The Best Invention Ever - Ziploc Steamer Bags

In the past I've blogged about how difficult it is to 'cook' in my dorm room. Being limited to a microwave and a small cofee pot, having delicious and healthy meals has been very challenging. Ceral, microwave popcorn and sandwiches can only be tolerated for so long.

Thanks to my lovely coworkers, they let me in on a dorm room secret. Ziploc Steamer Bags (aka Zip n' Steam). These little plastic bags are INCREDIBLE.  You throw in a mish-mash of ingredients and 4 minutes later you have a perfectly cooked meal that is flavorful, fat free and nutritious.

Here's the process:

You can buy these bags at a store near you or else you can find them HERE


Each bag (there are 10 in a box) features quick reference of cooking times 

For my meal I added Fresh Ginger, Lemon Slices, Baby Asparagus and salt-free seasoning



Added a package of frozen Cod fillets. Microwaved for 4 minutes,  let the bag rest for one minute. Open and put on a pretty plate with the final seasonings of your choice.


So What Was the End Result???

Perfectly cooked fish topped with fresh parsley and a lemon wedge on the side.  All of this in 4 minutes. Can you believe it??

Last night I used shrimp, red pepper slices, ginger and lemon. The cooked shrimp and peppers created a flavorful broth in the bag, so I poured over a bed of bown rice and arugla.  It was ready in 3 minutes.  Unbelievable.  I will continue to use these bags back in the states for quick and healthy meals.

The beauty of it all is there's no dishes to clean except for the plate you ate off of.  If you can find these bags - give them a try. They also work great for chicken and all types of vegetables. Dinner is less than 5 minutes? This makes Rachel Ray's 30-minute mantra seem excessive.

MY FIRST CHESTNUT!
Since I'm on a food theme today.......I tried my first chestnut over the weekend. There was a guy in the local village roasting them and selling small packages for 2e.


I peeled back the shell and found a thick/soft 'nut' inside.


It had the texture and flavor of an overcooked sweet potato - so overall, it was 'MEH'. Have you had roasted chestunuts before? Are they a nutritious snack?

xoxo
Michelle

10 comments:

Sarah Tokeley said...

Those bags look fantastic for someone who has an oven but hates cooking :-)
And chestnuts? I've never tried one but they really don't appeal.

Unknown said...

Ok I have only steamed veggies in those steamer bags, would never have thought to do fish! What a great idea, and hopefully you can have more variety in your diet. It looked so yummy :)

Never had chestnuts before though, not a big nut fan actually, unless its coated in chocolate haha, so a definite unhealthy snack.

Talitha xx

Wait Until The Sunset said...

I buy a big bag of frozen vegies and then put a chunk into a zip lock bag for work. Then just stick them in the microwave! sweet! :)

Wait Until The Sunset said...

I buy a big bag of frozen vegies and then put a chunk into a zip lock bag for work. Then just stick them in the microwave! sweet! :)

Aimeecakes said...

How very handy! I've never used steamer bags - look worth a try I reckon!

Unknown said...

great post!!

Kristen said...

i need to look into these bags and wow the Mr with my "cooking" skills

Anastasios said...

Dear Michelle, roasted chestnuts remind me trhat winter is coming. My top favourite food detail of the winter sionce my childhood in Greece. They are great and nutritious and incredibly delicious! Get them whenever you have a chance :)
xoxoxo

Krista said...

For microwave cooking I'd say you are eating really healthy, how great you are figuring out a way around all those awful microwave dinners. This looks yummy!

Talia said...

Okay... definitely going to have to try out these awesome Ziploc Steamer Bags!! They're genius, really. Thanks for sharing! :)