If you have ever wondered how good restaurants always seem to have perfectly cooked green beans and broccoli, wonder no more! The secret is submerging them in an ice bath as soon as they are just tender to prevent them from cooking any further. I like to lightly steam them in a basket steamer, but you could also briefly blanch/boil them. I keep an eye on them while they are steaming and once they turn bright green, I taste them every few minutes until they are just right. I have a big bowl of ice water ready and plunge the beans/broccoli into the ice water bath as soon as they taste tender. I then drain them in a colander, and either serve them cold (as in a vegetable salad) or heat some olive oil in a pan, add a little chopped garlic, saute for a couple of minutes, then add the broccoli or green beans and a sprinkle of salt for a brief saute/warm up.
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