After all, you can boil, poach, or scramble them in a pot or microwave. But frying them without a pan — or ladle — can be tricky. However, it's not impossible. It turns out that if you have ...

Strain the cooking liquor and vegetables through a sieve into a large non-stick frying pan. Press the vegetables with the bottom of a ladle to extract a rich purée and stir into the cooking liquor.