15.3.11

COOKING VEGETABLES

Didn’t like your overcooked vegetables when you were a kid? Well good for you, neither did I. To this day I find nothing sorrier on the plate than a clump of soggy, limp, faded vegetables. Vegetables when cooked well have even more vibrant colour than fresh. Just like pasta, cooked vegetables should have a bit of resistance or crunch when you bite into them; I call it tender-crisp. But flavour and texture is not the only things that are lost with overcooking; most of the nutrients are cooked out as well.

If the vegetables are soft all the way through, they are overcooked. Boiled vegetables are often soggy, tasteless with no food value. So don’t boil, steam! Steaming reduces nutrient leaching. Prep and cook close to serving or use pre-cook shock with reheating later. Use little water and minimize time in water.

COOKING VEGETABLES
• Prep vegetables just before cooking
• Cut uniform size pieces.
• Do not mix different vegetables.
• Batch cook to reduce hot holding times
• Put a few inches of water in the pot.
• Place the pot on moderately-high heat and bring to full boil.
• Now add the vegetables.
• The water should not touch the vegetables.
• Cover with lid.
• Test from time to time to check whether they are done
• Give special attention to vegetables with tough and tender parts.
• Do not over cook.
• Cook for an ‘al dente’ texture (slightly firm to the bite).
• Serve immediately.

TO RETAIN VEGETABLES' NATURAL COLOUR
White Vegetables:
Use short cooking times
Add a small amount of lemon juice
Red Vegetables:
Use as little water as necessary
Cook with a small amount of lemon juice
Green vegetables:
Cook uncovered
Cook quickly
Cook in small batches
Yellow And Orange Vegetables:
Short cooking times

Privacy & Cookies

This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use. To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy

Translate

me

My photo
It began with posting a few recipes on line for the family. "zsuzsa is in the kitchen" has more than 1000 Hungarian and International recipes. What started out as a private project turned into a well visited blog. The number of visitors long passed the two million mark. I organized the recipes into an on-line cookbook. On top of the page click on "ZSUZSA'S COOKBOOK". From there click on any of the chapters to access the recipes. For the archive just scroll to the bottom of the page. I am not profiting from my blog, so visitors are not harassed with advertising or flashy gadgets. The recipes are not broken up with photos at every step. Where needed the photos are placed following the recipe. Feel free to cut and paste my recipes for your own use. Publication is permitted as long as it is in your own words and with your own photographs. However, I would ask you for an acknowledgement and link-back to my blog. Happy cooking!