DIY- Steamer
When in doubt, improvise. These wise words have carried many cooks through ingredient substitutions and even through kitchen tools they don't own but should be using. Take, for example, a steamer. For perfectly cooked al dente vegetables that retain their nutritional value, a steamer is a necessary kitchen tool. However a DIY steamer can be improvised quickly and easily using items likely available in the kitchen. Does this Spark an idea?
Other People Are Reading
-
Colander
-
Since the object of steaming is to using boiling water to cook food without getting the food wet, few options exist to create a DIY steamer. Find a metal colander that will fit into the bottom of a large cooking pot. The colander must have a base or feet so that when the food sits in the colander, it isn't submerged into the water underneath it. Fill the pot with a few inches of water. Test the colander for depth by setting it into the water before you add the food. As long as the water doesn't come up through the holes in the colander, you may place the food inside for steaming. If the water does come through the holes, pour some of the water out.
Turn the heat on underneath the pot and bring the water to a boil. Set the colander with food inside the pot and place a cover on the top. Steam according to recipe directions; replacing water as needed so as not to scorch the food.
Coffee Filters
-
Stand four coffee mugs upside down inside your pot of water. Place a paper coffee filter onto the bottoms of the cups with the food you wish to steam inside. The cups will prevent the food from getting wet and the coffee filter will allow the steam to cook the food. Bring the water to a boil, and steam the food according to recipe directions.
-
Wire Rack
-
Many kitchens have small wire racks often used as trivets. Use one instead as your DIY steamer. Place the wire rack on top of four inverted coffee cups, and set the food on top of the rack. This improvisation won't work well for foods that tend to roll around, like brussel sprouts, but it works well for food that will easily lay flat like tortillas. Bring the water underneath the food to a boil, and allow the steam to cook the food according to recipe instructions.
-
