Many people feel that the only way to add more vegetables to their diet is to eat unsatisfying salads and feel miserable. Fortunately, they are wrong. Vegetables are more versatile than many of us think, and they can be used for much more than just making bland salads.
A simple beet may not be all that interesting, but if you roast it lightly, the sugars will develop and if you add aromatic spices like garlic and thyme, you will get a more nuanced flavor. The vinegar, olive oil, and fresh herbs add the finishing touch.
To help you reach your vegetable goals, we explain how to cook vegetables with four smart techniques.
The best techniques for cooking vegetables
Char-Grill Barbecue
Basically, it is exactly what it sounds like – roasting veggies until they are toasted and crisp. Don't worry, you don't have to eat a bite of burnt vegetable skins; the idea is to remove the charred bits to discover a unique flavor in inner layers.
This is an amazing way to get a rich, lightly smoky, and delicate flavor from a variety of vegetables. Nutritionally speaking, charred foods are not perfect . Some charred foods may contain carcinogens, but the amount and type vary depending on the composition of the food.
For example, charcoal-grilled meats can form harmful compounds such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and heterocyclic amines (HCAs), from the interaction between meat proteins and intense heat. Non-starchy vegetables like zucchini, bell peppers, asparagus, and mushrooms do not form the HCAs that are associated with an increased risk of cancer, but they will have some PAHs, especially if they also contain a lot of extra fat.
Still, don't worry about grilled foods, especially when vegetables are burned instead of meat. Scraping away charred parts will help reduce PAHs as they tend to stick to the outside of food. Additionally, the high antioxidant content of vegetables can also potentially counteract the damaging effects of PAHs.
This cooking technique works well with eggplants , leeks, and onions . Burying vegetables directly in the embers of a wood fire is great for tougher roots like yams , celery root , beets, and parsnips .
If you are going to use a normal oven at home, it is recommended to burn the red peppers. Once they're cooked, cooled, and peeled, you can use them to make flavorful seasonings like a Spanish romesco sauce.
Fry in olive oil
Fried foods get a bad rap (which is why air fryers are all the rage right now). But using extra virgin olive oil makes a big difference.
There is a misconception that you cannot fry in olive oil. The end result is better for you than foods fried in canola or vegetable oil, which are both unhealthy and highly oxidizing oils.
One reason EVOO is often not recommended for frying (aside from its price) is the ingredient's smoke point , which is lower than alternatives like canola oil. However, true, sourced, unrefined extra virgin and virgin olive oil actually has a much higher smoke point than most people think, around 204ºC.
When oils are heated above their smoke points, they can begin to break down, potentially producing off-flavors and harmful compounds. Most importantly, it is high in monounsaturated fats , so even if it reaches its smoke point or begins to oxidize and break down, it will not form nearly the same level of harmful compounds as other polyunsaturated oils like canola or vegetable oil. .
You don't like EVOO? Try avocado oil . It has health benefits and a smoke point similar to olive oil, but has a more neutral taste.
I love to fry artichokes in olive oil and serve them with a homemade aioli. Cooked chickpeas mixed with chickpea flour and then fried taste great, served with paprika, a dash of lemon, coriander and a pinch of sea salt.
It's also delicious to fry mushrooms in olive oil and then simply serve them with a generous splash of lemon juice.
Smoked
Smoking is a method normally reserved for preparing meats, but vegetables can also be cooked in this method. There is something primordial and completely unusual about this preparation.
Smoking vegetables is a great way to get hardcore carnivores excited about plant-based eating because the method can produce flavors that mimic those of roast meats.
Increasing our ratio of vegetables to meat is always a good idea when it comes to our health. Science shows that plant-based diets are linked to lower blood pressure and a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease.
If you are using tougher vegetables, such as potatoes, cook them before smoking. Among our favorite smokehouse are cauliflower, as pa tat, and even fruits. Mashed potatoes made with smoked potatoes is a delight.
Stew
Like smoking, stew is also most often used for cooking meat. The idea is to simmer a tough cut of meat in a broth with vegetables at a low temperature, either on the stove or in the oven for several hours. Vegetables can be cooked in the same way.
When it comes to braising vegetables, you can use beef or chicken broth to add a bit of rich flavor and also a drop or two of wine or vinegar to balance the acidity.
And if you drink the flavorful broth along with the cooked vegetables, you will absorb the nutrients that have leaked out of the vegetables and deposited in the liquid after braising. Additionally, stewing vegetables with a fat source (such as olive oil) can help boost the body's absorption of fat-soluble vitamins , such as beta-carotene from carrots and vitamin K from kale.
Mushrooms have a particularly meaty quality and are very good in a stew. So do leeks , onions, and carrots , all of which can soak up tons of flavor from the broth.
