If vegetables aren’t in season, you don’t have any on hand or don’t have the time to clean and prepare fresh vegetables, frozen vegetables are a great, convenient option! While frozen vegetables can seem bland compared to fresh, this recipe includes tricks and tips for making the most out of using frozen vegetables.
My tips:
- Start with the vegetables fully frozen – don’t thaw or pre-cook them. Frozen vegetables are just as nutritious as fresh because they are picked and packed at the peak of freshness.
- Cook frozen vegetables in a hot oven (450 degrees F).
- Place the baking sheet in the oven while it is preheating so it is hot when you add the frozen vegetables to it.
- Spread your frozen vegetables out on the pan so they are not touching (use two pans if you need to). This will allow them to brown and become crispy instead of steaming. This will better mimic the texture of fresh vegetables.
Ingredients: For the vegetables:
- Choice of frozen vegetable(s) – The below video features broccoli and cauliflower, but you can also use green beans, zucchini, potatoes, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, etc.
- Olive oil, to coat frozen vegetables (several tablespoons)
- Seasoning to taste, like salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, etc. This recipe just used salt and pepper because I seasoned the lemon tahini sauce
For the lemon tahini sauce:
- 1/2 cup tahini paste (nutty taste)
- Zest of 1 lemon
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Pinch of salt
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
- Water, to thin the consistency of the sauce
Directions: For the vegetables:
- Pre-heat your oven to 450 degrees F and place your baking sheet/pan in the oven to heat while you prepare the vegetables.
- Place frozen vegetables in a mixing bowl and toss them in several tablespoons of olive oil (or avocado oil) and add your salt and pepper.
- Carefully add frozen vegetables to your hot sheet pan and place in the oven for about 20 to 30 minutes.
- Stir vegetables around after about 10-15 minutes to make sure they brown evenly.
- Once they are tender, remove from the oven, move to a serving dish and add the lemon tahini sauce.
For the lemon tahini sauce:
- Add tahini paste, zest and juice of 1 lemon, the salt and garlic powder into a mixing container and whisk together. If it is too thick, add about 1 to 2 Tablespoons of water to make it more spreadable.
- Pour over warm vegetables and enjoy!
The vegetables are best serve the day you prepare them but can keep in the refrigerator if needed. This sauce is delicious on many other vegetables so play around with the recipe and the frozen vegetables you like best. We hope you give this recipe a try!
Forge is delighted to partner with Laura Rutledge, MA, RDN, CSO, a Registered Dietician Nutritionist who focuses on oncology nutrition for during and after cancer diagnosis and treatment. For more information and recipes from Laura check out Nourishing Plate.