Making frozen microwaveable steamed vegetables not boring

victoriavoodoo
victoriavoodoo Posts: 343 Member
edited November 2024 in Food and Nutrition
Hello all, I have these 1lb bags of frozen vegetables(like green beans carrots um yellow green beans yellow carrots broccoli i think red bell peppers too) and after you microwave it its very boring to eat.

So far my go to is to dip it in balsamic but I'm wondering if theres something fairly simple I can do on the stove with it? To make it have some flavor? Maybe something stir fry-like but healthy?

Ughhh help me stay out of the drive throughs y'all. I don't know how to cook any of the healthy s**t I've filled my kitchen with.
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Replies

  • Charlottesometimes23
    Charlottesometimes23 Posts: 687 Member
    Add a little bit of melted butter and lemon or lime juice.

    Make up a packet sauce mix eg. Cheese or white. Even better, make your own

    Add to the meat sauce for lasagne

    Use in stir fries. I use fresh veg as well as sometimes frozen doesn't have the crunchy texture I like

    Interested to hear other suggestions
  • KJoubert1966
    KJoubert1966 Posts: 49
    Bacon bits and Parmesian Cheese. You're welcome.

    I usually don't buy the microwaveable packs. Get fresh or frozen and sautee in olive oil, coconut oil, or bacon and garlic, or if you don't like bacon (wtf?) then I like to take broccoli, cauliflower, carrots and mushrooms... toss it in olive oil and crushed garlic, and roast in the oven until it starts to get tender. Brussel sprouts work in any of these methods too.
  • j6o4
    j6o4 Posts: 871 Member
    Worcestershire sauce, it's only 15 calories for a tablespoon.
  • earth_echo
    earth_echo Posts: 133 Member
    Well, you could try putting frozen veggies in chicken or beef stock to make an easy soup. I do this often. I dump a can of chicken stock in a bowl, add some frozen veggies and nuke it. Wha-la. Soup!
  • Laura732
    Laura732 Posts: 244 Member
    spaghetti sauce
  • victoriavoodoo
    victoriavoodoo Posts: 343 Member
    All intriguing! Thanks all =]

    I forgot to say pescetarian but thats my bad, I think ill try the soup idea some time with a tomato soup base. And try to resist the urge to make grilled cheese or garlic bread to dip in it...maybe no soup.

    Also excited about the roasting idea that sounds pretty hard to mess up and I have no earthly idea what worcestershire sauce looks or tastes like but ill try anything once =]

    sauce mix sounds easy and awesome too
  • brightsideofpink
    brightsideofpink Posts: 1,018 Member
    If you want something super simple and quick, experiment with various seasonings and seasoning blends. I stumbled across one blend after my mother's health turned her to a low-sodium diet, called Its a Dilly. Its a yummy blend. It is sodium free, but I still like it. If I'm in a rush, I'll toss the frozen veggies in a ziplock and sprinkle on the seasoning and shake. Pretty good and no added calories. I've also added in some grated parmesan. I also really like Old Bay seasoning on far more than just seafood.
  • Chaotic_Weevil
    Chaotic_Weevil Posts: 199 Member
    edited December 2014
    Melt a laughing cow cheese over the top.

    Garlic powder, onion powder or morrocan spice are all nice sprinkled on top.

    Mix a tablespoon of Greek yoghurt with a little lower calorie sweet chilli sauce or sririacha. Dip veggies in it.

  • AngryViking1970
    AngryViking1970 Posts: 2,847 Member
    Brown a little butter, add balsamic and soy. It's heavenly.

    Sometimes I toss the steamed veg with about 2 TB of red pepper hummus. That's surprisingly good.
  • coueswhitetail
    coueswhitetail Posts: 309 Member
    I stir fried some veggies in a sauce made of 2 TBS tahini and 2 TBS of soy/teriakyi sauce...it was quite good! If you aren't familiar with tahini, it's ground sesame seeds and tastes a bit like peanut butter. When you add something like soy sauce to it, it's got a nice salty taste and the teriaki sauce sweetens it up. Tahini, like all ground seeds/nuts, is a bit high calorie though, so go easy. If you don't want to use tahini, you could substitue hummus.
  • trisH_7183
    trisH_7183 Posts: 1,486 Member
    Barely cook the veggies. Put in a blender along with 1/2 C broth,blend.put in a pan,add broth till you have a soup that looks good. Don't forget the seasonings....your choice.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    I was going to suggest stir fry. Why isn't stir fry healthy?
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    I toss butter on my steamables- and then add S/P- i'm boring like that.
  • LifeInTheBikeLane
    LifeInTheBikeLane Posts: 345 Member
    If I have bagged and frozen veggies, weather they be steamable or not, I like to put them on my grittle and cook them fast so they don't get soggy. Teryaki sauce, garlic, or lemon pepper all make it so much better. Mostly though I add huge bags of veggies to my eggs or rice regardless so I never have them boring.
  • mizzzc
    mizzzc Posts: 346 Member
    All I do is buy bag of frozen green beans and measure out however much I want, then pan fry on high for 1 min each side. once they're nice and crispy I turn the heat down all the way and add a clove of crushed garlic and tbls of low sodium soya sauce or kraft oregano and feta dressing. So good!!!
  • AsaThorsWoman
    AsaThorsWoman Posts: 2,303 Member
    For a blend with broccoli and cauliflower I LOVE to add Tamari and Nutritional Yeast. So savory and Nutritional Yeast is always a good idea for all the B vitamins.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    mizzzc wrote: »
    All I do is buy bag of frozen green beans and measure out however much I want, then pan fry on high for 1 min each side. once they're nice and crispy I turn the heat down all the way and add a clove of crushed garlic and tbls of low sodium soya sauce or kraft oregano and feta dressing. So good!!!

    wait- the bag isn't one serving size?
  • SnuggleSmacks
    SnuggleSmacks Posts: 3,731 Member
    Feta cheese, herbs and spices, flavored vinegars, or little butter or oil.

    I do feta, olive oil and minced garlic often. Herbes de Provence is a good herb mix to add. Depending on the type of veggies, I might mix in some more exotic spice mixtures like garam masala or piri piri. For a southwest taste, red pepper flakes and cumin.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    I just sprinkle them with random Mrs Dash seasoning.
  • jbee27
    jbee27 Posts: 356 Member
    Parmesan cheese (20 cal/tbsp.), and some seasoning blend (I love Trader Joe's 21 seasoning salute).
  • victoriavoodoo
    victoriavoodoo Posts: 343 Member
    edited December 2014
    Need2Exerc1se wrote: »
    I was going to suggest stir fry. Why isn't stir fry healthy?

    Well I'm sure it can be but the way I learned is not. If you know a healthy way to make it that is still strongly flavored I'd be down to try it but when I have tried to make it without drowning it in sauce it was bland for me. Based on other recipes I try from the internet I think I have an extreme idea of what is bland from being spoiled to louisiana food. Not bland but when I started making calorie listings for my moms recipes I was horrified.

    Edit: by unhealthy I mean my fingers swell from sodium the day after I make stir fry. Also when I eat sushi. I'm 23 and my fingers swell uncomfortably from soy sauce wth
    JoRocka wrote: »
    mizzzc wrote: »
    All I do is buy bag of frozen green beans and measure out however much I want, then pan fry on high for 1 min each side. once they're nice and crispy I turn the heat down all the way and add a clove of crushed garlic and tbls of low sodium soya sauce or kraft oregano and feta dressing. So good!!!

    wait- the bag isn't one serving size?

    I don't know about her but I get 6 lb bags that have 6 1lb bags inside that you microwave. So mine are def not one serving lol.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    victoriavoodoo wrote: »
    Need2Exerc1se wrote: »
    I was going to suggest stir fry. Why isn't stir fry healthy?

    Well I'm sure it can be but the way I learned is not. If you know a healthy way to make it that is still strongly flavored I'd be down to try it but when I have tried to make it without drowning it in sauce it was bland for me. Based on other recipes I try from the internet I think I have an extreme idea of what is bland from being spoiled to louisiana food. Not bland but when I started making calorie listings for my moms recipes I was horrified.

    I season mine with dry seasonings and peppers, then just before serving stir in a little corn starch disolved in water. That thickens into a sauce flavored by whatever seasonings I've used.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    victoriavoodoo wrote: »
    Need2Exerc1se wrote: »
    I was going to suggest stir fry. Why isn't stir fry healthy?

    Well I'm sure it can be but the way I learned is not. When I have tried to make it without drowning it in sauce it was bland for me.

    Edit: by unhealthy I mean my fingers swell from sodium the day after I make stir fry. Also when I eat sushi. I'm 23 and my fingers swell uncomfortably from soy sauce wth
    JoRocka wrote: »
    mizzzc wrote: »
    All I do is buy bag of frozen green beans and measure out however much I want, then pan fry on high for 1 min each side. once they're nice and crispy I turn the heat down all the way and add a clove of crushed garlic and tbls of low sodium soya sauce or kraft oregano and feta dressing. So good!!!

    wait- the bag isn't one serving size?

    I don't know about her but I get 6 lb bags that have 6 1lb bags inside that you microwave. So mine are def not one serving lol.
    I buy steamables- and they are say there are 3 servings in there- but whatever- 1 bag = 1 serving.. unless it's a family size- but usually they don't have family size steamables.
  • victoriavoodoo
    victoriavoodoo Posts: 343 Member
    JoRocka wrote: »
    victoriavoodoo wrote: »
    Need2Exerc1se wrote: »
    I was going to suggest stir fry. Why isn't stir fry healthy?

    Well I'm sure it can be but the way I learned is not. When I have tried to make it without drowning it in sauce it was bland for me.

    Edit: by unhealthy I mean my fingers swell from sodium the day after I make stir fry. Also when I eat sushi. I'm 23 and my fingers swell uncomfortably from soy sauce wth
    JoRocka wrote: »
    mizzzc wrote: »
    All I do is buy bag of frozen green beans and measure out however much I want, then pan fry on high for 1 min each side. once they're nice and crispy I turn the heat down all the way and add a clove of crushed garlic and tbls of low sodium soya sauce or kraft oregano and feta dressing. So good!!!

    wait- the bag isn't one serving size?

    I don't know about her but I get 6 lb bags that have 6 1lb bags inside that you microwave. So mine are def not one serving lol.
    I buy steamables- and they are say there are 3 servings in there- but whatever- 1 bag = 1 serving.. unless it's a family size- but usually they don't have family size steamables.
    This brand is flav r pac. I like making a pound at once because I'm more likely to eat healthy if its already prepared. I try to do the every sunday thing but it ends up being sort of half assed usually
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    lol- It would never make a week- I'd it all in one serving. I love veggies.
  • libbydoodle11
    libbydoodle11 Posts: 1,351 Member
    sriracha and rice, soups, stir fry, pasta with veggies
  • annette_15
    annette_15 Posts: 1,657 Member
    You can roast veggies as well straight from a frozen bag. Dump on a baking sheet, spray or drizzle some olive oil and add your seasonings. Preheat oven to 385 and cook till veggies are getting brown and crispy
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
    A lot of times I go ahead and steam them in the microwave to cook most of the way through but for just under the amount of time, then sautee them in a pan with olive oil and other seasonings (garlic, ginger, soy for stir fry or garlic, minced onion, rosemary for Italian). I add them to soups, I have bought the basic frozen mixed veggies (peas, carrots, corn) and used that for easier Chicken Pot Pie and Shepherd's Pie.

  • CamilleNoemi
    CamilleNoemi Posts: 28 Member
    I mostly use frozen veggies, they are cheap and you can keep them for weeks in your freezer. I tend to just use salt and pepper, a lot of pepper, and I really like them this way.

    Today I had red bell peppers, just fried in the pan without any additional oil. They get a nice roasted flavour to them this way.

    And garlic, garlic makes everything 100x better ;)
  • mommyrunning
    mommyrunning Posts: 495 Member
    bump
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