Have you ever been served broccoli so vibrantly green that you wondered how the cook pulled it off? Chances are the broccoli was steamed. Steaming vegetables brings out the bright colors of foods. But that’s not the best thing about steaming. Steaming is a great way to retain the valuable nutrients, vitamins, and minerals. And another great health bonus is that steaming does not require the use of cooking oil. Steaming is done with boiling water, but boiling water never comes into contact with the foods you’re cooking. The steam does the cooking.
Steaming vegetables is so easy you’ll wonder why you waited so long to try this fantastic cooking method. Here’s how…
1) Cut the vegetables into uniform pieces so that they all get done cooking at the same time.
2) Add about 1 inch of water to a pan and insert a steamer basket. You’ll want to make sure that the water is under the basket.
3) Bring the water to a boil.
4) Add the vegetables to the steamer basket, cover the pan, and reduce the heat to medium.
5) After a few minutes, check the vegetables.
6) Remove the vegetables when you can pierce them in the thickest part. Note: When you remove the vegetables they will continue cooking from the heat.
Peas and spinach will be ready in about 3 minutes. Asparagus will be ready in about 4 to 7 minutes. Broccoli and cauliflower florets and green beans will be ready in about 5 to 7 minutes. Brussels sprouts will be ready in about 6 to 8 minutes. Carrots and potatoes will be ready in about 8 to 20 minutes. Collards and kale will be ready in about 10 minutes. If you want to cook, say, peas and cauliflower together, you’ll want to start steaming the cauliflower first, and then add the peas during the last three minutes of cooking time. Enjoy!