1.  LOWERS CHOLESTEROL

When cooking meats such as lamb or pork, steaming removes the fat from the meat so it can be easily discarded whereas conventional cooking methods such as grilling, baking or frying, cook the fat into the meat. Getting rid of the fat makes the meat lower in calories and lower in cholesterol.  Also, steaming removes the need for cooking oil or fat, which results in lighter and healthier meals.

2. PRESERVES THE FIBER, COLOUR AND FLAVOUR OF VEGETABLES

By steam-cooking, the vegetables are kept as close to their natural raw state as possible, whilst still heating through thoroughly. This not only prevents the vegetables from turning into a mash or purée,  but it also allows them to retain their original colour, taste, juices and freshness. If you want to add some aromatic flavour to the food, you can add herbs and spices to the water.

3.  RETAINS THE VITAMINS AND MINERALS

Many of the vitamins and minerals found in vegetables are lost with some conventional methods of cooking. Steaming ensures that vitamins such as vitamin B, riboflavin, thiamine, niacin, biotin, B12, pantothenic acid and vitamin C, as well as minerals such as calcium, phosphorous, potassium, and zinc are retained.

4.  IT’S QUICK AND EASY

By cooking over a single heat source, you can have different layers of food stacked one on top of the other, saving time, energy and money!

5. KEEPS YOUR KITCHEN CLEAN

No oil, no smoke, no mess - cleaning up is easy. When steaming.

STEAMED FISH RECIPE

You can just use light soy sauce to steam cook your fish and then garnish it with spring onion and celery.

Here is a delicious recipe for steamed fish:

Ingredients:

• 1 medium-size fish, cleaned and washed

• 1 thin slice fresh ginger, cut into strips

• 2 black mushrooms, soaked in warm water to soften & shredded

• 2 tablespoons light soy sauce

• dash of sesame oil

• dash of oyster sauce

• salt and pepper to taste

• 1 stalk spring onion, sliced

Method: 1. Place fish on steaming tray and season with salt and pepper. 2. Mix sesame seed oil, oyster sauce and light soy sauce. 3. Heat a pan with a little vegetable oil and stir-fry the mushrooms.     Pour in the mixed sauces and stir. 4. Dish out the mixture and pour over the fish. Sprinkle sliced ginger over fish, 5. Put tray in a steamer, cover and steam for about 10 minutes.      Water should be boiling when you put in the tray) 6. When fish is cooked, remove from steamer and garnish with sliced      spring onions and serve while hot.

Preparation Time: 20 minutes Cooking Time: 10 minutes Serves 2

Source: steamplicity.co.uk