How can I cook vegetables?!
Answers: I want to start cooking vegetables but I'm jot sure how to. Do I just boil everything? Could you give me some ideas of some simple recipies with vegetables or just how to cook them? I miss eating stuff that is alive. Or was alive.
There are several ways to cook vegetables: 1 you can boil them 2 steam them 3 stir fry or 4 saute them.
Once you get the basic cooking down, the recipes will not seem so mysterious. So here is how you actually cook them:
First and foremost is prepping your veggies and that means removing any blemishes, skin (many people don't like it, I do) and giving it a good wash under cold water. If you have frozen veggies, no need to prep, its already been done.
No matter what vegetable you cook, you want it fork tender, NOT MUSHY.
1 Boiling - Preheat water to a boil in a lidded pot, add 1 teaspoon of salt, put veggies in but only enough so that its covered by the water. Reduce heat to medium and cook 5-8 minutes or till veggies turn tender. Salt, pepper and butter to taste. The downside of boiling is that most of the nutrients are boiled away.
2 Steaming - put enough water in a lidded pot so it is just below your steamer basket, add veggies to basket (no need to boil water first). Within 8-10 minutes, check and if fork tender they are done.
3. Stir fry - For this you need a wok or a stir fry pan, which is usually 15" across or greater with steep sides. This can be a lot of fun, but you must stand over it or your veggies will be either raw or over cooked. Use only vegetables that can be cut into strips such as carrots, celery, leeks, any of the chinese veggies, eggplant etc. Pre-heat over medium heat and add a good peanut or canola oil(3-4 tablespoons). Allow the oil to heat up for about 1 minute, gradually add veggies and as they finish cooking, move them up the side of the pan where they will stay warm, but no longer cook. They are done when you see them turn bright in color and if they are leafy, as soon as they start to wilt. In this type of cooking, feel free to add whatever spice or herbs while you are cooking. Since you are new, we'll keep it simple:2 tablespoons of lemon zest, 1 tablespoon fresh basil, 1/2 of thyme and 1/2 of rosemary; very aromatic. NEVER ADD BUTTER OR FAT, IT WILL BURN!
Saute - This involves 2 processes, first steam your veggies, but only until they start to soften. Remove and drain. In a saute pan, add 3 tablespoons of olive oil over low- medium heat, next add 3 cloves of finely chopped garlic and 1 large sweet onion thinnly sliced. Turn mixture with a wooden spoon and add a good dry white wine(1/4 cup), immediately add veggies (any type you want- this is a universal recipe). Reduce heat to low, turn mixture and add 1 tablespoon of kosher or sea salt, 1/2 of fresh ground black pepper, 2tablespoons of fresh basil fine chopped, 1/2 of dried oregano and another 1/4 cup of wine, mix and lid for 5-8 minutes. Remove lid, veggies should be close to fork tender and most liquid absorbed by veggies. Have bread ready.
Obviously, these are basics for cooking vegetables and are foolproof. Off of these are thousands of recipe variations to whet your appetite. Recipes are useless unless you understand the basics behind them.
I know all this because my uncle was a master chef and I served a number of years in his kitchen. He always preached " You cannot serve up a masterpiece, even from a recipe, unless you understand how the basic food groups need to be properly cooked and aligned with each other to make something great".
With a heat source
I usually peel my veg...tho paptoes can be cooked and eaten with their skins on....as carrots can be too...but wash them first. But skinned or not: Put them into a pan. Top with cold water. When the veg begins to boil...cook them for 20 to 25 minutes. Drain. Add them to your plate with the rest of your meal and enjoy.
i prefer them lightly steamed, or else cooked in broths for soup and stew. to steam, you need a little water in the bottom of the pan with a steamer basket, cut whatever vegetables you want and put into the basket, then put the lid on and boil until the veggies are tender....
STEAMED VEGETABLE MEDLEY
1/2 head broccoli
1/2 head cauliflower
1 lg. green pepper, cut in strips
1 lg. onion, sliced
4 carrots (scraped, cut into 1 inch sections)
Cook in steamer amount of vegetables as needed for number to serve. Serves 8. Cook each separately then drain and pour in 3 quart dish with cover. Add pimento (or fresh red pepper, steamed). Add 2 tablespoons light zesty Italian dressing. Toss and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Another thing my children love is a to peel and slice zucchini and fry it in a little olive oil and garlic until it is tender... then you can add a few chopped tomatoes and cook until hot.... yummy.
the internet is a fabulous source for recipes... just search for vegetable recipes and have fun...
www.cooks.com
www.recipezaar.com
Buy yourself a steamer.
They are those two or three tier high plastic things in Comet or Currey's.
You put each veg in its own tray turn it on and it dings when they are cooked.
The flavour is better than boiling and they claim the vitamins content is better than boiling
Boiling them turns them to mush usually. Steaming is a wonderful way to cook most vegetables. Because it is so gentle, it allows them to retain more of their shape, color, texture, flavor, and nutrition. It's also not very complicated. If you don't have a steamer, you can get a little steamer basket insert at most discount, dollar stores and kitchen stores. I picked mine up for less than $5.
In a pinch, you can steam them by making aluminum foil balls about the size of a baseball. Make enough to cover the bottom of the pot you're using and make sure the water level is well below the tops of the balls. You can use this as a bed for for the veggies.
To steam them, make sure the water in your pan doesn't touch the bottom of the steamer basket. Bring the water to a boil before adding the vegetables to the basket. Cover and cook. Make sure the water doesn't boil away; add more boiling water to the pan as necessary.
Here's a guide for steaming some of the more popular veggies:
Artichoke, medium - 40 minutes
Asparagus, thin spears - 3 to 4 minutes
thick spears - 5 to 6 minutes
Beets - 30 to 35 minutes
Broccoli, florets - 4 to 5 minutes
spears - 5 to 6 minutes
Brussels sprouts - 7 to 11 minutes
Cabbage, cut in wedges - 6 minutes
Carrots, cut 1/4-inch thick - 6 to 8 minutes
Cauliflower, head - 12 to 15 minutes
florets - 4 to 6 minutes
Corn on the cob - 5 minutes
Green beans - 4 to 5 minutes
Kale - 4 to 5 minutes
Parsnips, 1-1/2-inch pieces - 8 to 10 minutes
Peas - 2 minutes
Potatoes, new - 12 minutes
2-inch pieces - 15 minutes
Spinach -4 to 5 minutes
Sweet potatos, whole - 40 to 50 minutes
1-inch pieces - 12 to 15 minutes
Winter squash, peeled, 2 inch pieces - 15 to 20 minutes
Zucchini, 1/4 inch slices - 5 to 7 minutes
Hey - you can indeed boil your vegetables but you need to know it will lower their vitamins amount. Still, a good recipe I have is to boil vegetables (for instance potatoes, courgettes and maybe carrots as well) and them put everything in a blender, add salt and pepper and some fresh cream - it is delicious and very healthy.
However, the best way to cook vegetables is in a pressure cooker - it keeps all vitamins they contain and also it takes less time to cook (approx 10 min).
Or, is you feel like properly cooking - I have this recipe of vegetables gratin where you cut all your chosen vegetables (from the season is best) in small thin layer, then put them all in a terra cotta dish with a lid, put in oven and cook for maybe 15 min. Then, when the vegetables are nearly done, you add a bechamel (basically, just milk and flour that you stir continuously until it gets thick) on the top to cover them all, and put the dish back in the oven for another 10 min....it is just an amazingly easy to prepare dish that will leave you with a creamy-vegy taste...hummmmm
Good luck!
buy a steamer quick and easy keeps the vitamins in!
Invest in a steamer. There are electric ones on the market but I think they are just another gadget that ends up gathering dust in the back of the cupboard.
Buy one that goes on the hotplate. If you are in the UK, Argos does a stainless steel one for ￡9.99.
You will be able to steam enough vegetables for 6 people in it with potatoes in the bottom and all on one ring. Save vitamins and money at the same time.
you can boil them, that is an option, you can also stir-fry them.
Steam them...if you boil them, they will get mushy and you will cook all the vitamins out of them. You can steam them in a rice cooker, or just put a small amount of water in the bottom of your pot. Simmer until they get as soft as you like them.
It also works in the microwave....put a little bit of water, and cover with plastic wrap.
Stir Fry it with mince garlic and a dash of salt
i like different vegs. grilled in a pan w/ herbs/spices mixed in..
Another good way to cook veggies is on your grill. One of my favorite side dishes is grilled peppers and onions. I slice one green bell pepper, one red bell pepper, and one yellow onion into thin strips. I mix them with about a tablespoon of olive oil and some seasoning salt, then I spray them with a fat free butter spray. Be sure to use a little butter (fat free or not), for flavor. Wrap them tightly in 2 sheets of aluminum foil, and toss the pouch on the grill on high, for about 15 minutes. Turn it at least once, halfway through cooking. You can also do this with potatoes, carrots, baby corn...and plenty of other veggies. Enjoy!
You can boil them, bake them (just drizzle a bit of olive oil over them before baking), you can stir fry them or just fry them, steam and grill.
boil them