Cooking Vegetables Like a 1950s Housewife + Vintage Vegetable Recipes - Retro Housewife Goes Green (2024)

FAQs

What are braised vegetables? ›

Braising is a technique that involves gently cooking food partially submerged in liquid in a covered cooking vessel, either in the oven or on the stove, until tender.

To preserve water-soluble vitamins, steaming is a better option than boiling vegetables. When steaming, keep the pot covered to reduce cooking time and avoid overcooking. Other healthy quick cooking techniques include stir-frying, pressure cooking, and microwaving. Roasting is a quicker technique than baking.

1. Blanching To blanch, bring a generous amount of water to a boil in a large pot. You need a large amount of water to ensure the temperature doesn't drop significantly once the vegetables are added. Cook veggies in boiling water until they reach the tender-crisp stage.

Stews are portioned in cubes or strips with similar ingredients as a braise, but are finished either in an oven or on the stove. A braise uses less liquid than a stew, liquid is added to about one-third of the height of the braised items. A stew on the contrary is covered with liquid.

So braising thin veggies is a way to make them tender while developing a delicious sauce in the braising liquid. They're a great quick side! Just remember to use bold, flavorful ingredients like miso, tomato paste, homemade stock, fresh spices, etc. Everything won't have as much time to develop flavor in the pan.

The secret is to use as little water as possible and avoid overcooking so all the vitamins and flavour are retained. For vegetables such as broccoli, cut into equal-sized pieces. Add to a pan of boiling water, quickly bring back to the boil, cover, then simmer until the vegetables are just tender.

As a general rule, it's best to keep cooking time, temperature and the amount of liquid to a minimum. That's why steaming is one of the best ways to cook most vegetables.

Steaming veggies can preserve nutrients, color, shape, and texture, without having to add any unnecessary fats through ingredients like oils or butter. To steam, place food into a steam basket and cover over simmering water. Since food is not directly touching the water, vegetables retain more of their nutrients.

It's simple: you have to reduce cooking time in order to preserve the colour. Whether in water, steamed or stir-fried, cooking green vegetables for 5-7 minutes will protect the chlorophyll against acidic damage.

What is the best cooking method for green leafy vegetables? ›

Research has shown that sautéing vegetables in olive oil, including leafy greens, is recommended over boiling or deep frying to preserve nutrients in vegetables without adding too many calories.

Reach for fresh lemon juice, parsley, fresh cracked pepper and a dash of salt to make veggies pop. Add dried herbs early in the cooking process to allow the flavor to develop as they absorb moisture.

braising, the cooking of meat or vegetables by heating them slowly with oil and moisture in a tightly sealed vessel. Braising differs from stewing, in which the food is immersed in liquid, and from covered roasting, in which no liquid is added. Braising is a combination of covered roasting and steaming. goulash.

Some of my favorite cuts for braising include pork shoulder, chicken thighs, oxtails, lamb shanks and short ribs. These comforting recipes also pair well with root vegetables like carrots and potatoes or hearty roasted winter squash. I love a good braise because you really can't mess it up.

Ways to serve braised vegetables

It's great for a cozy, hearty meal, be it meatless or served with a traditional meaty entree. It's a healthy, whole food plant based (WFPB) side dish that's full of so much flavor, it pleases everyone.

Tenderizes Tough Cuts

The extended cooking time breaks down the collagen in these cuts, resulting in tender and succulent meat. Likewise, vegetables like onions, carrots, and celery will soften while absorbing the flavor of the braising liquid.