Every time I say something like, “Simply prep some veggies to go with your meal and you’re good to go!” I get email requests saying, “Yes, but how exactly do you prep your veggies?” So here I am, finally giving a little more instruction on how to easily steam or roast vegetables. How silly that it’s taken me ten years to write this post.
We’ll start with steaming then move on to roasting. And hang with me until we get to the bottom of this post so you can grab our pretty new Veggie Preparation Guide!
How to Easily Steam Vegetables
Confession: I used to go to a little more trouble when steaming vegetables, putting one of these great stainless steel steamers in the bottom of my pan before adding my veggies. But just like everything I do in my kitchen these days, I’ve pared down the work (and the dirty dishes created as a result of the work) to make food prep as simple as possible.
Now what do I do when steaming vegetables? I dump in the veggies, I add a shot of water, I add some fat (butter or bacon grease), and I cook them for a few minutes until they are tender. It truly is that easy!
How to steam veggies:
How to Easily Roast Vegetables
Cut vegetables so they are uniform in size. Toss with a mixture of refined coconut oil, sea salt, and pepper and spread evenly on a baking sheet. Roast veggies in a 425 degree oven according to this approximate time chart or until veggies are tender:
Download a FREE Printable Veggie Prep Guide!
How about an easy-to-reference guide to print and post in your kitchen? As you prepare your veggies every day, give it a quick glance to be reminded of cooking times for each veggie!
(See what I did there? A little passive-aggressive “prepare your veggies every day” to give you a hint that it’s important to prepare and eat veggies every day.) ;)
Don’t forget Raw and Stir Fried Veggies!
It’s the easiest thing in the world to throw out a container of mixed greens for salads each night. Or open a container of baby carrots, grab out some snap peas – raw veggies are your friend because of their nutritional content and ease for serving!
And stir-frying veggies adds fabulous flavor. Read my favorite way to stir-fry here. We make this often, with and without the noodles.
Thank you for all the simple ideas! I really enjoy your blog.
My favorite veggie trick for roasting vegetables is to use frozen veggie- no cutting required-
I just dump on a tray- brush on some melted butter or olive oil add some salt (sometimes garlic salt) and toss them in the oven.
I stopped using olive oil for veg roasting years ago – gets too smoky too fast. Avocado oil is much better.
I was going to make the same comment about the olive oil – 425 is just too high a temp for that oil! Way above its smoking point, and I’ve read it can create free radicals, so not a healthy option. Maybe use coconut oil for roasting instead?
I agree. Coconut oil is all that I ever roast/cook with as it has a much higher smoke point.
You guys are correct! I’ve even blogged about it before, ha! I always *think* olive oil when I make veggies because that’s what I always used to use, so I automatically typed it. I’ll edit to change to coconut oil. :)
I actually steam veggies in the microwave – but I should probably switch to using a pot on the stove since we’re eating larger and larger quantities – too large for the covered containers I was using, and enough that no matter how they’re heated, they need some stirring to heat evenly.
(For anyone with a smaller family or making them for a single person, drop your frozen veggies in a microwaveable container with a lid. Add a splash of water and *loosely* attach the lid so steam can escape. A small quantity (for one or two people) will usually be done after 1-2 minutes on high.