Demystified – a cookbook for steam and combi oven home cooks

There is finally a steam oven cookbook available!  Cooking WIth Steam. has just released a cookbook that is full of recipes specifically for either steam oven or combi oven home cooks.   At last!  Rather than printing out recipes from the internet there is now a beautiful cookbook available.

With over 90 recipes specifically tested for steam oven or combi oven cooking there is sure to be something for everyone.  The recipes are not oven brand specific.  All recipes have been tested for use in either a steam oven or a combi steam oven.  So, if you have either of these ovens and want some inspiration, have a look at Demystified.

All of the recipes have been drawn from the successful online video cookbook that has been available for the last couple of years supported by Cooking WIth Steam.  You can check out some free videos at  http://www.cookingwithsteam.com  for a look at what the cookbook will contain.

Here’s a link to the book:

http://www.steamahead.com.au

For those oven owners that can vary the steam function, most recipes would be either 25-50% steam function.  Otherwise, if you have a steam or combi oven, you are ready to start.

Happy cooking!

Linda

Pantry Essentials for steam or combi steam ovens

Prior to owning a  steam oven, some of our pantry items would last us a long, long, time.  Baking paper was one item.  Zip lock bags was another.  I never bought paper towelling.  Not long after starting to use my steam oven, I was constantly checking the levels of tin foil, paper towelling, baking paper and the list went on.

So I wrote out a list of all the common pantry items that we make sure are always in our pantry.  Not on the list of pantry essentials are the herbs that we now regularly use.  I did a quick count and in our small back garden there are 7 thyme plants, 2 rosemary bushes,  and then single growings of basil, sage and broad leaf parsley.    We have a very small back yard and so to cope with the demand for fresh herbs I have a tiered planter pot.  It is 3 levels of pots that give me 8 or 9 planting spots.

When you first start using your steam oven or combi steam oven I bet you were struck by how much steam comes out during the cooking process. Or by how wet everything gets.

The first time I used our steam oven I thought it had been installed incorrectly. So much steam was coming out every few minutes. What was going on?? My husband was opening kitchen windows and putting the range hood on full draft.

Some of the items on the list are to help with the cooking process and others are to help clean the oven.  I must say I like not having to use chemicals when cleaning the oven.

When you download the list, please let me know if you think I’ve left something off or you want to make an addition.

Happy steaming!

Why Steam? – is this a revolution in home cooking?

It’s a strong statement but steam ovens are a revolution in cooking. Food can be cooked at the correct temperature for the correct amount of time.

A steam oven won’t replace your other kitchen appliances but it will replace your standard oven.

My grandmother raised a family of nine children. Meal times were not only the eleven immediate family members but often there were the other relatives who popped in for a feed. Her stove was modern for its time – the Kookaburra brand.

My grandmother had to plan ahead so one day was baking biscuits and cakes, one day was bread and so on. Fast forward to 2017 and not many of us have the time to spend cooking like that.

One of the things that I love about our combi steam oven is that cooking a roast is achievable now whereas in the past I would only have cooked a roast on the weekend.

Thankfully times have changed since the Kookaburra Stove was the stove of choice.

Free Magazine Offer:  Hints, Tips, Recipes and more

When I first bought my steam combi oven I was a bit worried.  I had difficulty finding any information that helped me understand how to use it.  Long before our oven was installed into our newly renovated kitchen, I was eager to find recipes.  Because I couldn’t find really anything other than manufacturer marketing material I was also looking at forums.  Most of all I was eager to find other people who’d bought combi or steam only ovens.  Again, I really couldn’t find a lot of information.  I did find a couple of forums where combi or steam oven owners voiced their frustration at the lack of recipes available.  I was beginning to get worried that I’d bought a ‘lemon’.

So, I am devoting this space to all things combi oven.  I have never taken to the idea that you can cook different food at the same temperature.  Hence, I do not agree with those who cook rice, salmon and vegetables in the oven all at the same time.   While I do agree that there is no tranference of flavours, I do not agree that all foods cook at the same temperature.  Therefore I am slightly bemused by the continuance of both manufacuturers and retailers to still push this line.

As a result, Steamed Up is my place to be able to share my ideas on the “why’ and the “how” of steam and combi oven cooking.  The absolute magic about combi steam ovens is that they allow food to be cooked at the correct tempertaure for the correct time.

Steamed Up Issue One:

On this website you’ll find a link to our free magazine – Steamed Up Issue 1 where you’ll find:

• some hints and tips,
• a couple of recipes
• some general information about steam oven cooking

Download the magazine, have a read and let me know your thoughts.

Steamed Up Issue 1

Cheers,

Linda

About Steamed Up

Linda is a keen home cook and lives in Brunswick (Victoria Australia) with her husband Doug and cat Ruby Tuesday.