Choose you cooking style - steam

Steaming is a cooking method that typically occurs on a stovetop and uses hot water that has evaporated to make steam.

Steaming usually requires a special piece of equipment called a steaming basket which sits within a saucepan and holds the vegetables above the boiling water. This method is ideal when cooking vegetables such as broccoli and green beans that have high levels of water-soluble vitamins (vitamin C and B vitamins) as these can be lost when vegetables are soaked in water. As steaming means the vegetables sit above rather than within the water, less of these vitamins are lost.

How to:

Boil water in the bottom pot of the steaming set. Whilst water is heating up, cut vegetables into the desired sizes. Once water is boiling, place vegetables in the steamer basket and place on top of the pot with boiling water. Place a lid on top of the steamer and steam vegetables for 5 to 7 minutes depending on the amount, type and size of the vegetables. You can also steam vegetables in the microwave - see the microwave article for more information.

Vegetables best for steaming include:

• broccoli
• cauliflower
• silverbeet spinach
• peas
• green beans
• carrot