Will you eat three vegetable servings today? Chances are you won’t. According to the surgeon general, only 3 percent of Americans meet four out of five Food Guide Pyramid recommend-ations. For veggies, you need three 1/2-cup servings a day.

On surveys, many of us say we want to eat more vegetarian foods, but consumption studies show we’re not following through. Why? Some of us may have developed a dislike for vegetables because the ones we were served as children were overdone, making them bitter. The younger we were at the time, the less surprising this is.

The layers of bread, spinach and seasoned tomatoes in Tomato Strata Florentine create an Italian taste like veggie pizza. See page 2D for the recipe.

But vegetables don’t have to be overcooked or underseasoned. With just a little effort, veggies can become out-of-the-ordinary side dishes and main dishes, too. Sometimes all it takes is a good combination of veggies to add up to great taste. Or a flavoring ingredient may be just the thing to turn a vegetable hater into a fan. You can use the techniques in the recipes here as a starting point for your own veggie “eggs”travaganza.

Despite their vitamin, mineral and fiber hoard, vegetables supply only incomplete protein. So each of these savory recipes also includes economical eggs, sometimes along with another protein-supplying food, such as cheese, beans or rice. The eggs provide complete protein, containing all the amino acids (protein building blocks) that your body needs but can’t make on its own.

Although you can serve these dishes on the side, the high-quality egg protein makes them suitable as entrees, too. For most, all you need to round out an inexpensive meal is milk or yogurt and maybe bread. Then, after you enjoy your veggies, how about getting in one of your two-a-day fruit servings by having some luscious fresh fruit for dessert?

Cheesy Pasta, Veggie And Egg Skillet Meal

This homey dish gets its flavor from cottage cheese and a nip of your choice of herb. It’s quick and easy to make as an entree any time of day. Eggs represent the meat group and cheese the milk group of the Food Guide Pyramid. Each portion also provides a full veggie serving and almost two grain servings, too. For variety, you can use a different veggie blend and pasta shape each time you make it. To scoop up every morsel, serve with crisp-crusted French or Italian bread. Finish the meal with fresh fruit for dessert.

1 (7-ounce) package small shell pasta (conchiglie)

cooking spray

2 cups low-fat (1 percent or 2 percent) cottage cheese

Rice, Bean And Veggie Custard Bake

1 teaspoon tarragon or marjoram leaves, crushed

2 cups fresh steamed or thawed frozen broccoli, cauliflower and carrot vegetable blend (about 9 ounces)

4 eggs

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain thoroughly. Meanwhile, evenly coat 10-inch nonstick omelet pan or skillet with spray. Add drained pasta. Stir in cheese and tarragon until pasta is evenly coated with cheese. Add steamed or thawed vegetables. Stir until evenly coated with cheese. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through and mixture begins to sizzle, about 5 to 10 minutes. With back of spoon, gently make 4 indentations in pasta mixture. Break and slip an egg into each indentation. Cover and cook until whites are completely set and yolks begin to thicken but are not hard, about 5 to 7 minutes.

Nutrition information for 1 serving of 1/4 recipe using 1 percent cottage cheese and tarragon: 362 calories, 7 g total fat, 217 mg cholesterol, 544 mg sodium, 382 mg potassium, 45 g carbohydrate, 28 g protein.

Makes 4 servings.

Tomato Strata Florentine

Strata means layers in this case, layers of bread, spinach and seasoned tomatoes. When topped with an egg/milk custard and baked, the bread puffs up and the custard holds all the ingredients together. Bake the bright-colored layers in individual custard cups or a baking pan, as you prefer. The cups are handy for singles or for families on those days when it’s hard to sit down for a meal together. Simply refrigerate uneaten portions and microwave to reheat.

cooking spray

2 cups torn fresh spinach (about 4 ounces)

Poached Eggs On Roasted Veggies

2 slices whole-wheat bread, cubed (about 1 1/2 cups)

1 cup chopped fresh tomato (about 1 medium)

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, crushed

4 eggs

1 cup skim or low-fat (1 percent) milk

1/4 cup (1 ounce) shredded low-moisture, part-skim mozzarella cheese

For individual cups: Evenly coat 4 (10-ounce) custard cups with spray. Place 1/2 cup of the spinach in each cup. Sprinkle each with about 1/3 cup of the bread cubes. In medium bowl, stir together tomato and seasoning until tomato is evenly coated with seasoning. Spoon 1/4 cup tomato mixture over bread cubes in each cup. In medium bowl, beat together eggs and milk. Slowly pour scant 1/2 cup egg mixture over tomato mixture in each cup. Sprinkle each with 1 tablespoon of the cheese.

Bake in preheated 350-degree oven until custards are puffed and begin to pull away from sides of cups and knife inserted near centers comes out clean, about 30 minutes.

For baking pan: Layer entire amounts of all ingredients as above in sprayed 8- by 8- by 2-inch baking pan. Bake as above.

Nutrition information for 1 serving of 1/4 recipe using skim milk: 175 calories, 8 g total fat, 218 mg cholesterol, 238 mg sodium, 469 mg potassium, 14 g carbohydrate, 13 g protein.

Makes 4 servings.

Poached Eggs On Roasted Veggies

The easy-to-prepare veggie mixture is a simplified French ratatouille (vegetable stew). Just slice the colorful veggies, dunk them in ready-made salad dressing and grill. For the best flavor, choose a zesty dressing; pesto is especially nice. And, for browning, use an oil-based, rather than creamy, dressing. The poached egg on top smooths the flavor of the well-seasoned veggies.

1/2 cup bottled reduced-fat zesty salad dressing

4 portabello mushrooms

2 medium sweet red and/or green peppers, sliced into eighths

2 medium summer squash (zucchini and/or yellow crookneck), sliced lengthwise into quarters (zucchini, about 4 to 5 ounces each; crookneck, about 6 to 7 ounces each)

water

4 eggs

2 English muffins, split and toasted

In large bowl, pour dressing over mushrooms. Stir to evenly coat mushrooms with dressing. With slotted spoon, remove mushrooms. Set aside. Repeat to coat pepper strips and squash slices with dressing. Remove pepper and squash.

Place pepper and squash on baking sheet. Broil about 6 inches from heat until vegetables soften and begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Turn pepper and squash. Add mushrooms, cap-side up. Continue broiling until mushrooms are soft, about 3 minutes. Turn mushrooms. Continue broiling until pepper and squash are golden brown, about 3 minutes.

Meanwhile, in saucepan or deep omelet pan, bring 2 to 3 inches of water to boiling. Reduce heat to keep water gently simmering. Break cold eggs, 1 at a time, into custard cup or saucer or break them all into bowl. Holding cup close to water’s surface, slip eggs, 1 by 1, into water. Cook until whites are completely set and yolks begin to thicken but are not hard, about 3 to 5 minutes. Drain in spoon or on paper towels. Trim any rough edges, if desired.

For each serving, top 1 mushroom cap with 4 pepper strips, 2 squash slices and 1 poached egg. Serve with muffin half.

Nutrition information for 1 serving of 1/4 recipe using Italian dressing, red pepper and zucchini: 235 calories, 10 g total fat, 213 mg cholesterol, 525 mg sodium, 870 mg potassium, 26 g carbohydrate, 12 g protein.

Makes 4 servings.

Rice, Bean And Veggie Custard Bake

With eggs, beans and rice, this hearty dish supplies enough protein to make a satisfying entree. Choose mild salsa for a zingy flavor or use hot to make it sizzling. Cut corn kernels fresh off the cob or use thawed frozen or drained canned corn. Red and green bell peppers contrast nicely with the corn and beans, but you can substitute yellow or purple peppers. For convenience, layer the dish ahead of time and refrigerate it overnight. The next day, allow a little more time to bake the refrigerated casserole.

cooking spray

6 eggs

1 cup (4 ounces) shredded reduced-fat Monterey Jack cheese

3 cups cooked rice (1 cup raw)

1 jar (16-ounce) thick and chunky red salsa, divided

1 can (15-ounce) red kidney or black beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup whole kernel corn (about 3 ounces)

1 cup chopped sweet red and/or green pepper (about 5 ounces or 1 medium)

Evenly coat 11- by 7- by 2-inch baking pan with spray. Set aside. In medium bowl, beat together eggs and cheese. Stir in rice. Pour into prepared pan. Smooth with back of spoon or gently shake pan to spread rice mixture evenly in pan. Gently spread 1 cup of the salsa over rice mixture. In medium bowl, stir together beans, corn and pepper. Evenly spoon bean mixture over salsa. Drizzle remaining 1 cup salsa over bean mixture.

Bake in preheated 350-degree oven until custard is puffed and begins to pull away from sides of pan and knife inserted near center comes out clean, about 55 to 60 minutes.

Nutrition information for 1 serving of 1/6 recipe using kidney beans and red pepper: 334 calories, 10 g total fat, 226 mg cholesterol, 815 mg sodium, 346 mg potassium, 42 g carbohydrate, 19 g protein.

Makes 6 servings.