Frozen vegetables.......a false economy?

strawberrypud

I am trying out various types of frozen veg because it is a lot cheaper than fresh and obviously keeps a lot longer but I find that it mostly goes mushy and has no flavour. However I have worked out a great way to make frozen sliced green beans taste yummy....

fry them in a big dry pan over a high heat until all the excess water has evaporated (about 3-4 mins) then put in a tbsp of olive oil, some salt and a couple of halved garlic cloves which I remove before serving. Fry the beans until they're about to brown. They come out crunchy and tasty.

I have also found that frozen mixed peppers are just as nice as fresh when added to a chilli or a pasta bake.

So I am looking for more ideas how to cook frozen veg so that it tastes as nice as fresh. Anyone??:)

rachbc

frozen cauli is fab in curries and soup

strawberrypud

rachbc wrote: »

frozen cauli is fab in curries and soup

Does it stay a bit crunchy in the curry? Not crunchy exactly but does it keep it's shape or go to mush?

Pink.

Hi strawberrypud,

I don't buy much in the way of frozen veg apart from peas and sweetcorn as I find it does taste different when cooked or served alone, but if you're adding it to stews, soups or casseroles I think it can be really useful.

These earlier threads may help:

Frozen veg - a false economy?

Steaming veg from frozen

OS veg - what's best = fresh or frozen?

I'll add your thread to the first link once you've had more replies to keep the suggestions together.

Pink

rachbc

its def not crunchy - but I like it soft in curry

meritaten

nothing wrong with most frozen veg - its probably still got more of its nutrients having been picked and frozen within a couple of hours, than the 'supposedly' fresh veg from supermarkets etc which was probably picked more than a week previously.
just remember to cook it very lightly as its probably been blanched - I freeze surplus beans etc from the garden and its very easy to over cook them! they dont take as long as 'fresh' veg and I find in the case of frozen peas about three to five minutes is enough and even cauli doesnt take longer than five minutes. if stir frying I usually just run the frozen veg under the tap to take off the ice coating then chuck in the stir fry and give it a minute longer! havent had a prob yet with mushy veg!

seraphina

I use frozen veg for generic veg dishes. For example, I use mixed frozen veg for vegetable pie - make up a white sauce and mix in some frozen veg (and maybe some cheese), line a pie tin with pastry, throw in the veg and sauce and top either with a crumble or with a pastry lid.

Frozen spinach also works quite well in curries.

tanith

I don't find frozen veg tasteless and it will go mushy if you overcook , I steam it in the microwave and its pretty well perfect once you work out the timings... you only need a spot of water or some will cook in their own moisture...

babyshoes

I use frozen spinach a lot. Straight into a pan on the stove on a medium/low heat. As it defrosts, if it is sticking add a splosh of milk. When it is fully defrosted and starting to cook, add some cream cheese and pepper for really yummy and easy creamed spinach.

ka7e

I do a "naughty but nice" dish with Sainsbury's Basic Mixed Veg.

Chop and fry a medium onion.
Cook half a bag of mixed veg in a lidded casserole in the microwave, no need to add water.
Transfer onion and veg to an ovenproof dish.
Whisk 2 eggs until fluffy and add 10fl oz cream, season with salt and pepper.
Pour egg mix over veg.
Sprinkle with grated cheese.
Cook for 30-40 mins at gas Mark 4 ) or equivalent.

It's lovely with cooked ham or cold meats and can use up leftover cooked veg.