What’s Cooking is a series in which I answer questions and share advice about food and cooking that you may have but are too shy to ask.
I return to this topic of steaming (first discussed in 2018 in a column) because I was asked about it several times over the past couple of weeks on different occasions – while entertaining and dining out. And remember I told you about that conversation with friends at the beginning of the year about ageing and the things we discussed? Eating healthy and finding ways to eat some things to get the most out of their nutrients was something we all wanted to know more about.
I am also bringing up steaming again because I am tired of seeing bowls, platters and plates of soggy, limp vegetables being served up as steamed veg. Rather, they are boiled and all the nutrients have been poured down the sink as the vegetables were drained. If you are going to boil the vegetables, don’t throw away the nutrient-rich water. Save it and use it as stock for your stews, curries, soups, or other components of the meal that require liquid for cooking.