Frozen veggies

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Chiny
Chiny Posts: 321
in Recipes
I have in my freezer right now a bag of frozen brocolli florets, cauliflower florets and zucchini. I'm not a big vegetable eater and consequently neither are my kids :brokenheart:

What can I do with them or how can I cook them and "spice" them up a bit to add flavor. I'd like to use them throughout the week with different meals. My plan to do a meat, a starch and a veggie at least 3-4 nights this week (other night are probably leftovers).

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  • cbdrcg
    cbdrcg Posts: 5
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    Toss them with just a hint of Italian dressing. Top with a bit of parmessan cheese (the real stuff you have to grate instead of the "real" stuff out of a bottle or can). The cheese will melt and it's really good.
  • msh0530
    msh0530 Posts: 1,675 Member
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    Agree with the above. I also like them spritzed with I Can't Believe It's Not Butter spray, and lightly salted. But then, I am a veggie lover!
  • 83Molly
    83Molly Posts: 3 Member
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    mix the veggies with condenced creamed soup (available in 1/2 fat), spinkle with salt and pepper and bake in the oven...that with some brown rice and baked chicken is a tasty meal
  • fortiter00
    fortiter00 Posts: 47 Member
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    I like to mix them in with whole wheat pasta and some sauce.
  • emilyfh
    emilyfh Posts: 291 Member
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    do you have a microwave steamer? I put mine in a steamer 8 min, then add .5 Tbl smart banance margarine, 1-2 Tbl parm cheese, season; no salt italian seasoning, pepper, garlic or onion powder. Also can add some fat free cheeses; mozz or cheddar. I have this alot. :tongue:
  • courtney_love2001
    courtney_love2001 Posts: 1,468 Member
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    cheesy sauce! :) I buy the frozen veggies with cheese sauce mixed in; I think they're by Green Giant. You can certainly take all of these other fine ideas for spicing up your veggies until you run out of the plain ones. I will def use them to help me...plain veggies don't do it for me...I need some spice!
  • Nich0le
    Nich0le Posts: 2,906 Member
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    cook veggies in chicken broth instead of water or at least 50/50. It adds flavor and they taste great.

    My kids also like rice vinegar to spritz on their veggies...mmm
  • keylolo02
    keylolo02 Posts: 1
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    I steam my veggies and top it off with Mrs.Dash Garlic & Herb...yummy! If you need salt use a dash.
  • Amylynn
    Amylynn Posts: 242 Member
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    I add a tsp. of butter or margarine, garlic powder, & pepper. These 3 things will make them taste entirely different. I cook all my veggies the same & let me tell you, I didn't used to like peas, but I will even eat those because they are delicious like this. Plus, doesn't add too many calories either, so it is still pretty healthy.
  • Chiny
    Chiny Posts: 321
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    Wow!! You all are so awesome! I will try the suggested things. Here's a dumb question, how are you all cooking them? Microwave? Oven? Grill? Skillet?
  • msh0530
    msh0530 Posts: 1,675 Member
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    Wow!! You all are so awesome! I will try the suggested things. Here's a dumb question, how are you all cooking them? Microwave? Oven? Grill? Skillet?

    I cook them any of those ways, but most often microwave, because I'm always in a hurry.
  • meana717
    meana717 Posts: 261 Member
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    I steam my veggies and top it off with Mrs.Dash Garlic & Herb...yummy! If you need salt use a dash.

    I do this as well... my son isn't a veggie eater but my daughter is, however when I make the veggies (particularly the broccoli or cauliflower) he scarfs them down quicker then she does! I buy the ziploc steam fresh bags! Lifesavers in my opinion! The bag tells you right on it how long to cook them in the microwave. You don't have to add any liquid at all! I also use the Mrs Dash Original. Or just some Garlic Salt or Lawrys Seasoning.


    Also try KraftFoods.com They have spectacular recipes. Cheap and convinent. You can sign up to receive their Recipe Magazine which comes out 4 times a year- seasonally. And they have really good receipes that are kid friendly! Like Mac and Cheese but instead of Mac you use Cauliflower!

    Hope it helps!
  • mavsfan2009
    mavsfan2009 Posts: 261 Member
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    There is a veggie seasoning that I use that I CAN NOT for the life of me remember the name of right now...but I think its McCormicks. Its really good - try it out.
  • weaklink109
    weaklink109 Posts: 2,831 Member
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    cheesy sauce! :) I buy the frozen veggies with cheese sauce mixed in; I think they're by Green Giant. You can certainly take all of these other fine ideas for spicing up your veggies until you run out of the plain ones. I will def use them to help me...plain veggies don't do it for me...I need some spice!


    For what it is worth, it would probably be better to buy plain frozen veggies add your own cheese. The "cheesy sauce" that comes with the veggies adds fat, sodium and chemicals to your veggies that freshly grated cheese won't. Also, just plain veggies, frozen, are available in store brands and cost a lot less.:smile:
  • LittleSpy
    LittleSpy Posts: 6,754 Member
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    I ditto the no pre-cheese sauced veggies. Gimme the real cheese, please! :smile:

    And also, try not to steam your veggies in plastic (containers or bags). According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, chemical components can indeed "migrate" from plastics into food at microwaving temperatures. Though I believe they have yet to link that to any serious health issues in humans, it's still kind of gross when there are other alternatives like glass and ceramic that are pretty much just as easy.

    I normally steam my veggies in a ceramic crock with a glass lid (vented) with about a tablespoon of water. I season them with low-salt or no salt seasonings & eat them that way. Frozen veggies save so much time and money!
  • Manerva
    Manerva Posts: 1
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    Make a chicken Soup.
  • Sparksfly
    Sparksfly Posts: 470 Member
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    I saute fresh zucchini in a little olive oil and garlic. Add salt and pepper to taste. Same thing with Broccoli


    Zucchini at my supermarket (in a major city where all the prices are biggg $$$) a large one was like 59 cents. A large one could easily feed like 3 people for dinner. Sounds pretty cheap to me..plus a lot of frozen veggies lose some of their nutrients between the freezing, microvwaving, and boiling...

    FRESH IS THE WAY TO GO!
  • emmie110
    emmie110 Posts: 176
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    Zucchini I cut into spears and saute on the stove with a little olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper. They are good on the grill too. I have never been a fan of broccoli UNTIL I roasted it in the oven. I cut it up - the stalk too - and spread it out on a cookie sheet. Drizzle olive oil and garlic (if you want) - little salt. I love it. It changes the flavor of the broccoli - kind of a nutty taste.
    Also - google for a whipped cauliflower recipe. It is so good - doesn't taste all cauliflowery. You can use frozen or fresh (just steam the whole head). You whip it with cream or milk, butter (i think), and add some cheese. I have this on thanksgiving instead of mashed potatoes.
  • LittleSpy
    LittleSpy Posts: 6,754 Member
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    Zucchini at my supermarket (in a major city where all the prices are biggg $$$) a large one was like 59 cents. A large one could easily feed like 3 people for dinner. Sounds pretty cheap to me..plus a lot of frozen veggies lose some of their nutrients between the freezing, microvwaving, and boiling...

    FRESH IS THE WAY TO GO!

    The reality is that most frozen veggies have the same or *more* nutrients than many fresh veggies (of course this only applies to fresh veggies from the supermarket! Obviously, fresh veggies from your own garden or grown locally could be more nutritious than frozen if the timing/season is right!). :wink: Frozen veggies are frozen at the peak of ripeness (read: peak of nutrition), which locks in nutrients. Fresh produce is often picked before they're ripe and then are shipped the store. It can easily be a week or longer before fresh produce hits your plate. A lot of nutrients can be lost in that time.

    Another benefit of frozen veggies is they don't spoil if you don't use them a few days after you buy them. I buy fresh zucchini, too. I buy fresh lots of things, especially from the farmer's market in town. But I keep my freezer packed full of frozen veggies, especially things like broccoli, corn, green peas, green beans, etc. Those things are way more convenient to prepare from frozen. They stay good longer, and chances are, they have more nutrition than the produce I could buy off season at the grocery store anyway.


    http://www.eatingwell.com/nutrition_health/nutrition_news_information/fresh_vs_frozen_vegetables_are_we_giving_up_nutrition_fo
    http://www.healthcastle.com/veggies_fresh_frozen.shtml
    http://www.extension.org/faq/37400
    http://bulletin.aarp.org/yourhealth/healthyliving/articles/myth_buster_are_fresh_vegetables_better_than_frozen_.html
  • Chiny
    Chiny Posts: 321
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    Thank you!!

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