9 replies to this topic

[alternativista]

This was in an everyday food magazine and was actually used to poach fish in which you put a heatproof plate on a rack inside a skillet or saucepan with an inch of water and simmer.

It reminded me of when I used to have a boyfriend in Spain. They tended to not have microwaves and he would heat things by setting a plate on top of a pot of boiling water. I thought it was clever, but it didn't really work that well. But if you set the plate down inside the pan and perhaps even put a lid on it, it should work well.

My Suggestions:

For the plate:
Corelle plates and bowls or pyrex pie plates or baking dishes. Although I suppose it doesn't need to be glass. Glass is good though.

For the Rack:
You'll have to see what you can find that will fit your pans and you can balance a plate on.

I was thinking cake cooling rack or grilling insert some pans come with, but those wouldn't allow for much water and you might need to keep adding.

A few thick bolts from a hardware store. I have some 1" thick that I bought to separate something from heat.

Or maybe a steamer basket turned upside down. Or an empty tuna can.

I'd experiment before putting food on to avoid a mess. I did crack a plate once doing the Spanish trick.

[Kodi]

Thank you for posting this! I'll try out one of your techniques when I get a chance. I trashed my microwave months ago.

[alternativista]

Thank you for posting this! I'll try out one of your techniques when I get a chance. I trashed my microwave months ago.

I forgot the best reason this is a good technique. Just like with a microwave, you can heat your food on the dish you are going to eat off of.

Just be careful about the hot plate. You might want to consider how easy it is to get the hot plate out of the hot pan when you figure out what plates and pots to use. Experiment with tongs, holders, size of plate, etc.

You could also heat soup in a bowl too.

Edited by alternativista, 12 August 2010 - 03:06 PM.

[Cecelia]

For the Rack:
You'll have to see what you can find that will fit your pans and you can balance a plate on.

I was thinking cake cooling rack or grilling insert some pans come with, but those wouldn't allow for much water and you might need to keep adding.

A few thick bolts from a hardware store. I have some 1" thick that I bought to separate something from heat.

Or maybe a steamer basket turned upside down. Or an empty tuna can.
I'd experiment before putting food on to avoid a mess. I did crack a plate once doing the Spanish trick.

Good ideas.

How about a great big cookie cutter?

[LiliVG]

I'll definitely try this. Pretty much all my vegetables are frozen so I tend to use the microwave a lot, even though I don't really like microwaves, and how efficient they are at removing nutrients from food, lol.

[calla lily]

So microwaves really do take out all the nutrients, just like that? I always thought that was a myth... :/

[LiliVG]

In some cases, up to 97% of the nutritional value is destroyed by the microwave.

[alternativista]

I heated some soup for lunch today using this method. It only took a few minutes I think, not much longer than microwaving. Once I decided on what dishes to use, that is. But then it takes about as long to heat water in the microwave as it does on the stove.

I ended up putting my soup bowl on a collapsible steamer basket right side up. It had a center post in the way, but it could be unscrewed and removed. And there was the predicted difficulty in removing the hot bowl of hot liquid from the pot without spilling.

Tongs that let you get a good grip might be helpful.

Edited by alternativista, 12 August 2010 - 03:05 PM.

[calla lily]

In some cases, up to 97% of the nutritional value is destroyed by the microwave.

Oh... thanks!

Do you know if boiling food causes the nutrients to seep into the water, too (like in a soup)? Just wondering because my cooking teacher said it does.

[Kodi]

In some cases, up to 97% of the nutritional value is destroyed by the microwave.

Oh... thanks!

Do you know if boiling food causes the nutrients to seep into the water, too (like in a soup)? Just wondering because my cooking teacher said it does.

It will, but virtually all types of cooking will take some nutrients away. However, if yo do not cook it, you will have a very hard time digesting the vegetable, and you will also lose nutrients, weaken your digestion as well as have undigested food in your colon. Steaming is often said to be the more effective way of cooking; boiling vegetables for soups is fine too.
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=george&dbid=34

Microwaves do not apply because they blast food with radiation and the end result is no different than irradiated (nuked) food.