Are Your Vegetables Firm?

 When you cook vegi’s does the end result resemble this weird looking mush or are your vegi’s still firm enough to remain distinct entities? Well, unless you’ve lost your teeth or something don’t cook so much. Especially if you are cooking a big batch for reheating later, .. lay off a bit and leave something there.

 This morning I made a pot of vegi’s that I would eat right away and also reheat and feed on later in the day. Cooked them just to my liking and they were not mushed by the additional reheat to follow (just had the second half a few minutes ago and they were terrific). Well, in addition to watching the cooking time I fed in the harder to cook vegi’s first so they’d be in direct contact with the water and let the more yielding  wait for last and sit on the top where they would steam and have that lid right above to help bring down the temp a degree or two.

 So first in were the turnips, carrots and the last in were the onions and the potatoes (couldn’t fit the cabbage, too much of the other stuff). And after the cooking was finished I got the guys right out of there using a slotted metal spoon so they could be drained of the boiling water before being place in the stainless bowl. That way, no additional cooking took place as they were sitting and cooling.

  And I know, .. from this blog entry you might think I just invented a cure for cancer or something. .. But I guess the point is you could take two identical pots of vegi’s and just from cooking a mere 10 minutes longer on one you’d get a decidedly different and mushier outcome. .. The details, that were the magic of cooking a fantastic dish vs an alright one resides.

 Well if you like this share the joy. Tell a friend about us and send them this post. But be careful they may be the sensitive type who’ll think you’re trying to give them a hint or something about their overcooking. .. Thanks & be well.