Vegetable Prep for Everyday Meals
It can never hurt to have multiple vegetable prep methods up your sleeve. Not every meal needs a complicated vegetable side dish—if you’re going all out for your main course, your best option may be to serve something simple as an accompaniment. Here are some useful guidelines you can employ.
BLANCHING: Flash cooking vegetables in a large quantity of lightly salted boiling water is a good way to preserve color, crispness, and flavor. The cooking is stopped with a quick cool down: You can run the drained vegetables under cool water; drop them into an ice bath; or simply lay them out on a kitchen towel to cool off. You can achieve similar results by steaming instead of blanching, but you will need to double the cooking time and cool the vegetables down as directed above.
ROASTING: Roasting vegetables that have been tossed in olive oil in a hot oven is one of our favorite go-to methods. We suggest using a 425°F oven. Make sure the vegetables are uniform in size to ensure even cooking and be sure to enjoy all the browned, caramelized bits. You can line your baking sheet with parchment paper for easier clean up.
SAUTÉING: Cooking and stirring vegetables in a small amount of oil over medium-high to high heat is always easy and the results are delicious. We suggest using olive oil or grapeseed oil, and cutting the vegetables in small pieces or slices so they cook quickly. One exception might be asparagus, which you can sauté as whole spears. We frequently add sliced or chopped garlic as we heat up the oil or during the last 1 or 2 minutes (to prevent burning if we’re cooking at high heat).
BLANCH: 2 to 3 minutes
ROAST: 10 to 15 minutes
SAUTÉ: 3 to 5 minutes
FAVORITE SEASONINGS: Toasted sesame seeds, dill, tarragon, lemon zest
VEGGIE: Beans, green or wax
BLANCH: 3 minutes
ROAST: N/A
SAUTÉ: 3 to 4 minutes
FAVORITE SEASONINGS: Sesame seeds, cumin seeds, dill, lemon zest, ginger
VEGGIE: Beets
BLANCH: N/A
ROAST: 50 to 60 minutes
SAUTÉ: N/A
FAVORITE SEASONINGS: Thyme, rosemary, garlic, shallots, orange zest, fennel seed, raspberry vinegar
VEGGIE: Broccoli (medium florets)
BLANCH: 3 minutes
ROAST: 15 to 20 minutes
SAUTÉ: 3 to 4 minutes
FAVORITE SEASONINGS: Oregano, sesame seeds, ginger
VEGGIE: Brussels sprouts (halved)
BLANCH: N/A
ROAST: 30 to 40 minutes
SAUTÉ: 20 to 25 minutes
FAVORITE SEASONINGS: Caraway, mustard seeds, dill, lemon zest
VEGGIE: Carrots (whole)
BLANCH: N/A
ROAST: 30 to 45 minutes
SAUTÉ: N/A
FAVORITE SEASONINGS: Thyme, rosemary, curry, dill seeds, poppy seeds, coriander seeds
VEGGIE: Carrots (baby)
BLANCH: 5 minutes
ROAST: 15 to 20 minutes
SAUTÉ: N/A
FAVORITE SEASONINGS: Thyme, rosemary, poppy seeds, parsley, dill, cilantro, mint
VEGGIE: Carrots (thinly sliced)
BLANCH: 2 minutes
ROAST: 8 to 10 minutes
SAUTÉ: 3 to 4 minutes
FAVORITE SEASONINGS: Parsley, dill, cilantro, mint
VEGGIE: Cauliflower (medium florets)
BLANCH: 3 to 4 minutes
ROAST: 20 to 30 minutes
SAUTÉ: 3 to 4 minutes
FAVORITE SEASONINGS: Cilantro, curry, dill seeds, fennel seeds, caraway seeds
VEGGIE: Eggplant, ½-inch sliced rounds
BLANCH: N/A
ROAST: 30 to 40 minutes
SAUTÉ: N/A
FAVORITE SEASONINGS: Tahini, za’atar, lemon juice, parsley, yogurt, garlic
VEGGIE: Mushrooms
BLANCH: N/A
ROAST: 20 to 25 minutes
SAUTÉ: 7 to 10 minutes
FAVORITE SEASONINGS: Sesame seeds, chives, tarragon, thyme
VEGGIE: Onions (½-inch slices)
BLANCH: N/A
ROAST: 35 to 45 minutes
SAUTÉ: 10 to 15 minutes
FAVORITE SEASONINGS: Allspice, balsamic vinegar, thyme, oregano
VEGGIE: Peas, shelled or sugar snaps
BLANCH: 1 to 2 minutes
ROAST: N/A
SAUTÉ: 2 to 4 minutes
FAVORITE SEASONINGS: Mint, dill, lemon zest
VEGGIE: Peppers, bell, sliced
BLANCH: N/A
ROAST: 12 to 15 minutes
SAUTÉ: 4 to 6 minutes
FAVORITE SEASONINGS: Basil, cumin seeds, fennel seeds
VEGGIE: Tomatoes, cherry or grape or halved plum
BLANCH: N/A
ROAST: 20 to 25 minutes
SAUTÉ: 3 to 5 minutes
FAVORITE SEASONINGS: Cumin seeds, basil, cilantro, parsley, mint, fresh oregano, sea salt, garlic, pesto
VEGGIE: Zucchini or summer squash (¼-inch disks)
BLANCH: N/A
ROAST: 10 to 15 minutes
SAUTÉ: 4 to 6 minutes
FAVORITE SEASONINGS: Coriander seeds, basil, oregano, chives, dill
Lemon-Thyme Zucchini “Spaghettini”
Zucchini cut into spaghetti-thin strands and combined with lemon and thyme makes a lovely dish that is fabulous with or without the final cheese garnish. For the carb- or gluten-conscious, serve zucchini spaghettini in place of real spaghetti topped with a meat sauce, such as our lamb ragù (here).
SERVES 6
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
6 small zucchini (about 3 pounds), julienned
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
3 to 5 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 to 3 tablespoons grated pecorino Romano cheese (optional)
In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium heat. Add the zucchini and cook, tossing once or twice, until it begins to brighten and soften, 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the thyme. Gradually add 1 tablespoon of water at a time, bringing the liquid back to a simmer before each addition. The water should just cover the bottom of the skillet. Simmer the zucchini until cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes. Toss in the lemon zest and the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with the cheese, if using, and serve.