make-ahead veggie ideas

[La Bibliotecaria Feroz]

I often work rather late (getting home at 6:45 or 8:45 pm) and Mr. FP feeds the tots. I generally fill up the crockpot, but I have had a request for more variety of vegetables. As it stands, I occasionally leave behind roasted zucchini, otherwise it's raw broccoli with hummus, frozen peas, or whatever happens to be in the soup.

Any good ideas for make-ahead vegetables sides? They have to be easy and reheat well, since I would be cooking them in the morning. Crockpot sides also welcome, since sometimes they are eating leftovers and the crock is available :-).

[mm1970]

I often work rather late (getting home at 6:45 or 8:45 pm) and Mr. FP feeds the tots. I generally fill up the crockpot, but I have had a request for more variety of vegetables. As it stands, I occasionally leave behind roasted zucchini, otherwise it's raw broccoli with hummus, frozen peas, or whatever happens to be in the soup.

Any good ideas for make-ahead vegetables sides? They have to be easy and reheat well, since I would be cooking them in the morning. Crockpot sides also welcome, since sometimes they are eating leftovers and the crock is available :-).

My schedule has recently changed so that my husband is cooking more often.  So I prep ahead:

Steamed broccoli with olive oil, salt, and pepper
Steamed green beans with olive oil, salt, and pepper
Roasted cauliflower (1 head) with salt (1/2 to 1 tsp), cumin (1 tsp), coriander (1 tsp), cayenne (pinch), and turmeric (1/4 tsp)
Raw carrots, snap peas, baby peppers, cucumber with hummus (when husband is out of town, this features prominantly!)
Cucumber tomato salad (in season)
Green salad with ranch (lettuce and shredded carrot and cucumber)
Ginger stir-fried carrots
http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/gingery-sauteed-carrots.aspx
Roasted carrot "fries"
Chinese style green beans
http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/chinese-restaurant-green-beans.aspx
Tomato soup

[Ceridwen]

This is a hit in my house (1 & 4 YOs).  I grate the carrots instead of ribbon them, and omit the red pepper flakes for the kids.  It keeps well in the fridge for 2-3 days.

http://www.popsugar.com/food/Spicy-Sesame-Carrot-Salad-30421461

[frugaliknowit]

Easy, most folks prefer cold (if so, there's no re-heating), and keep really well in the fridge both before and after cooking (since it's a root vegetable).  Downside is roast time is ridiculously long and you need a lot of foil.  I suggest larger beets, without the stalk (produce places call them "loose beets", I get them for $.69 per pound).  I make them on weekends, then eat them all week (beet freak, here...).

Roasted beets, my version (folks either love or hate beets, I love them):
1.  Wash under faucet.
2.  Cut off the top and bottom.
3.  Rub olive oil on top and bottom.  Wrap in foil.
4.  Put on cookie sheet.  Bake 350 for 2 hours (yes, not a typo).  I make 2 cookie sheets worth, since the roasting time is so long.
5.  Remove from oven, loosen foil, let cool for about an hour.
6.  Peel (really easy...), then slice (optional) and place in fridge.

I like them cold with balsalmic vinegar, vinigarette dressing, or olive oil and maybe a pinch of salt.