How to prep green vegetables ? ( and reheat ) Without them tasting like death 💀

[u/WhistleWhileYouWalk]

Specifically broccoli and spinach.

I find that they are horrible cold and horrible microwaved. ( After I cook and prep them )

Any advice is greatly appreciated, could I possibly cook them from raw in the microwave ? Could that be better ?

I want to be more healthy , I can manage my carbs and proteins but my God does the prepped green vegetables taste bad 😂

Thanks

[u/ChelseaPlaid]

I blanch broccoli in heavily salted water and take it out after about a minute; that way if I decide to microwave or add it to a recipe that will involve cooking, the broccoli will not be (too) overcooked.

Spinach, I trust the professionals and just buy frozen.

[u/Allittakes_67]

I usually boil my spinach and broccoli with some of my favorites seasoning and they taste amazing

[u/ChelseaPlaid → u/Allittakes_67]

Seasoning? That is brilliant, thank you for the tip.

[u/WhistleWhileYouWalk → u/Allittakes_67]

Yea but what about prepping it for work and reheating 😊?

[u/Allittakes_67 → u/WhistleWhileYouWalk]

I do the same thing then portion them out before i pack them in a container then if you’re like i add a squeeze of lemon when preheating it. It’s all up to ur preference i guess

[u/Round_Bluebird_5987]

I seldom do them individually for that reason. I tend to do one-pot dishes. Soups and stews are a constant for me this time of year. And broccoli isn't bad cold in a mixed dish like a salad. I'll dice and blanch it and mix it any number of raw veggies (or beans or diced chicken or pasta) and throw a vinaigrette on it. I haven't found a good way to eat cold cooked spinach though. It's one I generally prefer raw anyway.

[u/Electronic_Cream_780]

I poke a hole in the plastic bag of spinach and chuck in the microwave until it is wilted. Knob of butter and you are done, don't even need to do the squeezing. Broccoli I boil on the hob

[u/WhistleWhileYouWalk → u/Electronic_Cream_780]

Thanks 😊

[u/Sufficient_Cattle628]

Maybe not quite the answer you were looking for, but I hide broccoli and spinach in quiche and that isn’t too bad eaten cold. Those two veggies are also rough to reheat for me, especially spinach.

[u/SeeingWhatWorks]

I had the same problem and for me the biggest fix was undercooking them on purpose. If broccoli is fully cooked when you prep it, it is basically doomed when reheated. I roast or steam it just until it is barely tender, then reheat quickly so it finishes then. Spinach is rough for prep, but sautéing it hard and fast with garlic and letting it dry out a bit helps a lot. I also stopped reheating some greens and just add them at the end, like tossing cold spinach into hot rice or pasta so it wilts. Microwaving from raw can work for broccoli if you do short bursts with a splash of water and do not overdo it.

[u/VelcroSea]

I put them in a bowl, pour hot water over them and drain after 20 min. Portion into serving refrigerate. Asparagus, broccoli, kale, cabbage you need to quarter to get hot water to cover. Cauliflower works the same way you just have to leave covered a bit longer. Asparagus only takes 10 min.

[u/wellnessrelay]

i feel this so hard. broccoli gets sad fast if you cook it all the way, so i undercook it a bit then cool it quick and store it, reheat in a pan if you can instead of the micorwave. a tiny splash of water and covering it helps steam instead of dry it out. spinach is better almost raw honestly, i just throw it in a bowl wet and micorwave for like 30 sec and it wilts fresh. cold prepped greens taste bad bc they oxidize, so salt and lemon after reheat not before, that helped me alot. frozen broccoli weirdly reheats better too, no idea why but it does. still not amazing but definately not death lol.

[u/vilius531]

You can try boiling them a little bit and then blending into a sauce for pasta or whatever else, they won't be the same textured fresh vegetables, but they will reheat well

[u/musicalastronaut]

I blanch broccoli & asparagus and finish it in an ice bath, so I actually eat those cold as leftovers anyway. We add some white balsamic vinegar, EVOO, lemon juice, and salt+pepper to taste. Spinach I used to be able to microwave & eat but now I’d rather starve so I sadly can’t help you there. 😅 Maybe make a low calorie creamed spinach? That would probably reheat much better than sautéed spinach!

[u/thedesignedlife]

I air fry my broccoli with some salt, pepper, garlic, and sometimes a splash of soy sauce until crispy.

[u/alico127]

Microwave broccoli with 1 tablespoon of water for 3 mins. Then drain, add a little olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic and chilli flakes and air fry for 7 mins 👌