Though wholesome consuming is nuanced and I’m not one to suggest strict meals guidelines or tips, it’s no secret that greens are fairly good for you. They include tons of various nutritional vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals (bioactive compounds in plant meals) that may assist scale back your threat of illness and enhance your total well being. They’re additionally loaded with fiber, which aids digestion, helps a wholesome intestine microbiome (as a result of sure fibers feed probiotic micro organism), and helps preserve you common. And once they’re ready the fitting method, they’ll additionally style fairly darn good.
The factor about greens is that they’re perishable, to allow them to go dangerous in your fridge or in your countertop in the event you don’t use them up rapidly sufficient. Plus, just about all uncooked greens require some quantity of washing, peeling, de-stemming, or chopping earlier than they’re able to be cooked or eaten. None of those challenges are insurmountable—and I’m not knocking recent greens—however for days and nights when all that prep work looks as if an excessive amount of, there’s one other method.
Enter: frozen greens. Blanched and flash-frozen on the peak of freshness, frozen veggies are simply as nutritious because the recent ones within the produce bins. (Blanching means the greens are rapidly boiled, then plunged into chilly water, a course of that cooks them, however retains them crisp.) As a result of they’re already washed, chopped, and cooked, they’re additionally far more handy to make use of. And though this isn’t all the time the case, they’re usually cheaper—each as a result of they value much less on the grocery retailer, and since you’re method much less prone to throw them out as a result of they went dangerous, which saves you cash long run. (Frozen meals might be stored indefinitely, however realistically, you’ll in all probability wish to eat it inside a few months since frozen meals can nonetheless lose taste and texture high quality over time. however it by no means truly goes dangerous.)
In fact, frozen greens aren’t an ideal substitute for recent greens, they usually don’t work in each recipe. As an example, in the event you’re making a salad or a uncooked veggie platter, recent greens are nonetheless your finest guess. Fortunately, there are nonetheless loads of choices the place frozen greens gained’t compromise the style or high quality of your meal. Listed below are 5 dinner recipes that make use of all types of frozen veg.
Chelsea Kyle. Prop styling by Amy Elise Wilson for Laird and Good Firm. Meals styling by Pearl Jones for Ashley Klinger & Co.
1. Complete Wheat Dumpling-Topped Rooster Pot Pie
Rooster and dumplings are a consolation meals staple for lots of parents. Though making them is a multi-step course of, this recipe saves a while by utilizing frozen greens—no chopping required!—and pre-cooked rotisserie rooster. It makes a fairly large batch (8 servings), so you may make it for a bunch, or refrigerate leftovers and reheat them for lunches and dinners within the days to come back. Get the recipe.
