How to cook steamed vegetables is tasty and healthy?
For adherents of healthy eating, who still prefer the preliminary heat treatment of vegetables to raw food, there are a huge number of recipes that involve the preparation of products for a couple. Modern kitchen appliances make this task much easier, thanks to which tasty and healthy vegetable dishes appear on the dining table.
What are the benefits of steamed vegetables?
Recently, there has been a positive trend that breaks outdated stereotypes that steamed food is the prerogative of the children's diet or people suffering from ailments associated with the digestive system. This is due to the indisputable fact that the products processed in this way, including vegetables, can be not only incredibly tasty, but also very useful.
Since during cooking for a couple in a double boiler or in a regular saucepan, the products retain almost 100% of vitamins and microelements from their beneficial composition, unlike vegetables cooked in water in the usual way, because it is in the broth that all vital components remain.
In addition to the useful chemical composition, it is worth noting another positive aspect, which is a significant saving of time allotted for cooking, and modern electronic devices are able to independently control the cooking process, which is important for housewives and young mothers who are on maternity leave, when every minute is on a special account.
Steamed vegetables are extremely useful and important in the diet of people with various diseases, in which the consumption of fried foods, which significantly increase the level of cholesterol in the blood, is contraindicated.
Introduction to the diet of vegetables prepared in this way has a positive effect on the general state of health, the immunity naturally strengthens, the energy composition of some vegetable dishes is quite capable of providing the body with the necessary energy boost. As practice shows, steam vegetables have a beneficial effect on visual function.
In addition to its nutritional value, products retain their natural color, flavor and shape. To prepare the vegetables, there is no need to additionally use butter or meat broths, which is important when dealing with obesity. All water-soluble vitamins and microelements, which are very abundant in vegetables, remain in their original volume, and the resulting side dishes or any other dishes will not be saturated with excess fats.
The benefit of this type of processing also lies in the fact that the products are not in contact with the air and do not heat up to high temperatures, at which the beneficial components disintegrate and lose their unique properties.
Among the list of positive features, it is necessary to note the improvement in the taste of products, due to the fact that steam, even from hard and chlorinated tap water, does not include harmful components, which makes the dishes more juicy and healthy at the same time.
It has been established that if you regularly steam vegetables, completely replacing the usual cooking, you can improve the condition of the hair and epidermis, in addition, the introduction of the menu of steam vegetables is an effective prevention of diseases related to the cardiovascular system, which is important for older people. In addition, this menu is shown for babies with the introduction of the first complementary foods. Healthy and proper nutrition will help increase stamina, improve overall tone, as well as compensate for the lack of essential vitamins and minerals.
Possible harm
However, some of the nuances concerning the heat treatment of vegetables with steam can be counted among the minuses of this method of cooking.
First of all, it concerns the fact that for cooking on a pair it is necessary to use only high-quality vegetables, since over-ripe or wilted products that can be cooked will not transfer the process of exposure to steam. As a result, they will lose their integrity and taste.
To use a double boiler or a multicooker, you need to purchase dense and whole vegetables, which will guarantee the high organoleptic qualities of the finished dish, as well as the visual appeal of the products.
In addition, vegetables for steaming should not be cut into very small pieces, because there is a chance that they will turn into a slimy mass. This moment complicates the preparation of some vegetable dishes.
In case of individual intolerance to any vegetables, for example, pumpkin, an allergic reaction is possible even to the product treated with steam.
Selection and preparation of food ingredients
Despite the fact that you can cook any vegetable for a couple, it should be noted that Some types of processing are amenable to worse, so their cooking speed will be different. This fact must be taken into account during the cooking of vegetable dishes, where several types of fruits are the ingredients.
For foods such as broccoli, asparagus, green beans, or carrots, they can be cooked together, because they will be ready to eat at about the same time, it may take a little longer for potatoes. In order for the dish to have an attractive appearance as a result, and each vegetable is cooked, it is necessary to have an idea of how much time for processing each type of product is necessary.
As a result of the increasing popularity of this cooking method, There are a number of recommendations regarding the duration of the preparation of certain fruits:
- Asparagus steamed for a maximum of 8 minutes;
- the duration of cooking carrots will depend on its size, on average, cooking will take no more than 12 minutes;
- for corn cobs, you need to allocate 8-10 minutes;
- potatoes will be ready in 10 minutes, provided that the vegetable is pre-cut into small pieces;
- green beans are cooked for about 5 minutes;
- spinach - up to three minutes;
- cauliflower and broccoli take about 5-7 minutes.
In addition, some fruits or greens do not require prior preparation, it will be enough just to rinse them with water. But there are many useful species that need preparation in the light of their size or other individual characteristics.
For example, the pumpkin needs not only to be washed, but also to be peeled and cut into slices, in the case of asparagus it is necessary to remove the ends, and large root vegetables - cut them. Among some important points concerning the preparation of steamed vegetables, there is a recommendation to prepare products in the form in which they will be used in the future.
Cooking recipes
For unaccustomed people, steamed foods may seem rather bland at first. However, this nuance is quite possible to correct by using a variety of sauces and dressings, which can complement the dishes with savory flavors. Among the most popular seasonings for vegetables are the following combinations of products:
- lemon juice, mint, olive oil and cumin;
- honey and fresh ginger;
- soy sauce with sesame oil and garlic;
- garlic, lemon juice and olive oil.
In addition to the above condiments and spices, so that vegetables have interesting organoleptic properties, a variety of spices can be added to the water during cooking. Very often useful mixes are supplemented with melted cheese or cream.
A delicious dish made from vegetables will be the following mixture:
- green pea;
- green and red onions;
- broccoli;
- lemon juice and spices to choose from.
To prepare the dish, it is necessary to divide the broccoli into inflorescences, and chop the onion into rings.The processing time of vegetables is 15 minutes. After that, the ingredients must be combined and supplemented with seasoning of greens and citrus juice.
You can make delicious cold dishes. Step-by-step instructions for cooking salad are presented below.
The ingredients of the dish are the following products:
- tomatoes;
- broccoli;
- red and green peppers;
- onion;
- As a dressing, you can use soy sauce, lemon juice, oil and various spices.
You must remove the skin from the tomatoes and cut the fruit into several pieces, the peppers are crushed into cubes, and the broccoli must be disassembled. All components must be boiled for a couple in turn, after which they are combined in a container for salad. Onion and dressing are added to the cooled vegetable mix.
To make tasty lobio, you need the following products:
- tomatoes;
- green beans;
- garlic and hot pepper;
- bow;
- walnuts;
- parsley, basil, cilantro;
- spices, salt.
Cooking technology is as follows:
- tomatoes are prepared for about 10 minutes, after which they must be crushed with a sieve;
- beans cooked for 15 minutes, and then laid out in a sauce of tomatoes;
- To the available ingredients you need to add chopped nuts, garlic, pepper and greens.
Eggplants with nuts will be an interesting recipe for cooking with vegetables. To do this, you need the following products:
- onions, garlic, any herbs, hot peppers;
- eggplants;
- Walnut;
- pomegranate juice and olive oil for dressing.
Eggplant must be cooked no more than 20 minutes, then cool. Nuts, hot peppers, herbs, garlic and onion chop and combine with pomegranate juice. In the resulting dressing you need to add eggplants and oil.
Stewed juicy cabbage rolls. To do this, you need the following products:
- cabbage, carrots, onions;
- turnip, rice, flour;
- spring onions, parsley, dill;
- spices, oil and broth.
Cabbage without the stalk must be steamed for 10 minutes, then taken to the leaves.
For the cabbage stuffing, rice is boiled, vegetables are boiled and boiled separately. For the sauce, sprinkle flour on the pan without butter, then pour the broth left over from the vegetables and chopped greens into it.
The filling is laid out in sheets and wrapped in rolls, after which the dish is placed in a double boiler and poured over with cooked sauce. Duration of processing products is 15 minutes.
This dish will be the dietary option for cooking vegetables.
The recipe involves the use of such products:
- peas;
- broccoli;
- spring onions;
- butter;
- lemon juice, salt;
- Herbs - parsley, tarragon or any other to taste.
All components are crushed and pass a ten-minute heat treatment. The oil must be heated and mixed with fragrant herbs, citrus juice and spices. After the vegetables are ready, still warm, they must be poured over the resulting sauce and served to the table.
Filing options
Steamed vegetable mixes can be served in various ways based on the taste preferences of the household. As a rule, a steam dish will be very attractive, since all ingredients will retain their color and appetizing aroma, so you should use a large dish that can be placed in the center of the table for serving food. This option will allow everyone to choose for themselves the vegetable that he wishes.
But also steam vegetables are perfectly combined with any meat dishes.
In some cases, you can use melted cheese as a dressing. However, products prepared in this way do not require any special addition, since they themselves serve as a useful main course or side dish.
How to cook vegetables in a double boiler, see the video below.