Frozen Veggies

  • Does anyone know of some frozen veggies that are good? I like when my cooked vegetables are still crunchy, like the broccoli in chinese food.

    I just made some frozen broccoli, substituting some teriyaki sauce for some of the water. The flavor is good, but the texture isn't. It's kinda mushy. I guess it is because it is frozen.

    Are there any types of frozen vegetables that stay crunchy when cooked? I have some frozen asparagus, I hope that turns out better than the canned stuff I love fresh asparagus, boiled in water with garlic and spices for a few minutes.

    I would buy fresh, but I just can't eat them fast enough, and they seem to go bad before I get to cook them. Thanks for any ideas.
  • We like the Great Value (Wal-Mart brand) stir fry mixes. I am like you and don't like then mushy so instead of using the directions on the bag I put about 2 or 3 ounces of water in a frying pan and put in the veggies and then lid it on med-hi for about 3 or 4 min then I add my seasonings ( i like worcheshire sauce garlic and parm. cheese) and basically sautee them until they are the desired texture. They stay pretty crunchy and they are yummy!
  • Thanks Heather,

    I do have a bag of "Food Lion Stir Fry Vegetable Mix" that I will try the frying pan method you described. I'm not exactly a chef so I just used the package directions. I guess I'll have to try 'experimenting' more.
  • If you do them in the microwave with just a little water, you have a lot more control over the crunchiness.
  • season well
  • Trader Joes has some frozen veggie mixes that are really good. One is balsamic butter sauce, and the other is another type of butter sauce. They're kinda pricey for a daily item, but they are really good and not too bad for calories. I find they work best in the microwave (which makes them a super easy lunch...I just pour some in a container and go)
  • One great thing I found for cooking fresh or frozen veggies to perfection was the microwave cooker from Pampered Chef. I don't know if that's exactly what it's called, but it's the black plastic one that comes in different sizes, the small one of which is for melting chocolate in the microwave. The large one was something like $12 or $15, it holds enough veggies to feed a family, it much quicker and easier than stove-top cooking, and my veggies never get mushy. Seriously, it's wonderful. I never thought a plastic bowl could make so much difference!
  • I cook for 1... so frozen veggies are a must for me too!

    the stir-fry variety of frozen vegetables tend to stay crisp pretty well (even with mushier processes like microwaving) - alternatively, you can pair it off with some other crunchy stuff (I like to toss in a couple of raw walnuts in there... good non-fish source of omega-3s, even though I like fish anyways .)
  • If its mushy, you've overcooked it.
  • We can get some great frozen vegs here that you do in the mircowave, really come out nice, and so convienent!