Using a Microwave 3 Tier Steamer

Once Upon a time, not too many years ago, I bought myself a microwave two tier steamer. It stood in my cupboard for God knows how long and I thought, l am not going to use it, as I don’t really want to cook in the microwave.

But, one day I needed to cook some broccoli quickly, as I had forgotten to cook them and my dinner guests were waiting. I thought “Oh well I’ll give it a try in the steamer”. The broccoli was already split into florets, so I put some water with some salt in the lower basin, I placed the washed broccoli in the first tier and put the steamer lid on, placed the steamer in the microwave for 3½ minutes on full heat. And you won’t believe it, but it was crunchy, it was cooked, it was lovely. I was surprised and nobody noticed, they just thought I was re-warming the broccoli.

Since then, I have experimented with the steamer and it also worked extremely well with carrots, leeks, cauliflower, sweetcorn washed and wrapped in kitchen towel, and my latest Steamed Salmon steak.

My meal off today is a piece of salmon, with carrots and leeks all in the steamer at the same time or served from the steamer within 4-3½ minutes served with a little melted butter.

This is how to make the salmon dinner:

• 200-250g Salmon steak
• A piece of baking paper
• 1 portion Carrots, peeled, Julienned and rinsed
• 1 portion Leek, cut in 1cm rings and rinsed
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1 tbsp butter for serving

1. In the bottom tier: Half fill with water and add the salt.
2. in the 1^st tier: place the carrots and leeks (not mixed).
3. In the 2^nd tier: place the salmon skin down on top of the cut baking paper (slightly bigger than the salmon).
4. Add a pinch of salt and pepper to the salmon.
5. Then put the steamer together place the steamer lid on top and place it in the microwave.
6. Microwave on full power for 3½-4 minutes.

Serve with the butter. That’s it. Enjoy.

If you just want to steam the salmon on its own, place the salmon in the 1^st tier and steam for 2½ -3½ minutes depending on the thickness of the salmon.

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Salmon Broccoli Pie

Prep time 2 minutes	Cooking time 15-20 minutes
Serves 2

I had purchased a side of fresh salmon (for myself) and just didn’t want to freeze half of it. So, I cut the side into 3 pieces and griddled them. I ate 1 slice, froze another slice and made a pie with the last piece. This is the result.

• 200g cooked/fried fresh salmon
• 1 handful frozen prawns (optional)
• 1 small broccoli (cut into florets, stem- peeled and cut into smallish pieces)
• ¾l milk and fish stock (dissolve a fish-stock cube in ½l hot water & use half)
• 20g butter (10g each for the filling and the broccoli mash)
• 2 tbsp Cornflour (to make the roux gluten free)
• Salt & Pepper and herbs (onion, garlic salt and green herbs) to taste.

1. Pre-heat oven to 200°C.
2. Place the broccoli in a steamer and microwave for 4 minutes.
3. Remove the skin from the salmon, flake it, making sure to remove all fishbones. Spread this into 1 big oven dish or 2 smaller portion oven dishes.
4. Spread the frozen prawns evenly over the salmon.
5. Make a roux with butter and corn flower, and gradually add the milk & water mixture.
6. When the sauce is smooth add salt, pepper, garlic or onion granules and the dried parsley and pour this evenly over the fish.
7. Place the cooked broccoli in a food processor (using a blade) and add the butter (flake it), salt, pepper and other herbs if wanted. Pulse it until it has a slightly grained consistency. I also use a little of the leftover fish stock to make it easier to pulse. Spread evenly over the dish(s) making the pie lid.
8. Place in the hot oven for approx. 15 minutes, until the lop looks crusty.
9. Finish off by placing the dish under the grill for 2 min to get a lovely crunchy brown top.

Enjoy!

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Easy Rösti with Tuna Steak and steamed Broccoli

Prep time 2 minutes	Cooking time 15 minutes
Serves 1	Calories 420 in total

I have a Chinese supermarket nearby and I like their frozen tuna steaks (just under £10 for 5 individually sealed steaks). The rösti couldn’t be much easier to make than this, all it requires is a grater or a food processor that can do the coarse grating for you. Why steamed broccoli? Because of the latest findings in vegetable cooking this is the healthiest way of cooking vegetables. The vitamins stay where they are (doesn’t get cooked away into the water) and the flavour and colour are also so much nicer. The salting of steamed vegetables is a little tricky, I use one of two ways to do this. The first: while cleaning the veg add salt to the last rinse and leave vegs in soak for a couple of minutes. The second: in the steamer add double salt to the water below the veg and the steam will then become salty.

• 1 Tuna Steak
• 200g grated potatoes (one large potato)
• Onion and garlic salt
• 4-6 broccoli flowers
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 1-2 tbsp Rapeseed oil
• 10g butter

1. Coarsely grate a washed potato (no need for peeling), place the grated potato in one bowl of boiling hot water, leave to rest for a minute or so, then drain it, but leave it in the strainer.
2. Wash the broccoli flowers and place in a steamer. Dissolve the salt in the steamer water (button bowl), place the steamer in a microwave and cook on full heat for max 3 minutes.
3. In the meantime – I like using a wok, because I can control the heat and I don’t need too much frying oil – heat a wok/frying-pan – when hot add 1 tbsp oil and 10g butter, when this has amalgamated – add the grated potato. Flatten into a pancake, and sprinkle with salt, pepper, onion salt and or garlic salt. Fry for 5 minutes each side. Leave lid on.
4. While the rösti is frying – heat a griddle pan (or just a frying pan) – dry the tuna steak on some kitchen towel – when the pan is smoking hot place the tuna stake on it. Seal both sides before seasoning (salt, pepper and maybe some garlic salt) and if using a frying pan – add a little oil – lower the heat. Fry for max 2 minutes each side.
5. Remove the lid from the rösti and turn heat up to make the sides crispy, max one minute each side.

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Fish Balls in Tomato Sauce

Serves 3-4
Total time 6 minutes
This is such an easy, quick and tasty dinner that I thought I would share it with my readers. All that’s required is that you have a tin of fishballs and chopped tomato.

• 1 tin 400g Bornholms Fiskeboller
  (purchased online from Danish Food Direct)
• 1 tin chopped Tomato
• Herbs to taste – I used Salt and Pepper, Thyme and Parsley

• 1^st make the tomato sauce, simply empty tin into a saucepan and heat, once hot add the required herbs.
• 2^nd strain the fishballs and add to the tomato sauce.
• Cover the saucepan with a lid and let the sauce simmer on lowest heat possible for max 5 minutes.
• Serve on a bed of rice or as in the picture with rice noodles.

Fishy Greens

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 55 minutes -> 1 hour
Serves 2-3

• 100g fresh leaf spinach
• 40g unsalted butter
• ½ onion, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, crushed / squeezed through a crusher
• 1 tbsp potato/rice flour
• 300ml semi skimmed milk (for the sauce)
• 100ml semi skimmed milk (for the broccoli)
• 2 skinless boneless cod fillets cut into bite size chunks
• 10 green olives – chopped
• Herbs: salt, pepper, mixed herbs, paprika
• 1 broccoli head cut into florets (incl. the stalk finely cut)
• 1 tbsp olive oil

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C, fan 180°C, gas 6.
2. Bring a little water to boil in a wok or a large saucepan,
   1. Wash the spinach
   2. Add the spinach and blanch for 3 mins.
   3. Drain, squeeze out the excess water
   4. Line the bottom of a 1.5 litre Pyrex dish with the spinach
3. Spread the cod over the spinach
4. In a wok/pan, melt the butter and add the onion.
   1. Sauté for 5 mins before adding the garlic for the last minute.
   2. Add the chosen herbs and chopped olives
   3. Remove from the heat and slowly whisk in the milk.
   4. Add the rice flour, and stir until well mixed
   5. Return the pan to the heat. Simmer for 2 minutes, stirring, until thickened.
   6. Pour this over the cod.
5. Steam the broccoli in a microwave for 4-5 minutes
   1. Place the broccoli in a food processor and blend until smooth
   2. Add 100ml milk, salt & pepper to taste
   3. Spread evenly on top of the contents of the dish
6. Bake covered for 25 minutes
   1. Remove the lid and bake for a further 20 minutes.

Fish Gratin

4-5 peeled and slices potatos 1 large leek cut diagonally ½cm thick slices 2-3 haddock filets cut into 1cm pieces 200-300 ml white gravy (white Bisto) 100g grated extra mature cheddar 1 stock cube Herbs to taste

Add the stock cube to hot water and add some herbs to taste (salt, pepper, garlic, mixed herbs, paprika) and parboil the potatos for max 3 minutes. Remove potatoes but add the leek just in and out don’t let it boil.
While the potatos are cooking make the gravy and add the cheese ensure its not too tick.
Grease the gratin dish then lay 1 layer of potatos (use ½), 1 layer of fish (use it all), 1 layer of leek (use it all). Poor ½ the gravy over the dish; then finish the last layer of potatoes. Add the remainder of gravy but don’t let it run over.
If you don’t have a lid put some foil over and place in a 200° oven for 45 minutes, then remove the lid or foil and bake for another 15 minutes.
Served with peas or broccoli.