5 – 6 min.
Make sure you bring the water in the bottom pot to a full boil before starting the timer.
This may sound like a ridiculous question to those of you whom are seasoned cooks, but I started thinking about how the basics sometimes get overlooked. Truth is that we all started out as new cooks and someone had to teach us the little things.
So, I decided to post individual estimated times for a few basic vegetables to use as a reference.
It seems as if everyone is fancying up their vegetables. I’m equally guilty of that too. However, simple steamed vegetables, when cooked properly – are delicious and when served as a side dish to an already flavorful main dish, it compliments rather than competes.
Over the past few months I have been steaming almost all my vegetables. In my favorite and probably oldest pot that I own. If this pot could talk, it would have many stories to tell…
 |
| 3 quart Revere Ware |
The beauty of steamed vegetables is that they cook up quick and retain almost all of their nutrients. I love the convenience of perfectly cooked leftover veggies, so I always cook more than I think I will need just for leftovers. All it takes is 30 seconds in the microwave and they taste as if they were just cooked.
I do enjoy raw vegetables, but I love leftover steamed fresh veggies. They make for a great snack – cold straight out of the fridge, tossed into salads, pasta or rice, as well as, a quick stir fry, soups, omelets, stews… the list goes on and on.
I’m really not trying to be a vegetable snob, but… The only frozen vegetables that I like are peas, spinach and some green beans. All other frozen vegetables that I have tried tend to be mushy and watery. Making me feel as I eat them… what’s the point?
One of my tricks to bring out the natural flavor of each vegetable is to; soak them in lightly salted water for about 15 min. before I steam them. This gentle salting allows the flavor of the vegetable to wake up, needing very little else after its cooked.