The discovery of the miracle vegetable and how it changed my life

It should be universally understood that I do not like vegetables. Not now, not in the past, and it's not looking good for the future. While I love a good salad (hold the tomatoes and onions, please), when it comes to cooked veggies...*cringe* gross. Just gross.

Feel as I do about vegetables in general, I know better than to ignore them. I make myself eat cauliflower, I choke down broccoli and every so often I shovel down some peas (which aren't really so bad). I learned from a friend that roasted veggies are bearable, and I can usually manage to swallow those easier than the steamed or stir-fried variety.

However, recently I learned a way I could eat a vegetable without noticing AND stretch my meat. Hidden vegetables? Are you kidding me? There's actually a veggie out there that can become flavorless, textureless, and all but invisible in a main dish? It's a miracle.

It may come as no surprise to you that the magic vegetable I'm referring to is the basic summer staple, the zucchini. Kids grow them in their gardens where they reach gargantuan proportions. Your mom probably makes bread out of them. You can buy a little pack of them here in ZA at the store for usually less than a dollar. And best of all, its claim to be a silent partner is completely true!

A friend of mine told me the secret and I've been hooked ever since. When I make hamburgers or tacos or meatballs or soup that has red meat, I now also include a ton (like maybe 1 to 1.5 cups?) of grated zucchini, peel and all. Not only do I have the satisfaction of knowing that I'm getting in some greens, I also have the pleasant advantage of getting more out of my meat. It's pretty much a win-win situation.

The true test, as most wives will tell you, is the husband test, and the stealthy little zucchini passed with flying colors. I knew this life-changing magic ingredient was only as good as its ability to not interfere with Todd's tastebuds, and he had to admit that it didn't.

So next time you feel obligated to eat vegetables but wish you could find one that said, "You won't even know I'm here," look no farther than the zucchinis!

Here's a batch of absolutely fabulous meatballs I whipped up, speckled with plenty of my favorite little green cooking vegetable! (As a side note, these were baked in the oven, transferred to the the skillet, and are here awaiting their marinara bath :) )