There’s an old saying that many of you probably learned from your mom, or learned it by reading it over and over: Always use fresh vegetables. When you use canned or frozen vegetables, you’re losing lots of nutrients.
Well, that many be true in the case of canned vegetables (they lose loads of nutrients while undergoing the preservation process), but it is definitely NOT true for frozen vegetables.
A new study by the USDA Agricultural Research Center, located in Weslaco, Texas, discovered that frozen vegetables can be healthier for you than much of the fresh produce that can be found on sale at supermarkets!
First of all, the vegetables and fruit that are selected for freezing are most often processed at their moment of peak ripeness, when they usually are the most nutrient-packed.
Second, although the first step of freezing, blanching vegetables in steam or hot water to kill bacteria, does cause some B vitamins and vitamin C to leech out, the next step – flash-freezing – locks the rest of the nutrients in.
The most important thing for you to learn, then, is how to cook frozen vegetables.
Now we’ve come to the fun part of this article!
You might have tried before to make delicious home cooked meals with frozen vegetables. Perhaps the outcome wasn’t too great, and your vegetables either turned out mushy, watery, undercooked or overcooked, and they did not blend in well with your other ingredients.
This article will demonstrate to you that frozen vegetables, if cooked properly, are perfectly delicious and nutritious, besides being so much easier to prepare.
I want to show you how to cook frozen vegetables in the microwave, in the oven, and on the stove. You’ll also learn how to cook stir-fry frozen vegetables, and frozen chicken and vegetables together.
What will you need in order to follow this tutorial?
- Plenty of frozen vegetables. Any kind is good. Some of my favorites include Season’s Choice, Green Giant, Birds Eye, Libby’s, Tommy’s Superfoods, and Costco Kirkland frozen stir fry vegetables
- A microwave, a steamer basket and pot, an oven, a stove, a pressure cooker, a covered glass casserole, a small bowl, and a medium sized baking dish.
- I’ll show you all the steps necessary to turn you into the King or Queen of frozen vegetable cooking. Or maybe just a Prince or Princess – you can decide which title you like the best!
- Water, butter, salt, pepper, celery salt, harissa paste, olive oil, other assorted spices. Shredded cheddar cheese, cornflakes, sliced almonds, assorted frozen vegetables, 1 pound of shrimp, soy sauce, garlic cloves, garlic powder, dry pasta, chicken tenderloins, minced dried onions, dried basil and parsley, 1 can creamed chicken soup, 1 can creamed mushroom soup, dried bread crumbs, parmesan cheese
You can also read: Best Rotary Cheese Grater
How to Cook Frozen Vegetables in the Microwave
Brussels sprouts with shredded cheddar and cornflake topping.
For your first dish, you’ll need 1 1/2 pounds of frozen Brussels sprouts (I chose Season’s Choice All Natural Baby Brussels Sprouts) , a 1 1/2 quart glass covered casserole (or any cooking dish suitable for the microwave that has a lid), 2 tablespoons of water (and this is optional):
Step 1 : Place your Brussels sprouts into a covered microwave cooking dish. Sprinkle with pepper and celery salt
Step 2 : Add about 2 tablespoons of water (Brussels sprouts are denser vegetables, so the water will help it become a little more soft-textured)
Step 3 : Turn your microwave on high for approximately 6 to 8 minutes until tender. Stir and rotate a quarter turn every few minutes (Note: You know your microwave. If it’s a super powerful version, the cooking will take less time. On the other hand, if you have an oldie but goodie, you’ll need more time to cook your sprouts)
Step 4 : Drain, and sprinkle the top with about 1/2 a cup of shredded cheddar
Step 5 : Put uncovered dish back in the microwave for approximately 30 to 60 seconds; just enough time till that cheddar starts to melt
Step 6 : Remove from microwave, and sprinkle 1/3 of a cup of finely crushed cornflakes mixed with 1 tablespoon of melted butter
Step 7 : Serve! This recipe yields 8 servings
How to Cook Frozen Vegetables in the Oven
For this delicious dish, I used one pound of frozen green beans from Green Giant, olive oil or coconut oil, harissa paste, salt and pepper, and sliced almonds. Mixing bowl, large baking sheet, and an oven of course.
Step 1 : Preheat your oven to 425 degrees, and preheat your baking sheet at the same time with a drizzle of coconut oil or olive oil on it. If you think your frozen beans need it, you can go ahead and crank up the oven to 450 degrees. The higher heat is useful for evaporating any last bit of condensation on the beans so they’ll be sure to roast, not steam
Step 2 : Give your frozen beans a toss in the mixing bowl with one or two tablespoons of coconut oil or olive oil plus 2 tsps. of the harissa paste before spreading them out onto the preheated baking pan. Make sure your veggies are completely coated with oil. This ensures that each bite will be flavorful, and that they’ll crisp up evenly
Step 3 : Season with pepper and salt, and slide your baking sheet onto the upper rack of your oven. Cook them for approximately 10 to 12 minutes, and stir them once at 5 to 6 minutes.
Step 4 : Remove beans from oven when they look slightly wilted and lightly browned. Top with 2 tbsp. of sliced almonds, and serve
How to Cook Frozen Vegetables on the Stove
Here’s a great recipe for steaming your frozen vegetables. I used Tommy’s Superfoods frozen vegetable medley for this one. It’s a delicious mixture of carrots, broccoli florets, green peas, and seasoning mix. You’ll need a stove, skillet, and olive oil.
Step 1 : Open the bag and pour its contents into a skillet. Mix in 1 tbsp. of olive oil. Don’t add water.
Step 2 : Cook frozen veggies uncovered for 8 to 10 minutes on medium high heat
Step 3 : Stir occasionally. That’s it! Remove and serve.
How to Cook Frozen Stir Fry Vegetables
You’ll need a wok or pan, a stove, and Kirkland Frozen Stir-Fry Vegetable Blend for this one. This blend has green beans, broccoli, carrots, sugar snap peas, shiitake mushrooms, red bell peppers, yellow onions and baby corn.
For this stir-fry I’m adding shrimp, 1 tbsp. of oil, garlic cloves, and soy sauce.
Step 1 : Thaw and cook 1 pound shrimp
Step 2 : Heat your oil in a wok or non-stick pan on medium high heat
Step 3 : Add the frozen vegetables. Cook and stir occasionally for 4 minutes
Step 4 : Add 4 minced cloves of garlic, 3 tablespoons of soy sauce and pepper to taste. Cook for approximately 4 minutes
Step 5 : Taste and see whether it’s salty enough. If it isn’t, add some more soy sauce
Step 6 : Remove from heat and eat!
How to Cook Frozen Chicken and Vegetables Together
Here is a super delicious pasta and chicken casserole with yummy mixed vegetables.
You’ll need 2 cups of mixed vegetables (frozen, of course), 1 cup of pasta (dry fusilli is best), olive oil, a half dozen chicken tenderloins, chopped into chunks, a tbsp. of dried and minced onion, pepper and salt to taste, a pinch of garlic powder, a tbsp. each of dried basil and dried parsley, 1 can of condensed soup (cream of chicken) and another can of condensed soup (cream of mushroom), a full cup of dry bread crumbs, grated Parmesan cheese (2 tbsp), and 2 melted tbsp. of butter.
Step 1 : Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. While it’s heating up, grease medium baking dish lightly
Step 2 : Bring to boil a big pot of water (lightly salted)
Step 3 : Once water is boiled, put 1 cup of fusilli pasta into the pot and cook for 8-10 minutes (until it’s al dente), and then drain
Step 4 : Heat 3 tbsp. of olive oil over medium heat in a skillet. Add chicken to the skillet, seasoned with salt and pepper, minced onion, garlic powder, parsley, and basil
Step 5 : Cook everything until the juice of the chicken runs clear. Then mix in cooked pasta, creamed mushroom soup, creamed chicken soup, and of course the frozen mixed vegetables
Step 6 : Transfer the mixture into your previously greased baking dish
Step 7 : Mix together bread crumbs, butter, and Parmesan cheese in a small bowl. Spread the mix over the casserole evenly
Step 8 : Finally, bake for 30 minutes in your preheated over until it’s lightly browned and bubbly. Enjoy!
Conclusion
I really hope that you enjoyed this tutorial, and have learned many methods for how to cook frozen vegetables and have them turn out completely delicious!
Now that you’ve mastered the techniques listed above, you might want to go on and practice cooking frozen vegetables in a pressure cooker, how to steam frozen vegetables, and much more.
There are a variety of delicious recipes available online which will demonstrate the finer points of cooking with frozen vegetables. I am very happy to share these cooking tips with you. Please tell me what you think in the comment section listed below, and if you liked the article, please share it with your friends!
Frozen vegetables recipes on web:
12 Dinners To Make With A Bag Of Frozen Vegetables
10 Great Dishes to Make with Frozen Vegetables
Homemade Recipes to Cook With Our Frozen Vegetables
