Name: Mixed Vegetables with Instant Cream Sauce
Total time: 40 min
Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons heavy cream; 1 ounce cream cheese; 2 tablespoons minced fresh chives; 2 teaspoons lemon juice; 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1/2 pound broccoli, florets cut into 1-inch pieces, stalks peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick; 1/2 pound cauliflower florets, cut into 1-inch pieces; 1/2 pound carrots, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick; 1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips; 1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth; Salt and pepper

Why This Recipe Works

We appreciate the convenience of the sauced vegetable medleys sold in the freezer aisle of supermarkets, but the mushy vegetables and cloying cream sauce clearly need fixing. For perfectly tender veggies, we sautéed a combination of broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, and red bell pepper until they were slightly brown before steaming them, covered. Then we uncovered the skillet to allow any liquid to evaporate. Keeping the same no-cook approach you’d get from a freezer package, we simply combined equal parts cream cheese and heavy cream with fresh chives, bright lemon juice, and spicy red pepper flakes to toss with the veggies before serving.

Instructions

Combine cream, cream cheese, chives, lemon juice, and pepper flakes in bowl; set aside.

Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, and bell pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are spotty brown, 4 to 6 minutes. Stir in broth, cover, and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook until vegetables are nearly tender, about 2 minutes. Remove lid and cook until liquid evaporates and vegetables are tender, about 1 minute. Stir in cream mixture. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.