Anyone else vegetable-deprived since Thanksgiving?

I think I'm finally recovered-enough from Thanksgiving to finally want to cook something. I think for the past week or so we've been subsisting on yogurt, clementines, and cheese n crackers. We're actually down to no Thanksgiving leftovers in our fridge except for a giant tub of mashed sweet potatoes that I meant to make into croquettes but just never got around to it.

Yesterday the girls and I had some downtime between Sunday engagements and we curled up in bed with a cookbook. I was flipping through the pages and calling out things that sounded yummy, while the girls shouted, "Mmmmm! Yum!  Make that! Can we help?" By the time we were off to our friends' house for dinner, we were starving!

I realized that the thing I've been craving most are salads and veggies. I think I can count on one hand the number of times I've had a vegetable since Thanksgiving... which is definitely unusual for us. Because we were so busy yesterday I didn't have chance to get to our local farmer's market so we're screwed for produce unless I can drag myself to a grocery store (also something I haven't done since Thanksgiving). That's about as appealing right now as having my fingernails pulled out one by one.

That's the thing about having a family. Pre-kid we would have just hit up a salad bar at the market whenever we felt like eating, usually just in time to watch The Real World. But my kids need to eat on a tight schedule (I blame myself) or they become monsters. Wallie ate an apple on the way to dropping off Bunny at school for her breakfast (her fault, she sleeps in like she's a teenager) and Bunny had 3-4 scoops of yogurt with cornflakes sprinkled into it. Lunch for Bunny today is a Lara bar, a container of sunflower seeds, and a cup of yogurt. I'm not proud. I'm also really sick of looking at yogurt, a substance that never crosses my lips (shudder) unless it's part of a tandoori marinade or has grated cucumbers and salt added to it.

I was going to put up a weekly menu today, something I've neglected to do for a while, but I realized that I have no idea what to make. Something salad, something roasted or steamed veg. Something green and/or orange. Something soup. And nothing involving a bread or potato product. I need to hop over here and then here and see what's what. I'll keep you posted.

In the meantime, hit me with your best veg, and tell me what you're cooking up this week!

Comments

[christina]

I have been eating salads the last two or three days. I just felt I needed some veggies that weren't steamed, roasted, just more in their natural state. There's something refershing about it, y'know?

Yesterday was a chicken with baby mozzarella balls and artichoke hearts with mixed leaves and cherry tomatoes. The other day is was chicken cesar with corn bread. Tonight I plan to make beef stew (fingerling potatoes, carrots, mushrooms with red wine, garlic and onions) with bread, it's cool, breezy and damp again where I am so I want something hot and steamy.

[christina]

sorry, correction: that should say "was a chicken with....salad." I didn't have a whole chicken with all those veggies.

[pseudostoops]

Out here in the land of "veggies in winter? huh?" I have been roasting the heck out of woody tough supermarket green beans. The roasting magically makes them taste good again.

[De in D.C.]

I made a brisket on Sat that I served over mashed potatoes (made previously and stored in the freezer for an opportune time) with a side of roasted root vegetables. I used carrots, turnips, celery, and rutabaga; tossed with olive oil, S&P and roasted at 475 for about 20mins. They were still tender-crisp and just started to turn brown and sweet. MMmmm. However, everyone decided they didn't like the turnips, so we picked the rest out and gave them to the dog.
Tonight is the last of the turkey leftovers (Turkey & Dumplings) and a grilled romaine salad, tomorrow is quickie leftovers/sandwiches due to cub scouts, Weds is chili which is being made for a tailgate for the Skins/Bears game on Thurs. Fri I'm planning on a spinach and fried goat cheese salad.

[Deb]

trying out a new thai chicken recipe today that hopefull will be as yummy and easy as it sounds...my kids are eating crudite as we speak LOL

[Kat]

I'm so with you! We had veggie sandwiches tonight for dinner - complete with mashed white beans, sprouts, tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion and avocado. It was refreshing to ditch the meat for a day.

[Dena]

Yes! Veggies are definitely in order, preferably GREEN ones, for some reason.

I can't wait to see your menu plan; they are always very inspiring to me. I'm posting mine tonight.

If you're looking for a yummy and EASY vegetable dish, I have a few for you:

http://denasrecipeexchange.blogspot.com/2007/11/french-green-beans-with-crispy-shallots.html

http://denasrecipeexchange.blogspot.com/2007/11/pasta-with-broccoli-rabe-italian.html (I'm actually making this tonight but over quinoa instead of pasta.)

http://denasrecipeexchange.blogspot.com/2007/11/my-classic-go-to-meal-mustard-greens.html

[Stefania/CityMama]

Everyone, you are killing me with you delishussness!

I made a huge salad for lunch, soup for dinner, now I'm good.

I did end up going to the grocery store where English cukes were on sale for a dollar a piece. They looked so good I bought 3 of them.

[Meegan]

So funny. I went to Whole Foods today and bought a ton of veggies. For dinner I had a mixed green salad with frozen baby peas, roasted beets, red onion and a crumble of blue cheese along with a cup of split pea soup (made by a friend). Tomorrow is another salad of a different variety. Perhaps with sauteed mushrooms and peppers. The husband is traveling this week so I'm only cooking for one. (15 month old not so into salads).

[Kalyn]

I think I'm pretty much a veggie addict. I try to always have them around. (Although I have been known to order pizza when it's snowing in Salt Lake and I'm getting seriously depressed!) Thanks for the mention. Did you see that you were nominated for a food blog award in the category Family and Kids? It's at The Well Fed Network if you haven't seen it.

[kat]

i always try to have carrots and celery around to munch on. i do munch with ranch dressing but at least they are veggies. and i notice i have avocados around, i will always make a salad. avocados, mango, lettuce and jalapeno ranch dressing. mmm. notice, i like ranch.

i love that it's the time of year for clementines. i've gone through boxes and boxes of them.

[crazedparent]

I'm really into fruit right now, especially pears and cutie tangerines/clementines (so sweet!). Veggies -- mostly in soups and salads too. Craving the crunchy greens.

Your cauliflower soup is almost a weekly dish at our casa (the boys request it) and I found a yum minestrone that we've been making too. Tonight we had a rib roast with rosemary/garlic roasted potatoes and steamed carrots (easy). But soup, tacos and something else are on the list for the rest of the week.

[KL]

Ok, since you're on the topic of veggies, I've noticed that your girls eat salad. My girls refuse to. They will not let any raw vegetables past their lips (exception: tomatoes). Does anyone have any suggestions how I can help them get past this? It's getting annoying that everytime I make a sald as the veg for my hubs and I, I have to make something separate for the tykes.

[ms. porter]

oh yes, i could use some salad here too. the problem for me isn't that it was thanksgiving (that was at the beginning of oct for us canadians) but that we have such cruddy lettuce this time of year in ontario. either way, tonight i'm making a big ol' salad i think.....