Steaming food in Ziploc Zip n Steam bags

Hello,

I have a steaming question:) do I need those bags everytime I steam vegetables or and fish in the microwave?? is there another way to steam food?? can I use these bags to cook fish in the microwave ?

In order to steam food, you have to have two things:

1) a way to create steam - i.e. heat and water.

2) a way to hold the steam on the food so it can do its work.  Allow too many outlets and the food won't get warmed enough.  (Allow too few and you may have things busting open.)

So you could steam things on the stove as well as in the microwave, and there are other vessels to steam things in, but the zip lock bags make it easy.

My fiance will take normal bags of frozen veggies and toss them in the microwave as is to warm them up.  We usually follow this up with a stir-fry treatment, but you could probably eat them as is, too.

thanks lionpaw. Actually, I buy fresh broocoli. I don't buy frozen foods. I assume that I can buy fresh vegetables, microwave them in a Ziploc Zip n Steam bag for a few minutes.. right?

what about fish?? can I cook it that way too? does it have to be frozen?? sorry. too many questions.

I distrust plastic in the microwave (just my opinion) so I use a 1 quart pyrex casserole with a lid.  I put about an ounce of water in the bottom, dump in the cut up (or frozen) veggies and microwave on high for 3 to 5 minutes.  The lid provides a natural steam vent because if the steam builds up too much it lifts up just enough to let it out, then goes back in place.

I also use a very nice Hamilton Beech steamer that is a 3 quart saucepan topped with a steaming basket and a tight lid.  The result is nicer than the microwave, which tends to toughen the vegetables a bit.  The stove top method results is crisp/tender veggies.

thanks, Claire. To me, it sounds like the old method would work fine. I use a regular pan and put an oz of water in the bottom, then add my vegetables. there is no much difference.. right?

another question please. If I want to warm something in the microwave. for instance, a cup of coffee or a bowl of oatmeal, what kind of paper should I use to cover it up?

I wouldn't use anything in the microwave other than glass. Some plastics are treated with a harmful chemicals called BPAs, and can leach into your food at a fast pace if heated past 85 degrees F... you need to reheat food to at least 140 degrees F in order for it to be "safe"... And to steam vegetables, you need a special pot that goes onto of a pot of water, it has little tiny holes in the bottom of it where the steam goes in... boiling vegetables is another low cal way of cooking them, however, some of the nutrients are lost into the water...

use the stove, just put a small amount of water in the pan, just enough to cover the bottom of the pan, you can use a colandar or a steamer they are in Wal-Mart and aren't expensive. This will be safer for you. Plastic in microwaves aren't really good.   

those bags are neat, but they are helluv expensive!!!

take a bowl (I use a glass cereal bowl) put your fresh (or frozen) veggies in, put a little water on top and whatever you want as seasoning then cover with saran wrap and pop in microwave for a minute or two (depending on the vegg)

I don't know how popular they are in the States, though I did order one through Amazon for my sister in the States this Christmas, but in the UK electric steamers are very popular.  I have one and I use it pretty much every day at least once.  They sit on your counter top like a toaster or something similar and they don't take up much room.  I don't know what they cost in the States but in the UK you can get a basic model for about £20 which is about $40 and since those steaming bags are so expensive they do add up to that amount fairly quickly.  I love my steamer for fish, veggies, potaotes (great for these) and even rice.