Frozen/canned vegetables - how do I make this stuff edible?
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Mix them with things! Table spoon of tomato puree, a little bit of water or stock and some seasoning and mix it all together and you have a make-shift ratatouille style thing (sort of? Haha)
In all seriousness though I mix my veg in with most things, which is probably harder to do with frozen stuff but still do-able with a bit of imagination. I'm eating a lot of beans at the moment (kidney, mixed, etc) and theyre really good just rinsed then thrown in a pan with some water, tomato puree and a stock cube. Season it with paprika cumin etc and mash it up a bit abs it's a bit like refried beans (or so I'm told). Another idea could be to make whatever veg you're eating into a casserole style dish? I find everything seems to taste better with a little sauce and baked in the oven for a while..
Other than that, as others have said just season it well..0 -
ilovecereal1982 wrote: »I dunno about most people but I have a little cup of bacon grease in my fridge. ..yes I said bacon grease not baking soda...anyways...you melt this stuff down...you drizzle it...and ooooh baby it makes anything and everything taste like bacon...note if you do not like bacon this is a horrible idea.
woops i though you said baking soda for a second there, thanks for correcting us0 -
How about soup? Use some low sodium stock and add the vegetables you want. If you add a little protein like lean beef, chicken or turkey then throw in some spices, you have a pretty tasty meal. Another option is stir fry.0
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I wandaremightythings wrote: »
I would absolutely do this if I could access/afford fresh. Green beans are regularly $2+/lb, asparagus (not that you'd can it) is $4/lb, even fricken cucumbers are upwards of $1 EACH. Farmer's markets prices are worse, sadlyqueenliz99 wrote: »OP, have you considered canning your own veggies.
http://allrecipes.com/recipes/15930/side-dish/sauces-and-condiments/canning-and-preserving/
I have done this and it can't be beat.
That's why I'm trying to learn to love frozen, because they're sort of more affordable.
I want to know where you used to live! Those are slightly higher than typical prices here, but not by much. Here fresh green beans are $1.89/lb, cucumbers 2/$2 or $3. Baby carrots $1.69/lb. Green peppers $1.79/lb.0 -
Add it over half a cup of rice and add soy sauce. I mostly eat fresh but frozen is okay this way0
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Get creative with your cooking. My favorite thing to do with veggies is to caramelize onions, then add the veggies, the add some garlic and herbs/spices. It's about the easiest thing on the planet and tastes great.
If you know what you'll be using, you can always toss them into the fridge a day or two ahead of time so they'll be thawed and ready to go.
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Basically what everyone said about roasting them. However I typically sauté my veggies with olive oil and different spices. I experiment with mixing diferent types of veggies together too. You can also add veggies straight into food. For example make a big pan of healthy fried rice and load it with veggies. I use mostly frozen vegetables and you can do lots with them.0
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I like to roast my frozen veggies in a drizzle of olive oil and whatever spices I'm feeling that day. If it's canned (lets just say green beans), you can cook some diced chicken, drain the green beans and then add them to the pan with the chicken and spice it up.0
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I love frozen veggies and make a big bowl with them in it once a day. They are the best.
.5 cup each of spinach, kale, "mixed", and broccoli (holy cow, I spelled it right without looking it up!)
dump in bowl
add seasoning: Lite Salt, Nu Salt, and Mrs. Dash
drizzle some olive oil on it
add various frozen meat: bird, pig, cow
add sauces: BBQ, "southwestern" marinade, and a lil' Sriracha
microwave for 3 minutes
When it comes out, chop and mix it all up with knife and fork. Put scrambled eggs on top of all this glorious mess, and eat. Awesome.
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Hot sauce. Always hot sauce.0
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daremightythings wrote: »Hello!
I've just moved to a part of the country where fresh produce is in very short supply and is astronomically expensive relative to what I am used to spending and my current budget.
What's left as an option is basically frozen produce (I just cannot stomach canned veg besides beans). Also isn't cheap but will at least keep for a longer term so at least I'm not wasting money via spoilage.
How in God's name does one make frozen vegetables palatable?! I typically roast my veggies with herbs and S&P for flavor and I'm not sure how to go about doing that with frozen, or if it's even possible. I can only handle so many microwave steamed broccoli florets before I lose my marbles.
Are there secrets to taming frozen veg that I'm just not aware of? Suggestions or advice are much appreciated!
Frozen broccoli & cauliflower is great in soups and casseroles. The texture of these hold up pretty well to freezing.
Frozen green beans hold waaaay to much water. I opt for frozen French style green beans. I can actually just thaw these and use in a salad. Good in a stir fry too.
Frozen carrots (ugh). These have a weird texture. Soups and casseroles maybe. Maybe puree it for soup.
Frozen squash is yummy in soups.
Canned.....blech! Grew up on these too.....blech!0 -
My first thought was garlic. I was putting my garden turnips, scalloped, in a cream sauce to tone them down a bit. They got eaten right quick. Perhaps baked in a cream sauce might help.
There are places in the world where fresh is hard to come by. There are remote communities in my Canadian province that are like that. Unless I want to chew on fresh beluga blubber, frozen veggies may be the only way to go.0 -
Frozen spinach, broccoli, cauliflower and squash are great for soups and casseroles. Frozen peas can be sautéed with a little butter and mint or thawed in cold water and thrown into salads or pasta. You can roast frozen corn in the oven with olive oil and salt and pepper, 450 for 10 minutes.0
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I love to make quiche or mac and cheese with frozen broccoli, add some fresh chopped onion, bacon and your favorite seasonings and enjoy. Also frozen green beans make a great "stuffing" for chicken breast again just add a bit of seasoning maybe a little cheese or butter and bake. For an even tastier dish make some parmesan breadcrumbs and sprinkle over the top.
I use frozen cauliflower all the time to mix with potatoes when having mashed potatoes.
Peas, carrots and corn also work great in stir fry dishes or just mixed in with some brown rice.
Soups, casseroles, pasta sauces, meatloaf are all good easy ways to use them.0 -
I came out to Arkansas from California. I'm used to prices in the range of green peppers, cucumbers, zucchini $0.49/ea, green beans, baby carrots $0.99/lb (regular carrots less), lettuce regularly under $1/lb, onions $0.69/lb or less, avocados under $1ea, tomatoes around $1/lb, apples, peaches, pears $0.89-$1/lb, berries as low as $0.99/carton depending on the season, lemons and limes $0.25/ea, etc.I want to know where you used to live! Those are slightly higher than typical prices here, but not by much. Here fresh green beans are $1.89/lb, cucumbers 2/$2 or $3. Baby carrots $1.69/lb. Green peppers $1.79/lb.
Everything is expensive here and we're having to resort to vegan protein in the form of beans and lentils because I can't afford enough meat to meet my protein requirements. Which is fine because I love me some lentil salads but still. I live 10 miles from the world HQ of Tyson chicken and breasts are $3.19/lb ON SALE.
Thanks, all, for the suggestions! I've added lots of notes to my recipe board. @feisty_bucket, your egg/kale/meat mess does indeed sound glorious. That's a fantastic weekend breakfast or weeknight dinner waiting to happen.
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ilovecereal1982 wrote: »I dunno about most people but I have a little cup of bacon grease in my fridge. ..yes I said bacon grease not baking soda...anyways...you melt this stuff down...you drizzle it...and ooooh baby it makes anything and everything taste like bacon...note if you do not like bacon this is a horrible idea.
That is genius! Thanks for the tip!0 -
So many good suggestions here! I have discovered it does not take much butter or spices at all to add flavor to vegetables. I often use 1 tsp, or even 1/2 tsp of butter if I am just eating one serving.
Experiment with sauces too. Do you have a Trader Joes in your area? I love their Thai red curry sauce on vegetables and it is low calorie!
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OConnell5483 wrote: »ilovecereal1982 wrote: »I dunno about most people but I have a little cup of bacon grease in my fridge. ..yes I said bacon grease not baking soda...anyways...you melt this stuff down...you drizzle it...and ooooh baby it makes anything and everything taste like bacon...note if you do not like bacon this is a horrible idea.
That is genius! Thanks for the tip!
Hey!!! You're welcome...I am a fitness recipe encyclopedia. ..0 -
The closest TJs to me is over 3 hours awayGreenValli wrote: »So many good suggestions here! I have discovered it does not take much butter or spices at all to add flavor to vegetables. I often use 1 tsp, or even 1/2 tsp of butter if I am just eating one serving.
Experiment with sauces too. Do you have a Trader Joes in your area? I love their Thai red curry sauce on vegetables and it is low calorie!
I actually cried when I left California because of that.
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