TDG: Desperate Measures: Roasted Broccoli

[Lora]

I have done it with moderate success. I fully thaw and drain them so they are fairly dry. Then I use a temperature on the high end of the range I would use for fresh.

[Shel_B]

I have done it with moderate success. I fully thaw and drain them so they are fairly dry. Then I use a temperature on the high end of the range I would use for fresh.

I was thinking that getting the veggies very dry would be a key. Desides draining them, additional drying, such as with a towel, might help.

What prompted you to try roasting frozen veggies? In my case, I'm away from home a lot at irregular intervals, and fresh vegetables sometimes have a tendency to be in bad shape by the time I get around to cooking them, so there's plenty of frozen around.

[Lora]

I never met a veggie that wasn't vastly improved by roasting or sauteing, so that's how I tend to cook all my veggies. When I was tempted by the price of organic frozen broccoli at Costco, I decided to give it a whirl. I found that the results were not as good as fresh, but definitely good enough to make it worth buying that broccoli, especially in the winter!

[longroper]

I dump green beans straight out of the freezer onto a sheet pan to roast. They're fine. Crispier than fresh, for sure. I like them.

[sigma]

Why don't you just use fresh vegetables?

[Shel_B]

Why don't you just use fresh vegetables?

I'm away from home a lot at irregular intervals, and fresh vegetables are sometimes in bad shape by the time I get around to cooking them, so there's plenty of frozen around.

Edited February 21, 2013 by Shel_B (log)

[JoNorvelleWalker]

Tonight was a failure.  I prepared roast carrots.  Carrots are something I am understandably frightened of after cutting off the tip of my thumb last fall, a year ago.

 

Anyhow, I steamed the quartered carrots for a minute along with fingerling potatoes.  Then I roasted them for an hour at 375 deg F, followed by perhaps another half an hour while waiting for the rest of dinner.

 

My grilled lamb chop was just as I like it.  The potatoes were OK.  String beans that I sautéed were also good.  Would have been very good except for the time they'd been sitting in the refrigerator.

 

With all that said and done, the carrots I was so looking forward to were carbonized.  Inedible.  As Leon Aschkenasy said to James Cagney in the movie One, Two, Three:  "Totally unsatisfactory!"

 

I blame it on the rhum.

 

[CatPoet]

Carrots, depending on size take for me 20- 40 minutes to roast, not longer,  I add them after the potatoes been in  either 10  or 30 minutes.

[Anna N]

Tonight was a failure.  I prepared roast carrots.  Carrots are something I am understandably frightened of after cutting off the tip of my thumb last fall, a year ago.

 

Anyhow, I steamed the quartered carrots for a minute along with fingerling potatoes.  Then I roasted them for an hour at 375 deg F, followed by perhaps another half an hour while waiting for the rest of dinner.

 

My grilled lamb chop was just as I like it.  The potatoes were OK.  String beans that I sautéed were also good.  Would have been very good except for the time they'd been sitting in the refrigerator.

 

With all that said and done, the carrots I was so looking forward to were carbonized.  Inedible.  As Leon Aschkenasy said to James Cagney in the movie One, Two, Three:  "Totally unsatisfactory!"

 

I blame it on the rhum.

Perhaps this would help.

Scroll down for carrots.

http://www.seriouseats.com/2013/12/the-food-lab-how-to-roast-vegetables.html

[JoNorvelleWalker]

Anna, that method was similar to what I did, except for matter of the time.  Since I have more carrots left I will try again in a couple days.

[rotuts]

this is one area where the Cuisi-SB is a great help.

[Anna N]

Anna, that method was similar to what I did, except for matter of the time.  Since I have more carrots left I will try again in a couple days.

Jo,

I saw that you did steam them but for just a minute which I didn't feel would give you the best results. If you do try it again let us know how it works. Roasted carrots are perhaps my favorite vegetable.

[Anna N]

this is one area where the Cuisi-SB is a great help.

rotuts,

I have to tell you that my attempt at roasting parsnips in the CSO proved very disappointing. I don't know if I reported on it while we were up north but so little caramelization took place that the parsnips were tasteless and soggy. Possibly it was operator error.

[FauxPas]

rotuts,

I have to tell you that my attempt at roasting parsnips in the CSO proved very disappointing. I don't know if I reported on it while we were up north but so little caramelization took place that the parsnips were tasteless and soggy. Possibly it was operator error.

 

How did you cook them, Anna? I will go search that thread, but here is Williams-Sonoma's suggestion for cooking them in the Cuisi - steam-broil (instead of steam-bake) at 450F for about 20 mins on the upper rack position. (Though I would be keeping a pretty careful eye on them or else use a lower rack position)

 

jo, I rarely roast cut carrots for more than about 20 mins. 

[FrogPrincesse]

rotuts,

I have to tell you that my attempt at roasting parsnips in the CSO proved very disappointing. I don't know if I reported on it while we were up north but so little caramelization took place that the parsnips were tasteless and soggy. Possibly it was operator error.

Anna - I can attest that roasted parsnips can caramelize a bit and are delicious (drizzle with olive oil and honey as needed. Wait, is that cheating?). Don't give up on them yet!

[Anna N]

Anna - I can attest that roasted parsnips can caramelize a bit and are delicious (drizzle with olive oil and honey as needed. Wait, is that cheating?). Don't give up on them yet!

I love them and make them frequently. They simply did not work in the steam oven.

[FrogPrincesse]

Ah ok, thanks for the clarification. Not sure why you would use steam if caramelization is the goal... but I don't have a steam oven so I should probably keep my mouth shut!  In any case, a regular oven is fine for this.

Edited October 28, 2014 by FrogPrincesse (log)

[Anna N]

How did you cook them, Anna? I will go search that thread, but here is Williams-Sonoma's suggestion for cooking them in the Cuisi - steam-broil (instead of steam-bake) at 450F for about 20 mins on the upper rack position. (Though I would be keeping a pretty careful eye on them or else use a lower rack position)

jo, I rarely roast cut carrots for more than about 20 mins.

I posted a photo of them on October 15. I did not comment but just from looking at the photograph I recall how limp and soggy they were yet over charred in places. I believe I followed something very similar to that found on the Williams Sonoma site.

Edited for sense.

Edited October 28, 2014 by Anna N (log)

[Lindacakes]

My favorite way to do this is to roast a combination (must have beets, eggplant, onion, carrots at least).

Then warm up a nice fluffy pita like the kind you get stacked in a bag at Costco.

Then put a generous amount into the pita, top with goat cheese, and fold in half.

 

Wow, is that good.

[Porthos]

A picture of Anna's parsnips on the dinner plate is in post 292 on this page:  http://forums.egullet.org/topic/149603-falling-back-on-island-time/page-10

[Anna N]

Ah ok, thanks for the clarification. Not sure why you would use steam if caramelization is the goal... but I don't have a steam oven so I should probably keep my mouth shut!  In any case, a regular oven is fine for this.

Strangely the steam oven seems to defy logic. Potatoes cooked in there with steam are a revelation. Creamy and crispy both at the same time. Chicken thighs come out with the crispiest skin you can ever imagine. But parsnips…. Like I say perhaps operator error. Will make another attempt next July!

[rotuts]

well, F.D.:  I have not done CSB parsnips.  mostly as I cant stand them.  some sort of cloyingly sweet earthy-ness does not suit me.

 

however, they are mighty fine in the TJ's Terra-chip clone.  there a lots in there.

 

If I see some whole I might try them in the CSB for the first time.

 

BTW  AnnaN  You forgot what the CSB can do for Beets :  big beets.

 

[Porthos]

Curries don't work for me. Something in the curry powders from the supermarket as well as curries I have had in Indian restaurants leave me wishing I was dead a few hours after eating them. I suspect it's the fenugreek but it doesn't matter. I just don't want to chance that pain anymore.

.

 

I went for "the basic": olive oil, salt, pepper, spread out on the baking sheet; 425 degrees for 45 minutes. We all enjoyed it.

 

[JoNorvelleWalker]

Jo,

I saw that you did steam them but for just a minute which I didn't feel would give you the best results. If you do try it again let us know how it works. Roasted carrots are perhaps my favorite vegetable.

 

I was not clear, I steamed the carrots in the pressure cooker for one minute.  They were soft.

[pbear]

FWIW, I find it easiest to do the steaming and roasting in the same pan, cooking covered for about half the time.  For small to medium size batches, I use a skillet with a lid; for a large batch I'll use a baking dish and cover with foil.  Add a little water, but it doesn't take much as the veggies will add their own; also a little oil and salt.  So, for example, I generally do carrots about 40 minutes at 350ºF with convection (375º without).  Start covered; uncover after 20 minutes; toss after another ten minutes, then pull when done.