Frozen/canned vegetables - how do I make this stuff edible?
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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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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!
So weird. Frozen green beans are the only one I can stomach as an actual side and not mixed into anything. I put them in a super hot pan and let all the water steam out, then add butter, salt and pepper until they're browned.
Eta, I'm lying because the fire roasted butter balsamic vegetables from Aldi or TJ I also eat as a regular side, but they need to be with some kind of starch or even a starch sub.
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feisty_bucket wrote: »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.
I do something similar.
Frozen broccoli, carrot and cauliflower.
microwave 4 minutes
Ground meat: chicken, beef or turkey coked in oil and burger seasoning
Mix with veggies and 1ounce grated sharp cheddar cheese.
It's not awesome, but it's low cal and reasonably healthy.
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Some things to try:
1. 1/2 slice of bacon fried dry with paper towel and crumble over vegs (I like to add sautéed onion w/bacon)
2. Use stick butter and (Very) thinly slice 1/4 - 1/2 Tablespoon for flavor
3. Chicken or Beef stock (Powdered - usually sold w/boullion) Chicken is my preference
4. Bake skinless chicken in oven - add frozen vegs, salt/pepper/flavored powder stock/tomatoes and little water
5. When making fajitas before fully cooked - slice and add thawed frozen vegs
6. Great to add in any kind of healthy soup/stew/quinoa
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