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Vegetable Cooking
Your selection of vegetables to compliment your holiday meal
is as important as not burning your turkey or drying the
turkey out as you cook it.
Vegetables can be boiled, until tender-crisp, not soft.
For best results, steam vegetables instead of boiling them.
Steaming keeps the vegetables flavor within itself, not
boiled away. It is also easier to not overcook vegetables
when steaming.
Asparagus -
rinsed, roots cut off, best steamed
Broccoli -
rinsed, stems cut short
Carrots -
peeled, and halved, cut to fork lengths
Peas -
rinsed, whether fresh or canned
Radish -
ends sliced off, rinsed, peeled if desired
Squash -
peeled, cubed and mashed
Hand-selected
vegetables should be rinsed clean.
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Boil
vegetables by placing them into pot, suitable in size for
the quantity of vegetables, of already boiling water.
Vegetables should be completely covered in water.
Boiled
vegetables should be drained and transferred to serving
dishes once cooked. Do not let them sit in the pot with
water, they will turn mushy quickly.
Basic
steaming of vegetables is done with a large pot of
boiling water and a steamer plate placed over the pot.
Vegetables are placed in the steamer once the water is
boiling. Steam is hotter than boiling water so vegetables
should be the last item in your menu to be cooked to be
served hot, crisp and fresh. Allow 3 to 6 minutes steaming
time, to desired doneness, depending on the type of
vegetable and quantity.
Mashing
vegetables is easy but requires care. Do not over boil the
vegetables, they should be cooked through not mushy. Drain
well and mash in the same pot. Add 1 tablespoon butter or
margarine and 1/4 cup milk. Mash well. Add more milk, a
little at a time, to desired consistency. Transfer to
serving dish and cover until dinner is ready.
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