Want to be on your table all year round what were your favorite summer dishes? Then be sure to prepare vegetable semi-finished products for the winter. When properly frozen, vegetables will retain their fresh flavor and vitamins. Plus you can save a lot of money.

In high season, you can freeze vegetables of almost all varieties and types for the winter. Moreover, to procure bell pepper, asparagus and green peas can be either individually or mixed. For example, you can freeze a Mexican mix at home for the winter. You will be completely confident in the quality of the vegetables, which you yourself will select and pack. At the same time, you will save money and will be able to regulate the quantity and composition of the finished product yourself.

In order for vegetables to retain their original appearance and all vitamins, and not turn into a block of ice, you need to properly process them before freezing. Part Mexican mix includes bell peppers, carrots, peas, asparagus and corn. All vegetables, except for pepper, must be blanched, that is, dipped in boiling water for a few minutes, and then quickly cooled in ice water to stop the cooking process. Blanching will destroy enzymes that cause browning and quick spoilage of vegetables. They will keep better and longer.

Ingredients

• green peas 200 g
• asparagus beans 200 g
• carrots 200 g
• corn 200 g
• bell pepper 200 g

How to make a Mexican mix for the winter

1. Hull the green peas from the pods. Then we put it in boiling water for 2 minutes.
2. 
   We discard the blanched peas in a colander and immediately pour over it with ice water to stop the cooking process. Then pour the peas onto a piece of soft cotton fabric and blot them from moisture.
3. 
   Place the green peas in a freezer container or bag. We send it to the freezer - while we are preparing the remaining vegetables, it will have time to freeze slightly.
4. 
   A young asparagus beans cut into small segments of 3-4 centimeters.
5. 
   Blanch the asparagus in boiling water for 2 minutes, then pour over it with cold running water. Then we dry it and also place it in a container and place it in the freezer.
6. 
   Peel the carrots, rinse and cut into small cubes.
7. 
   Blanch the carrots in boiling water for 2 minutes, then cool them in ice water, dry them with a towel and place them in a container or bag for freezing.
8. 
   We hull the sugar maize or cut the grains with a knife along the cob.
9. 
   Blanch the corn kernels in boiling water for 2-3 minutes, then pour over cold water, dry and send to the freezer.
10. 
    We wash the bell pepper, dry it, remove the stalk and seeds. You do not need to blanch it, otherwise it will lose its taste qualities... Cut the pepper into small cubes.
11. 
    Combine and mix peppers, carrots, asparagus, peas and corn.

The homemade Mexican mixture is ready and will be a great base for all kinds of stews, lecho or soup. We divide the mixture into portions, pack it into containers and send it to the freezer for storage for the winter.

Frozen vegetables can be found in almost every store today.

Such mixtures are especially relevant in the kitchen in winter, when summer vegetables practically not on the shelves, but you want to pamper yourself with a delicious dish with the addition of sweet tomatoes or green peas. But before buying this product, many people often ask themselves the question: “a are frozen vegetable mixes good for you??».

Indeed, most people believe that since vegetables have passed the freezing stage, it means that all the useful trace elements from the products have disappeared, and this is far from evidence of the benefits of vegetable mixtures. It must be said that this is not the case.

Many experts claim that such semi-finished products are not inferior in their usefulness to fresh vegetables.

Indeed, thanks to modern technologies, vegetables collected from the beds go through the freezing stage for 2-3 hours. And during this period of time, they simply do not have time to lose their nutritional properties.

Therefore, vegetable mixtures are ideal both for inclusion in the daily diet of a child and for consumption by the elderly.

In addition, these mixtures:

• Improve digestion and appetite;
• Suitable for dietetic food;
• Are low in calories;
• They are rich in selenium, phosphorus, sodium, iron and other beneficial trace elements.

By including frozen vegetables in your diet, you have the opportunity to discover new recipes from frozen mixes. Depending on who, what product you buy, will depend on how you prepare the culinary masterpiece: a side dish for the main course, soup or salad.

Now manufacturers are trying to surprise the buyer with an interesting composition of mixtures.

Frozen vegetables can be:

• carrot,
• tomatoes,
• Brussels or green beans,
• Chinese cabbage,
• beet,
• broccoli.
• Some people will like the Hawaiian mix, the contents of which are characterized by the presence of rice, while others will like italian mix frozen where everyone has their favorite olives.

The main thing when choosing semi-finished products is to carefully study the composition of the product, since some vegetables may not suit you due to personal intolerance or due to other circumstances.

It is also important to assess the condition of the mixture. If it looks like a lump, it means that it was thawed, as a result of which it lacks any nutrients.

VIDEO ON TOPIC

Frozen mixture - real product new generation, which does not require long-term heat treatment. For its preparation, preliminary defrosting is not even required. These vegetables can be easily stewed, fried, or boiled.

One of the popular is the Hawaiian frozen mix recipe which is quite simple. Its main product is rice.

It also contains:

• Red bell pepper;
• Corn;
• Green pea.

Here the composition can be different, because the manufacturer decides everything, but rice remains the same ingredient. There are only 91 Kcal per 100 grams of Hawaiian mix. As a result, the mixture is ideal for those on a diet.

This mixture is the perfect addition to any meal, be it a main course, a light soup or a salad made with your own hands.

RECIPE

A very simple dish. Vegetables do not require defrosting, so you can start cooking at any time.

We need:

• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil,
• water,
• salt,
• seasonings to taste.

Cooking procedure:

1. Heat the pan and pour in the vegetable oil.
2. Pour in the vegetable mixture, mix slightly.
3. Add water to the mixture (about a third of a cup will be enough for one package of 400 grams).
4. Simmer under the lid for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. When the liquid has evaporated, the rice and vegetables will brown a little. It remains to salt and add seasonings to taste.

You can serve it with any meat or as an independent dish.

In the minds of many, Mexican cuisine is a must fried food with the addition of a huge amount hot pepper and spices. However, this is not the case.

In this country, the culinary preferences of residents are not limited only to such culinary masterpieces, they also love meat, various cereals and vegetables. You can try the latter if you buy a frozen mixture.

In it you will find:

• Carrot,
• Bell pepper,
• Corn grains,
• Green beans,
• Green pea.

Mushrooms, cereals or other ingredients can be added to the mixture if desired. Much depends on the dish you want to cook.

RECIPE

Mexican mix omelet

This dish is unusual and delicious.

We need:

• vegetable oil,
• butter,
• two eggs,
• salt,
• 2 tablespoons milk
• spices.

Cooking procedure:

1. Preheat the pan, put a little butter and fry frozen vegetables.
2. Two eggs should be enough for half a pack of Mexican mix. Beat them with milk and salt and pour into a frying pan with vegetables.
3. Cover and fry until tender.

More Examples:

• Vegetable side dish, for which it is necessary to fry frozen vegetables in a pan with the addition of seasonings and oil, then pour in a little water and stew the dish. In half an hour, you can start testing.
• The mixture that has passed the freezing stage is ideally combined with seafood, meat, various cereals and mushrooms, you can cook from it warm salads, holiday treats and casseroles.

Asian food lovers will love the Chinese frozen mix, which contains all the ingredients of traditional Chinese cuisine.

The main products that come in here are:

• White cabbage;
• Carrot;
• Shiitake mushrooms;
• Soy and bamboo sprouts;
• Celery;
• Mini corn.

Chinese frozen mix can be complemented with soy sauce or seasonings to emphasize refined taste products.

Recipe: Chinese Vegetable Mix with Meat

This dish involves pre-cooking the meat.

We need:

• any meat, for example, beef or pork,
• ginger,
• soy sauce,
• onion garlic,
• vegetable oil.

Cooking procedure:

1. Cut the meat into thin strips, add ginger and soy sauce. Put in the refrigerator to marinate overnight.
2. The next day, fry the meat in a pan in vegetable oil.
3. Add the vegetable mixture and onion to the meat, fill with soy sauce.
4. Add a little garlic if desired and simmer under the lid until tender.

• The Chinese mixture is ideal as a side dish with rice or meat. In order for the taste of vegetables to be fully revealed, they must be added at the very end of cooking. After 15 minutes of cooking, when the vegetables are tender, you can start eating them.

Whichever frozen mixture you choose to embody your own culinary fantasies, you will have the opportunity not only to pamper yourself delicious vegetables, to prepare a unique dish for loved ones, but also to saturate the body with the necessary microelements and vitamins as much as possible.

Indeed, thanks to modern technologies for processing ingredients, frozen vegetable mixture can be called a product of the future, which not only retains all nutritional properties, but is also ideal for fast food.

Mexican mix is ​​a mix of vegetables, usually frozen. You can easily find assorted packaged assortments and by weight in a more or less large supermarket. But it's not just a bunch of any chopped vegetables. The basic composition of the Mexican mixture is always the same, and if it includes unregulated additives (for example, rice), this nuance is always indicated on the package.

For people with celiac disease, it is not always safe to buy frozen vegetable mixes. But the Mexican mixture in the summer-autumn period can always be prepared by yourself! Several packs of mix will help you out in cold weather more than once, especially if you are in a hurry. Such a semi-finished product amazingly quickly and amazingly easily turns into very tasty dish... Let's take a look at how you can make a frozen Mexican mix at home.

Mexican mix: how to make a semi-finished product for freezing at home

To prepare such a Mexican mixture, it will take about 30 minutes. Mix output - about 2 kg.

The composition of the Mexican mix:

corn - 500 grams,

bulgarian pepper - 500 grams,

green pea- 500 grams,

carrots - 500 grams,

green beans - 500 grams.

How to make frozen Mexican mix (working order)

All vegetables should be washed well and allowed to air dry.

Cut the corn kernels off the cob with a sharp knife.

For green beans, cut off the ends on both sides. Cut each pod into three parts; the slices should be oblique.

Peel and dice the bell pepper. For the Mexican mixture, the pepper should be bright, preferably red. Then the result will be bright and beautiful.

Peas ripen much earlier than other vegetables, we advise you to take care of them in advance, peel and freeze them in June, and add frozen peas to the mixture.

Peel the carrots and cut into small cubes.

Put prepared food in a deep bowl.

Mix.

Divide the ready-made Mexican mixture into bags for freezing (in no case in ordinary bags for food products, otherwise the contents of the freezer will get an unpleasant smell) and send to the freezer.

If possible, select the coldest setting for freezing. The production uses "shock freezing", which allows you to preserve the beneficial substances contained in fresh vegetables to the maximum.

Mexican mix: recipes

The easiest way is to make a Mexican stew. To do this, heat a little butter in a frying pan (butter or vegetable - at your discretion), pour out the contents of the bag (the mixture does not need preliminary defrosting) and, stirring with a spatula, fry for several minutes. Then add a little water, salt and add other spices to your liking, cover the pan with a lid and leave to simmer until tender.

But if you have a little time in stock and you want a more interesting option, we offer you other recipes for making a Mexican mixture.

No fundamental differences cooking mixture in a slow cooker from cooking on fire - no. But we will tell you delicious recipe side dish.

It will require 400 g of frozen Mexican mixture, 1 onion, 2 cloves of garlic, 150 ml of low-fat sour cream - can be replaced with unsweetened yogurt. Salt and spices to taste.

Add spices to sour cream or yogurt, mix. Finely chop the onion and garlic. Fry the onions and garlic in a multicooker in the "baking" mode for 4-5 minutes, then add vegetables and sour cream to the multicooker bowl; stir and leave on the "quenching" mode for one hour.

Mexican Chicken Mix

To prepare the Mexican mixture with chicken, you will need 400 g of the vegetable mixture, chilled medium-sized gutted chicken, 1 onion, 1 tbsp. butter, 1 tbsp. chopped parsley, 1 tbsp. chopped dill, a quarter cup of any broth; salt and spices.

Melt butter in a frying pan, add chopped onion, lightly fry. Put the chicken into pieces and fry them on all sides. Pour in the broth, season with salt, cover and simmer over medium heat until the chicken is tender. Add frozen vegetables and simmer for another 10-15 minutes. Sprinkle with fresh herbs before serving.

Mexican Blend Soup

This simple nutritious soup with Mexican blend is not only tasty and healthy, but also very easy to make. To prepare the soup according to our recipe, you will need 200 g of a Mexican mixture, 300 g of a chicken soup set, 4-5 medium-sized potato tubers, a piece of butter, fresh herbs and salt to taste.

Pour the chicken set with water (2-2.5 liters) and cook over medium heat for about half an hour, not forgetting to skim off the foam. After this time, cut the potatoes into small cubes and add to the broth. Salt. To catch another quarter of an hour and slowly chop the onion finely. Then add the Mexican mixture to the soup, add the onion and cook for another 10 minutes. Add butter at the end of cooking.

Pour the soup into bowls, and generously pour chopped fresh herbs into each bowl.

Rice with Mexican Blend: Recipe

The Mexican mix is ​​perfect for preparing ornate rice with vegetables. It will take 0.5 tbsp. rice for 400 g of vegetable mixture (standard volume of frozen vegetables in bags), as well as 1-2 cloves of garlic, salt and your favorite spices.

Rinse the rice; then soak for one and a half to two hours. Drain the water; put the pan on the fire and pour boiling water over the wet rice with constant stirring. Season with salt and cook over low heat, then rinse under cold water and leave to drain in a colander.

Heat butter in a frying pan (butter or vegetable - to your taste), add finely chopped garlic. Add frozen vegetables and fry on high fire with constant stirring for one to two minutes. Then reduce heat, cover vegetables and simmer for a few minutes. When the vegetables are half-cooked, add rice, add spices, mix and keep under a lid on low heat for another couple of minutes.

It often happens that there is no time at all to cook dinner, and the household is already knocking spoons on the table. Then frozen vegetable semi-finished products can come to the rescue. They are useful and do not require any special skills from the chef. Observance of proportions is also not necessary. Great option- prepare frozen Mexican mix. It is rich in vitamins, tasty and is liked by children for its beautiful, bright appearance.

Selection and preparation of products

If the mixture is purchased at a store, then it is important to choose the right one. When a product is sold by weight, you can control the color of vegetables and their condition. There should be no ice on the product.

The composition of the package with the Mexican mixture must be constant: green beans, corn, peas, onions, carrots and bell peppers. Many people think: since Mexico, then this is the use of hot pepper and spicy spices... But there is nothing like this in a frozen semi-finished product. During the cooking process, you can add seasonings and salt yourself to taste.

There is no need to defrost the Mexican mixture. You can immediately start cooking. But if defrosting does occur, then you need to cook the product immediately. Do not re-send the mixture to the freezer. Therefore, it is convenient to store it in separate small-volume packages.

Another option is to make the Mexican mixture yourself and freeze it properly. To do this, you need to select fresh vegetables, clean and wash them. Cut into small pieces. Add beans, corn and peas. Stir and place in serving containers. Sign the date and send to the freezer.

Frozen Mexican Mix Dishes

The Mexican mix may well be a stand-alone dish. It is also used as a side dish, an addition to casseroles, soups and salads. For example, from a Mexican mixture you can make:

• Vegetable side dish. The mixture, without preliminary defrosting, is sent to the pan and fried with a small amount of vegetable oil for 2 minutes. Spices and salt are added as desired. Then you need to pour a little water and simmer under the lid for a couple of minutes. A great addition to meat or fish is ready!
• Vegetable omelet. Based on the Mexican mixture, you can prepare a delicious and hearty breakfast by adding a couple of eggs. First, oil is heated in a pan, vegetables are added, fried, salted and seasoned. Cook for 2 minutes under the lid. Then you need to beat the eggs with milk and pour the semi-finished product with this mixture. Put out until the dish is completely cooked.
• Soup. While the potatoes are boiling in the pot, you can prepare the mixture. It is heated in oil with onions and mushrooms. Then all the ingredients are mixed and cooked until full readiness... Spices are added Bay leaf, salt. This is the base for soup; any cereals and meat can be an addition.
• Pizza. It is necessary to bring the Mexican mixture to readiness in a pan. Take ready-made cake for pizza or make your own dough. Grease the layer with sauce or tomato paste, put vegetables, salt. Top with mugs of tomatoes, grated cheese. You can cook in the microwave or oven until the cheese melts. This type of pizza is vegetarian. You can also diversify the recipe by adding meat or ham.
• Salad. The frozen mixture just needs to be boiled in salted water. Sue, refuel olive oil, add fresh herbs. Original salad will be a great addition to meat dishes.

Pros and Cons of Mexican Blend

Like any dish, the ready-made frozen Mexican mix has its positive and negative qualities.

Pros of using a Mexican blend:

• fast cooking;
• simplicity;
• profitability;
• does not require defrosting;
• the use of various techniques and recipes;
• the use of products;
• great taste and aroma.

The calorie content of the product is very low. By itself, it is considered dietary. The mixture has many nutrients, saturates the body with vitamins and minerals. Thanks to fast and correct freezing, all the benefits of natural ingredients are preserved.

The only drawback of this product is that it belongs to the category of instant semi-finished products. Dishes based on the Mexican mixture are simple, rather difficult, almost impossible to make something delicious out of it. But then at any time you can get a pack of vegetables and quickly feed the whole family.

Methods for making Mexican mix

Various methods of processing the product make it possible to obtain dishes that are original in taste. The mixture can be fried in a pan, boiled or stewed, using the baking method in pots. It's even easier to cook a semi-finished product using a multicooker or microwave.

In a frying pan

The easiest way to feed your family a delicious dinner is to cook vegetables in a skillet. To do this, you just need to pour a little vegetable oil and fry the mixture under the lid for 5 minutes. You can add water or broth. Other ingredients are also welcome to make the dish more interesting.

In a multicooker

It takes more time to prepare the mixture in a slow cooker than in a microwave or a frying pan, but the plus of the method is that you do not need constant control over the process. The technique will turn itself off at a certain moment.

Basic recipe for making Mexican mix in a slow cooker:

1. Set the machine to the "Baking" mode.
2. Fry the onion and garlic in a bowl in butter.
3. After 5 minutes, add the mixture and sour cream.
4. Simmer under the lid for an hour on the "Extinguishing" mode.

In the microwave

Easier and not to come up with. Without preliminary preparation, the mixture is placed in a glass dish and sent to the microwave for 5 minutes at high power. You can add spices, a little water or broth. Serve with boiled rice, any kind of meat or fish.

In the oven

The good thing about this method is that it does not require the use of oil. The dish turns out to be dietary and healthy. A great option for preparing a children's lunch. The finished mixture can be grinded in a blender and fed to the crumbs.

The frozen mixture is poured into a special dish for the oven. Heat-resistant glass or clay pots can be used. Water is poured, covered with a lid. It is cooked for 20 minutes at 180g. C.

It often happens that there is no time at all to cook dinner, and the household is already knocking spoons on the table. Then frozen vegetable semi-finished products can come to the rescue. They are useful and do not require any special skills from the chef. Observance of proportions is also not necessary. A great option is to make a frozen Mexican mix. It is rich in vitamins, tasty and is liked by children for its beautiful, bright appearance.

Selection and preparation of products

If the mixture is purchased at a store, then it is important to choose the right one. When a product is sold by weight, you can control the color of vegetables and their condition. There should be no ice on the product.

The composition of the package with the Mexican mixture must be constant: green beans, corn, peas, onions, carrots and bell peppers. Many people think: since Mexico, then this is the use of hot pepper and piquant spices. But there is nothing like this in a frozen semi-finished product. During the cooking process, you can add seasonings and salt yourself to taste.

There is no need to defrost the Mexican mixture. You can immediately start cooking. But if defrosting does occur, then you need to cook the product immediately. Do not re-send the mixture to the freezer. Therefore, it is convenient to store it in separate small-volume packages.

Another option is to make the Mexican mixture yourself and freeze it properly. To do this, you need to select fresh vegetables, peel and wash them. Cut into small pieces. Add beans, corn and peas. Stir and place in serving containers. Sign the date and send to the freezer.

Frozen Mexican Mix Dishes

The Mexican mix may well be a stand-alone dish. It is also used as a side dish, an addition to casseroles, soups and salads. For example, from a Mexican mixture you can make:

• Vegetable side dish. The mixture, without preliminary defrosting, is sent to the pan and fried with a small amount of vegetable oil for 2 minutes. Spices and salt are added as desired. Then you need to pour a little water and simmer under the lid for a couple of minutes. A great addition to meat or fish is ready!
• Vegetable omelet. Based on the Mexican mixture, you can prepare a delicious and hearty breakfast by adding a couple of eggs. First, oil is heated in a pan, vegetables are added, fried, salted and seasoned. Cook for 2 minutes under the lid. Then you need to beat the eggs with milk and pour the semi-finished product with this mixture. Put out until the dish is completely cooked.
• Soup. While the potatoes are boiling in the pot, you can prepare the mixture. It is heated in oil with onions and mushrooms. Then all the ingredients are mixed and cooked until cooked. Spices, bay leaves, salt are added. This is the base for soup; any cereals and meat can be an addition.
• Pizza. It is necessary to bring the Mexican mixture to readiness in a pan. Take a ready-made pizza crust or make your own dough. Grease the layer with sauce or tomato paste, put vegetables, salt. Top with mugs of tomatoes, grated cheese. You can cook in the microwave or oven until the cheese melts. This type of pizza is vegetarian. You can also diversify the recipe by adding meat or ham.
• Salad. The frozen mixture just needs to be boiled in salted water. Suck, season with olive oil, add fresh herbs. The original salad will be a great addition to meat dishes.

Pros and Cons of Mexican Blend

Like any dish, the ready-made frozen Mexican mix has its positive and negative qualities.

Pros of using a Mexican blend:

• fast cooking;
• simplicity;
• profitability;
• does not require defrosting;
• the use of various techniques and recipes;
• the use of products;
• great taste and aroma.

The calorie content of the product is very low. By itself, it is considered dietary. The mixture has many useful substances, saturates the body with vitamins and minerals. Thanks to fast and correct freezing, all the benefits of natural ingredients are preserved.

The only drawback of this product is that it belongs to the category of instant semi-finished products. Dishes based on the Mexican mixture are simple, rather difficult, almost impossible to make something delicious out of it. But then at any time you can get a pack of vegetables and quickly feed the whole family.

Methods for making Mexican mix

Various methods of processing the product make it possible to obtain dishes that are original in taste. The mixture can be fried in a pan, boiled or stewed, using the baking method in pots. It's even easier to cook a semi-finished product using a multicooker or microwave.

In a frying pan

The easiest way to feed your family a delicious dinner is to cook vegetables in a skillet. To do this, you just need to pour a little vegetable oil and fry the mixture under the lid for 5 minutes. You can add water or broth. Other ingredients are also welcome to make the dish more interesting.

In a multicooker

It takes more time to prepare the mixture in a slow cooker than in a microwave or a frying pan, but the plus of the method is that you do not need constant control over the process. The technique will turn itself off at a certain moment.

Basic recipe for making Mexican mix in a slow cooker:

1. Set the machine to the "Baking" mode.
2. Fry the onion and garlic in a bowl in butter.
3. After 5 minutes, add the mixture and sour cream.
4. Simmer under the lid for an hour on the "Extinguishing" mode.

In the microwave

Easier and not to come up with. Without preliminary preparation, the mixture is placed in a glass dish and sent to the microwave for 5 minutes at high power. You can add spices, a little water or broth. Serve with boiled rice, any kind of meat or fish.

In the oven

The good thing about this method is that it does not require the use of oil. The dish turns out to be dietary and healthy. A great option for preparing a children's lunch. The finished mixture can be grinded in a blender and fed to the crumbs.

The frozen mixture is poured into a special dish for the oven. Heat-resistant glass or clay pots can be used. Water is poured, covered with a lid. It is cooked for 20 minutes at 180g. C.