The Ultimate Rice Cooker (54 page)

Japanese or baby eggplant: Leave the skin on; remove the stem end and cut in half or quarters.

Mild chile peppers (Anaheim, Big Jim, poblano): Cut a lid around the stem and remove the seeds and ribs from the inside.

Tomatillos: Remove the papery coating and cut in half or quarter.

Tomatoes: Cut in half or leave whole.

Cabbage Family and Onions

Timing:
Steam until tender, 8 to 17 minutes.

Broccoli and cauliflower: Trim off the thick end of the stalk. Break the head into equal-size florets. For broccoli, peel the stalks and cut into matchstick-size pieces.

Brussels sprouts: Leave whole or cut in half or quarters.

Cabbage (green, red, Napa, or Savoy): Cut off the stem end and quarter or coarsely shred.

Leeks and green onions: Wash thoroughly, cut off the roots and green tops, and split the white bulb in half. For leeks, wash again, checking between the layers for dirt and grit.

Red onions, white boiling onions, baby pearl onions: Cut off both ends and peel off the papery outer layers. Leave whole or quarter.

Summer Squashes

Timing:
Steam until crisp-tender, 6 to 12 minutes.

Cucumber: Trim ends, peel or not, and seed, if necessary. Cut into chunks, coins, dice, long quarters, or strips.

Zucchini, golden zucchini, ribbed Roman zucchini, Middle Eastern–type zucchini, pattypan, yellow crookneck: Trim ends. Cut into chunks, coins, dice, long quarters, or in half lengthwise for strips. Leave baby zucchini and small pattypans whole.

Winter Squashes

Timing:
Steam until very tender when pierced, 15 to 30 minutes.

Acorn, chayote, blue Hubbard, butternut, turban, sugar pumpkin, sweet dumpling, golden nugget, kabocha, spaghetti: Small squashes can be steamed whole (peel, halve, and clean out seeds and fibers after steaming); for large squashes, peel, cut in half lengthwise, and clean out seeds and fibers before steaming. Squashes are also good cut into 1½-inch pieces, seeds removed.

Roots and Tubers

Timing:
Steam until completely tender when pierced, 4 to 15 minutes. Steam all potatoes until completely tender, 18 to 30 minutes, depending on size of pieces.