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

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Microwaved Steamed Carrots Recipe • Steamy Kitchen Recipes Giveaways? ›

You can soften carrots in the microwave. In fact, using the microwave to steam, cook or soften carrots can be a quick and easy alternative to using the stovetop, especially when you're short on time or the stove is already full of simmering pots and pans.

You can soften carrots in the microwave. In fact, using the microwave to steam, cook or soften carrots can be a quick and easy alternative to using the stovetop, especially when you're short on time or the stove is already full of simmering pots and pans.

Dense vegetables such as green beans, carrots, spinach, and green peppers contain a higher amount of minerals in them than other types of food. These minerals - which include iron, magnesium, and selenium – act like tiny pieces of metal and create what is known as an “arcing effect” in microwaves.

Cover the pot with a lid, such that most of the steam gets trapped inside. Cook for 5-6 minutes and then check. Toss the veggies and close the lid again. On an average, vegetables usually take 8-10 minutes to steam, but it also depends on the type of vegetable and can take lesser time as well.

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.

Rinse the carrots under cold water and peel them if desired. Rather than boiling them, you can use the microwave to steam them. It gives much better results and keeps more of the nutrients. Put your carrots cut into slices in a plastic bag.

Leafy greens: When microwaved, leafy greens like spinach or kale can become dry and lose nutritional value. It is best to steam or sauté them on the stoveto.

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.)

The microwave is a great option for steaming vegetables when you don't have the equipment or inclination to do it on the stovetop or in your Instant Pot. For small frozen vegetables, such as peas or corn, I put them in a bowl with just a tablespoon or so of water, cover with a plate and microwave until they're done.

What food should you not microwave? ›

However, microwave cooking is actually one of the least likely forms of cooking to damage nutrients. That's because the longer food cooks, the more nutrients tend to break down, and microwave cooking takes less time.

One hotdog, wrapped loosely in a paper towel, takes 50–60 seconds on high to heat up at 1000 watts. Whether you stand it up in a cup or glass or place it on a paper plate, it will take the same amount of time.

Carrots. Raw carrots are fine, but cooked carrots are better for you. Cooking carrots allows beta carotene, an antioxidant compound that gets converted to vitamin A in the intestine, to absorb more easily in the body, explains Beckerman.

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.

Although raw carrot slices go well with a dip, cooked carrots are softer and easier to chew. But that's not the only benefit of heating the vegetable. Carrots provide more antioxidants when boiled or steamed than when eaten raw, according to a January 2008 report in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

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.)

Fill a metal strainer or colander.

Choose a saucepan that's wide enough to hold the metal strainer around the rim, and deep enough that the strainer doesn't touch the bottom. Add about an inch of water to the bottom of the pan, place the strainer over the pan, fill with veggies, and cook.

Place the carrots in boiling water. Blanch the carrots for 5 minutes, starting when the water returns to a boil. Drain the hot water and run cold water over the carrots for 4 to 5 minutes. Or you can microwave the carrots in a bowl with water and covered with a lid or a plate on high for 2 minutes.

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.