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Did you buy some extra frozen vegetables recently?

If you’re anything like me, you have more frozen vegetables around than usual. I do keep some around all the time, but I bought a little extra during some of my initial COVID-19 grocery trips.

I definitely want to use what I’ve purchased and make room for leftovers and new purchases. Fresh vegetables are my personal preference, but I do really like frozen peas and I do like to keep frozen green beans, broccoli and cauliflower on hand for go-to meals.

How to use those frozen veggies, in something other than smoothies:

In general, it’s best to avoid boiling frozen vegetables in a pot of water, because this leaves them soggy. And, who wants to eat soggy vegetables?! We want to save you from throwing out those bags of frozen vegetables and give you some ideas for how to cook with them.

Frozen spinach: thaw and squeeze out as much liquid as you can and use in quesadillas or lasagne.
Frozen broccoli or cauliflower: Preheat oven to 425 F. Toss frozen broccoli and/or cauliflower in plenty of olive oil. Add salt and pepper. Place in the oven for 20-30 minutes depending on the size of the florets. It’s ok if they start to brown. The idea is that the water evaporates as they roast which leaves them pretty darn tasty with some crispy parts. (You can also roast them at 450 F which will just take less time and give you a more crispy veg).
Frozen peas: Add to any soup, or make pea soup with them! I use them in my Black eyed pea, bacon and kale soup as well as in the NY Times Weeknight Fried Rice. You can add them frozen, or partially or fully thaw them in the microwave. Whichever way you choose to thaw, add small frozen veggies towards the end of the cooking process so as not to over cook them.
Frozen green beans: I always keep a bag of green beans in the freezer for those times I need to rely on my go-to meals. I definitely prefer fresh to frozen, but steaming frozen green beans in a bowl with a few tablespoons of water or on the stove top prevents them from becoming water logged. My favorite way to season green beans is with Jane’s Krazy Mixed-up Salt and butter. I also like to toss them with mustard vinaigrette and serve room temp as a side or add them to a tossed salad. I also recently tried sautéing them in olive over medium high heat and they were quite good!
Frozen edamame: Keep these on hand in both in the pods and shelled. I like to cook edamame in the shell for a snack or a side. Use shelled, thawed edamame in dishes like Easy Weeknight Tofu Veggie Stir Fry.
Frozen garlic: Anna recently started using frozen garlic when she cooks. You use it just as you would fresh garlic. Have you tried it? I haven’t, but I’m going to give it a try!
Frozen Brussels sprouts: I tried roasting them from the frozen state recently and they came out soggy. I’ll try again at some point! But a friend of mine said she recently successfully sautéd very small, frozen Brussels sprouts in olive oil.
Frozen mixed veggies like peas and carrots: add them frozen to soups or fried rice
Frozen corn: add frozen to soups or stews. You can also roast it for a few minutes before adding it to a soup or stew.
Frozen asparagus: Honestly, I’ve never bought it and I couldn’t find any to try for this post. But I’m keeping an eye out for it. I’m going to assume it would be best thawed and added to something like a quiche, soup, or a one-pot meal/casserole.
Frozen stir fry veggies: thaw on the counter or in the microwave and add to stir fry.
Frozen onions and peppers: they work well sautèd in olive oil from the frozen state and served with Italian sausages or in fajitas.
Frozen sweet potato fries and French fries: we’re fans of the Alexa brand sweet potato fries and French fries. Be sure to salt them before baking. I also bake them longer than the instructions for some added crispiness.

Frozen vegetables are as healthy as fresh.

Oftentimes we have clients ask us if frozen vegetables are as healthy as fresh. The answer is YES. They’re flash frozen just after being picked so they retain their freshness and nutrients.

We love hearing from our readers!

What’s your favorite way to cook with frozen veggies?

We haven’t had many nice cold days here in Alexandria, VA this winter. I love cold weather, in part because I love making cold weather dishes like this Cheesy Pasta with Sausage and Sage. It seems like a good idea to share it now, before the weather warms up for Spring. The pasta is coated with a velvety blanket of cheesy goodness. Who doesn’t love cheese?! The sausage is sliced and then browned to give it nice crispy edges and to flavor the dish. Add some kale at the end, to give the dish some color and texture and you’ve got yourself a delicious pasta!

Leftovers make great lunches and snacks!

We like to keep things simple here at Sunny Side Up. This recipe allows you to do exactly that! It has just 8 ingredients and can be made in about 30 minutes (really)! Cheesy Pasta with Sausage, Sage and Kale is a favorite in my house. Admittedly, there are 2 of the 4 of us who eat around the kale. A dish that everyone likes is definitely a win! Plus, it reheats beautifully, so the leftovers work well packed in a thermos for lunch the next day or reheated for a snack. We’re definitely big fans of using leftovers for lunches (and snacks).

Making the pasta and a few variations

One of the nice things about this dish is it’s versatility.

Try a different kind of sausage. Do you prefer spicy sausage or sweet sausage? (I haven’t made it with spicy sausage because I’m a bit of a spice wimp).
Deglaze the pan with white wine – After removing the sausage from the pan, deglaze the pan with 1/2 cup of white wine and reduce by 1/2. Then add the 1 1/2 cups chicken stock. Doing this will give the dish some brightness and depth of flavor.
Use rosemary instead of sage.
Add spinach, or arugula or other greens instead of the kale.
Try a different kind of cheese that melts well. (I’ve only made this with Fontina or Fontal cheese).
Add white beans to make the dish even heartier.

Grate the cheese. A great job for older kids.

I typically serve this with my Favorite Everyday Salad and a baguette (if I have one). Let us know if you make this! We love to hear from our readers!

Pasta with Sweet Sausage, Sage, Kale and Fontal Cheese

Cheesy Pasta with Sausage, Sage and Kale

A tasty and hearty pasta dish that’s ready in 30 minutes.

Recipe adapted from Simple Pleasures: Home Cooking from the Gotham Bar and Grill’s Acclaimed Chef, by Alfred Portale and Andrew Friedman.

Author: Elizabeth Davenport

Scale

Ingredients

1 box pasta, cooked aldente

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 package mild Italian sausages ( about 6 sausages), sliced in half lengthwise and then sliced crosswise

1/2 small onion, peeled and diced (about 1/2 cup diced onion)

2 gloves of garlic, peeled and chopped

1 generous Tablespoon fresh sage leaves chopped

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups chicken stock

1–2 cups of kale, removed from stems and then torn and rinsed

2 cups (about 8 ounces) Fontal cheese (or other mild cheese that melts easily).

Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Heat a large pot of well salted water over high heat for the pasta.

While the water is coming to a boil, begin making the sauce. Slice each sausage lengthwise. Then place the slices cut side down and slice the lengthwise pieces. The slices will look like half moons.

Over medium high heat, heat 1 Tablespoon olive oil in a sauté pan large enough to hold the pasta and sauce. Add the sliced sausage and brown stirring occasionally. Once the sausage is browned, turn off the heat and put the sausage in a bowl and set aside.

Return the pan to the stove and turn the heat to medium. Add the diced onion and sauté for about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and sage and sauté for a few more minutes. Add 1 teaspoon salt.

Reserve about 1 cup of the pasta cooking water.

Add 1 1/2 cups chicken stock to the pan and bring to a simmer. Allow the stock to simmer for about 5 minutes or has reduced by half.

Once the water comes to a boil, add the pasta and cook until aldente. (I cook the pasta just a few minutes less than the package directions). When the pasta is cooked drain it and reserve about 1 cup of the pasta cooking water.

Rinse and tear the kale. Add it to the sauté pan along with the browned sausage you set aside earlier. Allow it to simmer for a few minutes or until the kale turns bright green.

Turn off the heat under the sautè pan. Add the cooked pasta and the grated cheese and stir. Scrape the bottom of the pan periodically to catch any cheese that might stick to the bottom.

Add some of the reserved pasta water and stir again. Add a few turns of freshly ground pepper. Taste and adjust add more salt and pepper if needed.

Optional – Serve with some additional grated cheese.

Notes

* Cook the pasta aldente because you’re adding it to a sauce. The cooked pasta will absorb the sauce and may become too soft if you cook it as long as the package suggests. I just cook the pasta a few minutes less than the directions on the package.

** You can use more or less kale (or another green).

*** You can use less cheese if you prefer.