- Whenever possible, don’t peel your veggies — the skins contain lots of valuable nutrients;
- Avoid overcooking your veggies. As a general rule, veggies should be JUST tender when poked with a fork. Green veggies should be cooked just until they turn a bright and vibrant green;
- When making a dish with more than one veggie (recommended!), be sure to cut them all about the same size so they cook up in the same amount of time (or close to it);
- To clean root vegetables, simply scrub with a brush under cold running water. Most of your veggies are best cleaned in a bowl full of cold water and an edible acid, such as lemon juice or apple cider vinegar, for 10 minutes — this will ensure thorough cleansing. 1/4 cup of this edible acid is usually enough for a large bowl of water;
- Cook only the veggies you need at each meal — leftover cooked veggies are very sad and have lost their vitality. If they look wimpy, they ARE wimpy!
- Whenever possible, select fresh, local, seasonal, organic veggies;
- Most veggies can be washed immediately upon returning from the market, then placed into air-tight bags or Tupperware-like containers to keep your greens and veggies fresh. When you’re ready to eat, they’ll be ready to go;
- If you own a vacuum sealer and would like to seal your vegetables for the freezer, be sure to cook them GENTLY first — parboiling seems to work best, meaning drop cut veggies into boiling water for just a couple minutes to JUST begin the cooking process, then remove and run under cold water. Cool thoroughly, and be aware that you may have to use a large bag to allow room for water to “seep” towards the seal without interrupting the sealing action. Random Factoid – Raw broccoli emits a gas that will break the seal on your bags.
