Steamer dishes recipes for weight loss. What to cook quickly and tasty in a double boiler!? Pea soup with croutons

Dishes in a double boiler: recipes, diet. The steam diet is loved for its simplicity. Dishes cooked in a steamer are very healthy. There is no need to limit yourself in the amount of food you eat, you just need to prepare it correctly. And it’s easy to prepare, because... There is a special kitchen device - a double boiler. It makes cooking easy and enjoyable, nothing burns, and you don’t need to control the time, just set a timer.

The steam diet is ideal for losing weight and maintaining a slim figure, because it does not require strict dietary restrictions.

The main rule of the steam diet is to eat only what is steamed, that is, without frying and without adding fat and oils.

This diet can be followed for a long period. At the same time, in addition to losing kilograms, the quality of hair, nails and skin significantly improves. Steamed food retains all vitamins and minerals. This diet has a positive effect on the functioning of internal organs and reduces cholesterol levels. The steam diet should be followed for diseases of the cardiovascular system and gastrointestinal tract. Food from a steamer is healthy and nutritious. In a double boiler you can cook dishes from any cuisine, all types of meat, fish, cereals, vegetables and fruits, and even dough. When cooked, the ingredients reveal their natural taste and acquire a rich color.

When cooked, foods lose most of their vitamins, leaving them in the water. The steam diet is absolutely harmless to the human body. And the result is a loss of up to 1.5-2 kg per week without fasting.

For more effective weight loss, you must adhere to some additional rules. You should refrain from eating 3 hours before bedtime. It is necessary to limit salt intake, replacing it with soy sauce and other spices. It is imperative to adhere to the principle of separate nutrition. The break between taking carbohydrate and protein foods should be at least 4 hours. It is better to replace the usual sweets with fruits baked in a double boiler; you can add honey and nuts. It should be noted that honey and nuts are allergenic products, so they are not suitable for everyone. You can eat often, but in small portions. The steam diet menu looks something like this:

• breakfast: steamed oatmeal;
• lunch: puree soup, vegetable stew;
• dinner: chicken breast with vegetables.

A little about steamers

Steamers are divided into two types:

• steaming pans that are placed on the fire;
• electric steamers.

Electric steamers come in two types: tabletop and built-in. Today, in the kitchen of every modern housewife you can see a tabletop steamer. You need to choose a device based on power and type of control. Power affects the speed of cooking. It varies between 600-2000 W. Based on the type of control, steamers are divided into mechanical and electronic. In addition to the fact that this device steams food, it also has modes for defrosting, sterilizing and heating food. The most famous manufacturers of steamers are Moulinex, Braun, Tefal, Siemens, Scarlett, etc.

Steamer recipes

Millet porridge with dried fruits.

To prepare porridge you need:

• millet – 1 glass;
• dried fruits – 1.5 cups (assorted raisins, prunes, dried apricots);
• cinnamon and salt (to taste).

Sort the millet in advance, rinse and soak overnight in water. Drain off the remaining liquid. If there are holes in the baking sheet, line it with foil. Turn on the timer for 20 minutes. Place the washed and chopped dried fruits on top of the millet without stirring. Turn on the timer again for 40-60 minutes. Then, adding salt and cinnamon to taste, stir. Cooking time varies depending on the quality of the millet and the power of the steamer. You can add extra virgin olive oil when serving, or sweeten with honey.

Millet porridge cooked in a double boiler is especially tasty, it is crumbly and whole grain. Thanks to dried fruits, the porridge acquires an exquisite sweet taste without adding sugar. This porridge can also be prepared in a slow cooker, if it has a steam cooking function.

Cream soup.

Required ingredients:

• pumpkin – 500 gr;
• potatoes – 1 piece;
• chicken broth – 1 liter;
• sour cream – 2 tablespoons.

Peel and cut the vegetables, place in a double boiler. Turn on the timer for 25 minutes. Pour in warm chicken broth and stir until pureed. Add sour cream, salt and other spices.

Vegetable stew.

Required ingredients:

• tomato – 1 piece;
• potatoes – 2 pcs;
• carrots – 1 piece;
• beets – 1 piece;
• cabbage – ¼ part;
• onion – 1 pc.

Wash and peel the vegetables. Cut the onion into rings, chop the beets and cabbage, cut the potatoes into cubes, grate the carrots. Mix everything, season with spices to taste. Place in a steamer, cover with foil on top, close the lid and turn on the timer for 50 minutes.

Chicken breast with vegetables.

Ingredients:

• chicken breast – 300 g;
• onions – 3 pcs;
• carrots – 2 pcs;
• turnip – 1 piece;
• cauliflower – 1 piece;
• celery stalk – 1 pc.

Cut the meat and celery into cubes. Cut the remaining vegetables into thin slices. Place on a steamer tray in layers, starting with the chicken. Add spices to taste. Pour 250 ml of water, add 1 tablespoon of soy sauce. If desired, you can add 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil. Cook for 60 minutes.

Steamed fish cutlets.

Ingredients:

1. white fish fillet – 300 g;
2. potatoes - 3 pcs;
3. onion – 1 piece;
4. carrots – 1 piece;
5. egg – 1 pc.

Cut vegetables and fillets into pieces, mix until smooth in a blender. Can be passed through a meat grinder. Add an egg, season with spices to taste. Form small cutlets. Turn on the timer for 20 minutes.

Pumpkin casserole.

• pumpkin – 200 gr;
• cottage cheese – 300 gr;
• powdered sugar – 2 tablespoons;
• yolk – 4 pcs.

Cut the pumpkin into cubes and steam for 15 minutes. Then grind in a blender. Beat the yolks with powder for about 6 minutes until the mass increases several times. Combine pumpkin puree, cottage cheese and yolks, mix well. Pour onto a baking sheet, cover the top with foil. Cook for 20 minutes, then remove the foil and set the timer for another 10 minutes as usual.

Banana-curd casserole.

To prepare you need the following:

• cottage cheese 2% – 250 g;
• corn flour - 2 tablespoons;
• granulated sugar – 1 tablespoon;
• egg – 1 pc;
• milk – 75 ml;
• banana – 1 pc.

Soak cornmeal in milk. Add egg, cottage cheese, sugar to the milk, mix thoroughly, or use a blender. Add sliced ​​banana. Place in a rice bowl. There is no need to lubricate anything. Steam for 30 minutes. Let cool in the bowl for 15-20 minutes. After this, turn it over onto a plate. You can add jam, fruit, sour cream, and condensed milk to taste.

Cauliflower with cheese and garlic sauce.

Required ingredients:

• cauliflower – 1 piece;
• flour – 40 g;
• butter – 30 g;
• milk – 350-400 ml;
• hard cheese – 50 g;
• garlic – 1-2 cloves;
• ground nutmeg - to taste;
• greens - to taste.

Wash the cabbage and separate into inflorescences. Place in the steamer for 15 minutes. To prepare the sauce, first melt the butter and then add flour, stirring. Remove from heat and gradually pour in milk. Mix thoroughly until smooth. Put it back on the fire, the mixture will begin to thicken, add the grated cheese. Salt to taste, add ground nutmeg. Finely chop the greens, crush the garlic, and add to the mixture. Mix thoroughly, remove from heat. Place the steamed cabbage on plates and pour over the sauce. It is best served as a side dish with steamed or boiled fish.

Frittata.

Required ingredients:

• eggs – 3 pcs;
• milk – 50 ml;
• small carrots – 1 piece;
• green bell pepper – 0.5 pcs;
• zucchini – 0.5 pcs;
• cauliflower – 1 inflorescence;
• celery root – 50 gr.

Finely cut carrots, peppers, zucchini, cabbage, celery into cubes. Add milk to beaten eggs. Mix everything. Pour into a steamer pan and cook for 35-40 minutes as usual. When serving, garnish with herbs if desired.

How to become slim without hunger strikes, metabolic disorders and health consequences? Eating healthy is a smart choice. One of the types is the steam diet, weight loss on which, according to reviews, is an easy and unburdensome process due to the abundance of delicious dishes. Following simple rules will help you slowly but surely get rid of extra pounds and forget about being overweight for a long time.

What is a steam diet

By adhering to this method of eating, you can eat all foods cooked in a double boiler. The diet is suitable for healthy people and for patients with ulcers, colitis, gastritis, diabetes, hypertension, kidney and liver diseases. Steam food prevents the occurrence of allergies in breastfed infants. If you don’t have a double boiler, use a multicooker - models are equipped with a plastic stand and a “Steam” mode. A simple cooking option is to place a pan of water, place a colander or wire rack on it, and cover tightly with a lid.

Rules

The steam diet for weight loss lasts 3 weeks. General rules and recommendations for the nutrition system:

• Eat healthy foods processed in a steamer. There is no limit on the quantity, but try to fit into the daily calorie intake required for weight loss.
• When preparing steamed dishes, do not use oil.
• Eat protein and carbohydrate foods separately. Combine meat and fish with vegetables, complement porridge with fruits or salads.
• The intervals between meals are about 3 hours. Avoid feeling hungry.
• Do not add salt to steamed cereals; season them with soy sauce.
• Eat steamed desserts in the morning.
• Avoid fried, salted, pickled, smoked foods, store-bought ketchups, and mayonnaise.

Benefit

The advantages of the steam diet are that foods retain vitamins and minerals that are lost during other types of heat treatment. The appearance of the steam dish is attractive, has a rich color and original shape. Products cooked in this way are low in calories and are not soaked in oil. Less cholesterol will enter the body, which has a beneficial effect on hair, skin, vascular health, and heart health. The diet is gentle and has a gentle effect on the gastric mucosa, intestines, and pancreas.

How much weight can you lose on a steam diet?

Don't expect quick results - weight loss is slow. If a person’s body weight exceeds 100 kg, he will lose 2-3 kg in a week. To improve results, add physical activity to your diet. If you are slightly overweight, the minus on the scale will be 0.5-1 kg per week. This rate of weight loss is better, because the body does not experience stress, does not slow down metabolism, and does not accumulate fat in case of the next hunger strike. The skin has time to tighten, and the cells receive a volume of nutrients.

Steamed diet dishes

What to eat to lose weight? In a double boiler you can prepare many healthy dishes for your diet:

• Side dishes: crumbly porridge, potatoes.
• First courses: soup, vegetable broth.
• Main courses: rice with vegetables, pilaf with mushrooms, stew, stuffed peppers, cabbage rolls.
• Meat: steamed meatballs, cutlets, chicken roll, steamed minced meat, zrazy with cheese, beef, turkey, steamed chicken.
• By-products: liver, hearts.
• Fish and seafood: steamed pollock with herbs, sea bass, salmon with olives, sturgeon, pike perch, shrimp with asparagus, fish meatballs, cutlets.
• Eggs in the form of a steam omelet: with cheese, tomatoes, green peas, cauliflower, herbs.
• Vegetables: bell peppers, carrots, beets, asparagus, zucchini, cauliflower and white cabbage.
• Desserts: cheesecakes, cottage cheese casserole, carrot pudding, honey pumpkin.

Steam diet menu

What to eat today? You will stop asking yourself this question if you set aside one day of the week to create a diet menu. Take into account tastes, diversify your diet, the main thing is that the food does not become boring and is cooked in a double boiler. Menu example:

A healthy lifestyle has long been a trend. In addition to sports, much attention is paid to proper nutrition, which is difficult to imagine without steamed dietary dishes. This cooking method allows you to minimize the calorie content of the dish, emphasize its natural taste and preserve most of the vitamins.

The benefits of steamed dishes

One of the main advantages of steam cooking is the absence of oil. Thanks to this, the calorie content of food is reduced. Steaming “melts out” excess fat from the food itself. As a result, the total energy value of the dish may decrease by 100-150 kcal.

Food cooked in a double boiler is useful for people with gastrointestinal diseases (gastritis), athletes and the elderly. Often the first complementary foods for infants are also steamed.

Steaming preserves most of the beneficial nutrients and vitamins. Neither stewing, nor boiling, nor baking can compare with so many nutrients. For this reason, a steam diet is often prescribed to patients during the rehabilitation period or after surgery.

Steamed food is easy to digest and has minimal impact on the cardiovascular system and gastrointestinal tract. A similar principle of nutrition is recommended by doctors for pancreatitis.

Products prepared in this way retain their natural taste, color and structure, which is very popular among fans of organic cuisine.

However, one cannot fail to mention the disadvantages of this cooking method, namely:

• Do not use overripe or too soft-textured vegetables and fruits;
• it is almost impossible to cook mushrooms and pasta (from soft wheat varieties) deliciously;
• All ingredients must be of high quality, free of harmful impurities and pesticides, since during steaming, unlike cooking, harmful substances do not disappear.

Interesting! Steaming reduces the percentage of fat in the dish, which means the content of bad cholesterol decreases.

Be sure to check out:

How to cook

Even if you don’t have a steamer at home, you can steam dietary dishes using an oven, stove or slow cooker.

In a steamer

A steamer is a household appliance that is very easy to use. In most cases, all modes are indicated on the body, so the owner can only add water, add food and select the desired cooking method.

However, before cooking, you need to understand a few nuances that will help extend the life of the appliance and make your dishes tastier and healthier.

The steamer can also be used to defrost food, reheat lunch, pastries and bread. This device will successfully replace both a regular saucepan and a microwave oven.

Interesting! The steamer can be used as a sterilizer for children's dishes or home canning.

In a slow cooker

Steaming in a slow cooker is not at all difficult. Water is poured into the bowl of the device, a special basket is placed on top, into which food is placed, after which the mode is selected and the timer is set. However, there are a number of nuances that can reduce cooking time and enhance the taste of the dish.

1. Instead of cold water, it is best to pour hot water into the thicket. This will shorten its heating time.
2. When cooking green vegetables, cabbage and salads, you must choose the minimum time, otherwise the products will lose their color.
3. You can put frozen foods into the multicooker.
4. As in a double boiler, it is best to add salt and use spices at the end of cooking.

Unlike a double boiler, in a multicooker you can use any liquid instead of water: broth, tea or wine.

The steam cooking method was actively used even before the invention of the steamer and multicooker. To prepare healthy and wholesome dishes, all you needed was a stove, a saucepan and a colander.

Instead of a colander, today you can use a steaming insert, which is sold in stores. It is equipped with a special handle and legs, and the folding compact petal structure allows it to be stored in a cutlery drawer.

20 delicious diet recipes

You can steam almost any dish: from salad to dessert.

Steam omelette

Step-by-step instruction:

1. Beat the eggs and mix with milk.
2. Strain the egg-milk mixture through a sieve and add salt.
3. Grease the mold with butter and pour the mixture into it.
4. Place in the steamer basket and cook for 20 minutes.

Cottage cheese pancakes are an excellent breakfast option for adults and children.

1. Cottage cheese – 400 gr.
2. Flour – 50 gr.
3. Eggs – 2 pcs.
4. Sugar – 30 gr.
5. Soda – 0.5 teaspoon.

Step-by-step instruction:

You can serve cheesecakes with honey, sour cream or pureed berries.

Chicken with buckwheat

1. Buckwheat – 200 gr.
2. Water – 200 ml.
3. Chicken legs – 2 pcs.
4. Onion – 1 pc.
5. Garlic – 2 cloves.
6. Salt, pepper, seasonings.

Step-by-step instruction:

Serve the dish with herbs and homemade ketchup.

Steamed pollock

1. Pollock – 2 pcs.
2. Salt – 10 gr.
3. Lemon - ½ pc.
4. Seasonings and herbs.

Step-by-step instruction:

1. Cut the pollock carcass into medium-sized pieces, add salt and season with spices.
2. Line the bottom of the steamer basket with foil and add the greens.
3. Place the fish on the greens, close the lid and set the timer for a quarter of an hour.
4. Sprinkle with lemon before serving.

Vegetable ratatouille

Step-by-step instruction:

1. Cut the zucchini into slices and steam them in a double boiler for 4-5 minutes.
2. Beat eggs, salt, add spices, tomato sauce and finely chopped basil.
3. Grease ovenproof pans with oil.
4. Chop the tomatoes and place the vegetables in the molds, alternating layers of zucchini and tomatoes.
5. Pour the egg mixture over everything.
6. Bake in the oven at 180°C for 25 minutes.

Steamed meatballs

Meatballs are often prepared for children. The steam option is the safest and no less tasty.

Step-by-step instruction:

1. Finely chop the onion, mix it with the minced meat, add salt and lightly pepper.
2. Form meatballs and place them in the steamer basket.
3. Peel the potatoes, cut them into slices and place them in the upper bowl of the steamer.
4. Set the timer for 1 hour.
5. Heat soy sauce in a saucepan, carefully add starch and stir until thickened.

Stuffed zucchini

1. Zucchini – 2 pcs.
2. Minced meat – 400 gr.
3. Onion – 3 pcs.

Step-by-step instruction:

When serving, pour over sour cream.

Chicken cutlets with pumpkin

1. Chicken fillet – 400 gr.
2. Pumpkin – 250 gr.
3. Egg – 1 pc.
4. White bread – 70 gr.
5. Milk – 80 ml.

Step-by-step instruction:

1. Soak the bread in milk, peel the pumpkin and cut into pieces.
2. Grind the meat, pumpkin and soaked bread crumbs through a meat grinder, add salt and seasonings.
3. Form cutlets and place them in the steamer basket.
4. Set a timer for 20 minutes.

When serving, sprinkle pumpkin and chicken cutlets with herbs. Use rice or mashed potatoes as a side dish.

Steamed salmon

1. Salmon – 400 gr.
2. Salt pepper.
3. Lemon – 1 pc.
4. Vegetable oil.

Step-by-step instruction:

1. Cut the fish into portions, salt and pepper, add oil and lemon juice.
2. Leave to marinate for 15-30 minutes
3. Place in steamer basket and cook for no more than 20 minutes.

Cottage cheese casserole with banana

Step-by-step instruction:

1. Grate or grind bananas in a blender.
2. Mix remaining ingredients.
3. Place the mixture into muffin tins and steam for 20 minutes.

Green beans in ginger sauce

1. Green beans – 400 gr.
2. Garlic – 3 cloves.
3. Ginger (root) – 3 gr.
4. Soy sauce – 40 ml.
5. Sesame oil – 15 ml.

Step-by-step instruction:

1. Place the beans in the steamer basket and cook for no more than 5 minutes.
2. Peel and grate the ginger root.
3. Heat sesame oil in a frying pan, add soy sauce, chopped garlic and ginger and cook for 2-3 minutes.
4. Pour the hot mixture over the beans and leave the dish for half an hour.

Steamed pears

Step-by-step instruction:

1. Wash the pears and place them in a steamer for 8 minutes
2. Dilute the butter in a saucepan, add sugar, lemon juice, zest, water and ginger.
3. Cook the sauce until the crystals are completely dissolved in the sugar.
4. Remove the pears from the steamer and pour a generous amount of sauce over them.

Korean style eggplant

A light and tasty Asian dish.

Step-by-step instruction:

1. Cut off the stem and cut the eggplants into 6 pieces.
2. Chop onions, green onions, garlic and fry everything in a frying pan.
3. Add soy sauce, sesame seeds, sesame oil, adjika, sugar, salt and pepper to the frying. Mix.
4. Coat each eggplant slice with the resulting paste and place on the steamer rack.
5. Cook for a quarter of an hour.

Serve with rice, barley or bulgur.

Steamed hake cutlets

1. Hake – 1 pc.
2. Apple – 1 pc.
3. Bread – 50 gr.
4. Cottage cheese – 70 gr.
5. Egg – 1 pc.
6. Milk – 100 ml.
7. Butter – 40 gr.

Step-by-step instruction:

1. Soak the bread in milk, cut the hake carcass.
2. Peel the apple and cut into medium pieces.
3. Grind the fish fillet in a blender, then add the bread, apples and cottage cheese.
4. Salt, add spices, egg and softened butter.
5. Knead until smooth and form into cutlets.
6. Place them in a steamer for 30 minutes.

Broccoli chickpea and cherry tomato salad

Step-by-step instruction:

1. Cut off the cabbage florets and place them in a steamer for 5 minutes.
2. Chop the onion into half rings.
3. Mix vinegar, oil, mustard, add spices and onions.
4. Cut the tomatoes (into 2 parts), rinse the chickpeas.
5. Mix the ingredients in a salad bowl and season with the prepared sauce.

Stuffed bell peppers

Step-by-step instruction:

1. Peel the pepper. Divide it into 2 parts and place in a double boiler for 7-8 minutes.
2. Chop the onion and add it to the minced meat. Add proteins, rice, spices and salt there.
3. In a separate bowl, mix chopped tomatoes, herbs, garlic, and basil.
4. Combine all the ingredients and fill the pepper halves with the resulting filling.
5. Bake under foil in the oven for 40-45 minutes.

Corn porridge

1. Corn grits – 200 gr.
2. Water – 400 ml.
3. Milk – 400 ml.

Step-by-step instruction:

1. Pour cereal into a porridge tray, fill everything with water and add a pinch of salt.
2. Place in a steamer for 20 minutes.
3. Then add milk and cook in the appliance again for at least 20 minutes.

Serve the porridge with honey, fruit, syrup or condensed milk.

Peaches in caramel sauce

A simple and affordable dessert.

Step-by-step instruction:

1. Cut the fruit into 2 parts, remove the seeds.
2. Place in a steamer for 5 minutes.
3. Mix sugar, starch, cream, vanillin and 30 ml of water into saucepans.
4. Cook until thickened, add butter at the end and mix well.
5. Serve peaches with frozen yogurt and top with cooled sauce.

Steamed meatloaf

1. Lamb – 300 gr.
2. Potatoes – 1 pc.
3. Onion – 1 pc.
4. Seasonings.
5. Flour – 450 gr.
6. Water – 180 ml.
7. Egg – 1 pc.

Step-by-step instruction:

Cod with vegetables

• Cod steaks – 5 pcs.
• Carrots – 5 pcs.
• Parsnips – 2 pcs.
• Sugar – 10 gr.
• Butter – 60 gr.
• Horseradish sauce – 50 gr.

Step-by-step instruction:

1. Salt the steaks and refrigerate them for 2 hours.
2. Cut carrots and parsnips into cubes, place them in a saucepan with 30 grams of butter, sugar and spices, simmer until tender.
3. Steam the steaks in a steamer (10 minutes).
4. Melt the remaining butter and mix it with the horseradish sauce.

Serve fish with stewed vegetables and butter sauce.

Steam diet: what, how and when to eat

The steam diet is not fast. You can lose weight with it, but you shouldn’t expect instant results. If all restrictions are correctly followed, you will lose 1-1.5 kg per week.

The steam diet is absolutely safe, so you can stay on it as long as you like. The minimum recommended period is 3 weeks. By following simple rules you can improve the effectiveness of the steam diet:

• eat 5-6 times a day;
• the weight of one serving should not exceed 200 g;
• do not combine carbohydrates with proteins;
• remove sugar from your diet, replacing it with stevia and honey;
• set daily calorie limits;
• observe drinking regime;
• engage in moderate physical activity.

All food and drinks should be warm, but not hot, as this affects the digestive processes.

During the period of restrictions, it is necessary to exclude alcohol, fast food, butter and milk fat substitutes, mayonnaise, pastries and bakery products, fatty meats and fish from the menu.

Useful video

Main conclusions

Losing weight on steam food is not difficult, but you should not expect quick external changes. The main advantage of the diet is the overall health of the body.

1. The steam diet has a positive effect on the functioning of all systems and organs.
2. The calorie content of steamed food is 150-200 kcal lower than when fried.
3. You can also steam on the stove, in the oven, or in a slow cooker.
4. There are many recipes for dishes in a double boiler for weight loss: from soups to desserts.
5. During the steam diet, it is important to follow the principles of fractional nutrition and drinking regime.

A steamer is a universal assistant in the kitchen, allowing you to implement all the principles of a healthy and balanced diet.

Steam cooking is contact cooking: steam comes into contact with the product. This is a rather complex, more subtle method of processing food than baking or frying.

In this way you can prepare almost any dish, including some confectionery dishes. Steamed dishes are the basis of any dietary menu. Eating food that is steamed without adding fat is a great way to lose weight.

Steaming food is very easy. The dish will be almost impossible to overcook or overcook if you just follow simple cooking recommendations. By the way, the basics of handling a steamer are often written on its body. Even if you are not at all good at kitchen creativity, it’s okay. The steamer will do everything for you. Simply place in it the ingredients you need for the dish you have in mind and set the cooking mode (or set the timer to the time specified in the recipe).

It is not recommended to add salt and seasonings to the water that you pour into the steamer tank; it is also prohibited to use broth instead of water. Otherwise, say goodbye to the heating element.

First, turn on the steamer and let the water boil. The water level in the base of the steamer should be 2-3 cm below the bottom of the working basket. When the water boils, you can place food in the steamer.

Make sure that the boiling water does not come into contact with the food: do not forget that you are cooking food by steam, not in water.

As for the processing time of products in a double boiler, the main thing is to prevent them from overcooking. It is quite difficult to indicate the exact time in minutes. Fish cooks on average 15-20 minutes, a side dish - about 25 minutes, a large piece of meat or chicken - about 30 minutes. Everything will depend on the volume of the product and the number of dishes being cooked simultaneously in the double boiler.

A double boiler will allow you to quickly cook almost any food, as well as defrost meat, poultry, and fish. In a double boiler it is especially convenient to defrost and cook dishes from ready-made quick-frozen foods (semi-finished products), which as a result retain their original moisture and taste. This is especially true for vegetables, green beans, and seafood.

Of course, if you simply boil eggs, porridge or soup in water, they will not lose their nutritional value. But in a double boiler the dishes will not burn or be overcooked. It is very comfortable. At the same time, it is possible to simultaneously cook dishes from different types of products directly in water (in a rice bowl) or in a steam bath.

Using a steamer, you can keep a prepared dish hot for a certain time; you can reheat an already prepared dish, bread or pastries (in this case, the steamer will function as a microwave oven) to again experience the taste of a fresh product. This is especially true for baked goods: under the influence of steam, they taste so tender and fragrant, as if they had just been taken out of the oven.

The steamer is ideal for preparing baking dough. Yeast dough rises quickly, and puff pastry makes excellent desserts. They make fruit desserts and even cakes in a double boiler. Steamed dumplings, dumplings, and casseroles turn out well.

Vegetables are blanched in a double boiler, dishes for home canning are sterilized, as well as for storing and using baby food.

Here are a few rules that are best adhered to when cooking food in a double boiler:

• Place food loosely in the bowl. Always leave an allowance on all sides to allow steam to circulate.
• Place the food on each “floor” of the steamer in one layer, cutting it into approximately equal pieces so that the food cooks evenly.
• If the ingredients of a dish cannot be cut into approximately equal pieces, place smaller slices on top.
• It is better to place meat, poultry, and fish in the lowest bowl: these products will require more time to cook.
• It is better to place fish, meat and all juicy products on the lower level of the steamer so that the juice from them does not drip on top of other products (unless, of course, this is not intended according to the recipe).
• Place a dish that will take a long time to cook in the lower basket, and a dish that will cook quickly in the upper basket.
• Fish is usually filleted for faster cooking.
• The breast is most often taken from the bird.
• When cooking whole fish, first make sure that it will fit on the “floor” of the steamer. The same applies to whole chicken: you may have to remove the steamer bowls to cook it.
• Vegetables are cooked with their skins on, as when boiled in water, to preserve vitamins.
• Shrimp and scallops must be cleaned, while other mollusks and crustaceans can be cooked in their shells.
• Frozen vegetables are cooked immediately, without prior defrosting. But fish, meat and poultry will have to be completely defrosted first.
• Take your time adding spices to steamed food. Steamed food may seem tasteless at first, but soon you will remember the taste of the products themselves, almost forgotten in the modern world, and not of flavorings and flavor enhancers. After cooking, you can add salt, wine, herbs, and lemon zest to a dish prepared in a double boiler.
• Often, the manufacturer indicates in the instructions for the steamer that it is prohibited to use salt and seasonings when cooking, because the juice from foods soaked in them can damage the heater. However, many dishes will not be as aromatic and tasty if you add seasonings to them after they are fully cooked. To protect the heater, use sealed plastic containers with lids, baking foil, food bags, and more. The main thing is that the juice with spices (and it is also contained in the condensate flowing down the walls of the steamer) cannot penetrate close to the heating element. Then cooking with spices will be absolutely safe for the operation of the steamer, and the dish will cook faster.
• Condensation and juice of products flowing into the pan are used to prepare sauces and broths.
• To flavor dishes with dried herbs, citrus slices, garlic or onions, place these ingredients in the bottom of the steamer basket. The effect will be approximately the same as if you put the spices directly on the food being cooked. An excellent solution if you do not want to eat pieces of these products, but just want to add their flavor to the dish.
• For persistent flavoring of meat, poultry, and fish, it is better to marinate them first (several hours before cooking).
• If you want to check the readiness of the dish, open the steamer lid infrequently to prevent steam from escaping, otherwise the cooking time may increase significantly.
• The cooking time will increase if you cook food in foil. It is reusable (especially for heating food). Heat the porridge by greasing the foil with a small amount of butter, place a portion of the porridge on the foil, wrap it and put it in a double boiler for 5 minutes. Place stale bread in foil, lightly sprinkling it with water, and place in a double boiler for 5-6 minutes. Eggs wrapped in foil will not crack during cooking. You can also make molds from foil for preparing biscuits, muffins and other dishes.
• To reheat individual dishes (egg cream, sauces), also use microwave or freezer film. Then you will avoid the formation of condensation.
• If a dish needs to be steamed for a long time (puddings), it can be lightly sprinkled with cold water, which will speed up the process.

Now a little about what is not suitable or not very suitable for cooking in a double boiler:

• Fruits and berries, if steamed, can simply boil. In addition, slightly spoiled and bruised vegetables and fruits in a double boiler often acquire an unpleasant smell and taste, and if defects in the products are cut out, the vegetables and fruits may lose their shape.
• Excess moisture may cause meat rolls to lose their gastronomic appeal and become limp.
• It is usually not recommended to cook legumes (peas, beans) and pasta (especially soft wheat) in a steamer. It will take too long. In addition, these products usually need a lot of water to taste. The pasta may turn out sticky and sticky; it is better to boil it on the stove.
• You should not steam certain types of mushrooms and offal that require preliminary removal (by boiling in water) of certain soluble substances.
• Carefully monitor the readiness of the product: food over-steamed will turn out “rubbery” and dry.

Signs that a dish is ready

Properly steamed food appears as if it has swollen with moisture.

The main indicators of dish readiness are:

• The juice that comes out of the product is practically colorless (meat, therefore, without blood).
• In finished fish and seafood, the flesh becomes matte rather than transparent.
• White discharge on the surface of the fish (albumin protein) will tell you that you have overcooked the product, or the fish was steamed from the rapid boiling of water (if you cooked it on the stove).
• The shells of ready-made crustaceans turn bright pink or red.
• The poultry meat becomes dull, and when you press its flesh with your finger, it quickly restores its original shape.

The steamed dish is served immediately, because the cooking process inside the food is still ongoing - due to internal heat.

Cooking “in an envelope”

Mention should also be made of the concept of cooking “in an envelope,” when food is cut, divided into portions and cooked in a parchment envelope (baking paper, oiled paper). The process of cooking products is obtained using a special steam - from those juices that release the products in the envelope, or from additional liquid - broth, citrus juice, wine, heavy cream, sauces and more. The paper is designed to hold this steam.

In a similar way, not only parchment is used, but also baking foil (food foil).

For this method of cooking, in national cuisines, since ancient times, dishes have been prepared in plant leaves (salad, grape or banana leaves, etc.).

Soft vegetables, fish and seafood, and chicken are ideal for cooking “in an envelope.” The products can be pre-marinated and fried. This will preserve the juice inside the meat and add flavor and aroma to the dish.

Vegetables are the basis of this cooking method. The envelope must contain chopped (thinly or finely) vegetables. They are sometimes sautéed or blanched first so that they can be steamed very quickly. Greens are placed in sprigs or chopped.

• 120-170 g of the main ingredient (meat, fish, seafood, poultry, “main” vegetables)
• approximately 30 ml of cooking liquid, or 50-70 g of juicy vegetables
• add salt, spices, seasonings as indicated in the recipe or to taste

You can serve the dish directly in the same envelope in which the food was prepared. If its integrity is violated, aromatic steam will come out of it - an additional pleasure for the taste organs.

H What is a double boiler for a modern person who, as far as possible, tries to take care of his health and the health of his family? This is, first of all, an assistant who will prepare food that is not only tasty, but also healthy, there is no doubt about it. If you imagine wrinkled boiled vegetables or a colorless piece of meat, forget it. Today there are many recipes for delicious and nutritious dishes, the mere sight of which immediately awakens your appetite and improves your mood.

For the first time, steaming food, as always, began in China. The culinary art of China arose almost simultaneously with the emergence of civilization. Archaeological finds related to the Longshan culture of the Neolithic era indicate that the ancestors of the Chinese already used a variety of pottery and utensils for boiling and steaming food, including a tripod, cauldron, and steamer. In Europe, they learned about the steaming method only in the 17th century, when the fashion for everything oriental and, in particular, Chinese began in court circles. The same Chinese built a giant bamboo steamer in 2007. I had to rack my brains over its production for several months, and as a result, a structure with a diameter of 3 meters was born, in which more than 70 different dishes can be prepared.

In the 17th century in Europe, interest in this culinary method, which significantly reduced cooking time, increased thanks to a special device called the “Pape vessel,” named after the French inventor. In the first third of the 20th century, progress moved further - special heavy pressure cookers appeared. And at the end of the 60s, the heyday of pressure cookers began, with the help of which a modern family could prepare food that was tasty and healthy with little time and energy.

Nowadays, interest in steaming dishes continues to grow. Before preparing a dish, people increasingly think about how to preserve vitamins and nutrients without compromising the taste and appearance of the finished dish. It is steaming that meets the needs and demands of the modern food lover. Unlike boiling, steamed products are processed not with water, but with steam. There is no contact with water; fewer substances valuable to the body are “washed out” from the product. At the same time, steaming does not require fat and oil. Steam will prevent food from sticking to the walls or drying out. Plus, you can cook several foods at the same time in a double boiler. There is no need to monitor the cooking process, the steamer automatically turns off itself. In addition to all the above-mentioned advantages, the use of steam allows you to preserve the natural appearance, taste and aroma of food as much as possible. After steaming, the products almost do not lose their natural color and shape, as a result of which the dishes look bright and appetizing. Plus, the food turns out really tasty.

Tips for cooking in a steamer:

• Do not pack food too tightly in the basket. Leave enough space for steam to circulate freely.
• For best results, cut foods (potatoes, vegetables or chicken fillet) into pieces of the same size, then they will be cooked at the same time. Cooking time depends on the thickness and size of the pieces. If the pieces are different sizes, they need to be laid out in layers so that the smallest ones are on top.
• When checking the doneness of the dish, do not open the lid too often, otherwise steam leakage will lead to an increase in cooking time.
• When preparing delicate dishes, such as egg custard, or reheating previously prepared sauces, cover food with plastic wrap recommended for use in the microwave or freezer to prevent condensation. If you use foil, the cooking time will increase.
• If you are going to steam, for example, whole fish, make sure that its size matches the volume of the basket.
• Steamed dishes can be flavored with dried herbs, a slice of lemon or orange, garlic or onions. They can be placed either at the bottom of the basket or on top of the products.
• To add an exquisite flavor to meat, poultry or fish, it is best to marinate it a few hours before cooking. It can be very simple and consist of a mixture of wine with herbs or a spicy one, such as tomato barbecue sauce.
• Frozen vegetables can be steamed without first defrosting. Fish, meat and poultry must be completely defrosted.
• If a dish, such as pudding, requires a long cooking time, sprinkle it with a small amount of cold water.