by Lauren Haslett

Created on: January 14, 2009   Last Updated: May 09, 2012

Freshly steamed vegetables are a great and easy way to add healthy vitamins and minerals to any meal, but many people don't cook them as often as they should or could because they find them, shall we say, less than exciting. However, there are a lot of little things you can do to change your mind about what steamed vegetables really are, and just how delicious they can really taste. Here are some simple ways to spice up your steamed veggies - they'll be so good, you won't be able to get enough of them!

First and foremost, above all else, don't overcook your vegetables! This is one of the most common mistakes that people make when steaming vegetables, and unfortunately, with certain vegetables, it's rather easy to do. It's important to keep a close eye on your veggies while they're steaming, though, because overcooking can quickly turn your yummy side dishes into something mushy, tough, rubbery, or just plain "blah" tasting. Most vegetables only need to be steamed for a few minutes before they become tender enough to eat, but are still firm enough to retain most of their texture and flavor. Also, remember that even after you remove your vegetables from your heat source, they will be taken off the heat at such a high temperature that they will continue to cook unless they are immediately cooled down - try throwing them straight from the stove or microwave into a bath of ice water to instantly lower their internal temperature and arrest the cooking process.

Now that we've gotten that most important of veggie-steaming tips out of the way, it's time for the fun part! This recipe is quick and easy, and the perfect side dishe to accompany a meal when you're busy or tired out from a long day, but still in need of something hot, homemade and healthy.

Steamed Asian Veggie Mix:

This recipe is great over rice or cellophane noodles, or as an accompaniment to some grilled or roasted chicken, shrimp or other seafood. (Serves 3-4).

Ingredients:

cup shitake mushrooms

cup yellow onion, thinly sliced

1 carrot, thinly sliced into strips

1 sweet bell pepper, sliced (or its equivalent, if using several different colors of pepper)

cup sugar snap peas

for the sauce:

2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 Tbsp. vegetable oil

cup soy sauce

rice wine vinegar

cup water

2 Tbsp. sesame oil

dried ginger and sesame seeds to taste

As soon as you've cut up all of your vegetables and put a pot of water on the stove to boil, start on the sauce, as the vegetables will not take long at all to steam.

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