The electric steamer is a kitchen appliance that uses steam to heat food. It can retain the nutrients and original flavor of food to the greatest extent and is an ideal tool for making healthy food. The following will introduce in detail how to use an electric steamer to make healthy food from the aspects of food selection, cooking skills, and the production of different types of food.
1. Food selection
Freshness: Give priority to fresh ingredients. Fresh vegetables, fruits, meat and seafood contain richer nutrients and taste better. For example, fresh broccoli is emerald green in color, crisp and tender in texture, and rich in nutrients such as vitamin C, vitamin K and folic acid; fresh fish meat is firm and elastic, rich in high-quality protein and unsaturated fatty acids.
Seasonality: Choose seasonal ingredients according to the season. Seasonal ingredients are not only affordable, but also have the best nutritional value and taste. For example, fruits such as watermelon and peach in summer are full of water and sweet; vegetables such as cabbage and radish in winter have a sweet taste and rich nutrition.
Diversity: Ensure the diversity of ingredients. Intake of different types of food can obtain more comprehensive nutrition. In one meal, you can combine cereals, vegetables, meat, beans and other ingredients. For example, when making steamed rice, add coarse grains such as brown rice and oats, and then add steamed carrots, broccoli and chicken to make the nutrition more balanced.
2. Cooking skills
Control time: Different ingredients require different steaming times. Too long steaming time will cause the loss of nutrients and poor taste. Generally speaking, the steaming time of vegetables is shorter, such as spinach, lettuce and other green leafy vegetables, which can be steamed for 1-2 minutes; while the steaming time of meat and seafood is relatively long, such as chicken breast steaming for 15-20 minutes, and fish fillet steaming for 10-15 minutes. You can use a timer to accurately control the steaming time.
Reasonable matching: Reasonable matching of different ingredients can not only improve the nutritional value, but also increase the taste level. For example, when steaming spareribs, you can add some vegetables such as corn and carrots. The sweetness of corn and the sweetness of carrots can neutralize the greasiness of spareribs, making the dishes more delicious and healthy.
Avoid over-seasoning: Try to reduce the use of seasonings such as salt, sugar, and oil to highlight the freshness of the ingredients themselves. You can use some natural seasonings such as green onions, ginger, garlic, coriander, lemon juice, etc. to add flavor. For example, when steaming fish, just put shredded green onions and ginger on the fish, drizzle a little steamed fish soy sauce and hot oil, and you can make delicious and delicious steamed fish.
3. Precautions
Cleaning and maintenance: After using the electric steamer, clean it in time to avoid food residues from breeding bacteria. When cleaning, first pour out the water in the steamer, then wipe the inner pot and steaming plate with a damp cloth, and be careful not to let water enter the electrical components. Regularly deep clean the electric steamer, such as using a special detergent to clean the inner pot and heating tube.
Safe use: When using the electric steamer, follow the requirements of the manual to avoid safety accidents. For example, do not open the door when the electric steamer is working to avoid steam scalds; do not let the electric steamer burn empty to avoid damaging the heating tube.
