Vegetables
Fresh
Prepare fresh vegetables in the usual way, i.e. wash, clean
and cut them up.
Frozen
Frozen vegetables do not need to be defrosted beforehand,
unless they have been frozen together in a block.
Frozen and fresh vegetables which take the same length of
time to cook can be cooked together.
Break up vegetables that have frozen together in a lump and
follow instructions on the packaging regarding cooking
duration.
Cooking containers
Food such as peas or asparagus spears, which have little or
no space between them, will take longer to cook because the
steam has less space to work in. For an even result, it is best
to use a shallow container for these types of food, and only fill
it about 3 - 5 cm deep. When cooking large quantities divide
the food between 2 or 3 shallow containers rather than using
one deep one.
Different types of vegetables which take the same length of
time to cook can be cooked together.
Use solid containers for vegetables which are cooked in
liquid.
Shelf level
To avoid any colour transfer when cooking vegetables with a
distinctive colour (e.g beetroot) in a perforated container, do
not place other food underneath the perforated container.
Duration
As with conventional methods, when cooking vegetables with
steam, the cooking duration will depend on the size and also
whether you want the vegetables to be al dente or soft/well
done. Example:
firm potatoes, cut into quarters = approx. 18 minutes
firm potatoes, cut in half = approx. 22 minutes
Brussels sprouts, large, al dente = approx. 12 minutes
Brussels sprouts, small, soft = approx. 12 minutes
Steam cooking
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