How to cook frozen broccoli?

Broccoli is characterized by a high content of vitamins and minerals, and the freezing technology allows you to enjoy vegetables all year round.To avoid the destruction of useful components in the process of heat treatment, as well as to fully reveal the authenticity of the taste of this variety of cabbage will allow compliance with the rules of its preparation.

Broccoli (another name - asparagus cabbage) is a type of cauliflower, which also has lush inflorescences, located on a dense "leg". They have a green or purple hue. Both the inflorescences themselves (more delicate in taste) and the stalks on which they are planted are used as food.

The height of the stems reaches 50-70 cm, green (less often purple) inflorescences form at the top, gradually they open, forming a fluffy “head”. These inflorescences must be cut before they turn yellow, and eaten or frozen.

The description of broccoli is identical to the description of cauliflower, however, the first has a weighty advantage - it contains a greater amount of protein, while the latter is as close as possible to the protein from meat.

Broccoli contains a large amount of ascorbic acid, surpassing even some citrus fruits in this indicator. Eating only 100 grams of the product covers the body's daily rate of vitamin C. It is important that during the freezing of this vitamin is not destroyed. A small part of it goes during heat treatment. However, only if the latter is done correctly.

In addition to vitamin C, broccoli contains up to 43% of the daily rate of retinol (vitamin A) and 85% of vitamin K. Vitamins of group B, phosphorus, potassium, and magnesium are also present. Due to its vitamin composition, the product is an excellent prophylactic agent in the fight against seasonal colds and vitamin deficiency. In addition, the vegetable contains volatile, promoting immunity.

Broccoli also contains sulforaphane - a substance that can destroy ulcerative bacteria. That is why this vegetable is so useful for people suffering from a stomach ulcer. In addition, numerous scientific studies suggest that sulforaphane is an antitumor element.

Broccoli is rich in protein, and it is identical to those that get the body from meat and fish. That is why nutritionists strongly recommend “to lean” on this variety of cabbage to those who refused to eat meat. The high content of antioxidants in cabbage makes a frozen vegetable one of the reliable allies in combating manifestations of age-related changes. With regular use of properly cooked cabbage, you can maintain youth and elasticity of the skin, visual acuity.

Like any cabbage variety, broccoli is fiber, which helps to improve digestion and optimizes metabolic processes. In this case, the product fibers are more delicate, thin, and it does not contain an allergen. This achieves a delicate laxative effect. In addition, the inflorescences contain chlorine, which has a beneficial effect on the work of the pancreas. In other words, with regular use of broccoli, you can forget about poor digestion, bloating, heaviness, heartburn.

An indirect evidence of broccoli antiallergenicity and its respect for the intestinal microflora is the fact that broccoli puree (along with apple) is used as the first feeding of infants.

The caloric content of broccoli is small - 100 grams of the product contains no more than 34 calories (30-34 kcal, depending on the variety). It is not surprising that this vegetable is the basis of the menu of people watching their weight. It is often found in PP recipes and various systems of diets for weight loss. Losing weight, as well as people watching the figure, appreciate broccoli for the feeling of fullness, which gives this vegetable with its minimum calorie content.Improving the work of the intestines and normalizing the production of bile, broccoli speeds up metabolism, promotes the elimination of toxins from the body.

Like any product, broccoli can harm the body. First of all, we are talking about an allergy to a vegetable, its individual intolerance. Pregnant and lactating women, as well as people suffering from gastritis with high acidity of gastric juice, should be used with caution cabbage. It is better to first consult a doctor.

The introduction of mashed broccoli in the diet of the child is also recommended to coordinate with the pediatrician. In any case, you need to start with a small dose of the product, in the absence of disturbing consequences, to increase its volume to the norm.

Tasty frozen cabbage can be prepared if you follow the following recommendations:

• It is not allowed to re-freeze the product. If the inflorescences are thawed, they should be eaten or discarded.
• Broccoli does not tolerate emergency defrosting - in a microwave or hot water. From such treatment, it not only loses some of its beneficial properties, but also becomes tasteless in the finished dish.
• The best option of defrosting is natural defrosting on the shelf of the refrigerator. It is best to get a freeze on the eve of cooking. Thawing cabbage at room temperature is not recommended.
• The liquid that appeared during the thawing process is better to drain, and not to use as food. For the same reason, it is not recommended to put the frozen product immediately in the broth.

One common mistake is digesting broccoli. As a result, it loses its taste, turns into sprawling fibers and gives most of the useful elements to the broth. Proper boiling cabbage involves throwing it into boiling salted water.

After that, let broccoli boil for 2-3 minutes and remove from the liquid. After giving "rest" for 5 minutes, cabbage is laid out on plates. It is considered ready to eat.

In a double boiler, pre-thawed inflorescences are prepared 10-12 minutes, in a slow cooker, 8-10 minutes is enough in the "pilaf" or "porridge" mode. The quickest way to cook a vegetable is in the microwave. To do this, select the appropriate mode (for example, “potatoes in uniform” or “omelette”), place the thawed inflorescences in suitable dishes and put them in the oven for 2-3 minutes. The exact cooking time depends on the features of the microwave, so if you are cooking cabbage for the first time in this way, it’s better to set the timer for 2 minutes. After the specified time, you should try the dish and, if necessary, add another 1-3 minutes.

Broccoli is recommended to be used as a first feeding for babies. It will be much safer to make mashed cabbage with your own hands than to buy the finished product. To do this, the cabbage is defrosted, boiled in water and mashed in a blender. It is important to achieve a uniform composition. If the taste seems too specific and coarse, you can add a small amount of infant formula or baby milk. Putting salt, sugar or spices is not necessary.

Broccoli can be used as a side dish or sauce to the "second" and meat dishes.

It will take:

• 400-500 g broccoli;
• 200 ml of milk;
• 150 grams of cheese;
• 20 g butter;
• 2 tbsp. l flour;
• 2 tbsp. l vegetable oil;
• salt, spices.

Preparation of broccoli is reduced to its defrosting and boiling in salted boiling water. In a dry skillet, heat flour to a golden hue, pour in milk and melted butter, stirring the mixture all the time.It needs to be slightly heated until thick. After that add finely grated cheese, spices, lay out broccoli. Simmer under the lid until cheese melts.

For breakfast or snack you can make hearty broccoli pancakes.

It will take:

• 500 g broccoli;
• 30-50 g of cheese (preferably Parmesan);
• 70 g flour;
• 1 egg;
• vegetable oil;
• salt, favorite spices.

Broccoli should be defrosted and boiled, then fold in a colander and after 5 minutes, pureed in a blender. While the cabbage is being prepared, you can prepare the dough for the pancakes. Beat the egg with a whisk, adding a pinch of salt to it. Without ceasing to beat, pour in the flour, and add finely grated cheese. Do not worry that the mass turns out quite thick, mashed cabbage and the resulting juice will achieve the desired consistency of the test.

It remains to mix the dough and cabbage puree, mix the composition thoroughly and bake the pancakes in a hot and oiled frying pan in the usual way. Ready pancakes to combine with sour cream, greens.

Broccoli noticeably enrich the usual morning omelet with vitamins. It goes well with eggs and does not require much time for cooking. The best option for everyday breakfast.

It will take:

• 100 g frozen broccoli cabbage;
• 3-4 eggs;
• 20-30 ml of milk;
• salt;
• greenery.

Broccoli pre-defrost (it is convenient to leave it in the refrigerator overnight) and boil it (it is more practical and faster to use the microwave in the morning). After that, it should be disassembled into inflorescences and throw on a greased pan.

In a bowl, mix the milk and eggs, beat them a little, add salt. Pour this mixture of broccoli, reduce heat, close the lid and cook for 3-4 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped greens. This dish may have variations. For example, you can add ham, mushrooms. 2 minutes before the readiness (while the lower part of the omelet should grab into the crust) put broccoli mixture on one half of the omelet, cover with the other half and dogovit in the oven or under the lid.

Omelet with broccoli can have an interesting form of muffins that children especially like. To do this, pre-boiled broccoli is placed in molds for cupcakes inflorescence down and pour the egg-milk mixture. It remains to put the molds for 10-15 minutes in a preheated oven. You can make bright color blotches in the texture of "cupcakes" by adding sliced ​​ham, boiled carrots or chopped greens to the omelet mix.

As practice shows, such an unusual, and most importantly - healthy breakfast, all children eat with pleasure, even those who do not like vegetables.

It will take:

• 500-600 g of chicken breast or fillet;
• 400 g broccoli;
• 3 tbsp. l soy sauce;
• garlic clove;
• 20 g fresh ginger root;
• spices, oil for frying.

Cut the chicken into plates with a thickness of 1.5-2 cm and marinate for 15-30 minutes in a mixture of soy sauce, pressed through a garlic press and chopped ginger root (cleaned beforehand). You can add any spices to the marinade.

Broccoli pre-thaw. Fry the pickled breasts on each side in a hot-hot frying pan for 1 minute, remove on a plate. Add broccoli to the same pan and stir fry for a minute over high heat. Return the breasts to the pan, reduce the heat, cover and simmer for another couple of minutes.

It will take:

• 300 g broccoli;
• 400 g minced meat;
• bow;
• salt pepper;
• egg;
• breadcrumbs;
• frying oil.

Pre-prepared cabbage puree. Mix all the ingredients, except for crackers and butter, mix thoroughly and form cutlets (it is more convenient to do this with wet hands - the stuffing does not stick). Heat the pan well, pour the butter and fry the patties until golden brown, pre-roll them in breadcrumbs. After the cutlets are covered with an appetizing crust, cover the pan with a lid, reduce heat and cook for another 5-7 minutes or until cooked.

The advantage of this recipe is the ability to vary the amount and degree of grinding of broccoli. It can be a “full-fledged” ingredient along with minced meat. If you add literally 4-5 tablespoons of broccoli puree in minced meat, then it will not be felt at all in the finished dish, but it will make the burgers more juicy.

Instead of minced meat, you can use mashed potatoes or chickpeas - a variant of vegetarian cutlets.

Vegetable can be baked in the oven with fish or meat, to cook on its basis a casserole or pie. Below is a recipe for a classic French open pie, called quiche. It can be sweet or more nourishing. Unchanged is the absence of the upper crust, oil-flour base and creamy fill.

It will take:

• 300 grams of flour (it may take a little more or less - how much dough will take);
• 100 g butter;
• 300 g broccoli;
• 3-4 cloves of garlic;
• 200 ml of cream (better to take a big fat, for example, 33%);
• 150 ml of milk;
• 200 grams of cheese.

Begin the cooking process with the sifting of flour, as this is one of the secrets of delicious pastries. Sifting flour is better twice, after which you need to mix it with chopped butter at room temperature. It should make butter oil. Flour is better to add directly to the flour, mixing them. If the dough is too dry, you can add a little cold water or ½ raw egg.

The resulting mixture should be kneaded thoroughly, and the dough should be wrapped in cellophane and sent to the refrigerator for an hour. After the specified time, you should take out the dough, roll it into a layer 3 mm thick, put it into a form with low sides and put it back in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes. After waiting for this period, take out the dough, prick with a fork and place in a preheated oven (200C) for 12-15 minutes. The base should be light brown, golden hue.

For the preparation of the filling should be boiled in steep salty broccoli. Beat the cream, then, without stopping the beating, inject a trickle of milk and garlic pressed through a press. The resulting mixture is poured into a baked cake base, after which the cabbage is laid. From above, it is also poured with a small amount of cream whipped with garlic and milk, sprinkled with grated cheese.

The cake is baked in the oven for 7-10 minutes or until the cheese melts and forms a creamy crust. Nutmeg can be added to the filling, it is harmoniously combined with these ingredients. To this pie, you can add boiled, fried or smoked chicken, pre-fried minced or red salted fish. In this case, the amount of cream fill should be reduced.

Broccoli salad with fresh vegetables is a storehouse of vitamins and a boost of energy. They prepare quickly and simply, so they will help out if guests suddenly come in or have a feeling of hunger. You can combine them with meat or fish, as well as use as an independent dish.

It will take:

• 400 g frozen broccoli cabbage;
• 1 carrot;
• 200 g fresh, frozen or 100 g canned champignons;
• bunch of green onions and parsley;
• 50 g of celery root;
• salt, spices;
• sour cream for refueling.

Cabbage should be defrosted and boiled. Usually broccoli sprigs are harvested, leaving only more tender inflorescences for salad. Carrots with celery should also be boiled. It is unacceptable to cook them with broccoli in the same water or use broth from the cabbage for cooking carrots and celery. Celery and carrots are peeled and cut into sticks or circles. Raw or frozen mushrooms cut into plates and fry until cooked in butter or vegetable oil. With canned drained brine.

Now you need to mix all the ingredients, add herbs and season the salad with sour cream. Instead of sour cream, you can use vegetable oil mixed with a tablespoon of lemon juice. You can decorate the dish with pine nuts or sesame seeds, pouring them over the salad.

It will take:

• 500 g broccoli;
• 100 grams of white or red grapes;
• 2 sweet oranges;
• 3-4 Art. l natural yogurt;
• 1 tsp. grainy mustard;
• lettuce leaves.

First of all cabbage is prepared - it is defrosted, boiled and cleaned, it is broken into florets (legs are better not to be used in this dish). Lettuce leaves should be washed and blotted with a paper towel. Remove the zest from half an orange, squeeze the juice from the half of the fruit. Cut the remaining oranges finely, trying to remove the film between the slices. Wash grapes, cut in half, remove pits.

It remains to "collect" salad. To do this, lettuce leaves are laid out on a plate, cabbage blossoms, slices of oranges and halved grapes are on top of them.

Natural yogurt mixed with mustard, zest and orange juice will be the dressing. You can decorate the dish with pomegranate grains, coarsely chopped walnuts. Cilantro will add a pleasant sourness, and mild leaves will add tender piquancy.

On the basis of broccoli, tasty and light vegetable broths are obtained. Due to its special fibrous structure and juiciness, this cabbage variety is also used for making cream soups. When whipping it gives a gentle, unobtrusive vegetable taste, a pleasant milky-greenish tint. This broth goes well with cream, mushrooms, crackers and cheese.

It will take:

• 450 g frozen broccoli;
• 1 large onion;
• 2 cloves of garlic;
• 1 large carrot;
• 600-700 ml of chicken broth;
• 1/3 cup flour;
• 500 ml of milk;
• 3-4 processed cheese;
• 3 tbsp. spoons of sunflower oil (you can use olive oil);
• salt, spices.

At the bottom of the pan with a thick bottom or frying pans should pour vegetable oil, heat it up a little and lower chopped garlic. It should be fried until golden brown, then fished out of the oil. Garlic will give the dish an unforgettable taste and aroma, but if left in the dish, it can be bitter.

In the resulting garlic oil should fry finely chopped onion. When the onions become soft and transparent, add the grated carrots. At the same time, put the broth on the fire, salt it if necessary, bring to the boil and put the thawed broccoli. Boil for 2-3 minutes, then get the cabbage. Grind it together with onion-carrot mixture in a blender to a state of mashed potatoes.

Mix the milk and flour, break the lumps, mixing the mixture thoroughly. Then it should be poured in a thin stream in boiling chicken broth. Add melted cheese, cut into small pieces, and hold on the fire until it is melted.

It remains to mix the broth and vegetable puree. The first must be poured into puree, until the resulting consistency will not suit you. You can make the soup more thick or, on the contrary, soft, almost liquid.

You can decorate the dish with fresh herbs or pieces of broccoli. If you add potatoes, the dish will be more satisfying, high-calorie. In this case, the potatoes are cut into cubes and dipped in boiling broth 5-10 minutes before broccoli is put there.They should be prepared at the same time, after which potatoes and broccoli should be mashed with onions and carrots.

Fans of more traditional soups will appreciate the following proposed recipe, where broccoli is combined with spring vegetables.

It will take:

• 300 g broccoli;
• 4 potatoes;
• 1 onion;
• 1 carrot;
• 200 g of frozen green peas;
• garlic clove;
• 50 g frozen celery;
• 1 liter chicken broth;
• salt, pepper, spices.

Frozen vegetables should be allowed to thaw naturally. Broccoli boil in boiling water for 2-3 minutes. Make a fry of carrots, onions and garlic, after cleaning and grinding the vegetables, and then frying them in butter. Put the broth on the fire, put the potatoes, diced. 5 minutes after the broth begins to boil, add the peas and grated (finely chopped) celery. 5-7 minutes before the readiness of the soup (potatoes and peas) lay fried and broccoli. Add salt, pepper and favorite spices. A bay leaf, a couple of peas of pepper and 1/3 teaspoon of turmeric will be appropriate here.

It will take:

• 200 g broccoli;
• 150 g low-fat cheese;
• 2 tbsp. l lemon juice;
• 2 tbsp. l vegetable oil;
• 1 yolk;
• 50 ml of cream.

Cabbage should be boiled in the manner indicated above and fold to a sieve. To prepare the mousse, grate the cheese and place it in a saucepan. Cream is poured in there, after which the mass is placed on a small fire and warms until it thickens. At this time you should beat the yolk with a fork and pour lemon juice into it. The latter will save the yolk from collapsing when introduced into the future mousse. The yolk with lemon pours into the cream cheese mass and heats up for another couple of minutes with constant stirring. Garlic or finely chopped greens can be added to the finished mousse. In the center of a large dish is placed sauceboat with mousse, broccoli is laid out at the edges.

Broccoli in batter will be a great snack option. This dish will surprise the company of guests, will be an excellent option for breakfast or side dish.

It will take:

• 400 g broccoli;
• 2 eggs;
• 2-3 cloves of garlic;
• 50 g butter;
• 1 tbsp. l flour for batter, as well as flour for obvalyvaniya inflorescences;
• frying oil.

Defrost cabbage and boil in boiling water for 2-3 minutes. Cook the batter - beat the eggs with a whisk, adding to them garlic and flour passed through a press. Mix everything thoroughly, leave for 5 minutes so that the flour is completely dissolved in batter. The consistency of it should resemble the dough for pancakes or be a little more liquid.

It should be prepared 4 plates: with boiled and dried broccoli, melted butter, batter and flour. Dip each inflorescence in turn in melted butter, flour, and then batter, and then fry in deep fat or deep pan with a large amount of butter.

Finished snack should be pre-laid on paper napkins to remove excess fat. Serve the dish with cheese or cream sauce, natural yogurt, sour cream.

Careful defrosting will help preserve the attractive appearance of the inflorescences, as well as lowering them into cold water immediately after boiling or sprinkling with lemon juice.

Cooking time for broccoli is determined by the size of the inflorescences: the larger they are, the longer the preparation should be. Check the readiness of the product by poking it with a fork. Cooked cabbage is easily pierced.

Benefit and a pleasant delicate taste can give only cabbage, harvested and frozen before the inflorescences begin to turn yellow.It is clear that it is quite easy to determine the degree of maturation of a fresh product, one has only to evaluate its appearance.

In the next video, see the release of the program "Live is great!" about frozen food and, in particular, about broccoli.