What are the best ways to cook?

Hunnah922

So my main question is, what are the best ways to cook greens for weight loss.
Lol, I'm not an excellent cool so I need some tips.


Thanks everyone!

MityMax96

for me, I usually do broccoli
I bring my water to a boil.
Dump in broccoli florets for 2 min.

and that is it.....nothing else

jquijas

Or if you want you can buy steam bags, pop them in the microwave and steam them. You could wrap in tin foil with some lemon and throw them on the grill as well, greens are easy to cook, it only gets difficult when you are trying to make them unhealthy, i.e. casseroles and cheese sauces and things like that...so should be no problem

Amitysk

For greens, I love to sauté them. Other veggies are great roasted in olive oil and some spices! Changed my whole opinion of brussel sprouts!

Hunnah922

For greens, I love to sauté them. Other veggies are great roasted in olive oil and some spices! Changed my whole opinion of brussel sprouts!

What all do you Sauté them with?

Hunnah922

Or if you want you can buy steam bags, pop them in the microwave and steam them. You could wrap in tin foil with some lemon and throw them on the grill as well, greens are easy to cook, it only gets difficult when you are trying to make them unhealthy, i.e. casseroles and cheese sauces and things like that...so should be no problem

Steam bags would be much easier... Lol

Hunnah922

for me, I usually do broccoli
I bring my water to a boil.
Dump in broccoli florets for 2 min.

and that is it.....nothing else

No kind of spices or anything? Do you usually buy them fresh or frozen?

asia1967

I like to steam mine: boil water in a pot and place a steamer inside the pot cover with the lid. Easy and your are not boiling away your vitamins. A metal steamer insert looks like a strainer and are cheap to buy. I have a collapsible one. Good luck and good cooking.

Hunnah922

I like to steam mine: boil water in a pot and place a steamer inside the pot cover with the lid. Easy and your are not boiling away your vitamins. A metal steamer insert looks like a strainer and are cheap to buy. I have a collapsible one. Good luck and good cooking.

Would Kale and collard greens be good for steaming?
I've heard mixed opinions on these two veggies.

climbing_trees

Steaming.

Yes, Kale and collards would be good steamed.
Just don't overcook or they will turn to mush!

Add whatever spices you like when they are done.
I like Mrs. Dash's "salt free lemon pepper" on greens.
Or a squeeze of lemon juice. Citrus gives a nice bright flavor.

sculli123

I pretty much never cook them. lol I eat salads a lot though.

vismal

The question is like asking what is the best car? It's totally subjective. I prefer to grill vegetables, others prefer to steam them, others boil, some microwave, some bake, some eat them raw. Whichever method provides you with the best taste, and or convenience is best for you.

Spices will also be wildly subjective. I put garlic on most my vegetables. If you don't like garlic that's not going to work for you. I also put red pepper flakes on just about everything, but I enjoy the extra heat, some people hate that. You simply need to experiment and find what you like best.

ksolksol

If you allow yourself a wee bit of fat with them, greens like kale are excellent if you saute some onion in a small amount of olive oil until translucent in a large wok, then add the rinsed greens and put a lid on it. The water from rinsing should be enough to cook them. Open the lid every couple of minutes and stir. When the greens are cooked down, but still fairly bright green, they're done.

Some people prefer to saute with a little bit of broth to save on calories. I recommend the olive oil. You don't have to use much.

Baby spinach tends to glom together, but are still tasty. Collards, kale, mustard greens, chard are all excellent this way. You can also cook greens from the tops of beets (if you buy them) and even radishes. Greens cook down a tremendous amount, so don't be afraid to fill the wok with them.

darlilama

I've been on a saute kick lately. I just toss whatever veggies I have in a pan sprayed with olive oil - may give the veggies a couple sprays, then sprinkle on some onion powder and some sort of spices - I like McCormick's "Vegetable Supreme" and Lawry's "Seasoned Pepper Blend". Good stuff.

I also have a microwave steamer and dump any frozen or fresh vegetable mix in it, again apply some seasonings, and pop in the microwave on high for about 5 minutes. I got my micro-steamer from Tupperware - yep it was a little "pricey". Should be able to find a reasonably priced facsimile at Walmart, Target, etc., I would think. But, I've used mine alot and it's held up extremely well.

Here is something I recently learned about ears of corn. Do not shuck the ear (but I do cut off the stringy top). Nuke for 3-5 minutes. Use a mitt - it will be hot. Cut off the bottom end and shake out the ear of corn - no stringies attached. OMG - so good and quick!

weightliftingdiva

I like carrots, red peppers and cucumbers raw.

I love roasted root vegetables (turnips, carrots, potatoes, sweet potatoes, beets, etc) with some vegetable oil, cumin salt and pepper.
Asparagus roasted with lemon and olive oil. Cauliflower roasted with parmesan.
Broccoli steamed with lemon and pepper.

I really like sauteing fish and chicken in a little oil then making a simple pan sauce with some wine, lemon and butter.

MileHighSweety

Steaming preserves nutrients much better than the microwave does.

S_Murphree

I'm not expert. Just a southern cook. For greens (collards, mustard, turnip), I buy fresh and frozen. I start with about a tbsp of olive oil. Heat and add 1 small onion sliced thin and crushed red pepper flakes to your liking. Add greens. To add flavor without fat, I use chicken stock instead of water. Season with salt and pepper. Be sure to taste since stocks are pre-salted..

Just my opinion..

nogreenthumb

My rule of thumb is to just not cook the living crap out of vegetables. It kills the nutrients and also makes them slimy and undesirable. I agree with the other posts of sautéing and roasting vegetables. It really brings out the flavour!

lemurcat12

For greens, I love to sauté them. Other veggies are great roasted in olive oil and some spices! Changed my whole opinion of brussel sprouts!

What all do you Sauté them with?

Since I was going to agree with her post, I'll answer this. I use a little olive oil (usually a generous spray, sometimes a teaspoon) plus some garlic and maybe onions. I add some salt.

maroonmango211

Fast answer - do not deep fry anything....

Personal favourite for veggies would be roasting on a high heat grill to keep them crunchy with a wonderful blackened flavour on the outside or steamed. Either done up with whatever herbs and spices suit our meal at the time.

willrun4bagels

I mostly buy frozen veggies because I am the only one in my house that eats them and they keep longer when they're frozen.

I weigh out my frozen veggies, throw them in a pan on the stove on medium heat with a little sprinkle of salt and a splash of water so they don't stick to the pan. I cook them on medium heat until most of the moisture is gone and they're not watery anymore. I don't add oil or anything, just a little water and stir frequently so nothing sticks. Then I'll take them and mix them in with pasta and sauce, throw them on a flatbread for a pizza, throw them in with eggs/egg whites in a pan to make an omelette, etc. Stuff like that. Makes it easy to eat a huge amount of veggies. Tonight is flatbread pizza actually - so I do peppers, onions, sliced zucchini, and broccoli - all frozen. I put whatever protein and whatever cheese I want on top of the veggies and bake it on the flatbread for like 15 mins til crispy. Then top with some sriracha. Yum.

donnabullen

My favourite has to be Pak Choi, Spinach and leeks all thrown into the wok with roughly 1 teaspoon of chopped fresh ginger, about 1 teaspoon of chinese 5 spice powder and half a pint of veg stock. Sometimes I add rice noodles.

MityMax96

for me, I usually do broccoli
I bring my water to a boil.
Dump in broccoli florets for 2 min.

and that is it.....nothing else

No kind of spices or anything? Do you usually buy them fresh or frozen?

No typically I don't do anything on them....
You can try Mrs. Dash.

I buy fresh

joyfylgrl

Kale, collard greens, spinach can be steamed. I like to saute in EVOO or coconut oil as well...then add a squirt of lemon juice and maybe some pine nuts One of my favorite quick "curries" is a huge bag of greens (like spinach), some tomatoes, a jar of homemade veggie broth, curry paste...all slow cooked and then immersion blender....serve over quinoa or rice You can add some coconut milk to that if you want!

Oh, broccoli, cabbage, brussels sprouts taste great if you broil them in the oven....sprinkle with EVOO, add seasonings if desired and cook until a bit crispy....so yummy!

dbmata

So my main question is, what are the best ways to cook greens for weight loss.

Uh... what?

You can eat them raw.
Steam them
Boil them
Grill them
Roast them

l2c.

lporter229

Google "Penzey's Spices" for some great seasoning options. They have lots of pre-mixed blends of fresh herbs and spices, many of which are salt free if that is an issue for you.

Hunnah922

These are all really good ideas. Can't wait to get home and for the next two weeks trying these different ways! Thank you guys!!