Quick and Healthy Cooking: Electric Steamer Recipes

Aside from being one of the easiest and most convenient ways of cooking, steaming is also one of the healthiest; and the good news is that you don’t have to break a sweat in the kitchen for perfectly steamed fish or greens. All you need are simple ingredients and a reliable electric steamer!

Why Steaming Is Healthy

Studies point to steaming as one of the healthiest ways of cooking, thanks to these top benefits:

• Lowers Cholesterol

Aside from the obvious reason that oil is not needed in steaming, steaming melts and discards fat from meat whereas conventional cooking methods such as grilling, baking or frying, cook fat into the meat.

• Preserves Fiber and Flavor in Greens

In steaming, vegetables are kept as close to their natural raw state as possible. This allows them to retain their color, taste, and freshness.

• Retains Vitamins & Minerals

Too much heat from some conventional cooking methods cause vegetables to lose their vitamins and minerals. In steaming, vitamins and minerals such as vitamin B, riboflavin, thiamine, niacin, biotin, vitamin B12, vitamin C, calcium, phosphorous, potassium, and zinc are retained.

Plan for healthier meals that are also quick to prepare. Here are a few simple recipes you can try with Kyowa’s electric steamer.

Steamed Fish with Lemon Juice

You can’t explore steamed meals without first trying steamed fish. Here’s a simple how-to that you can use as your guide.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 ½ lbs cod or other fillet, in two pieces
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• Coarse salt to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Fill the bottom of your electric steamer with at least 1 inch of water. Cover and bring to a boil. Lay the fish on the steamer’s rack, and cover again. Wait 4 – 8 minutes or until fish looks done.
2. Carefully transfer the fish to a warm platter. Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice. Finally, cut into serving portions, sprinkle with coarse salt and serve.

Steamed Prawns in Garlic Sauce

Steamed prawns covered in garlic goodness — it’s a seafood fanatic’s dream snack! Best served with a bowl of noodles or crisp veggies on the side, here’s how you cook steamed prawns in garlic sauce.

INGREDIENTS

• Coarse salt to taste
• 20 large tiger prawns with shell
• 2 tbsp light soy sauce
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp brandy

DIRECTIONS

1. Wash prawns thoroughly. In a bowl, mix soy sauce, garlic and brandy. Arrange the prawns on a dish, and brush with the soy sauce mixture.
2. Fill the bottom of an electric steamer with at least 1 inch of water before covering and bringing to a boil. Place the dish with the shrimp onto the steamer rack. Cover and steam prawns for 10 minutes, or until opaque.

Chinese Cabbage Rolls

Dimsum with cabbage wraps instead of the usual flour wrappers? Sounds yummy! Delight in these little packets of cabbage and meat.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 yellow pepper
• 1 clove of garlic
• 8 cabbage leaves
• Salt
• Pepper
• Chinese five spice (a blend of cinnamon, cloves, fennel, star anise, and Szechwan peppercorns)
• 2 spring onions
• 250g minced beef

DIRECTIONS

1. Dip cabbage leaves in boiling water for 2-3 minutes.
2. Chop and combine garlic, spring onions and pepper. Then rub and mix with minced beef. Add in a bit of salt, pepper, and Chinese five spice.
3. Divide meat mixture into 8 balls and wrap with cabbage leaves. Steam the rolls in boiling water for 10 – 15 minutes.

Kyowa’s line of food steamers are easy to clean and designed to cook large amounts of food, fast and evenly. Learn more and choose a Kyowa food steamer for your kitchen needs from Lazada and department stores nationwide!