All people in the world who are attentive to their health must include vegetables in their daily diet. Broccoli is one of such beneficial nutrients. According to scientists, this is a real storehouse of trace elements and vitamins, which are extremely necessary for the human body to function normally. And increasingly, it can be seen on the shelves of supermarkets in frozen form. But with all this, you need to know how to cook frozen broccoli tasty, so that all its useful and nutritious properties are preserved as much as possible. We will talk about this in our article.
Why freeze vegetables?
As a rule, this cabbage comes to store windows in packages or is sold by weight in frozen form. Why is it frozen? When transporting and sorting fresh, its useful properties are reduced and gradually disappear, the appearance worsens, and quite quickly. To maximize the preservation of all the nutrients contained in broccoli, it is subjected to quick and deep freezing. In this form, a useful vegetable can "live" for a very long time. And all the vitamins are safe and sound.
How to defrost broccoli?
You have already bought a package of cabbage inflorescences at a nearby store. They are dry and hard to the touch. It should be remembered that if you are not going to immediately cook any dish with the participation of broccoli, you must urgently bring the cabbage to the nearest freezer and put it in storage until you are about to show your culinary skills. Otherwise, the cabbage will soften, and it is not recommended to freeze it again.
If you have already prepared for the culinary action, then we open the bag with the vegetable and let the inflorescences thaw, which will take some time. Then drain the excess liquid.
How to cook frozen broccoli ?
We draw your attention: for a long time to “chew” such cabbage is not recommended, any chef or even a beginner with basic knowledge of culinary art will tell you this. From this, vitamins are washed into the broth, nutrients evaporate with steam and structural changes occur. Therefore, the question of how much to cook frozen broccoli has only one answer: a very, very short time!
Cooking process
- Pour water into a wide dish (about 5 cm deep).
- Bring the liquid to a boil.
- Salt to taste.
- We put the contents of the package into it. Let’s boil.
- Cook for 2 minutes over medium heat.
- We discard the finished product in a colander and let it drain excess moisture (5 minutes).
Broccoli cabbage cooked in this way (frozen or fresh - it doesn’t matter) has a pleasant appearance and retains the maximum of its properties that are useful to humans.
In the microwave
How to cook frozen broccoli tasty and fast? There is another way that suits modern housewives. A microwave is now available in almost every kitchen. All that needs to be done is to open a bag of vegetables and put in a special dish. Then select the mode and cooking time (usually no more than 3 minutes). Duration also directly depends on the amount of cabbage. How to cook frozen broccoli deliciously? We advise you to control it with a tasting, and if, to your taste, it is not yet ready, then add 30 seconds or a minute to the cooking time.
What to cook from frozen broccoli?
Some prefer to use cooked cabbage in its original form, as an independent dish (accompanied by sauces, for example). But, in principle, this is an excellent semi-finished product, based on or with the participation of which a lot of delicious and healthy dishes can be prepared. Let's take a closer look at what to cook from broccoli frozen, already pre-boiled?
Mashed soup
We will need: a bag (400 grams) of frozen broccoli, a little spinach, two medium-sized potatoes, one onion, one and a half liters of chicken broth, a glass of cream not too greasy, spices to taste that you usually like to use (sunli hops or a mixture of provence herbs, for example).
Cooking
How to cook frozen broccoli deliciously? Puree soup is the best option.
- We give the chicken broth, previously cooked, to boil, translate into medium heat mode.
- We spread the vegetables into the broth, after cutting them.
- Cook for 20 minutes.
- Cool the soup and mash it with a blender.
- Pour cream, pre-heat them. Bring to a boil and turn off. Before the readiness we add spices and salt to taste.
It’s very good to decorate such a puree soup with fresh chopped herbs and drip a little thick sour cream in the center of the plate.
Breaded
The following recipe is suitable for preparing an excellent side dish (but can be used to make an independent dish served with sauce - spicy and spicy).
We need broccoli cabbage - frozen and pre-cooked to the state of a semi-finished product (so as not to fall apart).
- We prepare batter in the traditional way - from flour, eggs, water.
- Dip into the mixture each cabbage inflorescence (if you get too large - cut into pieces).
- In a non-stick pan, heat the vegetable oil to a boil. It should be quite a lot so that the pieces are immersed almost completely.
- Fry the cabbage in boiling oil and put it in a colander to drain excess fat.
- Use as a side dish. Or you can make spicy tomato sauce. Then broccoli cooked in this way will be perceived as an independent dish. The sauce is served separately in a small bowl, so that it is more convenient to dip inflorescences of fried cabbage in it.
How to make the sauce? Easy peasy! Take, for example, the store "Krasnodar", add chopped fresh herbs, chopped onions, slices of tomatoes, spices (the ingredients can vary freely). It turns out a great sauce for broccoli! Bon appetit to all!