Cauliflower is nothing but cabbage with a college education.
– Mark Twain
Today’s meal suggestion comes from London, who works with Joe and who brilliantly suggested I hide vegetables in his food. I especially like that she recommended I hide cauliflower. It’s one of my favorite veggies and the subject of one of my favorite quotes.
London: to answer your question, Joe’s dietary habits tend to skew toward dull and unoriginal, not fried and unhealthy. In fact, he’s a pretty healthy eater as far as type of chicken and type of potato goes.
And yes, purple cauliflower exists.
I’m sorry to say it, but Misha and I typically prepare our own meals individually and then eat next to each other! He’s big into pork and dumplings and sauerkraut and I’m into salads and pasta (pseudo-vegetarian also). Sometimes we don’t eat the same meal, but it’s worked for us for 10 years!
My brother is the same way: no fruits or veggies. To me that is sooo crazy because I could live on salad alone. What DOES Joe like to eat? Does it typically skew fried and unhealthy, or is it just the same old stuff?
I’ve noticed that Misha and I can agree on ethnic food: Chinese, Mexican, Thai, some Italian, so maybe you can head in that direction.
Here are three things we like to eat that aren’t overloaded with fruits or veggies. I think you’re out of luck if you don’t like seafood though!
Fish Tacos: battered and fried tilapia in tacos or tortillas with lettuce, salsa, cheese, sour cream. YUM
Rotini Pasta with Salmon: with butter and olive oil and Parmesan and that’s it! Maybe add in some shrimp?
Salmon Patties: This comes in a can. Just add eggs and breadcrumbs like you would meatloaf and fry them up.
Sometimes you can camouflage veggies, if they are in a different form. I creamed cauliflower and fried it up in patty form. It was amazing! We also tend to make a lot of soups and dip our homemade crusty bread in them. Very filling.
Anyway, I hope that helps!!
London
PS. London’s photo by Chip Weiner.
1. London, I wish I looked half as good as you in pictures. Have you seen my photo (yesterday’s Dinner Rehab post)? I know.
2. I’m trying the creamed cauliflower patties tonight. Sounds delicious.
3. Add some basil and shrimps to the pasta with salmon. It’s amazing.
4. Grated zucchini and eggplant can go into many sauces without people noticing.
Sounds like you need Jessica Sienfields’ book “Deceptively Delicious”
I have to hide Eva’s veggies sometimes too. I just make spaghetti sauce with a bunch of veggies and then puree it.
That cauliflower idea sounds yummy!
I have that book by Jessica Seinfeld. Heidi, I will let you borrow it. I’ll bring it to work and put tape around it so that Joe won’t open it and read all the secrets!
Hi lovey-
I forgot to tell you that I too hide veggies in things..though it’s not really hiding since Tom likes them…one day he turned to me amazed and said “There’s carrots ground up in the meatloaf?”
Hehe. My homemade spagetti sauce was FULL of vegetables-and noone ever knew 🙂
OK, I got one. Kind of like the creamed cauliflower. An ex-girlfriend used to make a mashed potato-tasting dish but used cauliflower instead of potatoes. With a bit of garlic and herb, it tasted just like the real thing! Of course, I think she used lots of butter, too. She was never shy with the butter…
Alex: I’ve mashed cauliflower too! I LOVE it. One time, I mashed it WITH potatoes and Joe claimed he could taste it. That was back when we first started dating and I still revealed every little detail about his dinner preparation. I know better now. I don’t think he would have noticed if I had kept my mouth shut.
And butter, my friend, makes the world go round!