Frozen Vegetables Make Tasty Side Dishes

I always keep frozen vegetables on hand to make quick, healthy, and easy side dishes. Truthfully, I can enjoy a bowl of  low fat healthy veggies within 7 minutes from start to finish. 

So, no more excuses for not cooking veggies! 

Frozen vegetables are a great way to make sure you eat vegetables daily. 

I also freeze fresh ginger to grate in the skillet of vegetables. 

Keep fresh garlic frozen in the freezer ( don't peel it). To use it, simply grate it with the peel.

Freshly grated ginger tastes great with sautéed broccoli. 

I keep fresh organic ginger in the freezer in small baggies. It stays fresh for about 6 months. 

I wash and dry it whole (just the way it comes) before freezing it. 

Then I simply grate it frozen into the pan as needed and return the unused ginger to the baggy and back to the freezer.  The flavor is amazing. 

This simple, healthy, easy side dish was sooooo delicious that I felt I needed to share it. 

 I cooked up a bag of organic broccoli and some organic green beans (bought at a reasonable price at Costco). 

Recipe: Quick Frozen Broccoli and Green Beans With Ginger : 

I used a wide skillet. I poured in the bag of broccoli into the skillet and then added about a large handful of frozen green beans, 1/2 cup of water and grated freshly ginger on top, salt and garlic powder. Cook uncovered on a medium flame for about 5 minutes! (adding 1/4 cup of water while cooking if water evaporates)

Why I keep frozen vegetables in the freezer?

• Most frozen vegetables are frozen as soon as they are harvested, thus they retain the greatest amount of nutrients. 
• Fresh vegetables such as broccoli are shipped for a few days and then sit in the supermarket often for a few days or more. By the time we eat it, the nutritional value may have deteriorated. 
• My time schedule and lifestyle is unpredictable. I often buy fresh vegetables with great intentions, only to find out that we ate out or I just didn't cook them and they went bad!
• If I buy frozen, they can stay in the freezer for months. 
• I don't need to clean them and chop them, therefore I am more likely to actually make them.
• 
  

Not 

Recipe for sugar snap peas and ginger with sesame seeds 

Not Mushy 

If you cook frozen broccoli or frozen green beans in a skillet with just 1/2 cup of water to start for about 4 minutes uncovered,  they stay firm and bright green.

My favorite frozen vegetables: 

• Organic broccoli- Costco sells a large bag with 4 individual sized bags inside 
• Organic cauliflower rice- Costco for large bags with 4 individual bags or Trader Joe's for one 12 ounce bag.  
• Organic edamame - Whole Foods one bag
• Organic cauliflower-One bag at Whole Foods 
• Organic sweet peppers (red and green) one bag at Whole Foods which I use added to other vegetable dishes or for soup recipes.
• Organic peas - One bag at Whole Foods 
• Frozen organic artichoke quarters- One bag Trader Joe's
• Frozen Baby Brussels Sprouts (for Baby Brussels Sprout Soup)-I buy a bag from Hanover brand at most supermarkets and use them in stir-fry (with broth not oil) or soup.

Plain Cauliflower Rice (Heated in skillet with 1/2 cup of water, salt, pepper, and garlic powder).
Can beused it in place of rice! Try my cauliflower rice fiesta recipe that follows.


Cauliflower Rice Fiesta Recipe Link

 Frozen Baby Brussels Sprout Soup