Frozen veggie packs ruined my rice bowls for years, then my aunt showed me why

I used to dump a big bag of frozen mixed vegetables straight into the pan with my rice and soy sauce, figured it was cheap and easy (it was, like $1.50 a bag). But every bowl came out watery and bland, and I thought that was just the price of eating on a budget. Then my aunt visited last month, saw me doing it, and laughed. She said I was cooking the water out of the veggies instead of letting them brown, so they never got any flavor. She had me thaw them on a paper towel first, pat them dry, then hit them with high heat for 5 minutes before adding the rice. Night and day difference, honestly. Same cheap bag, but now the texture is actually good and it tastes like something. Anyone else been doing this wrong their whole adult life or just me?

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the_wade2d ago

Wait, you mean the whole reason my veggies tasted like wet cardboard was that I never bothered to let them thaw first? That's honestly the kind of kitchen shortcut I'd never think to question, just assumed frozen stuff was supposed to cook that way. I'm definitely trying the paper towel trick this weekend, my rice bowls have been lying to me this whole time.