Vegetables

Cooking vegetables can be a daunting task, that is, if you're an illiterate that can't count to 10. Cooking veggies is easy, and yet, a lot of people make it so much more difficult than it really is. Plus, as we all know, eating vegetables helps us grow big and strong, like flintstones vitamins. I'll go over 3 methods to make them quick, easy and in a hurry.

Method #1- Blanching

This is probably the easiest and quickest way to cook veggies, especially green vegetables. I don't fully "blanch" them, but lets go over what blanching is. Blanching is boiling the vegetables very quickly, only for like a minute, and then dumping them into ice cold water to stop the cooking process... this leaves them fresh and crisp. I do the same thing, sans the ice bath. This works very well for broccoli, asparagus, green beans, and a few others. Its really easy to do with green vegetables, because as soon as they turn a shade of green that really "pops", they're done.

Step 1. Boil water and add some salt

Step 2. Wash veggies

Step 3. Chop the vegetables down to a size that will let them fit into the pan.

Step 4. Carefully! put them into the boiling water. Wait about a minute... you should notice them turn a brighter green.

Step 5. Pull the veggies out of the pot using something other than your hands

Step 6. Either put them on the plate, or put into an ice bath for a good 15-20 seconds and then serve.

Step 7. Devoure

Method #2-Broiling or grilling

This method is great because you can do it with virtually any vegetable, ie. Zucchini, squash, asparagus, broccoli, onions... whatever. And, its quick and easy.

Step 1. Cut the vegetables lengthwise, so they dont fall into the grill (also, you can put them sideways... logic works wonders)

Step 2. Preheat the grill or broiler

Step 3. Brush the veggies with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. You can add other stuff, but lets keep it simple for simplicities sake.

Step 4. Put under, or over (depending on grilling or broiling) direct heat. Let them cook for about 5-10 minutes, depending on thickness... just check every once in a while.

Step 5. Put on the plate and enjoy.

I prefer my vegetables to be a little more burnt, I really like the charred taste, but you can experiment with times and heats to cook it to your desired taste.

Method #3- Steaming

Now, this requires a little bit of technical skill... well, not really, but you need to have the right tools to do it. You can either A. buy a vegetables steaming machine

Or B. buy an insert for a large pot, as shown.

Basically, the first option is the easiest and will provide you with tons of veggies for a long time. Really, all you have to do is follow the directions that come with the device and presto, you're a chef. The second option just requires that you know how to boil water. Its easy, but require a little more finesse. Timing all depends on how done you like your veggies.