How do you cook vegetables?

signchik

I love balance9's comments. gonna use some of them.
Here's one of mine. I keep a bag of frozen mixed veggies around and throw some in my soups. Adds color and taste the easy way. If I'm too impatient to wait for the soup to cook the veggies, I nuke them and add them into the soup when they are done. Progresso soups are my favorite right now. They have many veggie laden ones. Really tasty and not at all boring. They go on sale in St. Louis for 10 for $10 from time to time and I stock up.

signchik

Also homemade soups. Again, the easy way. Use a store bought roasted chicken or roasted turkey breast. In a stock pot use chicken broth and reheat the chicken or turkey until it falls off the bone. Remove bones and skin. Cut meat into smaller pieces. Add mixed veggies. You can add noodles or gnocchi if you like.

aprildh

Thanks everybody for all of the wonderful ideas. I actually tried an Italian Lentil Soup last night from an old BH&G cookbook I have. It was delicious and Lentils was a first for me. I know its considered a superfood so I wanted to start incorporating them into my diet. I have never thought of roasting other veggies other than the root veggies so I will definitely start doing that. I did not grow up steaming veggies so I was never sure exactly how to go about it. It's good to have all these ideas to boost my knowledge and begin incorporating more veggies in my life.
Thanks again everyone. Keep coming with the ideas.
April

aippolito1

If they just taste bland... do throw some spices in there! You could also put some slivered almonds in almost any kind of vegetable & it will be tasty. Also, garlic powder makes anything taste amazing... as well as rosemary or basil.

GuyanaGold21

Sounds great, thanks!

ouryve

Fresh veg, either cooked into a sauce or boiled in minimal water until just tender.

Frozen veg, apart from peas, are weirdly squidgy.

atgnat1

Depends on the vegetable. I spent most of my life thinking I hated broccoli for instance, and it turns out it's a completely different experience made in a steamer basket, just cooked barely enough to be tender and with a little salt and a lot of lemon juice. I love my parents but the boiling things to brown mush and melting in a quarter stick of butter method that generation employed just make me gag and cringe now.

Yellow squash, zucchini, asparagus etc I just barely drizzle with olive oil, lightly salt, maybe add some italian seasoning and stick in the oven on 425. All of those pair well with roasted tomato wedges too.

Okra gets the olive oil and then I hit it with salt pepper garlic paprika and cayenne and roast it till it gets dark on the edges. It's amazing and the first time I tried that I stopped craving it fried.

Greens of any kind are good with a dash of apple cider vinegar. (ok sure they're still BETTER with bacon but I had to make some sacrifices) And finally, kale I always pair with grilled chicken or pork. Take the meat out of the pan, shove a big handful of the leaves into the juices, and slap the lid down a few minutes. Spinach sauteed with onions or mushrooms if I have them, and I'm still learning and experimenting with other veggies too.

AustinRuadhain

Don't forget roasting! My teenager likes me to quarter fresh Brussel sprouts and bake them in the oven until tender and getting a bit brown and crispy around the edges. Works well with asparagus, too.

Steaming is great if you don't overdo it. Greens with thin slivers of red onion steamed together and then sprinkled with an herb/spice mix is great, for example.

Frozen vegetables are often fresher and more flavorful than what you get fresh in a regular grocery store, so no shame in eating them if you find them easier to manage.

Experiment with herb and spice mixes to sprinkle on top. All flavors of Mrs Dash are great. Spike is great. McCormick's Italian Mix is great. You'll figure out what you like.

The idea about chopped salads is excellent. Here's a recipe from America's Test Kitchen that got me started on chopped salads several years ago:
https://www.kcet.org/food/recipe-mediterranean-chopped-salad

atgnat1

AustinRuadhain wrote: »

Frozen vegetables are often fresher and more flavorful than what you get fresh in a regular grocery store, so no shame in eating them if you find them easier to manage.

It was such a great day when I discovered this because for some things, buying frozen is just sooo much simpler. Frozen veggies are usually quite a bit fresher, and the 'fresh' produce meanwhile sat in a warehouse a week or two and then spent days being transported.

bpetrosky

This thread made it almost 9 years without being necroposted, but now it has been! This may be a record.

Speaking of records...for the record I like my vegetables roasted or sauteed.

atgnat1

Lol, I hadn't even noticed the dates.

savithny

Frozen: Nuke them in a covered dish with a little extra water, add a dab of oil or butter, salt, pepper, etc.

Fresh: It depends! There are SO MANY options. Green beans, spinach, other greens: Sautee some garlic in oil, add the veggies, sautée for a minute, then add a few tablespoons of water and drop a lid on to steam.

But my current favorite is roasting. Which I've also figured out you can do from frozen, without thawing. Toss with olive oil (be generous), salt, pepper, assorted seasonings of your choice (chopped garlic, lemon zest, red pepper flakes, thyme, sage, rosemary -- but not all at the same time, obviously). spread on a parchment-lined sheet pan and roast at 350-425 (depends - higher is faster and gets things caramelized, but lower lets you put it in with whatever else your'e cooking.). Roast until soft and browning/crispy in spots. Time depends on heat and whether you start from frozen or fresh.
You can roast cauliflower, broccoli, green beans, brussels sprouts, asparagus.
Main tip: Use oil. DOn't be afraid of it. Don't try to make this low fat.