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Steam Your Veggies!

Judy E. Buss

The admonition “Eat your veggies!” is good advice; provide they are prepared in a manner which preserves their vitamins, minerals and other beneficial nutrients. Indeed, vegetables are brimming with nutrition. Canned ones, however, and those in frozen dinners, are dead on arrival… Processed and overcooked, they lose most of their nutritional value. Cooking fresh vegetables immersed in water renders them nearly useless as well.

Raw and briefly steamed veggies deliver the most health-promoting benefits. In addition to eating a daily salad you will discover a culinary wonderland when you begin to steam your vegetables. Garlic cloves, radishes, carrots, green beans, Brussels sprouts – trimmed and cut in half, and corn on the cob require 12 minutes. Broccoli and cauliflower florets, zucchini, celery, and bell pepper – seeded and cut in half – need 10 minutes. Sweet potatoes or potatoes, cut into small chunks, 15-20 minutes respectively. Asparagus is done in just 5 minutes. Your steamed vegetables can be consumed plain, or sprinkled with a little salt, black pepper and/or an herb. One or two kinds per meal are fine. With just a few additional minutes you can transform them into one of numerous fabulicious dishes. Enjoy!

GREEN BEANS IN LEMON AND DILL SAUCE
2 servings

1/2 lb green beans cut into one inch pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2-3 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon dill weed

Fill a saucepan with water 1 inch deep.
Insert a steamer basket with the washed and cut beans.
Cover, bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to medium, and steam until tender-crisp, (approximately 12 minutes). Drain.
Remove from stove, and briefly rinse with cold water to halt cooking.
Drain.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a skillet.
Add garlic and sauté 30 seconds.
Add lemon juice, zest, and dill.
Toss in steamed green beans.
Serve hot or cold.

“Mission Nutrition” Tips and Recipes from Judy E. Buss, Syndicated Eating-for-Health Columnist

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