Back In My Life

Posted: August 31, 2011 at 8:00 pm

Last night for dinner I welcomed a few things back in my life.

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Almost Meatless Sloppy Joes and asparagus! The Almost Meatless Sloppy Joes tend to show up pretty regularly around here. I love them. Peter loves them. Makenzie loves them. They are quick. They are easy. They make leftovers. Basically, they are family dinner gold. Plus a great way to balance out the “I-don’t-eat-beans” man and “I-adore-beans-maybe-too-much” woman relationship. I don’t know why they disappeared from our standard monthly meal rotation for awhile.

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I welcomed that bad boy of a sandwich back with open arms. And what about the asparagus?

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I had not allowed the green vegetable to touch my plate for a good five or six years after the first fitness competition I trained for way back when. The competition I hired “crazy coach” for and was told to eat tilapia and asparagus day in and day out. The competition I had to pull out of two weeks before show because I royally screwed my blood sugar and was passing out left and right. I learned my lesson and trained myself for the fitness competition I did enter, but still decided to take my hatred of that old training program out on tilapia and asparagus

Then, at the grocery store this past week the tall stalks caught my eye. I paused. I wondered. They looked pretty. They’re a vegetable. I like vegetables. Perhaps I had been too harsh on the little guys. So, I bought a bunch and steamed some up for our dinner.

Then, I took two bites, immediately gagged, and spit it right back out. Asparagus is the one vegetable I loathe. Perhaps even more than my general hatred for cottage cheese. Seriously. What is with that lumpy dairy mess? Give me Greek yogurt any day!

So, it’s official – asparagus = BLECH. Perhaps I should give it another try but with a different cooking method. I tend to prefer my vegetables either raw or roasted.

Raw Veggie Love

  • carrots
  • tomatoes
  • cucumber
  • bell peppers
  • carrots
  • broccoli
  • spinach (although I guess that is more technically smoothie veggie love)

Roasted Veggie Love

  • brussels
  • potatoes
  • squash
  • zucchini
  • eggplant
  • cauliflower
  • parsnips
  • everything because it’s the tried and trued method to make veggies all the more delicious

Nope. I don’t even think roasting asparagus would help. I give up. No more asparagus for me! I’ll just load up on all my other veggie loves.

  • Is there a food a certain experience made you just LOATHE it forever?
  • Do you have certain veggies you prefer raw or cooked a certain way?

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44 Comments to “Back In My Life”
  1. Sautee the asparagus in a pan with a bit of apple cider vinegar and garlic, just for a couple minutes – they’ll turn bright green! I used to despise asparagus until I discovered this method.

  2. Those sloppy joes look delicious! Thanks for the recipe! I’ll be needing some quick and easy meals for this school year because it will be my first year living in an apartment. I’ll only have a tiny meal plan.

    As for veggies, corn on the cob is the absolute best when it’s cooked on the grill. Corn on the cob is good any way it’s made, but the grill is best!

  3. Kelly says:

    My favorite vegetable is broccoli. Cooked not raw…drizzled with olive oil and salt/pepper. I could eat that twice a day everyday! Love. Keith calls me the broccoli monster!

  4. try asparagus roasted at 400 in the oven drizzled with evoo + salt and pepper. Then a minute before taking them out sprinkle parmesan cheese on top. If you don’t like them that way, there’s no hope! 😉 haha

  5. Hallie says:

    Asparagus has to be cooked exactly right or it’s nasty. Sometimes when it’s grilled or roasted just so, it’s amazing, but otherwise….ick. I have a similar story to yours, though. I had a trainer once who put me on a very specific diet and for lunch I could only eat a plain baked sweet potato and a plan (bun-less) turkey burger. Couldn’t eat either one for YEARS after that but luckily, I’ve come around and now I love both… especially if the burger has grilled onions and the sweet potatoes are in fry form 😉

  6. I am eating asparagus right now! 🙂 Totally get it though – cooked broccoli and yellow potatoes make me gag.

    Have you ever tried raw zucchini sticks? I love to snack on them dipped in cottage cheese, hummus, or even PB.

  7. Priyanka says:

    I have a hatred for pumpkin and I know the blog community will disown me for that 🙂 But you should roast or char-grill the asparagus and sprinkle with some lemon-pepper seasoning, I am thinking you may like it.

  8. Thanks for the link to the almost meatless sloppy joes. That looks like a great recipe for me right now–I think I’ll put it on the list for next week!

    I can tell just by the picture that the asparagus wouldn’t be great. Roast it and at the end of the roasting time drizzle with balsamic vinegar and a little parmesan. I’m telling you; you’ll love it!

  9. Amy says:

    oo i love sloppy joes! with or without meat!

    i like most veggies but ironically enough..do not love asparagus…i try so hard!! it looks so tasty…ill keep trying!

  10. I love asparagus but definetly HATE cottage cheese haha! I usually like veggies cooked more, but I love most raw (except mushrooms!) 🙂

  11. Totally! I once got the stomach flu after drinking a mocha frappacino and a pina colada. I can’t have either anymore…barely even coconut!

  12. I had sunflower butter the other day and it totally turned my stomach and I felt sick the whole day! I think it’s going to be awhile before I can face that stuff again…

    As for veggies, I am not really loving them right now so my favorite way to eat them is hidden in other foods :S

  13. Christy says:

    I totally understand your aversion to asparagus. But you have to give it one more shot….roasted!! It really is the only way I can eat it without gagging. I spray it with olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Try it and if you still hate it, try squeezing lemon on it after it’s roasted. If you still can’t eat it….then at least you won’t have smelly pee!! haha

  14. I had no idea you competed in a competetion, Tina! That’s awesome.

  15. Jess says:

    How TRAGIC that the fitness competition ruined your former love of asparagus and tilapia! I LOVE asparagus, especially roasted. Hmm. Any food I can no longer eat? Random – but here goes: goldfish crackers. I threw them up once and will NEVER eat them again. haha. How’s that for a ruined experience??

  16. My husband and brother requested sloppy joes for dinner tonight and I said nay because I wasn’t feeling it. I totally would’ve made these though! I think cottage cheese is NASTY too! That makes me gag just thinking about it!

  17. Lori Lynn says:

    I like almost all kinds of veggies- though I know there are still a lot of ones out there that I just have been exposed to (yet). Lima beans, is the only one that I can think of that I just can’t eat. They’re just way to dry. I love, love, love cucumbers. My favorite way is to just peel them and eat them plain- But they have to be straight from the garden, b/c the store boughten ones just don’t taste the same! I eat cucumbers for lunch and dinner when I can!

  18. ::gasp::!!! I love asparagus! However, I think one of my favorites are brussels sprouts! They’re so delicious!

  19. Khushboo says:

    I have my days with asparagus, I hate when they are too stalky!
    Peas is one of those veg, prob the only one, which doesn’t appeal to me in the slightest! Dippin dots should be the only food which comes in the form of little balls!

  20. Liz says:

    Brussels sprouts and asparagus are so interesting to me – people either LOVE or HATE them! I’m eh, so-so with both though. Wait, there goes my argument?

    I used to be freaked out by cottage cheese but I’m sloooowly warming up to it. The pineapple flavored variety, of course 😉

  21. The one vegetable that I absolutely hate is squash! I think it tastes terrible, and the texture makes me squirm.

  22. Dorry says:

    I am not a big asparagus fan! I’ll eat it if it’s my only option, but I’d never choose it. Hmmm – I think I like most other veggies. Except red onions – can’t stand them!

  23. I love raw carrots but can’t really stand them cooked unless it’s in pot roast or something.
    I LOVE asparagus! Steamed or sauteed, both equally delicious. The worst asparagus ever has to be canned, that stuff is gross!

  24. Asparagus is really, really, REALLY good grilled. If you get a slight char on it from the grill, it gets eaten so fast by kids and adults alike you won’t believe it. I promise!

  25. Morgan says:

    My mama makes grilled asparagus & it’s to die for! I used to hate the stuff too, but I LOVE it grilled!:)

  26. If you don’t like roasted asparagus, then I’d say it’s definitely a “no go” for ya because it’s one of the best ways to eat it (in my humble opinion!) I love the looks of those sloppy joes!

    PS – I just made your peach muffins — one word: AWESOME. I might have eaten one, er two straight out of the oven 😀

  27. I can’t eat asparagus either…because of that pesky competition training haha! Why did I HAVE to eat it? Seriously crazy times!

  28. Banana penicillin… I had an allergic reaction to it when I was little and didn’t eat bananas for almost 15 years. Glad I got over that one 😉 I’m not a fan of asparagus either!

  29. Sara says:

    If I steam broccoli too long and it gets mushy–then it grosses me out. Same with asparagus. I tend to prefer asparagus in a restaurant. I end up making it too mushy. I want to like brussel sprouts, but I’m scared. Rutabagas scare me too. Some veggies I can only eat raw and some I can only eat cooked 🙂

  30. jobo says:

    Ha! That sucks, huh?? I love asparagus but won’t even TRY to convince you to try them cooked another way or anything because I am sure that no matter what, you won’t like it. A bad experience can do it for sure! Hmm…tough one. I really don’t like radishes. At all. and I HATE gorgonzola cheese. Gross gross gross. Or blue cheese. but all other cheeses? BRING IT!

  31. You have GOT to try roasting asparagus. Granted, I looooove asparagus prepared any which way, but really, roasted asparagus is da bomb diggity. Also, roasted broccoli.

    I don’t like raw tomatoes, unless chopped up super fine and put in guac or salsa.

  32. Oh, I love asparagus!!! Roasting it or grilling it is my favorite. Steamed – eh.

    I LOATHE grapefruit! My parents were on a low carb diet when I was in middle school, and I had to drink grapefruit juice every morning. Awful awful awful. I still cannot stand it!

  33. I love asparagus!! I used to despise cooked carrots and now the only way I’ll eat them is in a stew.

  34. Those sloppy joes look AMAZING!

    I hate cooked carrots! I love them raw, but can’t stand them cooked.

  35. Abbi says:

    Bed of salad, with parma-ham-wrapped-asparagus, with a poached egg on top is delicious! Maybe try cooking asparagus a different way? I hated it, especially when it was soggy – i prefer mine crunchy – but when i tried this recipe i loved it.

  36. Heather says:

    My parents cook asparagus on the stove with olive oil then sprinkle feta cheese on it and really like it!

  37. I’m with you girl! I freaking hate asparagus. HATE IT. So nasty. Ick.

  38. Erin says:

    Not sure I can convince anyone to like asparagus but this is THE BEST recipe I have ever had for it and I’d recommend giving it another shot: http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/roasted-asparagus-with-balsamic-browned-butter/
    The sauce is AH-MAY-ZING. But I guess when is browned butter not delicious?!?

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