COOKING VEGETABLES

Didn’t like your overcooked vegetables when you were a kid? Well good for you, neither did I. To this day I find nothing sorrier on the plate than a clump of soggy, limp, faded vegetables. Vegetables when cooked well have even more vibrant colour than fresh. Just like pasta, cooked vegetables should have a bit of resistance or crunch when you bite into them; I call it tender-crisp. But flavour and texture is not the only things that are lost with overcooking; most of the nutrients are cooked out as well.

If the vegetables are soft all the way through, they are overcooked. Boiled vegetables are often soggy, tasteless with no food value. So don’t boil, steam! Steaming reduces nutrient leaching. Prep and cook close to serving or use pre-cook shock with reheating later. Use little water and minimize time in water.

COOKING VEGETABLES
• Prep vegetables just before cooking
• Cut uniform size pieces.
• Do not mix different vegetables.
• Batch cook to reduce hot holding times
• Put a few inches of water in the pot.
• Place the pot on moderately-high heat and bring to full boil.
• Now add the vegetables.
• The water should not touch the vegetables.
• Cover with lid.
• Test from time to time to check whether they are done
• Give special attention to vegetables with tough and tender parts.
• Do not over cook.
• Cook for an ‘al dente’ texture (slightly firm to the bite).
• Serve immediately.

TO RETAIN VEGETABLES' NATURAL COLOUR
White Vegetables:
Use short cooking times
Add a small amount of lemon juice
Red Vegetables:
Use as little water as necessary
Cook with a small amount of lemon juice
Green vegetables:
Cook uncovered
Cook quickly
Cook in small batches
Yellow And Orange Vegetables:
Short cooking times