For the love of vegetables - I need help!

[Anonymous]

I'm a pretty darn good "cook"...when it comes to anything but vegetables. I would love to just once, make a perfectly steamed head of broccoli or broccoli florets. Or perfectly sauteed asparagus. Mine come out mushy, tasteless, and way over-steamed/sauteed. These are just a couple of examples.

What's your secret to such a simple meal item?

[Anonymous]

Lower heat and less time

[Anonymous]

Roasting works well for a lot of veggies. I love roasting for cauliflower, asparagus, summer squash, sweet potatoes etc. Just wash, chop, mix with olive oil, salt, and any other spices you want, and roast. I usually do 350-400 degrees and start with 5 minutes, then stir and put in for longer if needed.

[Anonymous]

Well, we like soft veggies, so... my idea of a perfectly steamed head of broccoli is to fit the head into as small a pot as possible, with boiling water at the bottom, close the lid and time cooking for 12 minutes. The stump sits in the water, the head is kept up by the sides of the pot and the water doesn't touch it. Perhaps you can do 10 minutes if you like a crisper veggy.

[Anonymous]

Roasted vegetables taste better.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Roasting works well for a lot of veggies. I love roasting for cauliflower, asparagus, summer squash, sweet potatoes etc. Just wash, chop, mix with olive oil, salt, and any other spices you want, and roast. I usually do 350-400 degrees and start with 5 minutes, then stir and put in for longer if needed.

Okay this is really easy - thank you! I know that I'm cooking for too long, which I think is probably related to timing the cooking of my other items. For example I focus on making perfectly grilled salmon and forget that my veggies have been cooking for too long - which ruins half my meal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Roasting works well for a lot of veggies. I love roasting for cauliflower, asparagus, summer squash, sweet potatoes etc. Just wash, chop, mix with olive oil, salt, and any other spices you want, and roast. I usually do 350-400 degrees and start with 5 minutes, then stir and put in for longer if needed.

Okay this is really easy - thank you! I know that I'm cooking for too long, which I think is probably related to timing the cooking of my other items. For example I focus on making perfectly grilled salmon and forget that my veggies have been cooking for too long - which ruins half my meal.

You're welcome! I use timers. Otherwise, I completely lose track of time and it's a mess. I'll also add that when I roast veggies, I usually take them out of the oven when they are allllmost, but not quite, done because they will keep cooking a bit once you take them out.

[Anonymous]

Roast them as PP said. Much tastier for 99% of vegetables.

[Anonymous]

Use a steamer. Cut florets and stems at equal size. Use steamer. Steam for 5 minutes. Use a timer. This also works for green beans.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Roasting works well for a lot of veggies. I love roasting for cauliflower, asparagus, summer squash, sweet potatoes etc. Just wash, chop, mix with olive oil, salt, and any other spices you want, and roast. I usually do 350-400 degrees and start with 5 minutes, then stir and put in for longer if needed.

Okay this is really easy - thank you! I know that I'm cooking for too long, which I think is probably related to timing the cooking of my other items. For example I focus on making perfectly grilled salmon and forget that my veggies have been cooking for too long - which ruins half my meal.

You're welcome! I use timers. Otherwise, I completely lose track of time and it's a mess. I'll also add that when I roast veggies, I usually take them out of the oven when they are allllmost, but not quite, done because they will keep cooking a bit once you take them out.

Ah! good tip! Thank you PP!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Use a steamer. Cut florets and stems at equal size. Use steamer. Steam for 5 minutes. Use a timer. This also works for green beans.

I think I also overcrowd my veggies when I steam them, which doesn't help.

[Anonymous]

I steam in the microwave because if I get distracted it stops itself. I have a microwave steamer thing.

[Anonymous]

Roasting is very forgiving - and delicious.

If you want to steam, wait until everything else is really truly almost ready then steam JUST until the broccoli/green beans/asparagus turns bright green. Just until then, truly, then remove lid and remove from heat immediately. This only takes 3-5 minutes depending on the vegetable. Season and serve.

Sometimes if I am making a main dish/sides that needs a lot of last minute attention or needs to be served right away, I will bring my steam pot to a boil a bit before I am ready, then turn it off and keep it covered until I am ready for my vegetables. This keeps the water hot so when everything else is almost ready, the water comes to a boil quickly and steaming is super fast.

[Anonymous]

^ Meant to say that the veg will continue to cook after you remove heat, which is why you cook only until bright.

[Anonymous]

My favorite way to make broccoli or green beans is to chop it into florets and rinse, then put in a skillet with a lid and maybe 1-2 tablespoons of water, on high heat, and steam that way for just a minute or two, until the water is gone and the veggie is partly cooked. Then I take off the lid, turn heat down a little, add olive oil and sauté for a few minutes until it gets a little color and is cooked all the way thru. Sometimes I add a spoonful of Better than Bouillon paste in with the water if I think of it.

I love roasted veggies and do that a lot of the time, but sometimes I just want a quick veggie side to go with something that’s already in the oven and this fits the bill. Does require you to stand there though!