How to stew frozen vegetables in a frying pan?

Frozen vegetable mixtures appeared on supermarket shelves not so long ago, but have already won the love of many customers. They are especially popular with people who care about their appearance and healthy eating, because such sets are a storehouse of various vitamins and minerals. Dishes and recipes made from frozen vegetable mixtures are very tasty and easy to prepare.

Before you start cooking, we suggest you familiarize yourself with the range of this product.

Varieties of frozen vegetable sets

Each manufacturer of this product can use different packaging, take vegetables from different countries, write their own recipes on the label, but the main component of the product almost always remains the same.
Regardless of the season, these vegetables are always fresh, and cooking with them is a pleasure. There are several main compositions:

Lecho: onions, tomatoes, zucchini, carrots and paprika;
Mexican: carrots, corn, green beans, peas, corn, celery, red beans, peppers;
Hawaiian: corn, rice, peas and peppers;
Chinese: bamboo shoots and soybeans, onions, peppers, celery, green beans, corn, cabbage, Chinese black mushroom;
Country style: potatoes, onions, broccoli, peppers, beans, carrots, corn;
Spring bouquet: 3 types of cabbage (broccoli, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts), carrots, peas, onions, bean pods;
Mushroom soup: champignons, carrots, onions, potatoes;
For scrambled eggs: tomatoes, onions, paprika, zucchini, celery.

You can also buy frozen vegetable mixtures for making sorrel soup and borscht, and individual vegetables (for example, green beans, tomatoes, French fries).

It is recommended to purchase sets that are no more than six months old. Cut vegetables should move freely throughout the package and not be stuck together in one lump. Which company to give preference to is up to everyone to decide for themselves. Frozen vegetable mixtures “4 seasons” are of fairly high quality. It is pleasant to cook any dishes from them.

The simplest recipes are to pour the contents of the bag into a steamer or frying pan, add meat, cereals or other vegetables if desired, and thoroughly steam everything under the lid. But this is an option for the lazy. Below we will tell you how to prepare frozen vegetable mixtures quickly and tasty.

Heat treatment of the dish

How to prepare frozen vegetable mixture quickly and tasty? To do this, you need to take a saucepan (preferably the deepest one), put cabbage, onions and potatoes in it, then pour in a glass of water and close the lid tightly. After boiling, it is advisable to simmer the vegetables for about 20 minutes. After this time, the frozen mixture, sausages and all your favorite spices, including salt, should be added to the almost ready-made ingredients. It is also recommended to additionally add a small piece of butter and a couple of tablespoons of tomato paste into the saucepan. After closing the dish again, it should be kept on medium heat for about 10-13 minutes. Next, the dish must be mixed well and served hot.

Recipes for cooking from frozen mixtures

Since packaged vegetables have been blast frozen, they can be cooked fairly quickly. There is no need to defrost them first; they are added to soups and stews as is.

Recipes can be found on the back of the package, you can come up with them yourself, or you can find them on the Internet:

You can prepare aromatic mushroom soup in 25 minutes. To do this, you will need a bag of the product of the same name, 3 liters of broth, salt, pepper and herbs. Pour the contents of the package into salted boiled broth. Stirring thoroughly, bring the soup to a boil and cook until tender. Before turning off the heat, pepper the dish and add finely chopped dill and parsley. Cover with a lid and let sit for 5 minutes;
The Mexican version will make a delicious soup, light side dish, original salad or omelette with vegetables. Recipes with boiled chicken meat and vegetables from a steamer are perfect for the diet. You can cook meals together in a slow cooker. Cut the chicken breast into small pieces, add salt, and place in a cooking container with 1 liter of water. A steamer tray is installed on top - this is for Mexican freezing. Close the lid and set the “quenching” mode for 30 minutes;
For frozen Mexican mixed vegetables, salad recipes can be very varied. After boiling the contents of the package in salted water and cooling, add diced ham or smoked sausage. Mayonnaise or mayonnaise-mustard sauce is used as a dressing. Lovers of proper nutrition can add lettuce leaves to boiled vegetables and season with lemon juice. Such recipes are very healthy and nutritious;
You can cook soup from a frozen vegetable mixture in 30 minutes. Regardless of the season, you will need a “Spring” set, a can of stew, salt, pepper, tomato paste. Pour the chopped potatoes and the purchased set into boiling water. While everything is boiling, you can prepare the frying of onions and tomato paste. The stew is added 15 minutes after the potatoes. After another 5 minutes, add the onion and tomato. Dill and parsley will be useful for the winter and spring seasons. They are poured in after the potatoes are cooked. All that remains is to add salt to the soup and cover with a lid, let it sit for 3 minutes, after which you can eat it;
There are many dishes that are healthy, but not everyone likes them. Using frozen vegetable mixtures you can prepare quickly, tasty and healthy. Ragu is exactly the product that everyone will like. To prepare it, you can use a Mexican preparation or take the “Rustic” set. Heat vegetable oil in a frying pan. Onions and frozen foods are added to it. After mixing thoroughly, add a little water (50 ml for 1 pack of vegetables), salt, pepper and, covering with a lid, leave to simmer. In 20 minutes the dish will be ready. If there are no potatoes in the mixture, you will have to add them. In this case, the water and cooking time will need to be adjusted;
You can prepare many delicious dishes from frozen mixtures with mushrooms. The simplest thing is an omelette or casserole. The first is best cooked in a saucepan on top of the stove, the second in a special form in the oven. First, butter, then vegetables are poured in, their composition may depend on the season or the packaging chosen, then eggs are beaten with milk and grated cheese. Salt and pepper all this. Top with a layer of grated cheese. You need to cook on the stove until a crust forms on top, and in the oven at 180 degrees for only 10 minutes. Before serving, you can sprinkle with herbs.

How to cook frozen vegetables

Frozen vegetables are not only an inexpensive way to replenish vitamin reserves during the winter, but also a significant saving of time and effort on preparing tasty and healthy food. You can freeze vegetables for future use yourself in the fall or buy them at your local store at any time of the year. Not only are each vegetable frozen individually - corn, peas, green beans, broccoli, cauliflower and other crops - but also in the form of various mixtures.

Content:

You can cook frozen vegetables quickly and tasty in just a few minutes, because unlike fresh vegetables, they are already washed, peeled and cut, and they cook twice as fast. And there are much more vitamins and beneficial properties in such products than in vegetables that are sold in stores out of season.

Types of vegetable mixtures

You can freeze any vegetables; thrifty housewives even prepare potatoes for future use, already peeled and chopped, for example, for quick preparation of French fries or “country-style potatoes”; this is very practical and such preparation can help out in any situation.

However, the most convenient option is to use a frozen mixture of different vegetables. This will help you quickly prepare a wide variety of dishes, from stews to casseroles and soups. Vegetables are combined according to your taste or you buy time-tested mixtures, the most popular of which are:

Hawaiian blend. Consists of half-cooked rice, corn kernels, green peas and sweet paprika. Thanks to the presence of rice, you can prepare a full-fledged side dish or vegetarian dish from it in 15 minutes without any effort. The mixture goes very well with shrimp, various seafood or mushrooms.
Lecho. A popular dish, the obligatory ingredients of which are sweet bell peppers and tomatoes. In addition, onions, carrots, zucchini are added to this mixture, and during the cooking process, fresh garlic and herbs are also added.
Mexican vegetables. The mixture got its name from the presence of red beans and corn, which are so popular in this sunny country. In addition, it includes green beans, peas, onions, sweet peppers and carrots, sometimes with the addition of eggplant and celery. This mixture makes excellent burritos and savory salads.
Ratatouille. This dish does not need additional advertising. Traditionally contains zucchini, eggplant, pepper, tomato and onion.
Paprikash. The mixture is used to prepare goulash or stew. The main mass is paprika; in addition, the composition includes tomatoes, zucchini, beans, carrots and onions.
Chinese mixture. The popularity of oriental cuisine is growing every day, so a mixture of black mushroom, bamboo shoots, bean sprouts, cabbage, carrots and onions is becoming more and more in demand. It is fried in sesame oil with the addition of chili pepper, garlic, ginger and soy sauce.

Separately, I would like to note that you can even freeze the mixture for making borscht, regular or green. You need to chop and freeze the necessary ingredients - beets, carrots, onions, tomatoes, peppers or spinach with onions, carrots and sorrel.

Delicious dishes

What can you prepare from this variety of frozen vegetables? There are many options:

soup, cream soup, cream soup;
vegetable and meat stew;
stewed vegetables in sour cream, tomato and cream sauce;
fried vegetables;
side dishes;
salads;
omelet and scrambled eggs;
casseroles.

Frozen mixtures allow you to prepare your favorite dishes in the shortest possible time. Vegetables are added 10-12 minutes before the dish is ready. Prepared with fresh seasonal vegetables, meat, fish, mushrooms and seafood.

Cooking methods

Frozen vegetables are boiled, fried, stewed, baked and steamed. To do this, use a regular stove, slow cooker, oven or double boiler. Each method has its own characteristics. If vegetables are cooked with meat, fish, or other fresh vegetables, then they are added towards the end of cooking; the vegetables must not be overcooked, otherwise there will be no benefit to them.

On the stove

Frozen vegetables are fried, stewed and boiled on the stove. Cook them in salted water, placing the mixture in boiling water without defrosting, cooking time according to the instructions on the package. If you froze the vegetables yourself, the cooking time is approximately as follows:

all types of cabbage, carrots, zucchini, eggplants are boiled for 7-8 minutes;
beans and corn will be cooked in 5 minutes;
green onions, spinach, sorrel and other leafy crops will be ready in 2-3 minutes.

In a frying pan

The easiest and most affordable way is to cook frozen vegetables in a frying pan. They can be fried or stewed.

To fry, place the product in a very hot frying pan with a small amount of oil, cook for several minutes until the moisture evaporates, sprinkle with spices and add soy sauce if desired. Fry for another 3-5 minutes until done. If you cover the pan and cook over low heat, they will simmer.

In a slow cooker

Cooking frozen vegetables in a slow cooker is a matter of just a few minutes. The sequence of actions is as follows:

vegetables are placed in a special net;
pour water into the multicooker;
add spices;
turn on the “steam cooking” mode, time 30 minutes.

This method will preserve the maximum amount of vitamins.

In the oven

Before cooking frozen vegetables in the oven, they are first fried in a pan for a few minutes to remove excess moisture and prevent the vegetables from turning into soup in the oven. You can pre-defrost them on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator.

Next, the mixture is placed on a baking sheet and sprinkled with oil. Salt the dish and sprinkle with spices at the end of cooking. Bake for 20-30 minutes at 180 degrees. A few minutes before cooking, you can sprinkle the vegetables with grated cheese.

Food preparation

It is not recommended to defrost frozen vegetables, because this may cause them to lose some of their vitamins. They are removed from the freezer immediately before cooking and placed on a hot surface or in boiling water.

It is also important to take into account that during the cooking process, vegetables will release a large amount of moisture, so it is important to choose the right processing method to obtain the required consistency of the dish.

You can freeze vegetables yourself, and you will be confident in the quality of the raw materials; you can choose not only what products to add to this or that mixture, but also the cutting method.

Useful tips

When preparing frozen vegetables and mixtures of them, you need to consider several important nuances:

You cannot cook such a product for longer than 10-12 minutes, otherwise the vegetables will become soggy and lose their taste and benefits;
vegetables inside the package should not be collected in a solid lump;
You should not purchase the mixture if the manufacturing date has exceeded six months;
no need to rinse frozen vegetables before cooking;
When purchasing, you need to make sure that the vegetables were prepared using the “shock” freezing method, which preserves most of the vitamins and microelements.

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Freezing vegetables

different types of cabbage (cauliflower, white cabbage, Brussels sprouts, broccoli);
onion;
tomatoes;
carrot;
green peas or green beans;
pepper;
zucchini or eggplant.

You can add greens, but it is better to freeze them separately.

We carefully sort and wash all products.
After this they need to be cut.
For these purposes, you can use a shredder, a figured or regular knife or a grater.
How to cut - decide for yourself. In order for vegetables to be useful throughout the season, they must be frozen correctly. To make cooking easier later, and for the products to retain their bright color and rich taste, it is better to blanch them. Each culture is dipped separately from the others.
Place the vegetables in a colander and rinse with cold water, then dry them with a towel.
Some recipes, such as soup, are designed for raw rather than semi-cooked foods, so you don't need to dip the vegetables in boiling water for these dishes.
In a large container, mix all the ingredients except the tomatoes and place in plastic ziplock bags.
It is better to put in portions of 500 g.
All that’s left is to add the tomatoes and you’re ready to close.
We squeeze the edges tightly and release excess air from the bag, then fasten the lock.
The mixture is ready to put in the freezer.

Are frozen mixed vegetables healthy?

This type of product has many advantages. The main one is naturalness. Modern technologies make it possible to prepare them without losing the vitamins and minerals they contain. Such products are mainly made from domestic vegetables, and they are much healthier than imported ones.

By purchasing vegetable mixtures, you save not only money, but also time. This product is usually inexpensive and can be stored in the freezer for more than 1 year.

The recipes are printed right there, but even without them you can whip up a complete breakfast or dinner. The soup will be rich and aromatic, the salads will be low-calorie, and the stew will be satisfying. Therefore, such sets are very useful and popular. Bon appetit!

At any time of the year, when we need to prepare delicious, healthy and quick food, frozen vegetables come to our aid. Recipes for frozen vegetables are not much different from those that involve the use of fresh vegetables, only the dishes are prepared much faster. Firstly, before freezing, vegetables (except tomatoes) are blanched, and secondly, the vegetables are already peeled and cut, which also saves time.

You can prepare many dishes from frozen vegetables. These are snacks - salads, unsweetened mousses, aspic; hot dishes - a variety of vegetable and meat soups, puree soups. Main courses - rice with vegetables, pasta and sauces, casseroles, omelettes. As well as a variety of savory pastries - open pies on puff pastry, tarts and winter pies with vegetables. Whether or not to defrost vegetables before using depends on the recipe, but most often you don’t have to waste time defrosting.

If you bought frozen vegetables in bulk, place them in plastic ziplock trays, close them, trying to squeeze out as much air as possible, and place them in the freezer. It’s also a good idea to put the date on the package when it was made. Let there always be frozen vegetables in the freezer; there will be recipes for their use!

A dish of stewed vegetables: how to prepare?

Stewed vegetable mixture can be used both as an independent dish and as a side dish for meat, pasta, boiled cereals, etc. This lunch is quite easy to make. To do this you will need to prepare:

mixture of frozen vegetables – 700 g;
any additional ingredients (for example, potatoes, cabbage, fresh onions, sausage, sausages, etc.);
tomato paste – 2 large spoons;
drinking water – 1-1.2 glasses;
aromatic spices, salt and seasonings - add to taste;
Butter or sunflower oil – about 50 g.

The right approach to choosing

What do you need to do to buy a quality product?

First of all, carefully examine the packaging - it should be intact and without damage. After all, if the seal of the bag is broken, air will enter the product, which will allow various bacteria to live. And this will inevitably lead to spoilage of vegetables;
Shake the selected pack and feel it. Did you find large clumps of stuck together vegetables? This is evidence that the product was re-frozen;

Naturally, pay attention to the expiration date of the product, as well as when it was frozen. It is better when it was carried out at the end of summer or at the beginning of autumn - such products contain maximum beneficial properties;
Look at the composition if you choose a mixture; it is best when the products are in an even percentage, without a clear predominance of one or two products;
If a package of product in the refrigerator compartment is covered with frost, avoid it. This is a sign that the product was previously stored at a temperature higher than required by standards;
There are no swollen packs - this indicates that the process of bacterial activity is in full swing;
Loose vegetables should not be too bright or pale in color. In the first case, this indicates the addition of dyes, and in the second, it indicates improper freezing. Vegetables should have an even, natural color, without various spots.

Useful tips for housewives

To prepare the dishes described above, you can purchase both frozen assorted vegetables and individual packaged vegetables. It should be especially noted that such mixtures are relatively inexpensive, but they turn out just as tasty as fresh ones.
When purchasing frozen vegetables, be sure to pay attention to the expiration date, which is written on the package. By the way, it is advisable to purchase such a set in transparent packaging. After all, this is the only way you can determine whether a given product is of high quality or whether the manufacturer is trying to sell you a bad or damaged product instead.
It is advisable to boil, simmer and fry the vegetable mixture for no longer than 10-15 minutes. If you neglect this advice, then your dish will not turn out as tasty and beautiful as you would like.

Features of preparing frozen vegetables

So, the mixture has been purchased, all that remains is to figure out how to prepare it and what to serve it with. It is worth remembering some nuances before you start cooking:

The time required to cook frozen vegetables is approximately half the time required for standard cooking of raw vegetables. Don't forget about this when storing products. In soup, for example, such ingredients should be added almost at the end of cooking;
You don't necessarily need to cook these vegetables; they are edible raw. But in this case they require defrosting. It is best to defrost without opening the package, placing the closed bag in a bowl. The dishes must not be made of metal, have a lid or be covered with film. Defrosting is carried out not in a warm place, but in a cool place. The best place for this is the shelf at the bottom of your refrigerator.

How to properly cook frozen vegetables

In order to boil a standard packet of vegetable mixture weighing four hundred grams, you will need to pour about one and a half liters of water into the pan.

Then the pan is placed on the fire and the water boils. During the process, add salt and the seasonings you need to the water.

After the water boils, pour the vegetables into it, stir them, wait until the water boils again, loosely cover the pan and cook the mixture for ten minutes.

After which the vegetables are placed in a colander to drain the liquid. Then the vegetables are placed in a bowl and seasoned to taste with vegetable or butter, vinegar, sour cream, or some sauce of your choice.

Cooking roast in a slow cooker

Preparing a vegetable mixture in a slow cooker is no more difficult than on a gas stove. But for such a dish you will also need to purchase additional ingredients:

fresh chicken breasts – about 600 g;
vegetable mixture - approximately 600 g;
sunflower oil – 60 ml;
garlic - a few cloves;
aromatic spices, salt and various spices - add to taste;
potatoes, cauliflower - add if they are not in the finished mixture.

How to deliciously cook frozen vegetables without spending a lot of time and effort

Quick dinner recipe

Frozen vegetables are a lifesaver, especially when you need to cook something and have very little time. Instead of using instant semi-finished products that are not always healthy, it is better to use a package of frozen mixture, which will make a tasty, healthy and easy-to-fit dish. What we need:

1 pack of frozen vegetable mixture;

1 onion;

About 60 ml of water;

Salt and seasonings to your taste;

A little vegetable oil.

First of all, cut the onion into small pieces. Then add vegetable oil to the pan and place the onion in the pan.

When the onion turns golden, add the vegetables and stir well. Then add salt and spices, stir again, add water.

Frozen vegetables: a recipe for a delicious and rich soup

Not so long ago, frozen vegetables began to enjoy particular popularity on the Russian market. And this is not without reason. After all, thanks to such mixtures, you can quite easily and quickly prepare a complete lunch or dinner for yourself and your family.

Let's look at how to prepare a frozen vegetable mixture so that we end up with a very tasty soup. For this we need the following ingredients:

any meat on the bone - 300 g;
mixture of frozen vegetables – 250 g;
drinking water – 2.3-2.5 l;
potato tubers (if not in a package with vegetables) – 1-2 pcs.;
salt, spices, seasonings, etc. – add to taste;
fresh herbs - a few sprigs.

How to freeze vegetables yourself

You can stock up on a storehouse of vitamins at home by freezing your own vegetables. What needs to be done for this?

Before the freezing process, all vegetables must be washed and dried;
Then all unedible parts are removed from the vegetables, and the rest is cut into pieces or chopped;
Pieces of beets, carrots, peppers or pumpkins should be treated with boiling water for about three minutes. Greens also require heat treatment, but they are immersed in boiling water for just a second. Then the vegetables are immediately doused with cold water and laid out to dry;
For packaging and subsequent freezing of vegetables, it is better to use special sealed bags with a valve, but in the absence of such, you can use ordinary bags, but be sure to remove all the air from them before freezing. Vegetables are frozen either immediately in bags or in bulk on some surface, after which they are poured into bags;
For long-term storage of vegetables, freezing should take place at minus 18 or minus 20 degrees Celsius.

So you have become acquainted with various ways of preparing such a healthy product as frozen vegetables. Now you know how to fry them, boil them, steam them with rice, etc., without spending a lot of time on cooking.

And if you find the time to freeze vegetables yourself, then in winter you will always have a product on hand of which you can be sure of its quality.