Cook Healthy, Eat Healthy

Eating healthy is a phrase that makes us cringe. We don't want to give up delicious taste for raw vegetables and tofu! We see buffets of green salads staring at us in infinity. Don’t become depressed.  In reality, eating healthy is just learning to cook healthy. Many of the same foods you now eat can be healthy. So put away the deep fat fryer and the skillets, stop loosing your nutrients to hot water and try steam heat!

Steaming has great advantages over other cooking methods.

• Steaming does not use a lot of hot water which reduces nutrient values in vegetables. (Steam cooking reduces Vitamin C in vegetables by 40%, but boiling reduces Vitamin C by 70%.)

• You are not adding fat to the food. Even in recipes where higher fat is called for, fat alternatives can be substituted, such as skim milk and low-fat cheese. When steaming chicken, you can remove the skin where much of the fat is located.

• Dry heat can make food tough and chewy but steaming retains the moisture, using the natural convection of heat that is traveling in air, steam or liquid.  This gives tender results and protects the food inside the steamer.

If the idea of steam cooking is new to you, start small with a personal steamer. Use it for one type of food. After you discover your vegetables taste great, you can move on to a larger or tiered steamer.

Some tips on steam cooking:

• Ensure the ingredients used are of the best quality and in perfect condition.  Choose lean meats which will be tender and not require lengthy cooking.  Trim away excess fat before using and always cut across the grain for extra tenderness.

• Ensure the lid fits well to prevent the steam escaping and thus prolonging cooking time.

• Look for unblemished skins and good color in fruits and vegetables.  Do not use “old” or bruised fruits, because steaming enhances flavors and aromas and any slight taint in a food will be accentuated.

• Make sure foods to be cooked together are of a similar or even size so that they will cook in the same amount of time. This applies to chopped foods and meat, fish or poultry portions.

• Do not allow the liquid in the base compartment to touch the food, or the food will boil and not steam.  Suspend it at least 1 inch above the liquid.

• Liquid levels in the base of the steamer should be maintained for constant cooking, although it should never be more than two-thirds full.  Add boiling liquid when needed to maintain cooking.

• Cook food in a single layer or adjust cooking times accordingly, as cooking will be slower.

• Arrange foods in the steamer compartment with space in between to allow steam to circulate and cook more efficiently.  Always defrost frozen meats, fish and poultry before cooking.

• Place meats, fish, or juicy foods in the bottom tiers so that they cannot drip onto foods below.

• Allow an extra five minutes for foods cooked in upper tiers because they are further away from the steam.

• Finally, be sure to continue cooking foods that are not cooked through or not cooked to your liking, despite having been cooked for the recommended cooking time.