I use steam to cook/reheat many of my meals. Mostly I use a steamer basket over hot water on the rangetop. Steam cooking is a popular way of preparing food in high end restaurants. Water is pumped through a boiler in large steam ovens and the heat from the oven turns the moisture into steam. This keeps moisture within the oven at optimal levels so that the food does not dry out. This is particularly good when preparing food in large quantities. I have used one of the standard stainless steel steaming baskets for years, but I found those extremely difficult to clean thoroughly. On a recent shopping excursion I found a steaming basket that I thought would be a nice upgrade. Let me share this with you today.
Here is the standard stainless steel steaming basket that I have used for years. We all have one or two of these in our kitchens. It unfolds to fit in most any sized pot. There is a center post with a ring on the end which aids in retrieving the basket from the pot when your freshly steamed food is to be removed from the heat. I would leave this in place when steaming vegetables.
But there were times when I would remove the center post when I needed a flat surface. This would be when reheating a slice of pizza or if I wanted to reheat a portion of a casserole. I could place a small glass heat resistant dish in the center of the basket and fill it with a portion and steam it for lunch.
These baskets have been around for years and do an excellent job of steaming all manner of foods. The problem for me was when it came time to clean the basket. With lots of hot soapy water I was always able to clean it thoroughly, but it took too much time. And then there was the area where the flexible parts on the outer edge overlapped. I never really thought I got those areas sufficiently cleaned.
Enter the OXO SoftWorks silicone steamer. This came to me quite by accident. I didn't know such a steamer basket existed. I found this in the kitchen and cooking utensils aisle at Target.
The design seemed perfect for my everyday use. It was all one piece. No folding extensions that would require additional time to clean. And I liked the locking handles on top. I would no longer have to deal with trying to remove the basket from the pot using a fork through the little metal ring on top of the post. I could simply lock the handles over the food while it was in the pot and then remove it easily with my bare hand.
It was time to give this a try. A little water in the bottom of a Calphalon pot.
In with the new steamer basket.
My first experiment was with broccoli florets. A favorite here and something that I think most of us like to steam for a delicious side dish or, at some meals, the meal itself.
On with the top and I set a timer for 5 minutes. The time can vary depending on how you prefer the broccoli. Set your timer to 3 minutes for tender to the bite and as high as 8 minutes for fully tender. I like mine mid-range.
Off with the top and you can see the steam escaping. I could tell by the look of these that they were the perfect consistency for me.
While the broccoli was cooling, I used a seasoning packet that was actually intended as an accompaniment to steamed asparagus, but it worked just as well on steamed broccoli.
In a very few minutes I had prepared a wonderful lunch plate. A light sprinkling of parmesan cheese and it was time to eat.
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Prepare the hamburger first by cooking it to an internal temperature of at least 165℉.
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Of course I use this now to steam a host of things. Here you see I have reheated a prepared cheeseburger. I use it to steam egg rolls, spring rolls, mozzarella sticks, jalapeno poppers, you name it, I've used this steamer to heat it.
When you are done, it's back to the kitchen sink with hot soapy water, a clean dishwashing sponge and a few wipes. Your steamer basket is clean in no time. You can set it out on the countertop to dry, ready for the next meal. This is the way to steam food. Easy. Simple. Quick clean up. I think you will really enjoy using this steamer basket. These range between $10 - $15 which is only a few dollars more than you would pay for the stainless steel steamer basket.
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