Frozen Mixed Vegetables Recipe - Build Your Bite (2024)

FAQs

How do you spruce up frozen mixed vegetables? ›

The best seasonings to use

My followers are always emailing me asking “What seasonings do you put in your veggies to make them pop”. Well in the case of mixed vegetables, I like to use chicken broth, chicken flavor bouillon cubes or salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper.

Acidic ingredients like lemon or vinegar, fats like butter and olive oil, spicy condiments like chile flakes or hot sauce, savory ingredients like cheese, bacon and nuts and fresh and dried herbs are all your friends when it comes to frozen vegetables.

Cooking with too much water leads to mushy vegetables. That's why we recommend sautéing, roasting, or steaming frozen vegetables instead of boiling them. Here's how: Sauté – Heat a wide pan over medium high heat, add frozen vegetables and a little oil or butter, stir and cook (uncovered) for five to seven minutes.

Just toss them in a quick combination of spices—I like a mix of garlic powder, paprika, salt, freshly ground pepper, and cumin—top with spoonfuls of sour cream and grated cheddar cheese, and roast until the vegetables are hot and the cheese is melted.

Roast Frozen Vegetables in Your Oven

To help them crisp up, toss the veggies in oil and then season them with salt, pepper, garlic powder, ginger, smoked paprika — whatever sounds good to you.

Most of the time, you don't need to thaw frozen vegetables before cooking with them—but it depends on what you're making. For soups, stews and pastas, you can toss still frozen vegetables right into the pot. These dishes can withstand some extra moisture, and the warmth will thaw out the veggies.

Roast. Roasting is an excellent method for cooking frozen vegetables. The key is to take them straight from freezer to oven and crank up the heat.

Is it OK to stir fry frozen vegetables? ›

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the onion and stir fry for 1-2 minutes. Now add the frozen vegetables (no need to thaw them first) and cook, stirring constantly for about 5-8 minutes or until they are crisp tender.

Get Your Oil Hot

If a vegetable meets oil that isn't hot enough, it'll soak up the oil, resulting in soggy vegetables. Chef Hong loves to impart flavor into this process by infusing his oil with garlic and thyme. Add enough oil so it covers the entire base of the Saute Pan.

Spices – paprika, smoked paprika, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, turmeric, garam masala, curry powder, crushed red pepper flakes, etc. are all good options. You can even mix some spices together!

"Frozen vegetables tend to release water quickly and can end up quite mushy if done improperly," says William Goldfield, director of corporate communications at Dole Food Company, Inc. Defrosting frozen vegetables, such as spinach, broccoli, peas, carrots, and kale properly can help you avoid this.

Boiling will add more moisture to the product, increasing chances of an unpleasant “mushy” texture and the loss of water-soluble vitamins. So skip the boil and simply steam or microwave the vegetables with two tablespoons of water after thawing.

Garlic and/or onion if it's severely lacking flavor. Red sauces you can add some spice too if you like. “Grey" or brown sauces like swedish meatballs, Salisbury steak, stroganoff etc add sour cream and garlic. If you have any specific frozen foods you eat and want ideas for let me know!

Air exposure can cause frozen products to develop rancid oxidative flavors. Keep frozen food in airtight containers or use wrapping material that does not permit air to pass into the product. Also, remove as much air as possible from the freezer bag or container to reduce the amount of air in contact with the product.