Steam / Sautéed Vegetables - The Easiest Way to Prepare Flavorful, Al Dente Veggies
The best things often happen out of sheer necessity, or like I've said before, laziness :) I grew up being told that boiling vegetables took all of the nutrition out of them, and so as I got older and started to cook for myself, I started cooking vegetables this way. I would heat a large skillet with a bit of extra virgin olive oil, add my vegetables, and a few splashes of chicken broth (always keep a few cartons stocked!) and seasoning. I would cover the vegetables so that the broth would steam the veggies and give them a bit of a "head start". This worked - steaming them for a few minutes would cook them just through, and then I would remove the lid and sauté the veg to get some color on them.
To step it up, you could use this basic method and switch up the seasoning or sauces you use. My favorite combo is to skip the salt and add oyster sauce while the vegetables are steaming. Once the broth evaporates, the oyster sauce cooks down and helps to add nice toasty, flavorful bits to the ends of your greens. I've also used this method to cook Maple Glazed Carrots in minutes on the stove for the holidays. In that recipe, you steam the carrots in broth and salt, and then sauté with some maple syrup, black pepper, flaky sea salt, a bit of butter, and finish with parsley. You get the idea - this is a simple master recipe that you can use and adapt to your liking.
Little did I know that this seemingly made-up method of cooking vegetables is known as steam/sautéing. I am glad that it's actually a thing! I hope you give it a try - here's a quick video recipe and guide! Let's get cookin
What You Need:
1/4 cup cooking liquid: broth, water
1/2 tsp salt (I often substitute with Lee Kum Kee Oyster Sauce)
1 pound prepared vegetables (broccoli, carrots, zucchini, potatoes, eggplant, peas, green beans, squash, pumpkin, etc.)
optional seasoning: herbs, dried herbs, sauces
fat: evoo, coconut oil, vegetable oil, butter
What To Do:
Heat a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat.
Add a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil to the pan.
Add vegetables in an even layer. Season with salt, sauces, herbs, other seasoning)
Cover and steam for 5-10 minutes, depending on the veg. Broccoli takes about 4-6 minutes. The veg should turn bright in color and just tender.
Remove the lid, adding in extra seasoning such as fresh herbs, finishing sauces.
Enjoy al dente veggies!!
