Contents
Steamed dishes are considered to be one of the most healthy. In vain, skeptics say that the food from the steamer turns out tasteless,” rubber ” and boring. If you handle this kitchen gadget with knowledge, you can achieve high culinary skills. We study the basic rules and important nuances together with the Fackelmann trademark.
More than a steamer
Before delving into the culinary subtleties, it is important to choose a good steamer. Good-does not mean expensive, powerful and the most modern. A reasonable alternative to bulky multi-storey units will be a folding silicone steamer Fackelmann, developed jointly with the brand Julia Healthy Food Near Me.
It is made of heat-resistant silicone and high-quality food-grade polypropylene — non-toxic materials that will not cause any harm to the body at all. The steamer is a convenient folding bowl with a silicone handle, capable of withstanding high temperatures up to 270°C.
The principle of operation of a folding steamer is very simple. You bring a pot of water to a boil, put a bowl of food inside, cover it with a lid and cook on the principle of a water bath. The well-thought-out design with freely adjustable sides resembles an open chamomile flower. Due to this, it is easily placed and securely fixed in a pan of any diameter. And the stable non-slip silicone feet on the bottom of the bowl allow you to use it even in dishes with a non-stick coating without the risk of scratching the surface.
The folding steamer is quite compact and, unlike household appliances, allows you to save a lot of space. Moreover, if desired, it can easily replace your colander. Alternatively, you can throw ready-made pasta or cooked vegetables on it. And the steamer can also be used as a fruit basket. Bright and interesting design turns the bowl on legs with colorful sections into a stylish accessory in your kitchen.
Placement solves everything
The taste qualities of food cooked in a steamer largely depend on the correct bookmark of the ingredients. Remember, the food at the edges of the bowl is cooked a little faster than in the center. If you are using two bowls at the same time, it is important to consider some nuances. In the lower bowl, only meat, fish or poultry is cooked, while the upper one is reserved for vegetables. A simple principle works here: what is prepared faster is laid on the upper level. Take into account the fact that the juice from the products in the upper tier often flows into the lower one — this can affect the aroma and taste of the entire dish.
Try to cut the meat and fish in the same and not too large pieces. It’s okay if they don’t fit in one row. Lay them in several layers, placing the smallest slices on top. But just do not fill the bowl of the steamer with ingredients to overflowing — the steam should circulate freely inside between them, otherwise the products will steam unevenly. Do not open the lid too often in the process — because of this, the products will take much longer to prepare.
Here are a few more tricks that will help make steamed dishes taste better. Any ingredients will turn out more juicy and tender if you cover the bottom of the bowl with food foil. When you use vegetable freezing, you don’t have to wait for it to thaw. But it is important to defrost meat, poultry and fish completely. Season the steamed dishes with salt and spices at the very end. And to achieve a more intense taste, you can pre-soak the ingredients in the marinade.
Cutlets against beriberi
And now we offer to test the folding steamer in action and cook delicious vegetable cutlets in it.
Wrap 2 medium-sized unpeeled beets in foil and bake for 45-50 minutes in the oven at 200°C. Let the root vegetables cool, remove the peel, grate on a fine grater, carefully squeeze out the juice. We steam 100 g of prunes in boiling water, dry them well and chop them into thin strips. Fry 60 g of walnuts in a dry pan, knead a little with a rolling pin. Combine them with grated beets and prunes, add an egg, 3 tbsp. l. ground bran, salt and dried herbs to taste, knead the “minced meat”.
Cover the bottom of the steamer with foil. We form cutlets with wet hands, roll them in breadcrumbs, put them in a bowl, leaving 2-3 cm gaps between them. We stand the cutlets for a couple of about half an hour. It is best to supplement them with sour cream with herbs and garlic.
Roll in a light version
You can make a hearty diet roll from chicken breasts. Carefully cut the 3 chicken breasts so that we get wide layers. Cover them with cling film and beat them off. In the bowl of a blender, combine 2-3 tablespoons of thick sour cream, a bunch of spinach, as well as your favorite dried herbs to taste. Whisk all the ingredients into a homogeneous mass, pour out a handful of cashews — the filling is ready.
We spread the layers of chicken breasts on the food film so that the edges slightly overlap each other, in the center we distribute the filling and roll up the roll, tightly wrapping it with the film. In this form, we place it in the bowl of a steamer and cook under the lid for about 1.5 hours, periodically turning it on the other side. Cut the cooled roll into thin circles and serve as a cold appetizer. And if you supplement them with rye toast, you will get original sandwiches.
Cottage cheese and berry etude
Cook a delicious and healthy dessert steamer is also under the power. Rub 200 g of soft cottage cheese with 100 g of sugar and 2 eggs. In several steps, pour 300-350 g of flour with 1 tsp of baking powder, knead the elastic dough and let it rest for half an hour. Roll out the dough into an even layer: it should be slightly thicker than for ordinary dumplings. Using a glass, cut the circles of dough, put 2-3 raspberries in the center of each, sprinkle with powdered sugar and tightly pinch the edges.
Cover the steamer bowl with foil, spread the dumplings so that there is a distance of 1-2 cm between them, and cook with the lid closed for 30 minutes. Some of the raw dumplings can be frozen until the next time. And instead of raspberries, you can take cherries, strawberries or berry jam. The result will not disappoint you in any way.
In the Fackelmann folding steamer, you can prepare a variety of dishes, from vegetable side dishes to simple homemade pastries. Prepared in this way, the products retain their original taste and all the available vitamin and mineral complex. This is an invaluable find for those who tirelessly take care of a healthy diet for the whole family.