Frozen Veggies You Want To Eat

Frozen veggies are a lifesaver for quick family dinners. You can buy them ahead and keep them in the freezer. They cook quickly and make easy side dishes. But they can be bland and boring. My favorite way to cook frozen veggies is to “steam fry” them. It is a technique I learned years ago from Cook’s Illustrated magazine. You cook the veggies in a covered skillet with oil, butter, water, salt, pepper and lemon zest. Once they are cooked through, you remove the lid and let the water evaporate. Once the water has evaporated you let the veggies brown in the skillet, stir and brown one more minute and serve.

It is so simple. In recent years there has been a trend to barely cook your vegetables. I have found that fully cooking them and then letting them brown greatly improves the flavor and texture of the veggies. I have done this with green beans and broccoli and different kinds of mixed frozen vegetables. Try it the next time you need a quick side dish.

If you want to make these vegan and paleo, simply omit the butter and use 2 Tablespoons of olive oil.

 

Steam-Fried Veggies

1 16oz bag Frozen Vegetables, (Green beans, broccoli, or mixed veggies all work well.)

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

1 Tablespoon Butter (Replace with olive oil for vegan or paleo.)

1 teaspoon Coarse Sea Salt

1/4 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper

Zest of 1 Lemon

1/2 Cup Water

Directions

Place all the ingredients in a 10-12 inch skillet with a lid. The veggies do not need to be thawed. Heat the skillet on high heat and cook for 5 minutes until the vegetables are heated through.

Remove lid and continue to cook on high until the water evaporates. (About 3-5 minutes.)

Do not stir the vegetables and let them brown for another 1-2 minutes. Stir, and brown again 1-2 minutes.

Remove from heat and serve.