Frozen vegetable mixes: cooking features, best recipes and reviews

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

Ready-made vegetable mixes, which are now sold not only in reputable supermarkets, but also in simple grocery stores, can make life much easier for any housewife. They help save time spent on cooking.

In this article we will look at some of the most popular mixes, talk about the preparation of side dishes, soups, salads and many other dishes that use frozen vegetables. And a few suggested ideas that are easy to implement at home will help you replenish your home cookbook with recipes.

Lecho

This dish was given to the world by sunny Bulgaria. It mixed colors and ripe autumn aromas. Today, there are many recipes for making lecho, but using a frozen billet is the simplest and most reliable. In addition, thanks to ready-made mixtures, even residents of northern latitudes can enjoy this dish.

In any Lecho mix, two ingredients dominate - bell peppers and tomatoes. Optionally, onions, garlic, carrots, and sometimes zucchini can also be contained.

Vegetable mix takes very little time to preparetime. Just heat the fat in a wok or cauldron, unload the frozen vegetables and simmer under the lid for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Hawaiian Blend

Today, Hawaiian rice with vegetables is a very popular side dish in many countries. But this dish appeared for reasons of banal economy: poor people simply mixed and stewed what was presented to them by the fertile land and the generous southern sun. In the pack you will find not only half-cooked rice, but also corn, peas and paprika.

Rice with mixed vegetables can be cooked in a regular pot or pan. Add a small amount of water and place the dish over medium heat. Within a quarter of an hour you will feel the magical aroma.

Without additives, this dish is perfect for a Lenten menu. And if you stew meat with vegetables and rice, you get a great treat for the festive table (it is not always necessary to serve mashed potatoes).

Hawaiian vegetables are good with shrimp, fried or boiled.

Mexican vegetables

I wonder why this mix got that name? After all, there is nothing Mexican in it, no excessive spiciness, so beloved by the inhabitants of this country, no special Latin American ingredients like cacti …

Probably the only Mexican thing in this mix is red beans. The composition of mixes from different manufacturers may vary slightly, but this product is required. Besides him, youyou will find green beans, peppers, corn, eggplants, green peas and onions in a pack, and sometimes also carrots with celery.

Mexican vegetable mix is suitable not only for preparing he althy and tasty side dishes, chimichangas and burritos, but also for salads. Add chopped chicken eggs, white bread croutons and boiled fillet to the fried vegetables. Drizzle with mayonnaise or a mixture of mustard and lemon juice.

Country Blend

The origin of the name of this mix is also most likely commercial, not historical. It is used by different manufacturers, but any combination can be hidden under the packaging. Surely every technologist has his own ideas about the village. However, one ingredient remains the same: the potato.

In a pack with it, carrots and onions, green beans, corn, peas, peppers, zucchini, squash, eggplants can coexist. The composition is necessarily indicated on the pack, you can choose the most suitable combination.

Be careful, because in some Western cuisines it is not customary to peel potatoes before cooking. If that bothers you, maybe Country Blend isn't for you?

Many are also frightened by the fact that the potatoes have been frozen. However, this mix has a lot of fans, whose reviews unanimously confirm that the mixture is an excellent option for a quick and interesting side dish with a rich flavor.

Like other frozen vegetable mixes, this one is easy to simmer in a frying pan. For an even more rustic flavor, addbefore serving fresh herbs and young garlic. The mixture is also suitable for making rich puree soups.

Spring vegetables

"Spring" is an even more flexible concept than "village". All spring vegetable mixes on the market are united only by the predominance of green.

In the pack you will find broccoli and cauliflower, asparagus beans and green peas, green peppers and kohlrabi, celery root, parsnips, baby onions and herbs. This mixture is better suited not for preparing an independent dish, but for adding to stews, vegetable casseroles, pizza, lasagna. You can simmer until tender and blend with a small amount of the mixture to get a flavorful sauce. The spring mix is also suitable for making hot salads.

stew

There are many stew recipes, so it is not surprising that the composition of the mixtures varies. As a rule, the package contains onions, carrots and zucchini. Some manufacturers add aromatic roots and beans.

Ready-made vegetable mixes will help you quickly prepare a rich meal. Boil the potatoes until half cooked, fry the beef cut into cubes over high heat. Mix in a saucepan, add the frozen mixture and simmer until tender.

Ratatouille

A dish with an unusual name, which is served today in French cuisine restaurants around the world, was also once invented by peasants. They stewed zucchini, tomatoes,pepper and onion. Later, eggplants were added to the list of ingredients. Vegetable mixtures "Ratatouille" from different manufacturers are similar in composition, only the proportions may vary.

Based on the mix, you can easily prepare a side dish for meat or fish. Ratatouille is also served as an independent dish. And if you add a little broth while stewing, you get a fragrant thick soup.

Guvech

The history of this dish also began in Bulgaria. In the historical homeland, the word "guvech" refers not only to food as such, but also to the dishes in which it is cooked - a clay pot with a lid. And it is desirable to cook it in such pots, in the oven.

Spread the mixture into bowls, fill up to half with vegetable or meat broth. Cover and bake for about 30 minutes.

The main flavor of the dish comes from okra, reminiscent of eggplant and white asparagus at the same time. In addition to her, you will find peppers, tomatoes, eggplants and onions in the package.

But the mix from the bag is not all that is needed for the original recipe. While the vegetables are stewing, stir a couple of eggs in a bowl, add about the same amount (by volume) of milk. Add to pots 5 minutes before done.

Chinese vegetables

This mixture attracts fans of the magical cuisine of Asia. In the pack you will find mung bean sprouts and young bamboo shoots, black fungus, small corn cobs, peppers, carrots and white cabbage. Optionally, roots (celery), leeks, green beans can be added.

Chinese vegetable mixes are the perfect base for oriental dishes. Fry the mixture in oil (sesame is best), add a couple of tablespoons of soy sauce instead of s alt, and sprinkle with sesame seeds before serving. Together with vegetables, you can fry seafood, pieces of chicken, pork or duck. If you like spicy, add chili peppers to the dish. And to emphasize the Chinese origin, pour a teaspoon of honey into the pan when frying. The combination of spicy, s alty and sweet is one of the main signs of the national cuisine of the Middle Kingdom.

Paprikash

How do you usually cook goulash? Surely you use carrots, onions and tomatoes (paste) along with meat. And in some national cuisines of Eastern Europe, beef, poultry and pork are stewed with bell peppers. The combination is just perfect! Paprikash is a vegetable mix created just for such dishes.

The recipes for this dish are simple. Fry the pieces of meat, add bright frozen vegetables, simmer.

The mixture also includes beans, zucchini, tomatoes, but the bulk is sweet peppers.

Roasting for borscht and soups

Some frozen vegetable mixes are versatile. They are suitable for any dish, be it roast, soup, meat sauce. An example of such a mix is a mixture of onions, carrots and herbs. Just add it to the dish in the middle of cooking.

A mixture for red borscht is prepared according to the same principle. It includes beets, carrots, onions, peppers and tomatoes. Borscht prepared in this way will be fragrant with the ripe aromas of September at any time of the year.

You can make a mix for green borsch. For him, you will need sorrel, spinach, dill, parsley. You can add some leek. Young nettles and May beet tops are used less often, but thanks to them, borscht is even more aromatic and he althy.

How to freeze vegetables yourself

As you can see, many classic mixes can easily be made at home. This is an excellent option for harvesting for the future. Before preparing the vegetable mixture, wash and clean the ingredients, chop or grate, put in dry bags or lunch boxes. You can also use disposable tableware.

These blanks are stored in the freezer, and before cooking they do not need to be defrosted and any preparation.