What To Do With Boring Frozen Mixed Vegetables.

I love vegetables and especially fresh, though I am consistently reminded that frozen vegetables store powerful nutrients that fresh produce may not. Flash frozen freshly picked vegetables are proven to retain what fresh produce on the shelves in our local markets do not. There was a sick feeling in my stomach, when I saw that our “fresh” apples are stored in the freezer barns (right above freezing) for months before they hit our markets. I thought, oh man what am I feeding my kids. And we all know about the brightly colored tasteless produce, such as our gassed tomatoes…yuk!

There are just a few problems I have with frozen veggies—they are limp, lifeless, and very boring. The number one no-no, that my mother repeated for years, was to simply boil them, add a little salt and butter, and expect your family to eat it…Gag!

One of the easiest ways to serve frozen mixed vegetables with a fresher texture and better flavor, is to swiftly stir fry them in extra virgin olive oil and a little fresh garlic, than adding a little soy sauce afterward. Your family is a little more likely to eat them that way, but today I want to give you a recipe that includes high fiber pasta and chicken, for protein and energy.

Fiesta Vegetable Blend with Chicken Pasta Salad.

Ingredients:

i. 2 boneless, skinless chicken thighs cooked, seasoned.

ii. 1 ½ C. dry, of Ronzoni Smart Taste (or equivalent in fiber/protein) rotini

iii. 2 ½ C. frozen mixed vegetables ( I chose fiesta blend)

iv. ¼ C. Apple cider vinegar

v. ½ C. plain whole milk yogurt.

vi. ½ red onion chopped

vii. 2 garlic cloves, chopped

viii. 2 dashes nutmeg

ix. 3 dashes cayenne

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

Boil your rotini, adding the frozen veggies while its cooking. Add a dash of olive oil and salt, of course. You can be cutting your chicken into cubes, and chopping your onion and garlic, while the pasta is cooking. Drain your cooked pasta and veggies, then cool them of, by stirring occasionally and letting them sit for about 15 minutes ( you do not want to kill the good bacteria in the yogurt by adding it while it’s still hot.) Add the yogurt and vinegar, stir. Add the seasonings and onions and garlic, stir. Last, toss in slowly the chicken. This salad is actually good served fresh, but you can chill it, or even serve it warm at another time. Add a spoon of picante for garnish.

This serves 4 people, and each serving is 4 points if you count Weight watchers points.

This is a very lean, low fat, low calorie, high in nutrition, fiber, protein meal.