cabbage.

What is the risk of trying those 3 vegetables? Why the hesitation? Stand by the kitchen sink. Try the vegetable. If you don't like it spit it out into the sink. Have a glass of water ready to rinse out your mouth. Don't do this with guests present!

You are over thinking the whole thing ... relax, you'll either like it or not. Not a big deal.

Pesky,
I grew up with the same mother! I also suffer from extreme sensitivity to texture and to a lesser extent taste. Very picky. I wish it weren't so, I'd love to be able to try anything. So, I can't help you with those veggies, but wanted to chime in since someone says it's no big deal. For me it is a very big deal to eat something that has a certain feel in my mouth...I wish it wasn't so, but I deal with it and try to be brave where I can. Also, I would not go to the work and expense of preparing something that I would end up possibly throwing away, so getting feedback first is a great idea. We all have our quirks!
Judy (who just de-lurked)

i grew up with a mom who bought and prepared alot of fresh, so i like fresh everything the best. i am ok with canned corn(esp the 'crisp' labeled types), but would never buy any other canned veggie. i do buy frozen veggies tho- green beans, peas and corn mostly - use fresh of all others... really prefer fresh green beans, but they don't always look the greatest fresh.

the one veggie that i really just can't get myself to make/eat is lima beans... i know this carries over from my childhood (and my mom serving succatash which i hated) but why i still have an aversion to them, i'm not sure... i like pretty much every other bean. oh... i'm not crazy about okra either- never had it growing up, but tried it numerous times in college down south---can't get past the slimey texture...tho, it's fine when it's in a delicious gumbo!!

I never met a vegetable I didn't like to eat so my opinion may not be of much value to you. I just have to speak up for brussels sprouts as they are one of my most favorite vegetables. Cooked correctly they are delicate, sweet and slightly crunchy. Overcooked they have a strong, unpleasant flavor and texture.
There are many ways to prepare them, I steam them and eat them plain or with sauces, or add nuts (chopped hazelnuts are best IMO) or even halved green grapes. Black or white pepper or nutmeg complement them. I sometimes mix them with bacon, pancetta or chorizo, stir in some orange butter, make them into soup or stir fry them. Yumm!

I admire you for trying to overcome your lifetime aversions. I do hope you persevere as there is a treasure trove of wonderful veggies out there, full of nutrients and minerals and disease fighting abilities!

My mother made horrible mushy vegetables although she was a good cook. Great at fried chicken and cakes!
I don't stress out about food at all anymore. If I don't like it I won't eat it and if I make something that doesn't come out the way I like, I'll throw it out.
It did take years to find ways to prepare veggies the way I like best which is usually raw. Salads, summer rolls, crudites....there's a few I won't touch ever, though.

I can't think of a vegetable I don't eat or won't try. I think spaghetti squash is a bit crunchy like al dente pasta, or it is the way I make it, so I don't think you would have a texture issue with it. It's not expensive so what do you have to lose if you buy it and don't like it?

I use a great recipe
Brussels Sprout Hash but it may seem like too much fuss if you're not sure you'll like it. Instead, I would recommend cutting them in half and roasting them. Most vegetables taste great roasted & it's simple to do.

Well prepared vegetables are the hallmark of a good restaurant, IMO.

Peski, if you live near a Wegman's supermarket, they sell prepared kale in the deli area and sometimes have it on the salad bar. They prepare it with pecorino cheese, I believe.

My mum was one of the first mums in the neighbourhood to buy a steamer basket -- and steam veggies -- a very cool and groovy thing to do at that time!

And I still steam lots of veggies ...

Also mum did a lot of stir fry dishes -- again a cool and groovy act! LOL!

Love lots of veggies (but not all!) ...

Tried a pan of roasted veggies -- very tasty! :)

And I love salads (mixed greens and lots of diced veggies)

I don't care for peas. But I will eat split pea soup.

I think it's the skin of the pea that I don't like, and I've avoided them my whole life. One time DH and I were at the diner and the special was split pea soup. I asked how the soup was made and if the pea skins were in it. DH nearly spit out his water laughing. I admit it sounded weird, but I just don't like the skin and didn't want chunks of them in my soup. That was over 10 years ago, and DH still tells the story whenever we are in the presence of peas.

I made roasted Kale chips for the first time a few weeks ago. It was very simple, just wash the Kale well, pull the tough stem from the middle, and tear the leaves up. Place them in a zip lock bag with olive oil and salt and shake it up. Roast them in a pan till they are golden brown and crispy on the edges. My 8 year old fussy eater LOVED them and ate most of them. It made me so happy to see her eat a vegetable without me having to bargain with her.

I like brussel sprouts with lemon, garlic and oil. Last Thanksgiving I tried a new recipe for them, it was delicious. Slice them up and sautee them with turkey bacon, I saw it on the Skinnytaste blog. I will probably never make them the other way again.

As for Spaghetti squash, the only way I've ever eaten it is with fresh marinara and romano cheese. I don't care for it otherwise.

I think the trick to vegetables is using fresh veggies when in season and preparing them so that you bring out their best flavors. Boiling the heck out of frozen vegetables is how my Mom cooked them too when I was a kid. Yuck. I started watching food network and experimenting with them and it's like I've opened a whole new world. I joined a CSA program last year, and I try to use everything in the box before the next box comes the following week. This has forced me to try things I ordinarily would have never bought in the grocery store. Using the internet for recipes is a great resource.

I don't care for peas. But I will eat split pea soup.

I think it's the skin of the pea that I don't like, and I've avoided them my whole life. One time DH and I were at the diner and the special was split pea soup. I asked how the soup was made and if the pea skins were in it. DH nearly spit out his water laughing. I admit it sounded weird, but I just don't like the skin and didn't want chunks of them in my soup. That was over 10 years ago, and DH still tells the story whenever we are in the presence of peas.

I made roasted Kale chips for the first time a few weeks ago. It was very simple, just wash the Kale well, pull the tough stem from the middle, and tear the leaves up. Place them in a zip lock bag with olive oil and salt and shake it up. Roast them in a pan till they are golden brown and crispy on the edges. My 8 year old fussy eater LOVED them and ate most of them. It made me so happy to see her eat a vegetable without me having to bargain with her.

I like brussel sprouts with lemon, garlic and oil. Last Thanksgiving I tried a new recipe for them, it was delicious. Slice them up and sautee them with turkey bacon, I saw it on the Skinnytaste blog. I will probably never make them the other way again.

As for Spaghetti squash, the only way I've ever eaten it is with fresh marinara and romano cheese. I don't care for it otherwise.

I think the trick to vegetables is using fresh veggies when in season and preparing them so that you bring out their best flavors. Boiling the heck out of frozen vegetables is how my Mom cooked them too when I was a kid. Yuck. I started watching food network and experimenting with them and it's like I've opened a whole new world. I joined a CSA program last year, and I try to use everything in the box before the next box comes the following week. This has forced me to try things I ordinarily would have never bought in the grocery store. Using the internet for recipes is a great resource.

I love veggies and especially salads. My childhood was the opposite end of the spectrum. My grandparents and later my parents always had a big veggie garden. It was very rare to ever have a canned veggie in our house. Mom and my grandmother canned and froze items from their gardens. Even yummy sauces and soups. Both were great cooks. Lately I have been wishing I could have my grandmother's homemade apple sauce on a piece of buttered toast. Nothing I make of hers tastes quite the same, although I can come close, it's just not the same.

So as an adult we do eat mostly fresh veggies. I will buy canned peas (baby sweet peas) and the occasional can of creamed corn for use in chowders, etc. I do not like brussel sprouts or beets. Am not crazy over asparagus. Everything else I pretty much do like. We put up green beans and corn (freeze) and everything else I buy fresh. I generally put up tomatoes and pasta sauce each summer but this summer we did not do a garden. I will miss that pasta sauce this winter! I can do a pretty good second place with canned crushed tomatoes.

One of our favorites is roasted veggies. Especially with chicken and pork and we like rice with that. I'll cut up broccoli, carrots, red and white onions, red and green peppers, zucchini, yellow squash, etc. and roast those in the oven with a little olive oil and garlic powder. YUM.

I am recently experimenting with more squash recipes. Yesterday cooked a big pot of veggie soup.

tina

When I make a casserole or stir fry I always throw in extra vegies and in the fridge/cupboards I always have a variety of peppers, carrots, onions, broccoli, yams, potatoes, snow peas, green onions, zucchini, asparagus, tomatoes and acorn squash. From that I can make just about anything. I do shop for vegies every 2-3 days so that they stay fresh. The only frozen ones that I have are frozen peas and corn. I HATE mushrooms and love creamed corn.

WRT the mushrooms - I think it is a texture thing because I don;t like slimy things. I do like a mushroom sauce but will pick out the mushrooms and give them to DH.

I also like brussel sprouts and beets but don;t keep them on hand.

I'm near-vegan, and there isn't a vegetable I don't love. I've even eaten both Brussels sprouts and kale with breakfast! Maybe that means I'm not the best person to give advice?

If memory serves (although I might be misremembering), both Brussels sprouts and kale taste better if they've been harvested after a frost - I guess the frost converts something or other in the plant to sugars? Also, some variieties of kale are sweeter than others. You'd have to look up kale for specifics though.

So that's my first and second suggestions: buy after a frost and try different kales.

My third suggestion is: just keep eating the stuff. I have read somewhere that it takes a while -- a couple of weeks, maybe -- for one's taste to change, meaning that there's an interim period in which you probably won't like whatever it is you're eating. Just keep at it. It might be hard to believe while you're trying to gag your way through a vegetable you can't abide, but at some point, you will come to like it. As an example, I finally gave up putting milk in my coffee. There was a time when even the idea of black coffee was revolting. After transitioning from dairy to nondairy "milks" like hemp milk to black coffee, I feel like, for the first time ever, I can actually taste coffee - and I just love it. I would NEVER have believed it if someone had told me this last year.

Speaking of kale being sweet or not, like I said, I'm not the best person to give advice, since I love bitter greens. One of my favorites is broccoli rabe precisely because it it bitter. I also love watercress because of its peppery bite. I mention this because it ties in with my advice to try to just eat those vegetables. You might find it hard to believe, but at some point, you could come to crave bitter and peppery as well as sweet flavors.

Fourth, it might depend on how you prepare the vegetables. For example, we make soups with kale and other greens in them, and they soften, sweeten, and take on the flavors of the broths and other ingredients to some extent. To me, Brussels sprouts are best when only very lightly cooked; I also like them raw.

Finally, you can disguise or soften flavors you don't love with dressings and sauces. We mostly follow recipes in the books of Dr. Joel Fuhrman, and there are nut-based dressings that seem to pair perfectly with cabbagy, kale-y, or bitter flavors. He has one that's based on apple and cashews (and other ingredients I don't recall) that, in combination with those vegetables or with salad, is addictively delicious.

Both my grandmother and mother did not know how to cook vegetables well. Most things were canned or boiled or just nasty. I personally see no reason for canned carrots. Most of the time I prefer vegetables roasted or stir-fried (I love it when caramelization occurs). I have learned to appreciate broccoli and asparagus. I have to work on beets, the earthiness is hard for me. I like sweet potatoe fries but I am not at a point to appreciate baked sweet potatoes, yet. I still have a problem with most cooked greens. We moved to North Carolina when I was 8 (from Oregon) and I had a baby sitter would make me eat cooked greens. That mess of greens was slimy and nasty and would make me gag. I can now handle greens tossed in at the end of a stir-fry but creamed spinach, or something like that, not a chance.

When you try kale, it is like most vegetables, better in season. It tastes better after a frost or two when it is sweeter. I often chop it finely and add to soups or pasta sauces, more like a condiment but as a way to get the extra nutrition into the kids and I. Finely chopped it also blends well into enchilada fillings or things of that nature. I also can appreciate a blueberry smoothie with kale, banana, and maple syrup. Our favorite way to eat kale though is in raw tuscan kale salad, recipe below. I replace the bread crumbs with finely chopped walnuts. We have tried a variety of other kale salads too and one thing I adore about them is I can make them ahead, dress them, and they do not get soggy.

Here is a link that might be useful: Raw Tuscan Kale Salad

My mom was a good "comfort food" cook, and we always ate plenty of vegetables.

I hated sliced tomatoes until I was maybe about 18-20. I never even ate them on hamburgers. Now, caprese salad with home-grown tomoatoes is probably one of my favorite foods.

I do not like peas to this day, though I love other legumes. I make split pea soup for DH when we've had leftover ham bones from holidays, but the smell of it literally makes me nauseous.

Roasted brussel sprouts are awesome! Someone here posted a brussel sprout recipe that I made for New Year's Eve. Our lcoal French restaurant serves them roasted with their duck breast entree. I do have a funny brussel sprout story. About 10 years before I met DH my friend and I went on a dream trip to Australia. I ordered vegetarian meals on Qantas since vegetarian meals are usually healthier. Well, their vegetarian must mean vegan because while she and everyone else got eggs for breakfast, I got steamed brussel sprouts! Sis3, you made me think of that when you said you have them for breakfast.

Roasted brussel sprouts w/ a good balsamic. Yum!

Mmmmmm....some great ideas! I definitely have a smell/texture thing. If something has a 'green' smell I just cannot touch it. Raw tomatoes & celery smell green to me and just that smell will make me gag. Anything reminiscent of the smell of tomato leaves...shudder.

I also am not a fan of cooked greens...if they're slimy, ICK! I can tolerate a bit of cooked spinach in an omelet or quiche or something where it's not the star of the show, but I will eat it raw in salads and on sandwiches in place of lettuce. Haven't really tried other greens...again, it's the smell thing for me.

I love peas...isn't it funny how some detest them while others love them? I also love garbanzo beans, black beans, white beans and pinto beans but red kidney and lima beans gross me out.

My DD has a recipe for kale chips-I think I will try some of hers. I'm wanting a crunchy snack that isn't carb based or high calorie. The Trader Joes ad features Nacho Kale chips, however I don't want all that weird seasoning...I might go see if they have a sample and try it. I'm hoping to be a convert!

My goal is to be a vegetarian within a year. Generally when I go out to eat and they offer a veggie menu, I chose from that versus a meat based meal. I had THE best black bean burger at a hospital of all places! I couldn't go vegan, I am too fond of cheese and eggs-but I am trying to use more plant based goods (drink soy milk exclusively now).

I think the key to eating more veggies is to learn to incorporate them in everything. I think that's even more important if you are planning to go vegetarian. It is easy to quickly tire of bowls of veggies so trying new dishes, new veggies is a way to keep interest.. also, I've had a lot of fun in making old meat favorites into healthier vegetarian dishes.

I always add veggies to eggs-- asparagus is my fav but I'll also add broccoli, leftover fajita veggies, spinach & onion, onion and herbs.

Love a twist on lasagna that uses very thinly sliced (longwise) zucchini, layers of ricotta/spinach and covered in an artichoke tomato sauce. I know you said you arent a fan of zucchini but I think it's great in pasta sauce. A fast saute in olive oil will keep it from turning to disintegrated mush.. and a thin julienne is great with just olive oil and garlic on pasta.

I am with those who recommend nuts with brussel sprouts. It's just a wonderful combination. I also like walnuts with roasted cauliflower and parmesan.. spinach is great with walnuts and parmesan too.

Tacos and fajitas are all grilled veggies with seasoning here. Stuffed peppers include veggies and beans. I load soups up with veggies-- a favorite is roasted veggies in Lentil soup. I also substitute chickpeas for meat in a number of soups.. escarole and chickpea soup is lovely, fast and easy.

I think you've gotten over the big hump-- your mind is open to new veggies and new ideas. From here, it's just a matter of finding new and interesting recipes and ways to prepare.

BTW.. if you like spicy, try a dash of cayenne on your plain baked sweet potato!

I was introduced to this kale and brussel sprout salad for the first time last weekend and it was absolutely wonderful! It will be a regular in my house! One other great feature is that it didn't go limp after the dressing was put on...it stayed crisp for the following 2 days which meant I had tasty leftovers.

Ingredients
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon minced shallot
1 small garlic clove, finely grated
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt plus more for seasoning
Freshly ground black pepper
2 large bunches of Tuscan kale (about 1 1/2 lb. total), center stem discarded, leaves thinly sliced
12 ounces brussels sprouts, trimmed, finely grated or shredded with a knife
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1/3 cup almonds with skins, coarsely chopped
1 cup finely grated Pecorino
Preparation
Combine lemon juice, Dijon mustard, shallot, garlic, 1/2 tsp. salt, and a pinch of pepper in a small bowl. Stir to blend; set aside to let flavors meld. Mix thinly sliced kale and shredded brussels sprouts in a large bowl.
Measure 1/2 cup oil into a cup. Spoon 1 Tbsp. oil from cup into a small skillet; heat oil over medium-high heat. Add almonds to skillet and stir frequently until golden brown in spots, about 2 minutes. Transfer nuts to a paper towel-lined plate. Sprinkle almonds lightly with salt.
Slowly whisk remaining olive oil in cup into lemon-juice mixture. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD Dressing, kale mixture, and toasted almonds can be prepared 8 hours ahead. Cover dressing and kale mixture separately and chill. Cover almonds and let stand at room temperature.
Add dressing and cheese to kale mixture; toss to coat. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Garnish with almonds.

Read More http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2011/11/kale-and-brussels-sprout-salad#ixzz29AtUgx7M

omg that sounds good, jmc.. and love a salad that won't melt!

I'm not a picky eater at all and I'll try just about anything. I've never tried brussel sprouts though, so I'm anxious to try hhireno's recipe. One question though...the recipe says to trim the brussel sprouts. What exactly am I trimming? Is there a stem on the end that needs to be trimmed off? Do you remove some of the outer leaves?

I believe the intstruction refers to the base - like you say, the stem end. Sometimes, if the sprouts are old, the outer leaves will have yellowed, and you'll want to take those off, too. That recipe sounds really good, and I'd try it but without the oil, salt, or cheese.

msrose,
Yes, cut off any stem and pull off any discolored outer leaves. Then slice the whole sprout into thin slices. It's always a popular dish at my house. Of course, putting caramelized onions on just about anything improves it.

I'm looking forward to trying some of the other recipes listed here.

Pesky - I congratulate your efforts to try new foods! I love all vegetables except for thick asparagus and mushrooms - whose texture offends me. I say 'ditto' to roasting virtually any vegetable with olive oil and any spices you like. Roasted vegetables have a mellower, entirely different flavor than raw or steamed.

I am less adventuresome than you. When I read menus or recipes, I'll think 'that sounds good', and maybe even recommend it to my husband. But try it myself? No way!

Another vote for kale chips. You won't believe how good they are. I mean, you won't think they're potato chips, but they are crunchy and chip-like, not veggie-like. I made them for the first time about a year ago and my youngest, age 11, asks me to make them all the time! I had contractors here once when I made them and they saw me taking them out of the oven, so I had them try them, too, and they loved them.

A funny story about brussels sprouts. My DD went on a field trip to a farm w/ her class and they were served brussels sprouts with one of the meals. The kids all loved them! I think they were roasted. About a week later, the chef at school made them for lunch the same way -- no one ate them. Guess some vegetables are destined to be eaten only in certain settings. ;)

Here is the recipe I used. I cannot remember the GW poster who originally posted this.

Here is a link that might be useful: Brussell Sprouts

And here is the duck recipe that goes with it.

Here is a link that might be useful: Crisp Roast Duck

I think I eat all veggies, especially love brussel sprouts, fresh green or wax beans, and fresh peas. If I can't get fresh, especially spinach, i'll use frozen, absolutely NO canned!

Having 5 kids I wanted them to try all foods so veggies were on the table 4 out of 7 evening meals. Yes, I cooked every night except Friday, and nothing out of a box except an occasional mac & cheese. All 5 kids eat almost every one, especially broccoli and cauliflower. Don't know how often they eat veggies now that they're on their own. ;o)

I also had never tried spaghetti squash and a few weeks ago for our thanksgiving I tried this recipe.
I loved it as did all my family and guests.

Here is a link that might be useful: Try this recipe

I like spaghetti squash too but here it is expensive. The novelty doesn't justify the price for me and I'd rather eat asparagus for less.