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 comprised of 5, 7, 9 or possibly 12 elements (layers). 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
inse 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 (on some stoves medium high might be necessary) 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. There are some who believe that cooking meats in stainless steel, rather than nonstick, pans will result in stuck-on foods and therefore messy cleanups afterward. Actually, nothing could be further from the truth. True, meats will stick during the searing process, but with the help of a spatula, these particles will easily come loose later in the cooking process.
Eggs, however, have no natural oil. You must add vegetable cooking spray to the pan or use a small amount of butter or margarine.
I have included a recipe for Chicken Pot Pie that I have adapted to waterless cookware. Once you get used to following the above principles, you will realize cooking with waterless cookware needn't be a scary, uncertain experiment but rather an enjoyable culinary experience. You don't have to be a gourmet cook to produce eye-appealing, tasty and healthy meals!
Chicken Pot Pie
2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 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, basil, and parsley
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
4 cups heavy cream
2 cups water
1 large unpeeled Russet potato, diced
1 cup corn kernels
Pastry crust (optional)
Put chicken thighs in heavy stockpot and saute until cooked all the way through. It will begin to shred at this point. Add the carrots, celery, onion, and garlic. Saute 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.
Put chicken mixture into a pie pan or other baking dish. Cover with single pie crust or puff pastry. Seal the edges. Heat at 350 degrees. (You can also serve the filling over biscuits that have been heated according to directions.)
8 servings
