Veggie Help

[S]

Pardon my ignorance, but are roasting and broiling the same thing? When I roast veggies I toss with olive oil, put in a pan and cook at 450-500 degrees. I've never broiled veggies. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

[This message has been edited by S (edited 02-09-2001).]

[tovie]

Originally posted by LosingIt:
I would also like some quick, easy, ways to cook squash and zuccini(?). Can these also be steamed?


Well, it's not cooking it (g) but both zucchini and yellow summer squash are good raw with some sort of veggie dip.

I also like to slice them up together with a little onion and maybe green pepper and tomato and saute them in a little olive oil and sprinkle them with fajita seasoning.

If it's something like an acorn squash, I cut those in half and bake them with a little brown sugar (and a little bit butter if I want to be really bad <g> but they're okay without)

Tovie

[pammy]

One of our favorite veggie side dishes is very easy. Cut up a couple fresh zucchini and whatever else you have handy (for me that is usally red/green bell peppers, any variety of mushrooms, and onions), and sautee for a few minutes in a non-stick pan sprayed with Pam. Add some of your favorite herbs, fresh or dry. With this, I like basil, oregano, thyme, etc. Then dump a can of diced tomatoes and simmer for a few more minutes. You can use as a side dish or pour over pasta for a quick dinner. Yum!

I'm also a big fan of grilled veggies. That usually accompanies all of our summer meals. Just toss in olive oil, add herbs, throw on a skewer or in a grilling basket and grill to desired "doneness". Grilling vegetables adds an incredible flavor, makes them sweet and smokey.

[browneye]

S:
"Pardon my ignorance, but are roasting and broiling the same thing? When I roast veggies I toss with olive oil, put in a pan and cook at 450-500 degrees. I've never broiled veggies."

Broiling is definitely different. What you are describing is roasting. Broiling is either under a broiler burner or over a broiling burner (such as on a cooktop broiler)
I cut zucchini and summer squash into thin slices lengthwise, spray with olive oil spray, sprinkle with garlic powder and grill them on my George Foreman grill, then toss in a little balsamic vinegar. It is really fast and easy. YUM.

[sneezles]

Just a note on the adding of salt to dried beans...don't add the salt at the beginning. While it does decrease the time it takes to get to the boiling stage it also toughens the beans requiring longer cooking times. Add after the beans have cooked thoroughly and you'll use less salt in total.

BTW-I love to stir fry veggies with either Asian or Cajun seasoning and very little oil, sometimes just broth.
There was a recent recipe for green beans with bacon & onions-remember it was very good but can't locate it right now.

[luv2cook]

Losing it: To figure out how you like your veggies steamed, get a timer that has a count up. Each time you steam something to your liking, note the time. You only have to do this once. ALSo, it depends onhow much is in there. The less, the faster it cooks so keep that in mind - I oversteamed my greenbeans the other day because I had less than the usual amount...

[Julie O]

If you're cooking zucchini or yellow squash, you don't need to add any water to "steam" them. They have enough water in them to cook the flesh.

I'd recommend looking at some cookbooks for veggie cooking instructions. I especially like "The New Basics" and "The Best Recipe". The latter is by the magazine Cooks Illustrated & has thoroughly tested recipes for most vegetables (along with the best tested way of making lots of other food). "The New Basics" has great charts of herbs and spices to add to each major vegetable.

[Longhorn]

Have you ever heard of Old Bay Seasoning? I like to sprinkle Old Bay over a mixture of squash, zucchini, onion and a little bit of butter. Then I roast it for 15-20 minutes. Great with seafood!

[Don]

I'll second the Old Bay! I also keep a selection of salt free seasoning mixes on hand. I nuke frozen veggies, and about a minute or two before they are done, I drain them and put a few dots of light margarine on top. This is followed by a sprinkling of seasoning, and the veggies are nuked for the additional minute or two needed to finish cooking. It makes having vegetables a breeze, which on a work night is a godsend for me. Our favorite by the way is Hanover Gold Label sugar snap peas topped with lemon-pepper seasoning. Incredible!

[Ohioan]

Here comes the Bean Weenie with some advice about cooking dried beans. Don't add salt until after the beans have begun softening. Salt or acid (tomatoes, lemon, etc.) will toughen the skins of the beans and make them take longer to cook. Sometimes beans won't soften at all if there's salt and/or acid in the cooking water from the beginning.

The voice from beanland,
Phoebe

[This message has been edited by Ohioan (edited 02-09-2001).]

[LosingIt]

I'm trying to eat a more heathly diet but grew up on canned vegetables. We also ate a lot a fresh vegetables, but being from a rural area in the south, they were either fried or cooked in bacon grease.

I need help! I know you can steam fresh green beans - but for how long and when is salt added? I would also like some quick, easy, ways to cook squash and zuccini(?). Can these also be steamed?

One more thing - when cooking dried beans, do you add the salt before the water starts boiling or when the beans are almost done?

Thanks!

[laurenc]

As for steaming veggies - I steam everything. Cauliflower, brussles sprouts, broccoli, cabbage, squash, zucchini, etc, etc. If you steam them covered it usually only takes a few minutes (the brussel sprouts I did last night took about 6 min) But mostly i just lift the lid from time to time and check with a fork to see how tender they are. Then when I take them out of the steamer I usually toss with some chopped garlic and lemon juice or some soy sauce.

[Leanne]

There are tons of ways to cook veggies.

I'll give you a tip-of-the-iceburg reply.

On the green bean question - I just steam until they've changed to a dark green (really just a couple of minutes). I like mine crunchy - my husband likes them more cooked - so it's really up to your taste preference on that - the longer you staem, the softer they'll get. I don't add salt to mine - but you could sprinkle some on after cooking.

As for dried beans, I don't do them that often - but I would add the salt at the beginning - it makes the water get hotter - so the beans will get cooked at a higher temperature. (That's why people add salt to the water before they boil pasta.)

Quick ways to cook squash & zucchini:

Take zuc. & squash sliced. Sautee with a little olive oil, basil (or oregano), and garlic until the veggies are tender.

Or sautee them with soy sauce.

One I used to do alot - & may do tonight since I was just reminded of it - is to slice squash in half longways. Then put a cut down the center of the thick end. spead on a little butter (just to coat the top). Sprinkle with Mrs Dash or other spices & put in the toaster oven at 350 until it's tender (check by inserting a fork). It takes about 10-15 minutes. Right at the end - sprinkle with shredded sharp cheddar cheese (not a ton) & heat until melted. It ends up being like squash casserole with out all the work & with less fat I would guess.

You can probably do a search for squash or zucchini & find some CL recipes that have been posted previuosly.

Good Luck!

[Leanne]

Oops - double post! Plus I see there were two of us answering at the same time with some of the same ideas!

[This message has been edited by Leanne (edited 02-09-2001).]

[lorilei]

Why not try roasting vegetables. Toss your choice of veggies with olive oil and put under the broiler for 20-40 minutes (depending on the vegetable). When they're done, you can season to taste with salt, pepper or herbs. Roasting infuses the vegetables with great flavor -- and very few calories.