Appetite for Reduction_ 125 Fast and Filling Low-Fat Vegan Recipes - Isa Chandra Moskowitz [36]
DON’T FEAR THE STEAMER
What’s up with steamophobia? For years I suffered from an irrational fear of cooking with steam. I guess it seemed like such a chore: setting up your apparatus, boiling water, peeling, chopping, and all just for what in the end was a pile of vegetables.
Now I know better. I found a steamer that doesn’t feel like a hassle, I’ve got broccoli-chopping down to a science and I have an intense appreciation for that “pile of vegetables.” Steaming doesn’t have to mean boring! It can be the perfect way to coax the pure and simple flavors out of your produce. Here are a few tips and tricks to help you steam like you mean it.
1. No fancy equipment required. The steamer that I absolutely love is the basket that fits into my 6-quart soup pot. It’s big enough so that I don’t have to crowd everything in there and it’s easy to use—no hard-to-clean sliding parts or things that can fall apart or malfunction. It’s also convenient—because I always have my pot resting on the stove, it’s not like I have to go shuffling through pots and pans to get to it. The only thing that could be easier is if the veggies would jump into the potand steam themselves (I’m working on that part).
2. Practice, practice, practice; timing is everything; and other clichés. The more veggies you chop, the quicker it will get. Try steaming veggies at least three days a week and see if you’re not Iron Chef material by the end of the month. For best results, prep veggies evenly sized and experiment with different cooking times. Soon you’ll know exactly how you like your veggies. Another option is to be a lazyhead and steam things that need minimal prep, such as green beans, baby carrots, and asparagus.
3. Salt! You want to gobble down veggies the same way you eat French fries? A little salt goes a long, long way. And if you take one thing away from this steaming treatise, let it be this: salt before you steam! This way, the salt melts into the veggies, extending the flavor and really sinking in. A few granules at the end of steaming won’t have the same effect, and I don’t know about you, but soy sauce on steamed veggies tastes a little tedious to me. It covers up the natural, bright flavors. Salt brings those flavors out. just sprinkle a bit of salt over the veggies right when you add them to the steamer basket and see it light up your life.
4. Herbs! Fresh herbs scattered over your veggies at the onset of cooking really brightens them up. Depending on what you are serving them with, try fresh cilantro, basil, thyme, dill, oregano, or mint. Can you use dried herbs? Yes! But your results may vary. I especially like to use dried oregano.
5. Don’t overcook them. If you’re mixing several types ofveggies, use the steaming times on the next page to know which veggies to start with, adding the ones with shorter cooking times as you go along.
6. Don’t overpack them. You can get a lot more than a single layer into a steamer basket, but try not to fill it more than three-quarters full, for the most even cooking. If you want to make a lot more veggies, just do two separate batches.
A GUIDE TO A STEAMY LOVE AFFAIR
Use this guide to get your steaming started. In reality, any of the veggies can go with any of the dressings and sauces, but I’ve given you a few of my favorites. Also, check out the bowl section (page 265) to work steamed veggies into larger meals. I’m giving you basic cooking times, but remember that everyone’s equipment and preferences are different, so start here but figure out what works best for you.
Asparagus
Remove the coarse ends. Different-size asparagus call for different cooking times. Steam pencil-thin spears for about 4 minutes, and the fattest spears for 8 minutes. Most asparagus are somewhere in between,