Tips to Prepare Chicken Noodle Soup—the Ultimate Comfort Food!

Whether you want something to warm you on a cold winter night or something warm to ward off a winter cold or you simply love soup, Chicken Noodle Soup is always a winner. My first attempt at this soup was anything but a culinary delight, but over the years I have learned several of the secrets to preparing a great batch of soup.

First, here is the recipe for Hearty Chicken Noodle Soup
1 stewing chicken, cut up
2 quarts water
1 large onion, quartered
1 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
2 celery ribs, sliced
5 chicken bouillon cubes or about 2 Tbsp. chicken base
5 whole peppercorns
4 whole cloves
1 bay leaf
2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
Dash of dried thyme
3 – 4 carrots, thinly sliced
About 2 cups noodles, uncooked


In a large stockpot, combine the first 12 ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 2 1/2 hours or until the chicken is tender. Remove chicken from broth. Cool. Debone chicken and cut into chunks. Strain broth and skim fat. Return to stockpot. Add chicken and carrots. Boil noodles in separate pan according to directions and add to soup. If you prefer more liquid, add additional chicken stock. Serve.

Tips:

Use a large enough stockpot to accommodate your recipe--a stainless steel stockpot with a steamer basket insert is ideal for conveniently straining your soup.

1. Do NOT add too much water.

2. If you have time to make the soup a day ahead, you can refrigerate overnight. The fat can then be skimmed easily from the top of the soup.

3. If you prefer extra liquid, add chicken stock rather than chicken broth.

4. If you have the time, you might want to make your own chicken stock. Though a bit more tedious to prepare, the end result is well worth it. The stock has a much richer flavor than conventional broths.

Chicken Stock Recipe

3 to 4 lbs. whole chicken, cut up, or 3 to 4 pounds necks and back
About 4 quarts of water
2 onions, coarsely chopped
2 carrots, coarsely chopped
2 stalks celery with leaves, coarsely chopped
1 bay leaf
2 sprigs thyme or 1 tsp. dried
4 sprigs parsley with stems
8 peppercorns, cracked

Place the steamer basket in the stockpot. Place the chicken in the basket and fill the pan with water to 1 inch below the large holes in the steamer basket. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. With a large serving spoon, skim off the froth (fat and scum) that rises to the surface of the water and discard. Add the balance of the ingredients. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan (if you have a waterless stockpot, open the vent), and simmer for about 3 hours. Do not allow the stock to return to a boil.

To strain the stock, lift the steamer basket above the liquid level and press the juices out with a large serving spoon. The basket contents can be discarded or reserved and frozen as a starter for your next batch of stock.

To remove the fat, place the stock in the refrigerator. When it has cooled, the fat and debris will rise to the surface. Skim off and discard.

To store, package in 1 cup quantities and freeze up to 3 months.

Marcia Klun is a former teacher and an experienced cook as well as the owner and webmaster of http://www.thegourmetscookware.com/, a site that offers quality stainless steel products, such as waterless cookware sets, stockpots, cutlery, skillets, flatware, and other gourmet cooking essentials. In addition, the site offers relevant information about waterless cooking and provides a variety of healthy recipes that can be adapted to waterless cookware.

Frequently Asked Questions About Waterless Stainless Steel Cookware

If you have been considering the purchase of stainless steel cookware, you may have encountered ads featuring waterless cookware. For many, the world of “waterless cooking” is an unknown entity. As a user and vendor of waterless stainless steel cookware, I would like to address several of the most frequently asked questions regarding waterless cookware.

What is Waterless Cooking?
Waterless cooking has gotten a lot of publicity in recent months. Is it just hype? Actually, no! Waterless cooking really has been around for quite some time. Waterless cooking, unlike conventional cooking, uses minimal or no water. It relies instead on the natural moisture in the food. As a result, very few nutrients are lost in the cooking process. Lower cooking temperatures and steam-controlled cookware retains the natural juices of the food, enhancing their taste. When cooking vegetables, for example, simply rinsing the vegetables in water and shaking off the excess water provides enough moisture to cook the vegetables to the desired state of doneness. Obviously, dried foods, like beans, rice, pasta, etc, require more liquid to cook properly.

What is multi-ply?

Ply refers to the number of layers in the bottom of the encapsulated pan. Some refer to it as element. These layers are important because the number of ply or elements allows for even heat flow and durability. The aluminum conducts the heat well in the inner layers. However, it is not desirable on the outside because it corrodes and comes off on the food. The multi-layers include stainless steel on the entire outside (top and bottom) of the encapsulated bottom. The inner layers consist of aluminum, as well as other metals, that are considered to be better conductors of heat. These multi-layers spread the heat evenly, insuring that there are no "hot spots." The thickness of the cookware also reduces chances of the piece warping. Stainless steel protects the food and the cookware itself.

Recently there has been an increase in the number of layers or ply added to the cookware. For cookware to be classified as waterless, it must be at least 5-ply or have five layers. Our company features cookware that has 7-ply, 9-ply and even 12-ply construction. While extra ply will very minimally increase the weight of the pan, it does not mean that your food will cook any better or taste any different because of the extra layers. When considering the purchase of cookware, use factors other than multi-ply (such as number and type of pieces in the cookware set) to determine which set is the best choice for you.

What Is Waterless Cookware?
While all waterless stainless steel cookware is made out of quality stainless steel, not all stainless steel cookware is quality or waterless. To be classified as waterless, the cookware must meet 4 requirements.

• A high-grade stainless steel must be used. Waterless cookware must be a minimum of 5-ply. You will often see advertisements for products with 7-ply or 9-ply or possibly more. To some degree, the layering is important. Stainless steel is a great material for waterless cooking, but stainless steel is not known for fast heat transfer. Thus, the addition of a layer of aluminum in the center of the stainless steel provides for the fast and even distribution of heat.


• A Flat-bottomed pan is needed for efficient heat transfer. The bottom of a waterless cooking pan needs to be flat to provide for even heat distribution.


• A thicker bottom plate is necessary to evenly distribute the heat. The special design of the encapsulated bottom of each stainless steel pot provides strength and rigidity that prevents warping. It also eliminates hot spots that may burn food. Heat is distributed evenly in all directions.


• A special lid is used to keep the steam from escaping. Waterless cooking will not work if a proper seal cannot be formed. When a seal is created, it locks in the natural moisture that escapes from the food during the cooking process. Thus, foods are cooked in their own natural juices, retaining vital vitamins and minerals. This is really the key to waterless cooking—a vapor seal must be created.

While I cannot speak for other brands, I can tell you that our Maxam Stainless Steel Cookware meets the criteria above. Maxam Cookware has over 50 years of experience and research going into the production of its products. Further, this quality cookware can be purchased for a fraction of the cost of comparable quality cookware offered at the State Fair.

Why is your stainless steel product cheaper than some of the other waterless cookware brands?
There is virtually little difference between all of the quality cookware brands. One of the unique features of our brand is the steam-control valve on most of our sets. This valve on most of our lids helps you determine exactly when to turn the temperature down. Some of the other brands do not have this steam release valve. Generally, if a waterless cookware set is constructed of a high-grade stainless steel, such as 304 surgical stainless steel (used in all waterless cookware), the manufacturing company has a good reputation (Maxam has been around since the 1950s), there is a Factory Lifetime Warranty that includes a customer service address with every set, then you can be quite certain that you are receiving a quality, high grade set of cookware. We are not experts on other brands so it would be unfair of us to compare their product to ours. Some of these other cookware brands cost between $1000 and $2000 more. That difference in price between our product and theirs is not because of quality differences. More likely it is because of difference in marketing. With our product, you are dealing with the wholesale market rather than the retail market. Many of the higher priced brands are shown at home shows, county and state fairs, etc. and require a much greater marketing budget than our form of sales.

We hope you found this information helpful. If you decide that you would like to investigate stainless steel cookware further, visit our site – The Gourmet’s Cookware. Not only do we provide additional information about waterless cooking, we have also included some great waterless cooking recipes.

Marcia Klun is the owner and webmaster of www.thegourmetscookware.com, a site that offers quality stainless steel products, such as waterless cookware sets, stockpots, cutlery, skillets, flatware, and other gourmet cooking essentials. In addition, the site offers relevant information about waterless cooking and provides a variety of healthy recipes that can be adapted to waterless cookware.

Adapting Recipes for Waterless Cookware

Many of us want to cook healthy meals that are both pleasing to the eye as well as to the palate. There are literally thousands of cookbooks on the market that help us with that daily task of meal planning and preparation. Yet when it comes to waterless and greaseless cooking, there are very few cookbooks available. To enjoy a variety of recipes and receive the benefits of cooking without water and added fats, you will need to adapt recipes. The easiest way to do that is to know and trust your cookware. Three things are important in this process:

Use Lower Temperature Settings

One of the benefits of quality stainless steel waterless cookware is the way it conducts heat—on low. One common mistake is to use a heat setting that is too high. Waterless cookware has a flat bottom. This bottom of a waterless cooking pan needs to be flat to provide for even heat distribution. The special design of the encapsulated bottom of each stainless steel pot provides strength and rigidity that prevents warping. It also eliminates hot spots that may burn food. Heat is distributed evenly in all directions.

Understand Waterless Cooking

Rinse and freshen vegetables. Pour off excess water, cover utensil, close vent, set on low heat, and remember not to peek. These are the basic principles of waterless cooking. Every time you lift the cover moisture is allowed to escape. This can result in burned foods and/or extra cooking time. Always use the correct size pan. Vegetables should fill or almost fill the pan. If there is too much air inside the pan, the vapor seal will not form, and vegetables will burn. Many foods, like fruits and vegetables, have their own moisture. You can retain the natural moisture by cooking with low heat, the cover on, and the vent closed. There is an exception however. Dried foods, such as rice, pasta, or dried beans will have to additional moisture added to rehydrate.

Enjoy Greaseless Cooking

You really can prepare your foods without added oils and fats. Remember, you are cooking on a surgical stainless steel surface. To prepare meats, preheat the pan on medium to medium high heat until water drops “dance” when they are sprinkled in the pan. Place the meat in the pan. It will immediately begin to sear, temporarily sticking to the surface. You should not try to move them until they are ready to turn. After 4 or 5 minutes, lift the corner of the meat. Do not force. The meat should release itself. When that side is seared, turn and cook on the other side for additional 4 or 5 minutes. Most meats, chicken, chops, and fish have natural fats and oils, so you don’t need to add them. Eggs, however, have no natural oil. You must add vegetable cooking spray to the pan or use a small amount of butter or margarine.

We hope you found this information helpful. Click for great cooking tips and recipes! We have also included some great waterless cooking recipes on our site http://www.thegourmetscookware.com/healthywaterlessrecipes.html. We just added some tasty recipes for July to our site. We also have some great deals on waterless cookware sets and pieces.

Cooking with Waterless Cookware

Switching from traditional cookware to waterless stainless steel cookware may seem a bit threatening—but it needn’t be. If you follow the basic principles of waterless cooking, you will find cooking to be a pleasurable and tasty culinary experience. Initially, you may want to follow the guidelines provided by experts in the field of waterless cooking. However, once you have the basic techniques mastered, you will easily be able to transition your basic recipes to the waterless, greaseless way of cooking. For those beginners who would like a cookbook to help guide them in the initial stages, I would recommend three that are authored by Charles Knight, who is recognized worldwide as the foremost expert on the classic methods of waterless, greaseless cooking.

1. “The Better Health Cookbook” an instructional cookbook by Charles Knight. Copyright: 2005.


2. “Healthy Meat and Potatoes” by Charles and David Knight. Copyright: 2001. This cookbook has a section on waterless cooking techniques as well as a number of great basic recipes.


3. “A Guide to Waterless Cooking” by Chef Charles Knight. Copyright: 2009. In addition to a wide variety of new recipes, it has sections on Basic Cookware Care, The Vapor Seal Method, Basic Product Information, Adapting Recipes, Nutrition Basics, Nutrition Facts and Basic Cooking Instructions.

We hope you found this information helpful. Click for great cooking tips and recipes! We have also included some great waterless cooking recipes on our site http://www.thegourmetscookware.com/healthywaterlessrecipes.html. We just added some tasty recipes for July to our site. We also have some great deals on waterless cookware sets and pieces

Cooking Greaseless with Stainless Steel Cookware

While our bodies need a certain amount of fat in our diets, most of us get much more than we should. Reducing the amount of fat or cooking oils in cooking can help you to reduce calories and help you lower cholesterol levels, both key factors in maintaining a healthy heart. Cooking with waterless cookware allows us option of cooking waterless and greaseless.

How to Cook Meats the Greaseless Way

All meats and poultry contain juices, most of it being water. However, meats and poultry also contain fat. When cooking with waterless, greaseless cookware, trim all the visible fat from the meat before cooking. Then you can pan broil the meat without adding fats or oils to the pan.

Preheat your pan at medium or medium-high heat. After approximately 3 minutes, test the surface with a few water droplets. If the droplets dance across the surface, the pan is hot enough to brown the meat and seal in juices.

When you are browning the meat, it will stick initially. Do not cover the pan until the meat loosens (this usually takes about 5 minutes). To prevent any grease from splattering, you can cover partially, leaving the cover slightly ajar. When the meat loosens, turn it to brown on the other side. At this point, cover the pan, leaving the vent open.

Continue cooking according to your recipe. Normally, cooking time is about 5 to 10 minutes for steaks, chops, cutlets, or boneless chicken. If you have thicker cuts of beef or poultry with bones, that time could be longer.

Why Cook Greaseless?

Unfortunately, oven broiling and roasting can dry out and shrink your meat. Oven broiling subjects meat to extremely high temperatures with only a few inches of air. The high temperatures involved in broiling limits its effectiveness. The whole piece of meat can actually be cooked through before the outside surface is browned. Because of this, oven broiling is traditionally limited to relatively thin and tender cuts like chops, steaks, or pieces of poultry, and fish. Meat with a lot of connective tissue is less suited for broiling because collagen does not have time or reach the internal temperature necessary, to soften or liquefy—thus, the meat is tough!

While all of us love cooking outside on the barbecue, Barbecue grilling deposits harmful hydrocarbons on meat. When grilling, the very high temperatures at the meat’s surface are ideal for a caramelized (browning) reaction. Caramelizing is the process of bringing the natural salts and sugars of the meat to the surface for a crisp outer surface. This is what gives a grilled steak that fantastic taste. However, a disadvantage is that these same high temperatures are high enough to burn the fat. The liquefied fat drops on the hot surface can create smoke and potentially carcinogenic hydrocarbons. If this is deposited on the meat, this can be dangerous to your health.

The next article will cover pan broiling the healthy way and include directions on how to cook that perfect steak. We hope you found this information helpful. Click on http://www.thegourmetscookware.com/ for other great cooking tips and recipes as well as great deals on waterless cookware! We have included some great waterless cooking recipes on our site http://www.thegourmetscookware.com/healthywaterlessrecipes.html This month we are featuring a fantastic Father’s Day Menu.

Why Waterless Cookware?

When cooking foods in water, less is better! This is especially true if interested in healthy eating that preserves the nutritional value of your food. What does waterless cooking mean—it just means adding extra water is not necessary, for most meats and vegetables already contain water naturally. In fact, adding water actually removes nutrients from your food. With waterless cooking method, only 2% of your vitamins and minerals are lost in the cooking process, whereas with conventional cooking methods, there is about a 42% loss in nutrients when cooking in water.

Key Advantages of Waterless Cooking:

• Higher nutritional value of foods that are cooked. Nutrients are not lost or diluted in water.
• With waterless cooking, you don’t need to add oils or fats in the cooking process. When vegetables are sautéed in oil, they do not properly caramelize and release the aromatic flavors into the dish being cooked.
• Cleanup is easy and fast. An easy scrub with a high-quality stainless steel cleaner, using a damp cloth, and a good rinse in hot water is all that is necessary to keep your pans bright and shiny and to keep foods from sticking to the pan.
• Quality stainless steel waterless cookware disperses heat evenly—there are no hot spots. This type of cookware has a flat bottom that keeps more of the surface in contact with the gas burner or electric heat.

Most waterless stainless steel cookware sets are either 7- or 9-ply. The key difference between the two is that the 9-ply has more bonding agents between layers. However, the difference in weight between the two is negligible. For cookware to be considered waterless, it should be at least 5 layers or 5-ply. Most stainless steel cookware sold in department stores is only 3-ply, not meeting the waterless requirement.

Tight fitting lids are also a critical part of waterless cooking. Vegetables have high water content. For that reason, it is unnecessary to add additional water when cooking. All you need to do is rinse your vegetables in cold water, drain, and place in the pan. When cooking vegetables the waterless way, it is important to select the correct size pan. The vegetables should almost completely fill the pan. Once in the pan, follow these steps:
Cover vegetable with lid. Start cooking on medium head (never use high heat).
When the valve begins to whistle, close the value and turn the heat to low. Cook vegetables according to times given for that specific vegetable.

One of the most economical waterless cookware sets that offers all the required features of waterless cookware is the 17 pc. 9-element Surgical Stainless Steel Waterless Cookware Set by Maxam. This set include:

• 1.7 qt. Covered saucepan
• 2.5 qt. Covered saucepan
• 3.2 qt. Covered saucepan
• 7.5 qt. Stove-top covered roaster
• 11 3/8” skillet
• Double boiler unit with capsule bottom so you can use the double boiler as an extra 3 qt. Pan
• 5 egg poaching cups
• 5-hole utility rack for egg cups
• High dome cover for skillet or roaster
  

This waterless cookware set has several special features:

• Easy to clean and dishwasher safe
• Energy efficient
• Heat-resistant phenolic handles and knobs
• Warp-resistant bottoms
• Special Water-seal covers that lock in moisture and flavors
• Handy hang-up feature that allows hanging cookware to save space
• Self-storing lids that invert for easy storage
• 9-element construction consists of chrome, nickel, manganese, silicon, aluminum, iron, copper, molybdenum, and vanadium–these elements are located in the capsule bottom of the cookware
• 9-element construction allows you to stack cook. You can begin by cooking on individual burners. Then you can stack the pans to finish cooking—an energy savings!
• Handles stay cool and are resistant to heat and detergents.
  
  We hope you found this information helpful. Check out our site http://www.thegourmetscookware.com/for great cooking tips and recipes! We have also included some great waterless cooking recipes on our site http://www.thegourmetscookware.com/healthywaterlessrecipes.html This month we are featuring a fantastic Father’s Day Menu.
  

• I am always looking for great recipes. I took a cooking class several months ago and the class instructor was the chef and owner of Bluephies Restaurant in Madison, WI. He shared this recipe with us. It’s a real comfort food—especially on a cold, winter night. This recipe was a regular recipe that was easy to adapt to waterless cookware.
  
  Chicken Pot Pie
  
  3 Tbsp. olive oil (conventional, nonwaterless pan)
  2 lbs. Boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  2 medium carrot, diced
  4 celery stalks, diced
  1 large yellow onion, diced
  1 Tbsp. minced fresh garlic
  2 Tbsp. soup base (vegetable or chicken)
  1 Tbsp. dried thyme
  2 tsp. dried oregano
  1 tsp. dried rubbed sage
  1 tsp. basil
  1 tsp. parsley
  1 1/2 tsp. salt
  1/4 tsp. black pepper
  1/4 cup flour
  4 cups heavy cream
  2 cups water
  1 large unpeeled russet potato, diced
  1 cup corn kernels
  Pastry crust or your favorite biscuits
  
  Put chicken in stockpot that has been heated to medium hot. Add the chicken and sauté until it is cooked all the way through. Watch chicken, stirring occasionally, so it does not burn. When chicken is done, it should begin to shred easily. Add the carrots, celery, onion, and garlic. Sauté until carrots are tender.
  
  Add the soup base, thyme, oregano, basil, sage, parsley, salt, and pepper. Cook until fragrant.
  
  Add the flour and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often. Add the cream, water, potatoes, and corn to the pot. Cook until a fork goes through the potatoes without resistance. The starch in the potatoes and the flour will thicken the mixture. If you want a really thick filling, add more flour.
  
  For serving:


• Put chicken mixture into a pie pan or other baking dish. Cover with a single pie crust or puff pastry. Seal the edges. Bake in 350 degree oven till crust is browned at the top.


• Or prepare a package of your favorite biscuits and put filling over baked biscuits.

We hope you found this information helpful. If you decide that you would like to try out stainless steel cookware, check out our site http://www.thegourmetscookware.com/ for some great deals! We have also included some great waterless cooking recipes on our site http://www.thegourmetscookware.com/healthywaterlessrecipes.html This month we are featuring a fantastic Father’s Day Menu.

Adapting Recipes for Waterless Cookware

I love to cook and while I have scads of cookbooks and am always on the lookout for new recipes to try, I find it difficult to find cookbooks that specialize in waterless, greaseless cooking. Many regular recipes can be adapted to cooking waterless or greaseless—the key to preparing a great meal is simply knowing and trusting your waterless stainless steel cookware.

Charles Knight in his cookbook “Healthy Meant and Potatoes” gives a couple of different techniques for cooking meals the waterless, greaseless way on the top of your stove—pan broiling, roasting and sautéing.

Pan Broiling and Sautéing

Because heat is distributed evenly and efficiently in high-quality waterless cookware, the meat surface will brown quickly, perhaps in 1 to minutes. No fat is necessary for cooking. When the meat is browned sufficiently, it should release easily from the pan. In this initial browning state, the heat can be higher. However, once the meat is browned the heat should be reduced to prevent the meat from toughening. When the pan is covered, water vapor is trapped and a basting-like process takes place. When pan frying, therefore, you should OPEN the vent.

Roasting

You can brown and roast –all on the top of your stove—in a relatively short period of time. To prepare a roast, follow these simple steps:

• Preheat your pan’s bottom on medium or medium high heat. To test it, sprinkle a few droplets of water into a pan. If the water droplets sputter around the pan, your pan is hot enough to quickly brown your meat. If the water droplets evaporate, then the pan is not hot enough.


• Season the meat to taste. Place the meat in the pan and brown on all sides—no oil is necessary.


• After meat is browned on both sides, cover the pan and reduce heat to medium-low. When bubbles begin to form around the cover, you have reached the proper cooking temperature for cooking. If there are no bubbles, the heat is too low. If there is moisture around the top of the pan, the heat is too high.
  
  When preparing dishes with waterless cookware, there are two methods commonly used—dry sautéing and wet sautéing.
  
  Dry Sautéing
  
  Dry sautéing involves cooking vegetables or meats in a hot, dry pan over medium heat until slightly browned. No oil is necessary. In fact, when vegetables are sautéed in oil, they do not caramelize properly and do not release the aromatic flavors into the dish being cooked. If you prefer to add oil or butter to your dish, it is recommended that it be added after cooking.
  
  Wet Sautéing
  
  Cook vegetables in a small amount of stock over medium heat.
  
  We hope you found this information helpful. If you decide that you would like to try out stainless steel cookware, check out our site http://www.thegourmetscookware.com/ for some great deals! We have also included some great waterless cooking recipes on our site http://www.thegourmetscookware.com/healthywaterlessrecipes.html This month we are featuring a fantastic Father’s Day Menu. The next article will feature a real comfort food cooked the waterless way. It is Bluephies’ (a favorite Madison restaurant) version of Chicken Pot Pie. It has become a favorite in our household and I am sure it will become popular in yours also.

COOKING VEGETABLES WITH WATERLESS COOKWARE - PART 2

Charles and David Knight have published “Healthy Meat and Potatoes,” providing not only lots of good recipes but also helpful tips for waterless cookware owners. Following are instructions Charles Knight offers for cooking vegetables the waterless, greaseless way.

Cooking Fresh Vegetables
To cook, place the vegetables in a pan that is almost completely full. Rinse with cold water and pour the excess water off. The water that clings to the vegetables and its own natural moisture will be sufficient for cooking the waterless way.
Cover the pan, close the vent and cook over medium-low heat. When the cover spins freely on a cushion of water, the vapor seal has formed. Cook according to the time chart that follows: Do not peek. When finished cooking, test for doneness with a fork. If not done, cover the pan, close the vent and add 2 to 3 Tbsp. of water to the rim to reestablish the vapor seal. Cook over low heat for 5 to 10 minutes.

Cooking Frozen Vegetables
Do not defrost. Place the frozen vegetables in the pan to almost completely full. Rinse with cold water and pour the excess water off. The water that clings to the vegetables and its own natural moisture are sufficient for cooking waterless.
Cover the pan, close the vent and cook over medium-low heat. When the cover spins freely on a cushion of water, the vapor seal has formed. Cook according to the time chart. Do not peek. Removing the cover will destroy the vapor seal, lengthen the cooking time, and possibly cause the vegetables to burn.

Cooking Times for Apples and Vegetables

Vegetable Cooking Time in Minutes

Apples (10 to 15)
Artichokes (whole) (30 to 45)
Artichoke hearts (10 to 15)
Asparagus (10 to 15)
Beans, green (fresh, cut) (15 to 20)
Beans, green (fresh, French cut) (10 to 15)
Beans, green (frozen) (10 to 12)
Beans, Lima (fresh) (30 to 35)
Beans, Lima (frozen) (10 to 12)
Beets (whole) (35 to 40)
Broccoli (15 to 20)
Brussels Sprouts (15 to 20)
Cabbage, shredded (10 to 15)
Carrots, sliced (15 to 20)
Cauliflower (10 to 15)
Corn (fresh) (15 to 20)
Corn (frozen) (10 to 12)
Eggplant (5 to 8)
Greens (10 to 12)
Leeks (12 to 15)
Mushrooms (5 to 10)
Okra (15 to 20)
Onions (whole) (15 to 20)
Parsnips (sliced) (15 to 20)
Peas (frozen) (5 to 7)
Potatoes (quartered) (20 to 25)
Potatoes (whole) (30 to 35)
Potatoes, sweet (30 to 35)
Spinach (frozen) (8 to 10)
Spinach (fresh) (15 to 20)
Squash, summer (yellow) 15 to 20)
Squash, winter (25 to 30)
Squash, zucchini (20 to 25)
Tomatoes (10 to 15)
Turnips and rutabagas (25 to 30)

*Cooking times reflect the time after the vapor seal is formed, usually 3 to 5 minutes.
Note: To keep your vegetables hot and ready to serve, keep the cover on and the vent closed. The vegetables will stay hot in the pan for about 20 to 25 minutes.

We hope you found this information helpful. If you decide that you would like to try out stainless steel cookware, check out our site http://www.thegourmetscookware.com/ for some great deals! We have also included some great waterless cooking recipes on our site http://www.thegourmetscookware.com/healthywaterlessrecipes.html This month we are featuring a fantastic Father’s Day Menu.

COOKING VEGETABLES WITH WATERLESS COOKWARE- PART 1

Many of us like to follow a recipe when cooking. While there are thousands of cookbooks available with a myriad of recipes to follow, there are very few waterless cookbooks out there. Charles and David Knight have published “Healthy Meat and Potatoes,” providing not only lots of good recipes but also helpful tips for waterless cookware owners. Following is a summary of some of the tips Charles Knight offers for cooking vegetables the waterless, greaseless way.

Scrub Root Vegetables
Clean your root vegetables with a vegetable brush under cold running water. Remove any surface blemishes you see. Peeling is not necessary.

Refresh Vegetables
Vegetables, especially root vegetables, tend to lose some of their natural moisture after they are harvested. To replenish some of this lost moisture, place the vegetables in the pan, fill the pan with water, add 1 Tbsp> white distilled vinegar and soak for 10 to 15 minutes. Soaking will also remove chemical sprays, preservatives and any other substances the vegetable may have come in contact with as a result of transit and storage. Pour the water off, rinse, and then cook according to the recipe.

Use the Right-Sized Pan
When cooking vegetables the waterless way, it is important to use a size pan that the vegetables almost completely fill. This is critical in forming the vapor seal. The fewer vegetables in the pan, the more air, which can possibly result in oxidation. When pans are not full enough, a high temperature is required to create a vapor seal. This can cause scorching or burning.

Form the Vapor Seal
In heating, the moist air expands and is forced out between the rim and the cover of the pan. Around the rim there is a well, or reservoir, that collect the moisture. The covers are angled down to fit in line with well. As the heated air continues to escape, the well fills with moisture, forming the vapor seal. This process usually takes 3 to 5 minutes.

Find the Right Temperature Setting
Despite the wide variety of gas and electric ranges available, waterless cooking takes the guesswork out of the cooking process. Here are two tips:

• If the rim or well spits moisture, the temperature is too high.




• If the lid does not spin freely on a cushion of water after forming the seal, the temperature is too low.

You may need to experiment with finding the right temperature for a time or two, but once you find that perfect temperature, cooking with waterless cookware will be simple and easy.

Reestablish the Vapor Seal
Do not peek during the waterless cooking process. Removing the cover destroys the vapor seal, lengthens the cooking time and can possibly cause the vegetables to burn. If, for any reason, the cover is taken off, cover the pan again, close the vent and add 2 Tbsp. to the rim to reestablish the vapor seal. Add 3 to 5 minutes to the designated cooking time.

We hope you found this information helpful. If you decide that you would like to try out stainless steel cookware, check out our site http://www.thegourmetscookware.com/ for some great deals! We have also included some great waterless cooking recipes on our site http://www.thegourmetscookware.com/healthywaterlessrecipes.html This month we are featuring a fantastic Father’s Day Menu.

What Are the “Real” Facts about Stainless Steel Cookware?

Over the years, many people have shied away from using stainless steel cookware for a variety of reasons, especially since non-stick has become popular. Some believe non-stick is easier to clean; others believe that non-stick is healthier because you don’t need to add as much oil to cook foods. Still others believe they can’t afford quality stainless steel cookware. This article is intended to dispel some of the myths about stainless steel cookware.

Myth 1: Stainless can be Difficult to Clean and Maintain

With the proper care and maintenance, your stainless steel cookware will truly last a lifetime. Not only will your stainless cookware cook terrific meals for your family, but it can look as good 20 or 30 years from now as it did when you purchased it.

Although advertised as dishwasher, many experts believe that you can better keep your cookware looking like new by hand washing your cookware is hot, soapy water and drying it thoroughly with a soft cloth before storing. If you prefer to use the dishwasher, it is recommended that you remove the cookware after the wash cycle to avoid any spotting.

Tips for Cleaning Stainless Steel cookware

1. Burnt food in pan – Fill the pan with warm soapy water. Let stand for about 1 hour. Then put the pan back on the stove and boil for about 10 – 15 minutes. Once the water cools, use a nylon scrubbing pad to remove the burnt residue. Wash again with warm soapy water. Repeat process again if the burned food is particularly stubborn.
2. White, chalky residue – Sometimes your tap water may have high amounts of calcium in it and a white, chalky residue appears. To clean this, mix 1 part vinegar to 3 parts water and bring pan to a boil. Once cooled, wash in warm, soapy water and towel dry. To prevent white spots from occurring, you can add salt to your cookware after the water comes to a boil.
3. Proper Cleaning Materials—never use bleach or ammonia-based cleaners on your stainless steel cookware. Use non-abrasive cleaners such as Bon Ami Polishing Cleanser, for general cleaning and stain removal. Rather than metal scouring pads, opt for the nylon-net scouring pad or plastic brushes that will not scratch the surface of the cookware.Hot Pans – Always allow the cookware to cool slowly before immersing it in cold water.
4. Hot Pans – Always allow the cookware to cool slowly before immersing it in cold water.
   

Myth 2: Cooking with Non-Stick Cookware is Healthier

Stainless Steel cookware is tough; it is not prone to chipping, rusting or even staining if cared for properly. It contains primarily iron, chromium, and nickel—none of which have an adverse affect on your health. Iron, in fact, is beneficial and a required mineral in our diets. Chromium is also beneficial in small quantities, and cooking in stainless steel stays within these limits. Nickel can be harmful if ingested in large quantities, but only trace amounts enter into the food. Only those who are allergic to nickel should avoid using stainless steel altogether. Unlike with Teflon cookware, you do not have to worry about the particles of the pan coming loose over time and entering your food. In fact, stainless steel is one of the most hygienic surfaces for the preparation of your food, meaning that it is not likely to harbor bacteria and germs.

Stainless steel cookware and waterless stainless cookware in particular, is noted for its flavor preservation. Quality Stainless steel cookware will have at least 5 layers. These layers allow for even heat flow and durability. Aluminum conducts heat well in the inner layers, but would not be desirable on the outside because of its corrosive properties. Stainless is used on the top and bottom layers to protect not only the food, but the cookware itself.

Waterless cookware uses a steam-control process that promotes healthy cooking because it uses very little water and minimal, if any, fats. The encapsulated bottoms of this cookware lie flat on the burner and allow for even heat distribution. With waterless cooking, low or medium heat is all that is required—never use high heat. Because you can use minimal water with this cookware, 98% of the vitamins and minerals are retained in your foods rather than the 58% retention rate of normal cooking methods. A vitamin-rich diet is a key factor in preventing age-related diseases. For more information about waterless cooking, check out http://www.thegourmetscookware.com/waterless_cooking.html


Myth 3: Stainless Steel Cookware is Expensive

Stainless steel cookware sets can be quite expensive, costing well over $2000 per set. Many of these sets are sold at state fairs or home shows, requiring a sales staff to promote the product which, in turn, drives up the price. However, there are many quality stainless steel cookware sets that you can purchase for between $200 and $300. These sets have all the great features of the expensive sets: durability, a waterless option, multi-ply for even heat distribution, lifetime warranties, etc.

Purchasing waterless cookware can be a major investment! Therefore, before making that decision, spend some time researching your options. Weight the pros and cons of each and then make an informed decision. If you decide that you would like to try out stainless cookware, check out http://www.thegourmetscookware.com/ for some great deals!

Helpful Hints about Cooking with Waterless Stainless Steel

Some of you might be considering the purchase of stainless steel cookware or waterless stainless steel cookware to be specific. Here is some additional information that I thought might be helpful before making that purchase. This cookware not only offers a healthy way to cook but is also very affordable. If you would like additonal information, check out out site: http://thegourmetscookware.com/


Important Waterless Cookware Definitions


One of the important definitions of waterless cookware is to have a lid that mates horizontally with the pot or pan for a distance of a minimum of one-quarter inch. Look for this when cookware shopping. The purpose, along with a heavy lid, is to hold that steam in
Youthful Foods!
Research from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, suggests that maximizing the nutritional quality of your diet may slow down or prevent age-related problems that many think as inevitable. The study recommends cooking foods for a short time and in as little water as possible. Cooking in our multi-ply cookware retains 98% of the minerals, while boiling food the old-fashioned way destroys an average of 42% of the food's minerals.

Healthier & Tastier Meals
With our select multi-ply stainless steel cookware, and its steam control release valve, you will enjoy a wonderful new method of cooking that will help retain the greatest percentage of nature's health-giving minerals and vitamins -- elements which are dissolved or boiled away when cooked in water. 42% of your food's minerals are lost when you boil your foods in water.*
Using our steam control method of cooking, foods retain up to 98% of their natural minerals.

Five Reasons Why Multi-Ply Stainless Steel Cookware is the Best!


Easy to Clean \The smooth hard finish of surgical stainless steel is easy to keep new and shiny. With proper use, ordinary washing will keep it immaculately clean. Dishwasher safe too.
Energy Efficient
Cooking is done with economical low heat. The built-in steam control valve whistles like a tea kettle to let you know when to turn the heat down to low or simmer.
Warp-Resistant
The special design of each pan bottom provides extra strength and rigidity that prevents warping and pans lay flat on burner for maximum heating efficiency. Especially good for use on newer ceramic stovetops.
Heat-Resistant Knobs
Phenolic handles and knobs provide a cool and comfortable grip, that won't turn or loosen with time. Molded handles also provide for convenient overhang storage.
Special Lid Design
The covers are specially designed to form a natural water-seal when cooking on low heat. This self-sealing feature help retain food's natural minerals.

The Basic Principles of Cooking Waterless
1. Use Correct Pan. Fill pan with food so that very little space is left. For best results, pan should be 2/3rds full.
2. Rinse Foods Well. Rinse foods in cold water, and then drain before placing into cookware. Add about 1/4 inch of water into pan to activate steam control system.
3. Control the Heat. Always control the heat throughout the cooking process. With waterless cooking, the control is never set higher than MEDIUM.
4. Get a Vapor Seal. Start the cooking process with the steam control valve open. When the valve begins to whistle, turn the heat down to low or simmer and close the valve. In a few minutes, an air-tight vapor seal will form between the lid and the pot. If steam is escaping from around the lid, reduce heat to a lower setting.
5. Resist Peaking! Resist that ever-present urge to open the lid to peak inside! When the cover is removed while cooking, you're allowing heat, steam, and valuable minerals to escape which lengthens the cooking time and dries out the food.
6. Vacuum Release. If you find that the lids feel locked on at the end of your cooking time, simply open the steam release valve to release the vacuum. Once the pressure is released, simply remove the lid.




I found this article at http://www.100cookwares.com/. I hope you found it helpful. If you would like to learn more about stainless steel cookware, particularly waterless cookware, check out out site: http://thegourmetscookware.com/

Cooking with Stainless Steel Waterless Cookware

If you recently purchased or are considering the purchase of waterless surgical stainless steel cookware, the article below might be helpful. If you have additonal questions, please visit my website: http://www.thegourmetscookware.com/

Waterless Cookware Knowledge

A little knowledge related waterless cookware.


Really Waterless? Most foods contain much water, here are some examples:

Raw potatoes contain 79% water

Raw carrots contain 87% water

Raw iceberg lettuce contains 96% water


Raw tomatoes contain 94% water

White meat chicken with skin contains 69% water

Chicken fryer, whole contains 66% water


Ground beef 85% lean contains 64% water

So actually, you are not cooking without water. For leafy vegetables such as spinach, if you just rinsed you don't need add any water. If it's dried again, you may add 1 or 2 tablespoons. You'll need a small amount of water, just enough to cover the bottom of the pot if you're cooking dry foods such as rice,noodle and pasta.



18/0,18/8,18/10


18/8 means that this stainless steel contains 18% chromium and 8% nickel. 18/10 is 18% chromium and 10% nickel. The higher the numbers the more corrosion resistant the material. Both 18/8 and 18/10 contain nickel and are part of the grade family "300 series" stainless. 18/0 means that there is 18% chromium but zero nickel. When there is no nickel the stainless grade family is the "400 series". 400 series are not as corrosion resistant as the 300 series and are magnetic, where the 300 series are non-magnetic. Therefore the more expensive/better/shinier stainless steel alloys have MORE nickel. Those alloys with more nickel are more corrosion resistant and have a brighter shine/luster.


304 Surgical Stainless Steel

Surgical Steel is often used when referring to T304 (or Type 304) stainless steel.T-304 18/10 surgical contains titanium, 18% chromium and 10% nickel, providing strength, durability, corrosion resistance, and easy to clean and a gleaming appearance that will last a lifetime.
Hospitals use surgical stainless steel because it can be kept clean, sterile and will not interact with foods. So 304 Surgical Stainless Steel is high grade stainless steel.


Other Surface Materials of Cookwares


Aluminum is lightweighted,conduct heat well and inexpensive. But aluminum is easy to leach out to the food, making food the aluminum smell. On the other hand, aluminum is associated with Alzheimer's disease. Though there is no definite link proven, it's better to be careful. The longer food is cooked or stored in aluminum, the greater the amount that gets into food. Leafy vegetables and acidic foods, such as tomatoes and citrus products, absorb the most aluminum.
Now aluminum is usually used conjuntion with other material such as stainless steel.

Teflon coated cookware is suitable for pan fry cooking and easy stick food. But it also has many argues about its affect on health. Studies show that PFOA, main material that makes from teflon coat is 'likely' to cause cancer in rats and will finish prodct by 2015. Another material e-PTFE (Gore-Tex), which is used in surgery in several medical fields, is used in teflon coated cookware.
However, if you are using teflon coated cookwares, you should plan to discard them after one year regular use. The coat is easy to be scratched. This will cause aluminum leach into the food as most metal beneath the coat is aluminum.

Another disadvantage of teflon coated cookware is that if it is heated over 350°C or 650°F, the coatings can give off irritating or poisonous fumes.This might happen if you left an empty pan or pot on a burner.

Copper cookware is not so popular. It conduct heat very well,response fast, suitable for sauteeing and especially for delicate sauces. But it's bad in heat retention and so not suitable for deeply fry and slow simmer.

The danger is that it'll cause your health problem when you have some amount of copper intake. And you don't know how to control the copper intake when using copper cookware.

Cast iron cookware provides iron which is essential to our red blood cells. Large amounts of iron is harmful. But it seems that most of us lack iron in our body. Cast iron cookwares maintain heat well, working especially well for slow simmering. But cast iron cookware is heavyweight and ugly, so it's less used now than previous.


5-ply, 7-ply
A ply means a layer of metal. Theoretically the more plies a cookware has, the thicker of the bottom and faster and more evenly heat spread. Practically,there is not too much difference between 5-ply, 7-ply and 9-ply regarding heat spread. Waterless cookware must have at least 5 plies. 7-ply is the best and 9-ply is a little heavier.


Stainless steel is corrosion resistance, temperature resistance, beauty highly durable, so it's used on the surface(both inside and outside) to protect both the food and the cookware. While aluminum conducts heat well and so it's used as inner layers.


Here is a 5-ply constructure:


304 Surgical Stainless Steel
Aluminum Alloy
Pure Aluminum
Aluminum Alloy
Surgical Stainless Steel



Here is a 7-ply constructure
304 Surgical Stainless Steel
Carbon Steel304
Surgical Stainless Steel
Aluminum Alloy
Pure Aluminum
Aluminum Alloy
AISI 430 Stainless Steel

This article came from www.healthy-chinese-recipe.com/. On this site you will also find recipes for cooking healthy with waterless cookware. I hope you will find the information useful. If you would like further information about stainless steel cookware or waterless cooking, visit our website: http://www.thegourmetscookware.com/