Using a Microwave to Prepare Steamed Vegetables
For years I never used the microwave until I moved in with my current roommate. He's an extremely technical and educated person, yet his biggest strengths are in his ability to adapt practical solutions based on experience. One example is his microwave cooking skill. He cooks almost everything in the microwave, and after living with him a few months I began using it more and more to prepare certain foods. It's very fast and requires minimal clean-up or wasting of water, but can give you some excellent results with practice. I've steamed vegetables in the microwave almost daily for the past month. Sometimes it's carrots, potatoes, Brussels sprouts (great with hummus!), or broccoli. The technique is pretty much always the same and the results are always excellent.
- Put the vegetables you wish to steam into a microwave safe bowl
- Add enough water to cover the vegetables about half-way
- Cover with a microwave safe plate that fits well against the top
- Depending on serving size, microwave on high 2-5 minutes. 2-3 minutes is fine with my microwave for a single serving like the picture, longer may be required. Just test the waters for now
Once the cooking is done, leave covered for 1-5 minutes depending on the size of the serving and what you're cooking. Some things take longer, like potatoes. Three brussels sprouts cook in 2:30 minutes for me (and sitting another 2-3). Broccoli is a bit quicker. If you remove from the microwave, be careful as it'll be very hot. Remove the veggies with a fork and you're good to go! If they're not tasty enough, grind a little pepper over them.
It might take a few tries to get it right but don't be discouraged. Once you have the skill down, it'll save you hours each week of cooking and cleaning.
The brusselsprouts on this plate were steamed in 2:30 microwave time:
