Doing more with your vegetables

If you’re a carnivore, or someone who eats a good deal of meat, it can be difficult to see vegetables as anything other than a side dish. When we think of a ‘typical’ American meal, meat is quite often the centerpiece of the plate, the star of the show. Trying to convince others that vegetables and plants can replace this revered part of a meal requires an almost complete reversal of thinking. What do you mean broccoli should be the primary ingredient in this dish?

There’s also a tendency to see vegetables in particular (instead of fruits, for instance) as bland and uninteresting. As kids, my brother and I rarely ate vegetables that weren’t steamed, pre-frozen, or that came from a can. This wasn’t because we were ill fed or that my parents were bad cooks. Rather, as is the case in many busy families, the majority of the meal’s preparation was for the meat, leaving little energy for the rest. Lives are hectic, dinner has to be made, and the most we have energy for is to boil some greens and serve them. It’s no wonder vegetables can turn out to be mushy, flavorless disappointments.

As I learned to cook for myself however, I vowed to make vegetables interesting. I wasn’t at that point interested so much in vegetarian or vegan dishes so much as getting that “wow” factor when cooking a vegetable side. Broccoli sautéed in garlic butter and red pepper flakes. Roasted…