Microwaved Steamed Carrots Recipe • Steamy Kitchen Recipes Giveaways (2024)

FAQs

Can you steam carrots in the microwave? ›

Dense vegetables such as green beans, carrots, and green peppers have a higher amount of minerals in them than other food items. These minerals include iron, magnesium, and selenium. The minerals act like tiny pieces of metal and create arcing effects in a microwave.

No matter which way you cook them, carrots are a healthy choice. Steaming is a slightly better pick since the carrots don't lose as many of their nutrients to the water. (Steaming is also more environmentally friendly since it uses less water.)

Bring the water to a boil, then add the carrots and salt, cover, and reduce the heat to medium. Cook the carrots for eight minutes, or until a fork can gently pierce them. Toss them with unsalted butter, brown sugar (or maple syrup or honey), salt and pepper for an easy side dish.

How do I make steamed veggies taste good? Sprinkle them with a little salt and drizzle on some good olive oil. If you don't like oil, substitute an acid. Sprinkle on some salt and then a squeeze of citrus juice, lemon, lime or other.

But because microwave cooking times are shorter, cooking with a microwave does a better job of preserving vitamin C and other nutrients that break down when heated. As far as vegetables go, cooking them in water robs them of some of their nutritional value because the nutrients leach out into the cooking water.

If you're looking for a quick and easy side dish that's both healthy and delicious, microwaved steamed carrots might be your best bet. While simple steamed carrots can be delicious on their own, you can also spruce them up with your favorite spices and flavors.

Minerals and metal

On the plus side, the arcing doesn't cause any damage to the food. But the bummer is that it does prevent food from being thoroughly heated through.

"Arcing," according to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, usually happens with foods that contain high amounts of minerals, including iron, magnesium, and selenium. Since those minerals act like "tiny pieces of metal," microwaves bounce off them just like they would a fork, causing the sparking effect.

Microwave cooking is more energy efficient because it sends nearly all of its energy into the food. It also retains the vegetable's overall nutrients better than stovetop or oven cooking. Steaming carrots in the microwave is quicker! No need to wait for water to boil, dirty a pot and take up a stove burner.

Are carrots healthier steamed or boiled? ›

At least, that is, if they're boiled or steamed. A January 2008 report in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry said that boiling and steaming better preserves antioxidants, particularly carotenoid, in carrots, zucchini and broccoli, than frying, though boiling was deemed the best.

Roasting really brings out carrots' best qualities. To make them, just toss carrots with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Bake until they're golden on the edges and tender throughout. Serve these simple roasted carrots with traditional or heavy main dishes, like standard Thanksgiving fare, lasagna or mac and cheese.

Add 1-2 tablespoons of water (a little more if you're steaming multiple portions). Place in the microwave and pop a lid on top to keep the steam in. Microwave on high! Firmer vegetables like turnips or potatoes may take 6-8 minutes, and softer, moister veg like broccoli will take less – around 4 minutes.

directions. Put baby carrots in medium or large Ziploc steamer bag. Microwave for 6 minutes. Carefully open bag (the steam is very HOT!) and add the butter sprays, seasoning mix and cheese.

Sautéing is one of the healthiest ways to cook carrots.

If you want to save your celery, kale or spinach to eat later as leftovers, plan to reheat them in a conventional oven rather than a microwave. When blasted in the microwave, naturally occurring nitrates (which are very good for you on their own) may convert to nitrosamines, which can be carcinogenic, studies show.

“”””” A report in The Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry concluded that overall, boiling was better for carrots, zucchini and broccoli than steaming, frying or serving them raw. ... However, raw carrots have far more polyphenols, which disappear once you start cooking them.