Knowing how to prepare vegetables helps you get the most nutrititive value out of them, ensures that any dirt or chemicals are cleaned away, helps your dishes cook evenly and will even have a positive impact on the look of the finished dish. Broccoli With broccoli the trick is to have the stems and the florets cook at the same rate. You can do this by removing the tough outer skin of the stalks. Simply peel the skin up from the base of the broccoli stalk. Asparagus The tender tips will coo.