By Melanie A. Albert, intuitive cooking expert, author, and speaker. Founder & CEO Experience Nutrition Group, LLC
During the last few weeks, we’ve been steaming quite a few veggies with a bamboo steamer at cooking classes and demos in the Phoenix area. Some of the venues include The Farm at South Mountain, the Downtown Phoenix Public Market, the Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine (tomorrow, April 19), and with my 12-year old niece Meredith, while working on our Kids Cookbook.
To me, steaming veggies in a bamboo steamer has become part of my everyday life over the last few years, but I’ve learned that so many people have never used a bamboo steamer. Thus, this blog focuses on the process of a cooking with a bamboo steamer and some of the different creations people have had fun making during recent classes.
Take a look at the bamboo steamer veggies from recent cooking classes and events. We have 2 more hands-on Intuitive Cooking Experience classes at The Farm this season: April 23. 11am-1pm and May 21, 10am-noon. You can call me at 602.615.2486 to register for the May class.
Spring Farm-to-Table Intuitive Cooking Class at The Farm at South Mountain, Phoenix, AZ
For the upcoming Kids Cookbook: Created by Meredith, my 12-year old niece.Will post a separate blog on her creating and finishing process. By the way, the next Kids Cooking Class at The Farm at South Mountain (the last class of the season) is May 6, 2017, 11:30am-12:30pm. Not yet on the calendar, so you can register by calling me directly: 602.615.2486
Excerpt from “A New View of Healthy Eating”
Bamboo Steamer Carrots with Cumin Seed Lemon Dressing
Bamboo Steamer Carrots
A bamboo steamer is key to the new view of the year-round healthy eating kitchen. First, learn to steam carrots with the mindful process of steaming. Once you learn how to steam carrots, use your bamboo steamer to steam all kinds of veggies. Try a rustic medley of roots such as carrots, sweet potatoes, and golden beets. Or quickly cook butternut squash and pumpkin as the base for a warm fall soup. Also, experiment with steaming a mix of spring veggies like asparagus, Brussels sprouts, collard greens, and kale.
Bamboo Steamer Carrots with Cumin Seed Lemon Dressing
Finishing carrots with a simple herb and citrus dressing adds richness to the simple carrot. Enjoy creating a cumin seed lemon dressing by toasting cumin seeds for added flavor and aromatherapy, lightly tossing the carrots by hand with the dressing and mindfully plating your carrots. Enjoy!
SIMPLE INGREDIENTS
- 6-8 large carrots, rainbow if available, sliced
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- Pinch sea salt
- 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley
- ½ fresh lemon
- 2-3 tbsp walnut oil (or extra virgin olive oil)
SIMPLE STEPS
- Steam Carrots
- To set up the bamboo steamer, fill a large (6- to 8-quart) soup pot with 3-4 inches of water, place over high heat, and bring to a boil.
- Place sliced carrots into the bamboo steamer. Spread out the carrots so that they do not touch each other to allow the steam to rise and cook the carrots. Sprinkle carrots with a pinch of sea salt.
- Place bamboo steamer on top of the pot with steaming water. Cover with lid and let steam for about 5-7 minutes or until just cooked.
- Test the carrots for doneness. When carrots easily come off a fork, they’re ready.
- Once the carrots have finished cooking, pour them into a large bowl.
- Cumin Seed Lemon Finishing Dressing
- While the carrots are steaming, prepare the finishing dressing.
- To toast the cumin seeds, heat a small sauté pan over low heat. Add the seeds to the pan and cook lightly until fragrant. Once done, remove the seeds from the pan.
- To make the dressing, gather the lemon and oil, and roughly chop the parsley.
- Squeeze the lemon juice on the carrots and drizzle with the oil. Gently toss with your hands to coat. Add the toasted cumin seeds and sprinkle with a little salt. Add the parsley and toss again.
- Mindfully plate and enjoy.
Learn more about simple intuitive cooking in my new book, “A New View of Healthy Eating: Simple Intuitive Cooking with Real Whole Foods”
