Meat is the oldest human food.
We learned about its high nutritional value a long time ago. A hearty meal, cooked on fire or charcoal, helped people regain strength and increase efficiency.
With the development of civilization, culinary art also developed. They began to subject meat to various types of processing to make it even tastier. Unfortunately, some modern processing methods adversely affect human health.
In addition, meat, being a heavy food, creates a certain burden on the stomach and the entire food tract, however, studies have shown that muscle fibers in combination with fiber, and therefore with most vegetables, bring tremendous benefits to the body. The combination of meat and vegetables in a dish is recognized as the most ideal among cooks and is optimum useful from the point of view of most nutritionists.
Vegetables, especially green, red and non-starchy ones, contribute to the digestion of proteins, neutralize harmful substances that are formed during the breakdown of meat, and prevent stagnation and fermentation in the gastrointestinal tract. And the biologically active substances found in many vegetables help to remove toxins and excess cholesterol from the body.
Any kind of meat fits perfectly into the composition of dishes with green beans, tomatoes, carrots, artichokes, eggplant, pepper, potatoes, onions, garlic, etc. There are practically no limitations of fantasy!
Meat with vegetables - preparation of products
When purchasing meat in a store, give preference to the juicy part of the carcass. For example, loin, pork neck, cut or large ham. The meat should not be too fat or, conversely, too lean. It should be uniformly colored, not too dark, have an elastic springy structure. Before cooking, remove the meat from the freezer, rinse with large pieces in running water and leave it to thaw at room temperature. Then proceed to slicing into portioned slices. If necessary, beat off the slices with a kitchen hammer, rag or the back of the knife, covering them with plastic wrap.
Before cooking, it is necessary to sort the vegetables, rinse thoroughly and peel them. Herbal vegetables do not need to be cleaned, it is enough to rinse them and knock them over in a colander so that the glass is excess moisture. Cabbage vegetables should be freed from contamination, damage and stalks. Cauliflower removes a stem with green leaves. Capsicum is freed from the stalk and seeds.
Meat with vegetables - cooking utensils
The selection and preparation of dishes plays a significant role in the preparation of a quality and healthy dish. To keep meat and vegetables in the cooking process their beneficial properties, excellent aroma and taste, use enameled, cast iron, and heat-resistant glass dishes. For the preparation of first courses, it is advisable to choose pots with thin walls, but they are not suitable for frying. Stewing, frying, baking products should be done in dishes with thickened walls and bottom.
Recipe 1: Roasted Meat with Vegetables
This ginger-flavored dish is complemented by mushrooms, soy sauce and garlic. Definitely worth a try!
Ingredients:
- 600 gr. beef pulp
- 300 gr. champignons
- red sweet pepper 1 pc.
- a jar of marinas. green peas
- green beans 250 gr.
- 1 onion head
- celery 2 stalks
- ground ginger 2 tsp.
- clove of garlic
- soy sauce 3 tbsp. l
- olive oil or any other
Cooking method:
1. Cut the meat into small blocks of 1.5x3 (approximately) size. Separately mix soy sauce, chopped finely or minced garlic, ginger. In the resulting mixture, marinate the meat while vegetables are cooked and roasted. You can marinate for 4-5 hours, so it will be even juicier.
2. Peel the peppers and mushrooms, cut into strips (noodles). Fry, stirring, over medium heat until cooked.
3. Chop the celery and onions, fry them. First, onion until golden brown, then add celery, and after 5 minutes - beans. Keep everything on fire for another 2-3 minutes, then remove and cool slightly. Mix with mushrooms and pepper.
4. Our meat is marinated. Dip it on hot oil and fry, stirring constantly, over high heat for several minutes. Salt to taste 3 minutes before cooking.
Put the meat in the middle of a small flat plate, surround with fried vegetables and serve.
Recipe 2: Stew with Vegetables
A worthy dish that all households will certainly appreciate. You can add absolutely any vegetables, but for this recipe we will choose the most affordable: carrots, peppers, tomatoes and onions.
Ingredients:
- 400 gr. low-fat pork or beef fillet (you can choose another one at your discretion)
- two sweet peppers
- 3 medium carrots
- 2 tomatoes
- 3 onion heads
- paprika, oil rust., pepper, salt
Cooking method:
1. Cut the meat into large pieces, fry until tender. Salt when it is a little crusty.
2. Peel onions, carrots, sweet peppers, cut everything into large cubes of equal size. Add carrots and peppers to the meat, simmer until tender, then add the onions.
3. Cut the tomatoes as well and add the stew to them after the onion has softened. Optionally, season with spices for meat. Pour some hot water into the pan and simmer another 7-10 minutes. At the end, sprinkle the dish with your favorite greens.
Recipe 3: Meat with Vegetables in the Oven
The advantage of baking foods is that vegetables and meat at the same time retain more nutrients. The meat according to the recipe should not be tough. You can take young pork or chicken. We will lay out the dish on a baking sheet in layers. You can not mix the ingredients!
Ingredients:
- pork fillet 1 kg
- 3 large potatoes
- carrot 1 piece
- 3 onion heads
- medium eggplant
- medium squash
- fresh or frozen string beans 400 gr.
- 4 cauliflower inflorescences
- 2 tomatoes
- hard cheese 100-150 gr.
- rast. oil, spices and herbs
Cooking method:
1. Cut the pork into small slices, onions and tomatoes into half rings, potatoes into large cubes, carrots into rings, eggplant and zucchini into cubes.
2. Lubricate the deep baking sheet with oil (do not forget about the inner walls). Spread evenly cooked ingredients in layers: 1 - meat, 2 - onions, 3 - potatoes, 4 - carrots, 5 - eggplant, 6 - zucchini, 7 - beans, 8 - cauliflower, the final stage - tomatoes.
Salt the ingredients every 2-3 layers, you can lubricate with mayonnaise if desired (although the dish will be very juicy without it). Place the baking tray with meat and vegetables in the oven (preheated) for 40-60 minutes. Lay the sliced or grated cheese on top a few minutes before cooking and let it sit in the oven until it melts. The dish is ready!
Meat with vegetables - useful tips
1. The meat of a young animal is juicier and tastier. It can be distinguished from the old one by its characteristic light pink color and small white veins.
2. The meat of an old animal will be much juicier if previously it is kept in the marinade for 20-24 hours. Marinade preparation: per liter of dry white wine - vinegar ½ teaspoon, carrots and onions in half rings of 100 g each, a couple of cloves of garlic, a bunch of spicy greens.
3. During cooking, the meat can be greased with mustard, so it will be much juicier.
4. If during the preparation of meat dishes with vegetables the ingredients must be boiled separately, never leave the vegetables in the water, as they will quickly lose their shape and fall apart.
5. Enrich food during stewing with vegetable broths instead of water.
Meat is a universal product. It contains essential amino acids and is considered one of the most energy-intensive components of the human diet. And in combination with vegetables it becomes doubly healthier and tastier!
