Veggie Kitchen Secrets That Expert Chefs Use

By now, you know how important eating your veggies is, but how about the tricks to prepare them? It can be a bit daunting to stare at a pile of veggies without knowing what to do with them, but it is definitely possible to make scrumptious amazing meals from veggies. Have you ever seen a chef prepare vegetables? When you know what you’re doing, those veggies can look more like a piece of art on a plate than something you have to scarf down or hide from mom. Check out these veggie kitchen secrets that chefs use, and start eating more vegetables in an enjoyable way:

1. Use a Mandolin or Spiralizer

When you are presented with a giant vegetable on a plate, it is not as appetizing as being able to eat little pieces, especially if they’re cut into pretty shapes with a mandolin or spiralizer. Scott Crawford, executive chef of the Herons restaurant at The Umstead Spa and Hotel in Cary, slices carrots and candy-cane beets with a mandolin slicer to make them thin and easy to bite. Mandolin slices make vegetable preparation fun. You can also spiralize vegetables to make noodles out of foods like eggplant, zucchini and squash. Once you dress up those veggie pieces with some herbs, spices and perhaps a bit of olive oil, you’ll have a tasty side dish. Try this Ultimate Raw Vegan Pizza and Gluten-Free Carbonara Spaghetti With Zucchini Noodles.

2. Go for Couscous to Absorb Moisture

When making baked vegetable dishes such as vegetable lasagna, there is a possibility that the vegetables will give off too much moisture and make your whole dish soggy. To prevent this, Lori Yates from Foxes Love Lemons suggests using coussous to mop up that moisture. As you’re assembling a vegetable lasagna, sprinkle a few teaspoons of dry couscous on top of each layer of vegetables. As the lasagna cooks, the vegetables will give off a bit of moisture, but the couscous will act like a sponge, absorbing the wetness and cooking nicely with the rest of the ingredients. For recipe inspiration, check out this Gluten Free Vegan Lasagna.

3. Learn the Techniques and the Kitchen is Yours!

Cooking vegetables is a lot more enjoyable when you have several options of what to do with them. If you only prepare your vegetables by sautéing them in a little bit of olive oil over the stove, you are missing out on so many different tastes and textures that can arise when you prepare vegetables in different ways. Not to mention, cooking veggies in one way all of the time can get boring and stale. Chef Christina Pirello recommends that you move freely about the kitchen and are comfortable. Techniques to master include braising, grilling, broiling, roasting, baking, poaching, stewing, sautéing, pan frying, stir-frying, deep frying, blanching, and steaming. “There is little in life more lusty than cooking … Cooking is simple, elegant and satisfying. You only need to master some basic techniques to create a great meal — no matter what chefs or molecular gastronomists tell you,” Pirello says. Check out our recipe section.

Image source: Rainer Zenz/ Wikimedia