Frozen Vegetables

Jules

Jules

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If you use them, what’s your cooking method? Can you make them really palatable.

Peas get added to carrots when I’m boiling them.
Corn is ok to fine boiled or microwaved.
Green beans are used for the traditional Casserole.

Mixed vegetables or carrots are wretched no matter how they’re done. Nothing worse than seeing them as a side in a restaurant.
 

Jules said:
If you use them, what’s your cooking method?
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Microwave, still in the bag, then dumped on the plate. About as creative as my cooking gets...

Once the microwave was broken so I ate them frozen, not as bad as you might think. Paul Prudhomme I ain't.

Broccoli and cauliflower are about all I do.
 

I've heard frozen veg have more nutrients than fresh, since they are frozen before shipping and don't sit out as long. But I love the convenience.

The only canned veg I ever use are tomatoes.

Broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, corn, peas, green beans, spinach, kale and lima beans.... I buy frozen. Handfuls of spinach, corn, kale, peas or green beans are easy to add to various soups.

I also bake frozen cauliflower and Brussels sprouts on a sheet pan sometimes.

Squash, carrots and eggplants, as well as escarole and peppers I do buy fresh, since those either don't come frozen or I don't like them.
 
Frozen peas for salads. I just put them in a cup to thaw w/water. Swish them around a bit, rinse, more water, swish...and then they're ready to use.

Edaname, I put in bowl w/a little water, cover w/saran wrap, then in the microwave for abt 7mins. Drain, then drizzle some oil and salt on them and eat.

Those are the only frozen vegs I ever use.
 
dobielvr said:
Frozen peas for salads. I just put them in a cup to thaw w/water. Swish them around a bit, rinse, more water, swish...and then they're ready to use.
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That is a great idea! I think I will adopt that. Thank you!

I always keep frozen broccoli, peas and green beans in the freezer. I will add different seasonings to them depending on how I'm using them. I'll add a handful or more of frozen peas to some dishes, such as chicken & rice, some soups, and whatever I think needs some color.

I always microwave frozen vegetables. I never buy frozen carrots, I don't like them only fresh ones.
 
I use the Birdseye bag of the veggie stir fry mix (plain, no sauce). It has broccoli, shredded carrots and peppers IIRC.

I like to grill some (1 cup?) seasoned chicken tender loins, cut across 2-3 loins into small pieces.

Get a cast iron pan hot on high heat.
Dump in the frozen bag of veggies in and stir fry for 2-3 minutes to soften the broccoli. I usually chop the broccoli with my spatula while it's frying because I like smaller pieces.
Salt and pepper.
Add the cooked and seasoned chicken loin pieces and stir fry a couple more minutes.
Add a handful of Chipotle peanuts.
Done.

Can substitute cut up cooked pork too.

Quick, easy.
 
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I keep on hand: fresh leafy greens like kale, spinach, lettuces, bok choy and cabbage. Also fresh carrots, onions, green onions, avocados, celery, squash, russet potatoes and orange-fleshed sweet potatoes/yams.

My freezer is always stocked with broccoli, corn, peas, green beans, cauliflower, avocados, mixed vegetables, and green onions.

I make soups, stir fries, various incarnations of pasta primavera, and plain vegetable side dishes from combinations of the above.
 
We use a bag of frozen, microwaved veg with almost every meal; broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, Brussel sprouts, peas and carrots, corn, spinach, etc. The only veg I cook from scratch is cabbage which I shred and then saute' in olive oil with onion and orange pepper, splash of soy sauce.

Oh and sweet potatoes and white bakers. I don't think of them as veg but carbs, delicious, forbidden carbs.
 
Just remembered I sometimes buy frozen beets. If drained well, I’ll add them to roasted vegetables.

No more turnip; it was handy, just too much moisture. I even find that with my own turnip/rutabaga that I freeze.

Frozen diced onions are handy, just don’t seem to have as much flavour. This may just be that my taste buds aren’t experiencing foods as well.

When I go to the store today I’m going to look for frozen avocados.
 
My mom was a talented cook, so we ate well growing up. As an adult am a relatively ignorant food preparer. Over decades while eating little meat besides modest amounts of chicken or fish, have eaten lots of frozen vegetables. In this convenient microwave era, I do like the veg in steam bags. Only like broccoli as florets and corn must be soft sweet corn. Often combine sweet corn and peas or sweet corn with lima beans with rice in a rectangular Pyrex glass container, I'll microwave. A can of microwaved S&W black beans goes well with a topping of shredded cheddar cheese. Other mic'd frozen vegetables like string beans will eat alone. Note also eat soups, packaged salads, fruits, grains, and nuts.
 
Pink Biz said:
I didn't know avocados can be frozen. How do you do it? Whole?
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I buy them by the bag at my Costco Business Center. They're already peeled, halved, pitted and frozen. Very inexpensive at 3 pounds for $8.99 and they're at perfect ripeness.

The texture isn't ideal, but these avocado halves are excellent for recipes where the avocado is pulverized in a blender or food processor anyway. They're good in smoothies or whirled avocado/bean dip recipes that don't rely on chunks of fresh avocado. They don't turn brown (ingredients are avocado halves and citric acid).

I find them to be a good adjunct to fresh avocados, for instance as the primary base for guacamole, but it's best to also add some chunked fresh avocado.

I also meant to say that I often have frozen mushrooms in my freezer. I buy whole or sliced mushrooms on sale, dry saute them, drain the liquid, then freeze them flat in ziplock bags.

Another trick - once a year or so I buy a container of whole peeled garlic, mince it in a small food processor with some olive oil, then freeze it flat in about 1 cup portions in ziplock bags. I break off chunks when I need garlic in a recipe. I do the same thing with leftover fresh cilantro - otherwise it gets slimy in my fridge in about three days.

When it comes to cooking, I'm very big on doing things ahead as you may have surmised.
 
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