Know Your Techniques: Steaming Vegetables

By YumSugar

Lately I've found myself craving the simple, unadulterated flavors of steamed vegetables. Steaming is arguably one of the healthiest ways to cook vegetables, but that doesn't mean it's boring. Not only do properly steamed vegetables retain most of their nutrients, but the brightly colored vegetables are incredibly appetizing and full of flavor. There are a few tricks to perfect steaming - and they don't necessarily involve having to own a steamer!

The Basics

Firstly, the water should be boiling before you add the vegetables to your steamer basket to ensure even temperature throughout the cooking process. Try not to crowd the steamer with too many vegetables and take care to either properly layer your steamer basket according to cooking time or just cook up several batches. Firm vegetables like potatoes and carrots take longer to steam and should be placed toward the bottom of the steamer basket, while green beans and spinach take much less time and can be added later to the top.
Timing Is Everything
The most important part of steaming vegetables is the timing. Oversteam, and you'll suffer through bland, nutrient-poor, dull vegetables. But practice makes perfect; you'll soon learn what timing works for you.

More from YumSugar: The Ultimate Artichoke Crab Dip

Investing in a Steamer

If you're a frequent consumer of steamed vegetables, you might want to invest in a stockpot steamer - otherwise, you can pick up an inexpensive Asian bamboo steamer. It's also possible to work magic on vegetables without a steamer, too: place vegetables into a large, deep pot on medium-high that's filled with a tablespoon or two of boiling water, and cook until vegetables have reached desired tenderness. Alternatively you can place a colander or a sieve over a pot of boiling water as a makeshift steamer basket.

Start Playing Around

To get creative and add some interesting flavor to your steamed vegetables, play around with adding liquids, like wine or lemon juice, to the boiling water, or toss in some fresh herbs like thyme. Serve your brightly colored steamed vegetables with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and vinegar for acidity, topped off with a sprinkle of salt and cracked black pepper. What works for you when you steam vegetables at home?

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Take enough amounts of MSM supplements and keep your body clean and healthy.

Image
by Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Article by Mike Sulphur is one of the basic elements of life and is known as the fourth most abundant mineral in the body. It helps to maintain the proper acid alkaline balance of the body and also plays an important role in the creation and regeneration of the body tissues. MSM (Methylsulfonylmethane) is found in, and used by, every cell in the human body. Our skin, hair and nails contain sulphur and you can even smell it if you have ever burnt your hair. Sulphur has a beautifying effect on the skin and causes acceleration of hair growth that it can be considered as the most beautifying of all nutrients and the best cosmetic in the world. Even though small amounts of MSM are available in foods like eggs, milk, meats, raw fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds the heat from cooking or pasteurization may destroy MSM in them making it useless t
Keep reading

Beating Psychological Erection Problems Increase Libido - Chinese Holistic Herbs That Work Quickly

Image
by MarkinDetroit Article by keriquintyne The ability to produce large amounts of semen when you ejaculate is something most men think is only possible in porno movies! Not true! This article will give you a few tips for increasing semen volume and help you develop an increased sense of virility in the bedroom. A big penis has always been a symbol of male fertility and masculinity. Men haven't started to think about penis male enlargement in recent years men have thought about it for thousands of years. There is no question that women find men with big penises as more sexually attractive and if you have a smaller manhood then you got every reason to worry about it. Every guy wants a bigger penis. Fact! From the second that they start puberty to the moment they hit manhood they are looking and hoping for a way to make their penis grow just that little bit more. Many questions t
Keep reading

Global Food Consumption [Interactive Infographic]

Image
It should come as no surprise that people in developing countries consume fewer calories than the developed countries of the world. Also unsurprisingly, the income level of inhabitants of developing countries is far lower than in the developed world. However, the disparity of the percent of household income spent on food may surprise you. Food Service Warehouse , a restaurant equipment and supplies web store, put together an interactive display that explores global food consumption and income spent on food. Click below to check it out: After working on a more light-hearted graphic about the world of competitive eating , Food Service Warehouse (FSW) took interest in the average caloric consumption around the world. While no countries are consuming anywhere near the estimated 20,000+ calories that Joey Chestnut ate in a hot dog eating contest, many of the high-consumption countries are well above the average recommended daily amount (according to the FAO, roughly 2,400 calories per d
Keep reading