The Healthiest Veggie Preparation Techniques
March 30, 2012
•Le Cordon Bleu
•Seattle
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The Healthiest Veggie Preparation Techniques
Think that because you are eating veggies you’re getting all the nutrition you need? Think again! In fact, there are many cooking techniques that leech the best parts right out. Because of its great climate and it’s close location to California, Washington culinary specialties typically include a great selection of fresh vegetables. If you are preparing vegetables on your own, you may unknowingly be missing your chance to pack even more nutrition into each bite. Try any of these vegetable cooking techniques and your body will thank you!
Steaming
Think of steaming as the indoor equivalent to grilling. Unlike other traditional vegetable cooking methods, like boiling or stir frying in oils, many nutrients remain locked in when you steam your veggies while the oils and fats of additives are kept out. If you are looking to add more flavor to a dish, steaming also brings the natural flavor of the vegetables to the surface. If you are ordering at your favorite restaurant, while still hanging tight to those not-so-distant New Year’s resolutions, ask your server for a side of steamed veggies instead of fries or other unhealthy side choices. Most restaurants can easily add these as a side, even if it is not stated on the menu, all you have to do is ask.
Parboiling
Perhaps this is a new cooking technique to add to your culinary vocabulary or maybe you have been using it for years without understanding its great value. When you parboil, or quickly place something in boiling water and then remove it, you are making it more palatable while keeping the nutrients from being boiled out into the water. If you are just starting to implement this culinary technique, you may want to start with broccoli since it creates a wonderful flavor and turns a tell-tale darker green when it is ready to come out. Add however many stalks you would like to salted boiling water and keep it in the water for 2 to 3 minutes. It will become a darker shade of green when it is ready. Many people enjoy snacking on these parboiled delights as is, however, they compliment Italian dishes, like pasta and pizza, very nicely.
Grill
When the weather finally comes out of the single digits and the snow is fading away, fire up the grill and get those veggies cooking. The smoky flavor that results from this cooking technique is what keeps many coming back for more and more and isn’t the best way to get nutrition from veggies, after all, to keep eating them? Give this technique a try and even the kids will be asking for more of these freshly grilled snacks.
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