How do you season your food?

For example, steamed veggies. I'm not that knowledgeable about spices and I'd like something different than soy sauce.

Any suggestions?

I practically eat that stuff by itself.

And how you are cooking them. What are your favorite veggies and how do you like to cook them? When I quit eating meat I discovered I was really clueless about how to fix veggies. My entire previous experience revolved around how to properly prepare meat and vegetables were always relegated to an afterthought. It was part of what made going vegan really scary at first but I LOVE it now.

Sometimes the technique you use for cooking veggies can almost eliminate the need for much seasoning at all. When cooking broccoli, carrots, cauliflower or green beans I now blanch them in boiling water for 2 to 3 minutes and remove them from heat, salt lightly and serve. This seals in the flavor and protects the vibrant colors of the vegetables so they look spectacular and don't really require much seasoning at all.

Using a pressure cooker to cook any vegetables opens up a WHOLE NEW WORLD of flavor to cooking your veggies. Nothing, but nothing beats a pressure cooker for giving your veggies an intense, savory shot of flavor. It also shortens your cooking time for something like scalloped potatoes from one hour in the oven to just 20 minutes. Perfect corn on the cob in 5 minutes, baked potatoes just like oven fresh in 12 minutes, green beans, peas and carrots in 3 minutes, and all with a taste like you've never had them before in your life. Yum. Pressure cooking is another method that preserves the beautiful colors of your vegetables. Never underestimate the power of appearance when cooking.

If you are using dried herbs and spices, make sure they are not too old and spend that little bit of extra money for the better brands. You don't know where that cheap stuff comes from or what might be in it. :scared: Not to mention, it's usually tasteless crap.

A couple of spices you may or may not be familiar with that I would recommend for vegetables are cumin, paprika and chipolte chili flavoring. The cumin and chipolte, although they are different, both have a kind of smoky warm, savory and slightly exotic flavor that will allow you to use less oil or butter and still pack in that satisfying flavor. Paprika is lovely for adding contrasting color to potatoes, corn, squash, onion and other yellow and light colored vegetables and adds just a touch of zip.

One very good all-around seasoning that I have found is Mrs. Dash Vegetable Supreme seasoning with buttery herbs. It has sweet and savory herb along with some sesame seeds. Very yummy.

I would also suggest experimenting with fresh herbs which are usually available in your supermarket produce section.

There are some really great recipes here.. http://vegweb.com/recipes/

It's one of my very favorite veggie recipe web sites.

Hope some portion of this is useful for you.

That was easy.

Actualy, lots of pepper.

I like to use different flavors of salt and pepper like garlic, lemon etc.

Play with it, it definitely can be your friend :) I think it's healthier than real butter too!

BTW....cheap frozen cheese pizzas...slice fresh tomato and minced fresh garlic, drizzle the above.....VOILA!

is cajun (sometimes sold as creole) seasoning. I put it on practically everything, I love it, and so does just about everyone who eats at my house. It's hot though (contains cayenne pepper) so don't use too much.

The rule is that if it doesn't give you heartburn, it's not spicy enough. :)

Are all staples in my "seasoning" kit. I also mix it up with Tamari, Texas Pete's hot sauce (not as hot as Tabasco) and basil.

You should also have a good Virgin Olive Oil on hand and sea salt.

Try www.VegCooking.com, they have a monthly feature where they interview vegan/veg chefs, you can get good pointers there.

(and the sliced stems are the best part, IMO) is to chop it, put it into a pan with a smidge of oil and a little grated ginger, stir fry it for a few seconds, then add a dollop of honey and a couple of tablespoons of rice wine or sherry and steam it for a couple of minutes.

You don't want to add enough honey to turn it too sweet, but the vague sweetness plays off the broccoli and ginger beautifully.

Great suggestions and references.

Thanks

Vegit by the same people who make Spike.

http://www.outletnutrition.com/075820210120.html

I also use lots of lime juice (fresh squeezed), hot sauce & chipolte flakes.