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Move over traditional slow cookers, sous vide cooking is the hottest trend sweeping kitchens across the world! Sous vide, which translates from French as “under vacuum,” is a form of precise temperature control. No need to order out as now you can achieve restaurant-quality results right at home!
When cooking sous vide, food is placed in vacuum-sealed plastic bags that are submerged in hot water, generally for long periods of time. For proteins like beef and chicken, the consistent distribution of temperature for a set amount of time means that meat cooks evenly.
Beyond producing mouth-watering results, sous vide cooking is also healthier than frying or sautéing. In sous vide cooking, food roasts in its own juices to create rich, complex flavors with little to no cooking oil needed.
Check out these five sous vide recipes for healthy and delicious meals that are so easy to make!
Pretty polenta
Creamy, hearty polenta is the ultimate winter comfort food. The savory cornmeal soup can be labor intensive to prepare, requiring the chef to constantly stir the mixture, lest it end up lumpy.
According to i sugar coat it, preparing polenta the sous vide way makes things much easier. Simply combine the cornmeal, broth, butter, and herbal or cheese garnishes in the sous vide bag, cook at 185 degrees Fahrenheit for two hours and voilà! A smooth, satisfying polenta, no stirring required.
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Perfect skirt steak
Cooking the perfect steak can be tricky. Due to natural fluctuations in temperature and the texture of the steak, it is challenging to achieve an even color over the meat. But because sous vide cooking provides a consistent temperature across the food contained in the bag, it is easier than ever to get a perfect pink or well-done brown throughout the cut of meat.
Rub the meat with some salt and black pepper, then place it in the sous vide bag. Cooking times and temperature vary depending on the texture you prefer, according to Suvie Recipes. The sous vide golden rule is that the longer you cook it, the more tender the meat is. Once the steak has finished cooking, you can serve it straight away or briefly sear on the grill to brown the edges.
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Lovely lamb and vegetable stew
Tough lamb shank may be an intimidating cut for many at-home chefs, but Ahuva Gottdiener of Homegrown Kosher explains that a sous vide cooker can help you take on the challenge.
First, season the lamb with paprika, cumin, cardamom, cinnamon, salt, and pepper. After 12 hours of sous vide cooking at 165 degrees Fahrenheit, this gamey meat will be falling off the bone once it has done cooking. To complete the meal, you can add some root vegetables like carrots, onions, and yams for a truly indulgent dish.
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Simple savory chicken breast
This chicken breast recipe from food and wine blog Platings+Pairings proves how sous vide cooking can elevate a basic dish to a whole new level.
Using the simple seasoning of salt, pepper, and fresh herbs like thyme, rosemary, and parsley, the sous vide device does most of the work. The chicken should cook for at least one hour at 145 degrees Fahrenheit.
For an extra kick, this chef recommends searing the chicken in a hot skillet glazed with compound butter after it has done cooking, then adding a sprinkle of cayenne pepper.
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Scrumptious scallops
This tender, buttery scallops dish is made in a sous vide and paired with an herbed butter sauce.
For seafood lovers, Dwell by Michelle has the ideal recipe for scrumptious scallops. Food blogger Michelle Aviona recommends going easy on the seasoning; simply use butter, salt and pepper so you will not drown out the taste of the scallops. Scallops are very nutritious, offering selenium for immune health, zinc, copper plus omega-3 fatty acids, according to WebMD.
The scallops should cook in the sous vide bag for a half hour at 124 degrees Fahrenheit. After cooking, you can add lemon juice and garlic, using a light hand. This super easy recipe is low-effort, and the results are truly delicious.
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