The other night I made this delicious broccoli and mushroom, jasmine rice stir-fry, topped with a delicious flavorful sauce filled with lots of spices. Although the picture may look bland, the flavors were lively on my taste buds.
For any individual who has yet to appreciate the value of eating vegetables, there could be a reason behind your dislike for the products made by Mother Earth.......
TASTE
There are five different flavors that come from food - sweet, salty, savory, sour and bitter.
If you like sour, it may come in the form of candy or fruit.
Not surprisingly, sweet and salty are the most popular flavors.
Savory is often the term we give to food that is tasty and full of flavor.
So that leaves bitter.
It's not that often that you hear someone say "I love bitter foods!" so this could explain the aversion that many people (especially kids) feel toward vegetables. While you may learn to like them, some people are more sensitive to the bitter compounds in vegetables than others.
Because you should and need to eat a wide variety of vegetables, there are a few ways to make vegetables more savory.
For any individual who has yet to appreciate the value of eating vegetables, there could be a reason behind your dislike for the products made by Mother Earth.......
TASTE
There are five different flavors that come from food - sweet, salty, savory, sour and bitter.
If you like sour, it may come in the form of candy or fruit.
Not surprisingly, sweet and salty are the most popular flavors.
Savory is often the term we give to food that is tasty and full of flavor.
So that leaves bitter.
It's not that often that you hear someone say "I love bitter foods!" so this could explain the aversion that many people (especially kids) feel toward vegetables. While you may learn to like them, some people are more sensitive to the bitter compounds in vegetables than others.
Because you should and need to eat a wide variety of vegetables, there are a few ways to make vegetables more savory.
- Use of salt - typically a little pinch will go a long way.
- Marinating - neutralize the bitterness.
- Cooking method - roasting makes veggies sweeter, steaming reduces bitterness and overcooking may increase bitterness.
- Add-in's - Blending or mixing-in vegetables into a dish (ex. soup, chili, dip, smoothie) or sauce (ex. marinara) can keep your taste buds happy while also adding a nice dose of nutrients to your favorite recipes.
- Sauces - The key to a fabulous vegetable dish is in the sauce. Regardless if your veggies are cooked (stir fry) or raw (salad), a flavorful sauce/dressing can take vegetables from being bland, bitter and boring to yummilicious!
To excite your taste buds and to help you turn any bitter vegetable dish into a delicious, tasty dish, here's a flavorful sauce that I created to dress up my jasmine rice, lentil, mushroom, onion and broccoli stir fry topped with sliced avocado and tofu. Enjoy!
Trimarni's Flavorful Veg-out Sauce
Ingredients
- ~20 baby tomatoes (I used 1/2 container of 10.5 Cherubs)
- 1 tsp shredded ginger
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp red chili powder
- 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
Directions
- Mix together ingredients in a food processor or blender.
- Pulse until smooth.
- Pour over veggies (suggest stir-fry) and mix until combined.