Sauteed Vegetables

The last big technique I use for making vegetables is sauteing. The technique is quite simple - heat an oil in a skillet and "fry" the food. The trick is to use high heat and add the vegetables to hot oil. I don't use much oil, just enough to coat the bottom of the pan. That is, unless I am using butter or Nucoa, then I add a bit more.
I use cast iron pans and the trick to making them non-stick is to coat the bottom and sides in oil, heat the skillet up and then add the food. I often wait until I get a slight smoke from the oil, not a burn but something to tell me it's hot. If you add too much oil, it will spatter and can cause burns so it's best to use as little as possible but still coat the bottom. With butter/Nucoa I use about 2 TB. Butter doesn't spatter like oil because it has a water content. That doesn't mean you won't get spatter but it's less likely.
Add the vegetables to the oil. If you stir constantly, you will get tender vegetables. If you layer them in the bottom of the pan and let them sit for 30 seconds or so, you will get golden fried vegetables. This will depend on your taste and the vegetable.
Sauteing does add fat but it's not a bad thing. Many vegetables need the fat to increase absorption of vitamins. And if you keep the oil to a minimum and use healthy oils such as canola oil then you're not harming your diet. Butter adds flavor and might make the vegetable more appealing so don't discount it. Using a bit to saute the vegetable actually adds more flavor than dumping some on after it has been cooked.
High starch vegetables such as potatoes absorb the oil and require more to prevent sticking to the pan. This can be offset by adding water to prevent sticking but it prevents a good golden crust. One trick is to pre-cook the vegetable in water or the microwave to reduce cooking time and then use sauteing to just create the crust.
Stir frying vegetables is the same as sauteing. The big different is that stir fries are exclusively done with oil and often with peanut or sesame oil as a flavoring.
Seasonings can be added to the end of the sauteing and can vary as much as you like. My favorites are - soy sauce, dill weed, garam marsala, kosher salt, Old Bay Seasoning. I'm sure there are others we throw in but at this time that's what we use.
Vegetables we saute/stir fry - onions, garlic, peppers, mushrooms, potatoes, sweet potatoes, snow peas, water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, cucumbers (yes, cucumbers), carrots, cauliflower, broccoli. I know there are more but that's what I can think of. Sauteing and Stir Frying are often more popular because of ease of cooking and the ability to throw in other foods such as rice and meat. We make the occassional dish using bacon and it's leftover grease (I drain off excess).
Next week, I'll share some recipes that use these techniques to create interesting and tasty vegetable dishes.

Steaming Vegetables

A great no added fat way to make vegetables is steaming. Beware that steaming can turn perfect and nutritious vegetables into a pile of goo if not properly done. I believe it's over-steaming or boiling vegetables that has given them a bad rap.
Steaming doesn't require much - you can pick up a steaming insert for just a few dollars. Inserts look like flat metal flowers with lots of holes when opened. I used one for ages until it died. During that time, my husband bought me a pot set that came with a double boiler and steaming pot so when my insert died I didn't replace it with one.
I have seen the inserts at grocery stores so they shouldn't be hard to come by. They have little legs so they can be set at the bottom of a soup pot. To use them, add about an inch of water (depending on the height of the legs, you do not want the water to come up the holes), layer your vegetable on the insert, put on the lid and turn the stove on high. Be careful that do not boil all the water out of the pan. When the water starts to boil, you can reduce the heat as low as medium. I like to keep things about medium high.
The vegetable should be tender. It should easily hold on a fork. The density of the vegetable determines how long. Start checking after 5 minutes and see how it's going. Over time you'll be able to judge the perfect steaming for your family.
The water that remains is great for plants after it has cooled or can be added to sauces or what not that you are making with dinner.
You can also steam in the microwave but it's not as easy. Add a little water to a bowl and add your vegetable. Cover with plastic wrap and heat in the microwave. I will tell you that there is a lot of controversy about microwaving with plastic wrap. I, personally, do not use plastic wrap because I feel it's a waste. You can try steaming without plastic wrap if you have a fairly small microwave but the trick is to keep as much steam in the microwave (and it will cause particles from the top of the microwave to drop into the food if the microwave is not clean).
Overall, I prefer using a pot and the stove.
You can add flavor to the vegetables by adding stock and seasonings to the water but the flavors will be faint so this is best to do with a more light flavored vegetable.
Vegetables to steam: broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, carrots, greens (which can be steamed in a skillet), peas, green beans.
I know there are so many more but this week has made me realize how narrow my own vegetable view is. Now I need to start looking at new vegetables.

Roasting Vegetables

I mentioned yesterday that we like roasting vegetables. The technique is rather simple and doesn't add fat to the vegetables. Personally, I believe this makes for some of the best tasting vegetables since the heat carmelizes the natural sugars in the vegetables.
I haven't roasted all vegetables so I don't know what wouldn't work with this but so far it's been nothing but success.
Over the weekend, I roasted sweet potatoes with a little salt and dill. The result was a vegetable that almost was eaten before it made it to the table. My son would sneak a "chip" as he found more and more excuses to come into the kitchen.
With sweet potatoes, I peel the outer layer and then slice into "chips". Layer them single layer on a baking sheet and sprinkle with seasonings. I sprinkle lightly because the seasonings are there to accent the vegetable not cover the flavor - maybe as much as a full tablespoon of dill and salt for 3 sliced sweet potatoes. Put in a 350 degree oven until tender. The time frame will depend on the thickness of your slices. I believe it took less than 20 minutes to cook my sweet potatoes and I had expected it to take longer.
Other vegetables to roast:
potatoes (wash well and slice)
Brussel sprouts (roast whole or quarter if larger)
asparagus
squash

Sadly, that's all I can think of that we have roasted. It will just encourage me to try more. I think we'll try cauliflower and eggplant. I bet those will be just great.

I have roasted corn on the cob but with a slightly different technique. I leave the husk on the corn and set it on the rack in the oven at 350 (can roast them over a fire as well this way). You may want to remove the hair to prevent them from catching fire. I haven't had a problem in my oven but they burn every time over a fire.
This makes for a tasty vegetable but my family hates trying to peel the hot husk from the corn.
We've roasted different vegetables over a fire than in the oven: mushrooms, zucchini, onions, peppers. They make wonderful toppings to roasted meat.
Tomorrow, I'll talk about steaming vegetables. One thing to remember with either technique - they work best with fresh vegetables but that shouldn't limit you from trying to roast frozen. We have roasted frozen brussel sprouts without a problem. Canned vegetables have too much water for roasting.