How to steam if you don’t have a steamer at home: simple and ingenious ways

As a rule, having a double boiler in the house is convenient and inconvenient at the same time: it is rarely used, takes up a lot of space, and is not cheap. Hold off on purchasing this device if you suddenly want steamed dumplings or diet cutlets, because making an impromptu steamer with your own hands will not be difficult even in “field” conditions - at the dacha or during an outing.

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Salt will help make the bland taste of steamed vegetables richer. But not the one we are all used to. A chest with a set of “Home Kitchen” salts is a godsend for housewives who love to experiment with flavors and at the same time care about a healthy diet.

The signature set contains unique varieties of salts: pink Himalayan, blue Persian, kala namak, halit, as well as white and black sea salt in pyramids. Each of them has its own unique taste, thanks to which even boring everyday dishes take on a new meaning. Try replacing regular salt with any salt presented in the set and feel the difference.

A simple recipe for steamed vegetables will help you verify this. Cut 3 peeled potatoes into quarters and place in a steamer bowl. Steam the potatoes for 15 minutes, then add 200 g of asparagus and leave for another 3-4 minutes. At the very end, sprinkle the vegetables with pink Himalayan salt and chopped fresh parsley, cover and let sit for a couple of minutes. If desired, you can season the finished dish with olive oil.

What else can replace a double boiler?

Let's consider another affordable way to replace a double boiler at home. To do this you need to follow these steps:

1. A large saucepan is half filled with water and covered with gauze folded in several layers.
2. To prevent it from sagging due to the weight of the food, the gauze is wrapped with strong thread or twine.
3. Place the food on the cloth and cover with a lid.
4. The pan is put on fire. Cooking time depends on the products used. For fish, 10 minutes is enough; vegetables and meat will require longer cooking.

Method 3. Complex, but universal

If you want to make a double boiler from scrap materials, but you don’t have a colander or fabric, there is only one option left - improvisation.

Proceed according to the following plan:

1. First, find something that can fit inside the pan, that you can place a plate on, and that won't block the steam from escaping. The simplest solution to the problem is to roll several balls with a diameter of about 5 centimeters from foil. You can also collect all the forks in the house and then randomly throw them on the bottom, creating a kind of stand. A metal mug filled to about half full of water will also work.
2. Take a pan of boiling water and place what you found in it. Keep in mind that the water level should be lower than the height of the balls, mugs or forks.
3. Select a plate made of heat-resistant material (for example, ceramic), the diameter of which is at least a third smaller than the diameter of the pan. Place the plate in the pan on top of the “stand”.
4. Cover the pan with a lid and wait until your dish is ready.

Recipe for a delicious steamed omelet without a steamer

Steamed dishes are the salvation of many diets, since this method of cooking allows you to preserve the maximum of useful components in food. Before the invention of fashionable kitchen appliances, a water bath was widely used, which anyone could create from available utensils.

Ingredients

• Chicken egg - 2 pcs
• Cow's milk - 100 ml
• Ground black pepper - to taste
• Salt - to taste
• Sunflower oil - for lubrication
• Greens - optional
• Vegetables - optional
• Meat - optional

You can prepare a tender steamed omelette in different ways - in a saucepan, frying pan, microwave or slow cooker. The light dish fits perfectly into children's diets and everyday diets, and its preparation takes only 10-15 minutes.

What is the difference between a steamed omelette and a fried one?

The steamed dish is eaten while following a diet, and is also cooked to obtain a delicate, airy texture that is difficult to achieve when frying in a pan. An omelet becomes indispensable:

• in baby food after 1 year;
• for gastritis and other gastrointestinal diseases;
• after poisoning, during illness;
• in a sports diet with a predominance of protein foods;
• in older people.

You can cook a steam omelette with or without oil. The classic recipe is unchanged: just beat the eggs with milk, salt and spices, add flour, starch and toppings if necessary.

The main difference is the processing method. The workpiece is poured into a mold and placed in a steam bath, where it is cooked for 10-15 minutes.

A steamed omelette retains a more delicate texture and is less likely to settle and boil down. You can make such a dish even in the absence of specialized equipment. You will need a reservoir with boiling water, a lattice insert, a tight lid that will help create a steam chamber, and portion molds.

An omelet poured into small bowls will cook faster than a casserole in a large form.

Recipe

In a deep bowl, beat the eggs with salt and milk until smooth. It is not necessary to make fluffy foam. It is best to finely chop or grate the fillings so that they are ready at the same time as the egg.

For steaming, choose small rosettes or cups made of heat-resistant material. You can use silicone muffin molds.

Energy value

Thanks to its modest composition, a steam omelette is a dietary dish that can be prepared without adding oil. The calorie content of a serving depends on the ingredients used.

• Eggs cooked without milk will amount to 160 kcal per 100 g of dish.
• Steam omelette with fermented milk product - about 130 kcal.
• A dish with the addition of butter or vegetable oil - from 180 kcal.

When calculating the calorie content of a snack, it is important to remember that a standard serving can range from 100 to 250 g. If you add vegetables to the omelette, the calorie content will decrease, and with sausage or cheese the dish will provide approximately 250 kcal/100 g.

As a result, a dietary steam omelette made from 2 eggs will contain about 200-260 kcal, and a hearty version - 300-500 kcal.

What is a steam omelette made from?

Steaming eggs introduces some limitations to the recipe. Protein coagulates quite quickly, so you should not add raw fish or meat, mushrooms, hard vegetables and beans to the preparation. Pre-processed components will not prevent the eggs from boiling, so you can use:

• pieces of cream or soy cheese;
• sausages and sausages;
• canned corn or peas;
• pickled mushrooms, olives;
• salted fish, boiled seafood;
• greens, onions, garlic;
• seeds and nuts, such as sesame;
• crackers and toasted bread.

The main ingredients are eggs, milk and salt. The simplest omelet consists of just whipped whites, excluding spices.

For tenderness and aroma, fresh milk, cream, kefir or other fermented milk product is added to the recipe. A richer casserole can be prepared with sour cream, but it is recommended to dilute it with water, otherwise the omelet will not be porous.

To prevent the mass from sticking to the walls of the vessel, they are greased. If desired, you can add a piece to the body of the casserole, this will increase the nutritional value. Both butter and vegetable oil are used.

To improve the taste, add spices: fresh and dried herbs, dry onions, garlic, carrots, parsnips, aromatic herbs, tomato paste or paprika, bacon or mushroom powder, rice vinegar or white wine.

With exquisite additions, even a dietary dish becomes festive.

You can make a sweet version of the omelet by adding fresh or dried fruits, sugar or honey, cocoa products, vanilla and other dessert spices.

Mixing eggs with most of the soft cheese makes a light steamed cheesecake.

When preparing steamed omelettes, it is better to avoid using flour and other thickening agents. Such components are more suitable for baking and fried dishes. To make the omelet elastic, you can add a little soda, but at the same time, sweet creamy milk must be replaced with kefir or whey to extinguish the alkaline baking powder.

Steaming an omelet: all methods

A double boiler is most suitable for this dish, but this is a completely optional attribute of a modern kitchen.

You can set up a bathhouse for the dish yourself: the design does not take up much space, is easy to disassemble and does not cause any hassle. The main thing is to have a container with a lid, as well as a hob, microwave or other equipment.

Omelet in a slow cooker

The recipe is available for those who have a strainer attachment for a steamer. Water is poured into the bowl to a third of its volume, a mesh is installed, and a mold with egg liquid is placed on it. In the menu, select the “Steam” option; if there is a list of products, “Vegetables” will do. The timer must be set for 10 minutes, close the lid tightly and start the device. A fluffy omelette will soon be ready.

Classic method: in a saucepan

For a steam bath, which our grandmothers used, water is poured into the bottom of the container. For scrambled eggs, a quarter to a third of the volume is enough; for vegetables and meat, pour more water, but so that the bottom of the mesh does not submerge in liquid. Place a colander, strainer or bread sieve on the sides. It is best to take a metal product with thin weaving, but the following are also suitable:

• sieves made of plastic heat-resistant fishing line;
• metal colanders (one-piece scoop with perforations);
• plastic or silicone heat-resistant elements.

Another option is gauze, laid in 2-3 layers. It needs to be pulled over the top of the pan with a slight slack, tied with a rope and ensure that the long edges do not stick out. In this case, it is better to choose a wider pan and use the smallest burner to prevent fire or smoldering of the threads.

Cups with an egg mixture (or other products) are placed on an improvised mesh and the pan is covered with a transparent lid, this makes it easier to monitor the preparation of the dish.

How to cook in a jar

When you don’t have a net at hand, you can make a diet omelette in your own steam. To do this, you need a small bottle or bag for freezing food. The finished egg mixture is poured into a clean jar and covered with a lid, but loosely so that air can escape.

Place a rag in a couple of layers on the bottom of the pan - this will prevent the glass from knocking, bouncing on warm currents. The jar is placed in water, the liquid is brought to a boil and simmered over low heat for about 20 minutes until the omelette is ready.

The procedure with the package is similar.

Take two heat-resistant polyethylene bags, put them one inside the other - this will protect the container from damage. Pour the egg mass inside, release excess air, but tie the bags above the filling level. There should be free space left for the liquid to evaporate from the workpiece.

The bag is immersed in hot water and boiled for about 15 minutes after boiling.

It is important to let the mixture cool before removing it from the mold to avoid burns and “deflating” the omelette. In both cases, the water level in the pan should be slightly higher than the liquid in the container.

Omelette in the microwave

To cook a dish in the microwave, it is best to use the method with a jar or bag - then the omelet will cook in its own steam. Metal elements in this case are unacceptable.

Another option is to use a ceramic or glass container with a lid, fill it with water and place the workpiece poured into the mold on gauze or plastic mesh inside. The difficulty lies in the modest dimensions of microwave ovens.

The third way is to use a burger bun. Remove the “lid” from it, take out the bread crumb and pour the mixture inside, covering the top. When baked, it turns out tasty and interesting, but you will have to practice preparing such a snack; it may not work out the first time.

Steam omelette in a frying pan

You can use a container with a thick bottom and a shallow bowl for the dish. The principle is the same: pour water on the bottom, place the vessel with the workpiece and cover with a lid. Over low heat, the omelette in a wide flat container will cook in 5-10 minutes.

The advantages of small plates are that the dish cooks quickly, you can use tomato rings, broccoli or cauliflower and grated cheese for the filling. Disadvantages include blocking the vaporization zone.

Serving

Even low-calorie dishes used on diets can be tasty and appetizing thanks to mild spices and beautiful presentation.

Since eggs are a source of animal fat and protein, they are served with vegetables or bread. It is better not to combine them with meat and beans, although you can choose fish or cheese to enhance the nutritional value of the dish.

A tender omelette is served with oatmeal, rice or other favorite porridge, garnished with herbs or seeds. For breakfast or lunch, a salad made from fresh or steamed vegetables is ideal.

A rich omelette can be served on bread toast. For variety, it is smeared with garlic or adjika, a bed of processed cheese or avocado paste is used, and complemented with a slice of salted red fish or chicken.

The most suitable vegetables for omelettes are tomatoes, peppers, cabbage inflorescences, zucchini and cucumbers, carrots, spinach, and sweet corn. You can complement the dish with sour cream and herbs sauce, tartar, mayonnaise, ketchup or pesto.

If there are no beautiful outlets for preparing a portioned omelette, you can make it monolithic and cut into neat cubes or strips.

Useful tips

When it is difficult to get used to the taste of low-calorie food, turmeric will help. A pinch of aromatic spice will increase your appetite and allow you to quickly adapt to a new diet.

To prevent the low-fat dish from sticking to the walls of the cup, use cooking paper.

The easiest and fastest way to cook an omelette without frying is to pour the mixture into a mold, cover it with cling film and put it in the microwave; it will only take 4-6 minutes.

You can prepare a tender omelette without a double boiler in almost any conditions. Anyone who wants to change their diet can try one of the available methods and find their own unique recipe.

How do you prepare dietary dishes?

Source: https://zen.yandex.ru/media/id/5e2b0e8d5ba2b567d03225fc/recept-vkusnogo-omleta-na-paru-bez-parovarki-5ee629689435cb76f79e3734

Adviсe

You also need to follow some recommendations:

1. Any constructed structure must be reliable, comfortable and safe.
2. When cooking food in a homemade steamer, it is important to take precautions; inept use can result in severe burns.
3. You cannot handle a sieve, colander, gauze or other inserts in an improvised double boiler with your bare hands. The use of potholders is mandatory.
4. Gauze absorbs moisture, gets wet and can scald you with boiling water, so you can remove it from the pan only after it has completely cooled.
5. It is not recommended to use plastic utensils for steaming dishes.
6. Pasta is not suitable for steam cooking; it sticks together and becomes soft.
7. It takes a very long time to steam beans. To preserve maximum nutrients in them, it is still better to choose stewing.
8. It is prohibited to steam offal and fresh mushrooms. They need to be boiled first.

Steamed products retain significantly more beneficial properties compared to food prepared by other methods. Steamed dishes are ideal for dietary, children's and healthy nutrition. Therefore, even if you don’t have a double boiler in your home, you shouldn’t refuse food prepared in this way, especially since you can use improvised means.

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Principles of steam cooking

As you know, most men love meat with a crispy crust, however, such food is harmful to the body and its regular consumption leads to a number of diseases. But steamed cutlets, although they do not have an appetizing crust, are no less tasty, and most importantly healthy. Preparing them is not difficult, all you have to do is do the following:

• Prepare an enamel pan and a sieve with a flat bottom.
• Prepare homemade minced meat for cutlets.
• Cook the cutlets by placing them on a sieve (the cooking time depends on the type of meat).

Important! You can expand the flavor range of cutlets and make them juicier by adding potatoes, cabbage or carrots to the minced meat.

Steam cutlets in a frying pan

Appetizing and beautiful chicken cutlets can also be prepared in a frying pan by doing it as follows:

• Buy chicken fillet, remove the veins and chop.
• Prepare and chop vegetables.
• Mix by adding flour, spices and raw egg.
• Bring to a homogeneous consistency.
• Grease the pan with oil and place on the stove. While the pan is heating up, you can form the cutlets.
• Place the cutlets in a frying pan, add a glass of water and cover with a lid.

Steamed fish

In this case, fillets of white or red fish are usually used. It is worth remembering that fish is a risk of disease and a carrier of diseases, which is why it takes much more time to cook. First, you need to prepare the fish (wash, clean). Steaming fish can be done in a frying pan or in a saucepan with a sieve. It is enough to grease the fish fillet with olive oil and spices and place it in a water bath. It is best to serve the finished dish with a side dish of rice and vegetables.

Vegetable coletas

Vegetable cutlets are an ideal solution for people who have completely given up meat. There are no difficulties in preparation, so even a culinary novice can cope with it. It is worth noting that cabbage cutlets are the most aromatic and delicious. To steam vegetables, you need to take a pan with a sieve or colander.

The recipe for a tasty and healthy dish is as follows:

• Chop the white cabbage.
• Grate 2 onions on a fine grater.
• Mix.
• Add spices, 3 tbsp. semolina and 1 egg.
• Mix until a homogeneous mass is formed.
• Form cutlets, place them in a frying pan and pour a glass of water, or simply place them in a colander in a pan of boiling water.
• To cover with a lid.

We use foil

If you have a frying pan and foil at hand, you can assume that the situation is saved. You can steam the dish if you follow the instructions:

1. Take a saucepan or deep frying pan.
2. Roll several small balls from aluminum foil and place them in a cooking container.

3. The food to be steamed is placed on a plate, seasoned with spices and placed on foil balls.
4. Pour enough water into the bottom of the saucepan so that only half of the balls are immersed in the liquid and cover with a lid.
5. Cook food over low heat until done.

6. Then the lid is opened, the plate is removed, the dish is transferred, decorated and served.

How to make a steamer

It is believed that this method of cooking was established as a culinary phenomenon by the Chinese. In Asian countries, rice and dumplings are still cooked in wooden baskets that are placed over boiling water. What does this give? Firstly, in addition to the advantages already listed, a double boiler does not contribute to the release of carcinogens during cooking, as happens when frying in oil. Secondly, such food is quickly digested and does not leave a heaviness in the stomach. Thirdly, eating a steam diet is necessary for the prevention of diseases of the cardiovascular system.

Needless to say that this kind of cooking is also much simpler? Nothing burns, the food is not saturated with fat, there is no need to turn it over, because it will cook evenly. Choose any of the methods below to make sure.

Cooking tricks without a steamer

To create delicious dishes you need to consider the following nuances:

• The cutlets need to be formed with wet hands.
• You can make the meat more juicy by adding white bread soaked in milk or chopped vegetables.
• To preserve the juiciness of products, they need to be wrapped in foil.
• You can make the dish more tender by adding a little butter.
• Instead of semolina, you can use wheat or boiled rice.
• To make the meat softer, you can pre-beat it.

Safety precautions when constructing a steamer

The steam will settle everywhere, penetrate into the cracks, forming conduction bridges for electric current. Let's ground the device body. For example, when using a heating element, the terminal is soldered to the shell of a tubular heater. Grounding is vital because there is water and aluminum inside the device. The current moves in different ways, it is not a fact that the phase will end up on the common wire. Potential awaits the victim, for example, on the second tier grid. A person has electrical capacity, so he will receive a blow with a 100% probability. It’s worse if you touch the radiator, sink, or gas supply pipe with your other hand. Such outcomes are not needed in the house.

It is possible (but not necessary) to short-circuit the ground to the common wire, but in this case you cannot use a differential circuit breaker - it measures the difference between the input and output current. If a leak appears, this balance will not be upset. The whole house will be waiting for the plugs to burn out. We don’t want a homemade steamer to become a source of danger for readers.

Kitchen steamer device

You won't be able to copy the steamer device. Get ready to monitor the device manually and time it on your alarm clock. A double boiler should not be understood as a multicooker that comes with a mesh included, or a mesh separately for the pan. The internal structure of the steamer is similar to a household inhaler for treating a runny nose.

What is the device: a heating coil is placed at the base under a small container containing a medicinal solution. Something like a bell is put on top, where we place the head face down, the desired heating mode is selected, and the treatment begins. The medicine penetrates into the nasopharynx, sinuses, even into the lungs. Hot steam has a beneficial effect on the body, promoting a speedy recovery.

A double boiler works in a similar way:

1. At the base of the device is a steam generator. Traditionally - a closed spiral under the water container. Add protection against overheating of the steamer.
2. There is a spacious glass dome above the generator. The steamer is solid, without a single hole. The dome is of a special shape, slightly tapering towards the top so that steam flows down the walls. Then the spiral again uses the condensate, which is collected in the generator container.

   Multi-level steamer

3. Under the dome of the steamer there are shelves of two, three or more rows of grids where food is placed.
4. In the center, like the mouth of a volcano, there are holes in tiers to make it easier for the steam to rise up.

The steamer operates according to modes. It is difficult to maintain the temperature; the duration of cooking is mainly used. It’s difficult to implement the operating logic of the steamer electronics with your own hands, so let’s focus on other details:

• implementation of a steam generator;
• steamer dome design;
• tier of gratings.

To make a double boiler yourself, you will need to solve difficult problems. Let's get started...