Tips for Steaming Grains, Vegetables & Eggs
Tips for cooking grains:
The Steam Oven is a great tool for cooking grains and legumes. I have successfully cooked, all types of rice, bulgur, quinoa, barley, lentils and even orzo pasta, in my experience beans still work best simmered in a pan on the cooktop.
Most grains are cooked in a ratio of 2 parts water to 1 part grain but I find using less water gives a better result. No need to boil the water, just add cold water to the pan and place in the oven.
If the grains have a little residual moisture at the end of the cooking time you can strain them or just let them sit for a few minutes out of the oven to finish absorbing the liquid.
Tips for cooking vegetables:
When cooking or blanching leafy greens I find it’s best to cook them in the solid pan tossed with a little moisture to prevent them from sticking to the cooking tray
If you are going to saute the greens after blanching you will need to squeeze out the moisture and let them dry out
Artichokes also are best cooked in the solid pan with some water and lemon slices, cooking time may be a little longer than on the stove-top so check them after about 20 minutes to determine the degree of doneness.
Most other vegetables can be steamed in the perforated pan. Cooking time for most vegetables will be between 6 - 8 minutes, depending on the size and freshness of the vegetables
When steaming potatoes for potato salad I use the perforated pan and cook them till just fork tender but when steaming potatoes for mashed potatoes I use the solid pan with some water and let the potatoes get softer for easy mashing
Tips for cooking eggs:
The steaming time for eggs will always depend on the size of the eggs and how cold they are
Generally it will take about 20 minutes to “hard” cook eggs
15 minutes for a softer egg
Just place the eggs in the perforated pan set the timer then plunge into cold water when you remove from the oven to stop them from cooking.
For poached eggs, crack the egg into a lightly buttered ramekin and place in the oven, cooking time will be between 5 - 6 minutes, I find 5 ½ minutes is ideal for large cold eggs.
For a delicious breakfast or brunch you you can put some cooked vegetables in the bottom of the ramekin, top with a little cheese then crack the egg on top. If the vegetables are cold place the ramekin in the oven for a few minutes to heat them through, then add the cheese and egg and cook for 5 ½ minutes that way you won’t overcook the eggs trying to get the vegetables warm.
