Tuesday, September 13, 2011

I'm Steaming!

I've said it before, it is a fact... it is difficult being a full-time, commuting from NJ-NYC, working mom & coming home to put dinner on the table. However, with organization & prep (& some fun cook with your child(ren) games) I manage to do it. And you can too! 

I treasure my Sundays. Church, some outside time (usually a beautiful, long walk), grocery shopping with my hubby, then prep, prep, prep! I organize my cooking schedule for the week, get my coupons together & create a shopping list & head to the store. Of course, sometimes the list changes. If there's a particularly gorgeous veg I had not thought to buy or some other inspiration catches, but for the most part, it is planned.

When we get home, I organize the food & prep it. A huge part of this is steaming vegetables for the week! There are so many amazing meals that can be made or enhanced with steamed veg!!! And it keeps the color* & the nutrients packed in!!! (*Just don't forget to give the finished veg an ice bath at the end to stop the cooking process & shock in the color, flavor & nutritional value! )Some ideas are quiches & omelets, stir fries & pastas, couscous, rices & risottos... Or just as a dipping snack! My tot Gabriel would eat veggies by the ton if I let him. 
And the beauty of it is, you DON'T have to add them to anything. The vegetable, with its natural delicious flavor stands on its own as a side. (Look at those gorgeous asparagus I made... Simply Spritz with lemon & serve!) 

You can use a regular steamer on top of boiling water or, like me, a rice-maker/steamer. And many times I'll make rice at the same time. Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh RICE!

I made a HUGE discovery last week! Use equal parts water & arborio rice (you know, the kind you use for risotto?) in the rice-maker. Stir halfway (a no-no with regular grain rice) & add some more water allow to cook out, stir again... and you get= Perfect.sticky.rice.  

<3 Lishie
*Lishie tip- For greens, I add sliced lemon WHILE the veg is steaming... it lends a subtle layer to the taste.

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