From the Garden...Vegetable Preparation

When I prepare vegetables, I often look at the rest of the menu to decide how I want to cook them.  If I am already baking something, I may choose to bake my vegetables to take advantage of the oven heat.  If I have a last minute entree, I may choose to simply microwave them or bake them to keep the fuss to a minimum.  If I have other microwave items on the menu, I choose frying, steaming, cooking in liquid or baking to ease congestion in the microwave.
We often bake, stir fry, microwave or cook vegetables in liquid, but don’t steam them as often.  When Myrna started steaming vegetables enthusiastically, I purchased a steamer and have been doing the same.  I was amazed how quickly they steam without sogginess.  
However, that said, sometimes you want the flavor of broth or wine with your vegetables, and you need to know that cooking time as well.  Here’s a quick reference chart that I keep posted in my kitchen, inside a cabinet door.  I prefer the shortest cooking time for crisp-tender vegetables.

Minutes to Prepare Common Vegetables

Vegetables	Steam	Microwave	Cook in Liquid	Bake, stir fry
Asparagus	8 to 10	4 to 6	5 to 12	Stir-fry pieces 5
Green beans	5 to 15	6 to 12	10 to 20	Stir-fry 3 to 4
Lima Beans	10 to 20	8 to 12	20 to 30
Beets	40 to 60	14 to 18	30 to 60	Bake 60 at 350°F
Broccoli spears	8 to 15	6 to 7	5 to 10
Broccoli flowerets	5 to 6	4 to 5	4 to 5	Stir-fry 3 to 4
Brussels sprouts	6 to 12	7 to 8	5 to 10
Cabbage wedges	6 to 9	10 to 12	10 to 15
Cabbage shredded	5 to 8	8 to 10	5 to 10	Stir-fry 3 to 4
Carrots, whole	10 to 15	8 to 10	15 to 20	Bake 30 to 40 at 350°F
Carrots, sliced	4 to 5	4 to 7	5 to 10	Stir-fry 3 to 4
Cauliflower, florets	6 to 10	3 to 4	5 to 8	Stir-fry 3 to 4
Corn on the cob	6 to 10	3 to 4	4 to 7
Corn, cut	4 to 6	2 per cup	3 to 4	Stir-fry 3 to 4
Eggplant, diced	5 to 6	5 to 6	5 to 10	Bake 10 to 15 425°F
Mushrooms	4 to 5	3 to 4	3 to 4	Stir-fry or broil 4 to 5
Onions, whole	20 to 25	6 to 10	20 to 30	Bake 60 at 400°F
Onions, pearl	15 to 20	5 to 7	10 to 20
Peas	3 to 5	5 to 7	8 to 12	Stir-fry 2 to 3
Green peppers	2 to 4	2 to 4	4 to 5	Stir-fry 2 to 3
potatoes, whole	12 to 30	6 to 8	20 to 30	Bake 40 to 60 at 400°F
Potatoes, cut up	10 to 12	7 to 8	15 to 20	Bake 25 to 30 at 400°F
Spinach	5 to 6	3 to 4	2 to 5	Stir-fry 3
Squash, sliced	5 to 10	3 to 6	5 to 10
Squash halves	15 to 40	6 to 10	5 to 10	Bake 40 to 60 at 375°F
Tomatoes	2 to 3	3 to 4		Bake 8 to 15 at 400°
Zucchini	5 to 10	3 to 6	5 to 10	Broil halves 5