to think that pre cut veg is lazy

[GetOrfMoiLand]

I don't intend to discuss the merits of pre-cut fruits here . I think we all have better things to do than chop up a mango.

But, ready sliced mushrooms? Why?

And ready topped and tailed runner beans?

And chopped onions. yes I can see the point re crying etc, however they come in such uniform little dice that i think they are quite freaky. I used them once and they were horrible, and all dry so didn't caremisle properly.

1. Stand mango on end, flatter sides facing left-right

1. Hold sharp knife facing away from you as normal, slice down from top to bottom in a slightly curved out motion to go around the stone inside. {Stone is () shaped}

1. Discard stone.

1. Lay each half flat face up. Score through flesh across and down, as far as the skin.

1. Turn over and 'pop' the skin inside out.

1. Voila - I thank you.

You forgot the 'try to stem the flow of blood by applying pressure' part.

The vitamins dont ALL leak out...though you lose a few, yes.

Having said that, in terms of Sofritto, one of the main "benefits" you get from that kind of veg combination is that of prebiotics (not to be confused with probiotics). Things like leeks, onion, garlic etc are all rich in these. They "feed" your probiotic bacteria, y'see. And that effect doesn't "leak" out.

The truly packed full of vitamins veg are your leafy greens so its better to cut them late (and dont wash them too much - you can wash away vitamins too!)

Obviously your carrots etc have their caretonoids (sp?) and bioflavinoids and all that crap...

You know the opposite of laziness - making your own COLESLAW from scratch, including the julienning of the vegetables and the making from scratch of the permenant emulsion dressing...I have done it and by god does it taste good. Only to piss of my mother in law though.

Only if you forget which way up the knife goes.

(sorry OP I seem to have hijacked your thread in exactly the way you didnt want to - oops )

Who cares? It's still veg. What about ready-grated cheese? I proudly put my hand up to that.

Mango is weird though. I just can't abide its weird flavour and spookily silky texture.

Oh you know what else is good - frozen cauliflower if you are doing a cauliflower cheese to have with your roast. Cauliflowers are such a weird dissapointing waste of my time - you buy one you think is good enough and you rip away all the weird leafy stuff and inside lays a fist size cluster of stuff which is mainly stalk leaving you with 3 florets and a hell of a lot of cheese sauce.

They probably are less vitamins and less flavour but if you are about to boil them senseless, smother them in a days worth of calories of cheese sauce and roast them within an inch of their life, so who cares? Bag of Tesco frozen cauli florets every time.

They cover it in chemicals to stop it going off and extend shelf life, so it is lazy.

It also is paying a lot of money for something that is not difficult to do.b

The nutrient value decays when the veg is exposed to air, so it is not as nutritious as unchopped that you chop yourself.

I've better things to spend my money on than chemical covered pieces of food with dubious nutritional value with a 1000% mark up.

Lets face it, cauliflower was designed as a vehicle through which to consume cheesy sauce

mmm

Yep FioFio frozen ready-cut is great for quick dinners for my DD, and she loves carefully picking up each individual pea, bit of corn and carrot .

I like pre-cut veg

If that doesn't work Abs and you are making it up I will get you.

Miggsie, Organic ones are not "covered in chemicals". In fact, if the chemicals are not listed in the ingredients, they are not there. They cannot add chemicals to something like veg after they have been picked and not declare them under strict food labelling laws.

The "air" inside the bag is sometimes messed with - but not in a way that is harmful, just in a way that will postpone oxidisation, which in turn preserves the vitamins, so you can't have it both ways.

Frozen do not need these conditions, of course.

I'm not saying they are as good or the same, and I too prefer freshly prepared generally, as well as I prefer local and in season and organic, but I tend to pick and choose what and when.

And they are less "value for money" but for some, time is money. For some its the difference between having the veg and not.

But its a little scaremongery to say they are "covered in chemicals".

Frozen cauliflower doesn't taste nearly as good as fresh. I've used it for cauliflower and cheese once,never again.

Cauliflower pakora is incredible.

You need more sauce, Rock. You should NEVER be able to taste the cauliflower...

LOL,but I love cauliflower.

It's also the texture. It just isn't right with the frozen stuff.

Yes it is lazy. And your problem with lazy is......???????????

I buy pre-cut mango - I swear it is cheaper by the time I've left half of it on the stone/on the skin/squashed into juice.

I also quite like ready made mash, we had it a LOT when DS was new!

Oh Fio the worst one is Leeks and Cheese Sauce - we tend to get this at Mother in Law's house.

The car journey home is generally made with the windows down...

Frozen cauliflower doesn't work, neither does broccoli or spinach. In fact I think the only frozen veg that really works is peas.

Frozen green beans,sweetcorn and peas work.

I'll also admit to loving frozen honey roast parsnips.