How To Cook Appetizing Vegetables

When it comes to cooking vegetables, much of the recipe’s success is in the way we prepare them. They will always look more appetizing if you take a few tips into account.

Creativity and knowledge: this is the recipe for attractive vegetable dishes in your daily diet. The ideas are endless and so are the combinations.

“I don’t like it, I don’t want it or I won’t eat it” are phrases that come up when I see the color green, orange or purple.

However, convincing children to consume vegetable vitamins and minerals can be less complicated.

Sauces, dairy products and puff pastry: the best disguises

Sauces and dairy products are ideal to mask the taste. Vegetable creams with cheese, pasta with vegetables, green beans with egg and ham, or steamed broccoli with mayonnaise also help.
Puff pastry is a good option. You can add vegetables and healthy foods such as leeks, spinach or fish, among others.

When it comes to textures and sweetness

Cooking tasty vegetables can be done in different ways. There are ingredients whose sweetness is released when roasted or fried, as in the case of cassava.

When the layer that covers some tubers, root vegetables and pumpkins is oil, when cooked it heats up quickly and evaporates moisture from the surface.
This behavior is known as the Maillard effect, which increases the flavor on the outside, with crunchy and caramelized areas, and smooth on the inside.

cooking by color

purple or purple

Purple colored vegetables have high levels of antioxidants. Beans, potatoes, asparagus or cabbage contain anthocyanins, unstable and water-soluble molecules.

When they boil, they lose their color, so it is advisable to eat them raw or add acidic flavors to the water. Red cabbage, for example, is usually cooked in vinegar.

Red

Betaine is what gives beets their red color. It is water soluble and heat sensitive, so it is recommended to treat it as mentioned above.

Green

Chlorophyll is responsible for giving the green color to some vegetables, and it is also water soluble.

It is recommended to boil for a short time in large amounts of salt water and then rinse in ice water. They can be roasted or sautéed and seasoned with lemon juice.

Dark green vegetables do not fade as easily due to carotenoids, which are also present in orange or red foods.

White

Potatoes, artichokes, cauliflower or onions, white vegetables, discolor when cut due to enzymes that make them brown.

They can be kept in a bowl filled with diluted lemon juice. It is not advisable to cook or bake for long periods.

Tips for cooking appetizing vegetables

Salt makes tomatoes fresher and improves the taste of sweet dishes.
Honey minimizes the bitterness of endive, common chicory and endives.
With some bitter vegetables, such as those with green leaves or intensely salty ones, such as mushrooms, care must be taken when adding salt.
An attractive combination is that of bitter and sweet flavors: sweet and sour mint with peas, parsley in salads with sweet sauces, cumin with roasted carrots…
Olive oil is excellent when combined with sweet and bitter flavors.

the rich sweet flavor

Fresh peas, carrots and peppers have sweet flavors, which can be enhanced with honey, syrups or alcohol.

Mixing sweets and fats is bold, but very attractive when trying to convince someone to eat more vegetables.

Although potatoes with melted butter, soups or mashed cream are real treats, you shouldn’t overdo them.

We recommend that you read: How to grow carrots at home: would you like to try it?

P plasticizer and mild acid

Chillies, black pepper or fresh ginger improve the flavor of bland dishes and soups or stews, but they should be used with caution.

In turn, acidic flavors such as lemon juice, vinegar, wine, rhubarb, sour cream (also known as sour cream ) or yogurt add to the natural sweetness of vegetables. They should be used sparingly to achieve flavor balance.

An appetizing recipe to enjoy vegetables

This recipe is an example of how to cook vegetables and make them into a more exquisite dish.

Vegetables with cheese

Ingredients

Broccoli, Cauliflower and Carrot
3 tablespoons of butter (60 g)
Cheese for au gratin (to taste)
Salt and pepper to taste
A little bit of water

Preparation

Put the water in a pan so the vegetables don’t burn when steaming.
Add broccoli, cauliflower and carrots, butter, salt and pepper.
Over low heat and with the pan covered, cook a few minutes until the vegetables are cooked but crispy.
To finish, turn off the heat, add the cheese and cover the container again to melt.