Steaming veggies

Like many of you, I really enjoyed Eric Cressey’s
“Poliquin-style Diet Support Group” thread. Recently, I
purchased an 8 qt. multi-cooker, in order to steam
large quantities of fresh vegetables, mainly green beans,
broccoli, asparagus and snap-peas. The veggies
taste pretty darn good drowned in extra virgin
olive oil, with some onion powder, salt, pepper, and
romano cheese sprinkled on top.

Problem: It takes well over 20 minutes for the
water to boil, and the veggies to become tender enough
to serve. Is this normal or is there a better way/method
of steaming veggies? How can I speed up the process
without compromising the nutritional value of the
veggies? Thanks, Joey Z.

I just microwave mine. I throw frozen veggies in a bowl and nuke them for 3-4 minutes, depending on size, etc. Then I add olive oil and S&P. Tastes great, pretty much just like steaming. I might have to try ramano cheese on mine, that sounds good.

Same here. I’ve a microwave guy. Simple, but it gets the job done:)

toss them mofos in the microwave for about 4 minutes, sprinkle some butter buds or tabasco on them mofos, maybe a few tablespoons of water on them mofos, then eat them mofos. mofo.

Though I don’t really trust the microwave and what it is probably doing to the food, I tend to use it more than steaming for the assloads of veggies I put away. Maybe once or twice a week I’ll steam some.

Are you leaving the lid on? If not make sure you are. How much water are you using? You probably need 1/2 the amount or maybe even a 1/4. I like the other guys liek the microwave for convenience. That or my rice cooker. Also when you say tender enough to serve, how far are you cooking them? are then mushy? Even when steaming, if you over cook you veggies, you are going to destroy nutrients. I like to leave mine slightly crispy. Green veggies should still be bright green, not olive colored.

Thanks for the input guys!

KO, obviously your contribution is especially valued as
I’m just starting to get used to the whole process of
steaming. Yes, I’m leaving the lid on, and am beginning
to discover that “less is better” with the water. Timewise,
things went a little quicker today as only used 1 inch
of water in the pot.

On Monday, I purchased 8 lbs of asparagus; ShopeRite is
letting them for go $1.29 a lb this week - beauty deal, eh?
This morning I cut more off the bottoms of the asparagus
and stood them upright in the steamer - so, my asparagus
seem to be doing better! Yes, KO, I also enjoy my veggies
crispy - or shall we say “al dente!”

One more thing: How long do veggies take to cook in a
rice cooker? COSTCO sells rice cookers at a fair price.
Might this be a better option for me? Again, thanks,
Joey Z.

If you eat rice on a regular basis, then I would definitely invest in one. Otherwise, it is not really worth it, and it seems that you have figured out the problem.

Laugh or not, I still don’t trust the damn thing…

I’m sure there were a few guys that felt that way about fire way back when. Of course they died of intestinal parasites from eating their meat raw…

When I was a kid, my momma told me not to put my head in the microwave … now I see people all over the place, strapping them to their heads for 100min a month. Yep, cell-phones. I’ve told my mom they’ve been linked with short-term memory loss many times - and each time it’s a surprise!

i think i read mercola say to be careful of microwaves… maybe its in the t-mag interview or on his site… then again i could also be imagining it

Call me weird, guys - I go through two or three cans a day of green beans and asparagus spears! I just pop the top off with a can opener, rinse 'em under cold water, and eat 'em cold!

Microwaves are the devil.

This was recently posted in the HST forum by someone named GiO:

"Dr. Lita Lee of Hawaii reported in the December 9, 1989 Lancet:

"Microwaving baby formulas converted certain trans-amino acids into their synthetic cis-isomers. Synthetic isomers, whether cis-amino acids or trans-fatty acids, are not biologically active.

Further, one of the amino acids, L-proline, was converted to its d-isomer, which is known to be neurotoxic (poisonous to the nervous system) and nephrotoxic (poisonous to the kidneys). It’s bad enough that many babies are not nursed, but now they are given fake milk (baby formula) made even more toxic via microwaving."

Microwaved blood kills patient

In 1991, there was a lawsuit in Oklahoma concerning the hospital use of a microwave oven to warm blood needed in a transfusion. The case involved a hip surgery patient, Norma Levitt, who died from a simple blood transfusion.

It seems the nurse had warmed the blood in a microwave oven. This tragedy makes it very apparent that there's much more to "heating" with microwaves than we've been led to believe. Blood for transfusions is routinely warmed, but not in microwave ovens. In the case of Mrs. Levitt, the microwaving altered the blood and it killed her.

It's very obvious that this form of microwave radiation "heating" does something to the substances it heats. It's also becoming quite apparent that people who process food in a microwave oven are also ingesting these "unknowns".

Because the body is electrochemical in nature, any force that disrupts or changes human electrochemical events will affect the physiology of the body. This is further described in Robert O. Becker's book, The Body Electric, and in Ellen Sugarman's book, Warning, the Electricity Around You May Be Hazardous to Your Health. "

Jsut two examples that it might not be as safe as people make it seem. It does mess around with your food. Personaly, I won't touch the thing unless I really have to.

See! I’m not so crazy after all!

Actually, although you may not be crazy, you’re still a moron. You just misspelled your own last name:)

Yeah, ummm, I was trying to keep guys you on your toes, E…see if you were, umm, paying attention…

Restless is right. I’ve read some pretty treacherous stuff about microwaving stuff (coincidence that it’s referred to as nuking?) The nuker alters protein bonds in meat and especially distorts veggie profiles (read carcinogen). I jettisoned mine a while ago. I broil my meat now, which is just the lesser of two evils (nitrosamines), but nonetheless beats the nuker. It’s tough to escape doom. Veggies are steamed or eaten raw (broccoli sprouts and flax meal are a good combo, and they have more antioxidants than mature broccoli, and incidentally are a bit more palatable)

Nitrosamines are only a problem in processed meats. There is a chemical used as a preservative that bonds with amine groups at over (um) 67 or 97 C (I think). That’s not too hot! For that reason, it is very silly to cook any processed meat - this includes sausage and bacon. If you can’t eat it “raw” (sandwich meats, eg) then don’t eat it.

Steaming and boiling are always the best way to cook foods because they don’t get much hotter than 100C (212F). Not many harmful chemical conversions will occur at those temps. For example, fats won’t really oxidize at those temps, but they can at 425F!.

Try filling your steamer with hot water from the tap. Let the water run for a minute or two to heat the pipes up and deliver it at its hottest. Should speed up the start of steaming.