steamers and what to do with them

Tracey04

just found the steamer that I bought 1 year ago and never used. started the diet again so thought I should use it.
cooking tonight is salmon, new potatoes and veg
all seems abit boring any other ideas that you OS can come up with.

its quite a basic model.

Thanks in advance T

balmaiden

Snap Tracey, well nearly, we had smoked haddock, new pots and veg all cooked in the steamer. It does sound bland, but, the taste of steamed veg is far nicer in my opinion, than veg cooked any other way. So the meal is tasty anyway. Like you we are cutting down a bit. normally I would have added a knob of butter when it was cooked and that would have been it.

spaghetti_monster

No new ideas, but I always use mine for veg and potatoes. I don't put anything on them usually as they taste so much better.
I also like that you don't have to watch it cos it has a timer. Potatoes go on for 20 mins and I know they'll be perfect without having to keep checking on them.
Can't believe I let it sit in the cupboard for a year!

mandy_moo_1

Blimey....you've just reminded me....i've got a steamer sitting in my cupboard in the kitchen.its never even been out of the box :eek:

i think i've always been put off by how long things take to cook in it, according to the instruction booklet
IS it easier/more convenient to steam food? what sort of things do you all do in yours?

any advice welcome cos then i might actually start to use it !! :rotfl:

champys

My steamer comes out several times a week: whenever I cook rice, and otherwise for vegetables. Rice is always perfectly cooked dry if you first cook it for a few minutes at a boil in plenty of water (with a little salt), then drain in the steamer's basket and steam until done. You can stop at that point if the rest is not ready yet, and simply steam it up again just before the meal - the quality remains perfect. For veg - especially the ones you don't want to overcook like broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts etc.

csarina

I never use anything else to cook veg than a steamer and have done for years, use the liquid from the bottom to make gravy or sauce depending on what we are having........I also cook steamed puddings in it.

recovering_spendaholic

I cook all my veg in mine, and also christmas pudding and other puddings, and that's about it. I use mine several times a week. Have had my Tefal vitamin plus one for nearly 3 years and it leaks a bit now so will have to get a new one. Will defo get another Tefal as it is brilliant.

claireabelle_2

csarina wrote: »

I never use anything else to cook veg than a steamer and have done for years, use the liquid from the bottom to make gravy or sauce depending on what we are having........I also cook steamed puddings in it.

Same here csarina... mine is a double-tier steel one and I put carrots or potatoes in the bottom one so they get more steam, then cabbage/asparagus in the top one. I love my steamer and the base water makes a great gravy.

sparrer

I use mine almost daily (on my second now), I think food tastes so much better than being boiled to death in a saucepan. Also using the steamer and microwave is a lot more economical than turning on the cooker which I only need do about once every couple of weeks or so now.

spendaholic

I cook potatoes, vegetables, chicken and fish in my steamer. The chicken has to be bashed with a mallet sometimes (I'm sure there's a technical term for that), but I'll spice it up with lemon wedges or garlic or mushrooms so it tastes a bit different and interesting. I'm sure you could do the same with herbs and seasoning. Not worked out how the rice bowl works, but I'd like to try it one day.

Good luck with it. My steamer goes on holiday with me and is useful when there aren't enought jets on the hob, like at Christmas.

shykins

i have just got myself one via freecycle and am very impressed with the way it cooks the veg

as an experiment i sliced some potatoes and added garlic salt to them then steamed them for 10mins... everyone loved them and they are requested most days now

i steam all my veg in there now and despite the instructions i find most are done in 10-15mins

HTH