The most select ingredient in the world can lose its properties if it is not prepared properly. Cooking food too long or with too much fat are ways to turn foods that are healthy and rich in vitamins into a dish that is worthless and brimming with calories. Microwave ovens, grills, steam, papillotes and salt-covered roasting respect food and also offer other advantages.

Steaming
Steaming is perhaps the least aggressive way to cook food. It is just right for fish and vegetables, although it can also be used with tender meats. The essence of this technique is that no liquid touches the food. Only steam, so the food's flavor and appearance are hardly changed. It is best to have a special pot with a metal basket in the upper part, which holds the foods you are going to steam. Add herbs or wine to the water to enrich the dish and give it pleasant and mild touch.

Papillote
For meat, fish and vegetables you can also use the so-called papillote. Simply wrap food in non-stick paper or aluminum foil, after seasoning it and adding a bit of oil. Then you simply bake the food and serve the dish in the paper itself. The advantage is that the food cooks in its own juice, conserves all its nutritional value and, because it is wrapped, does not lose any flavor.

Salt roasting
A similar process occurs with salt roasting. Again, the ingredient - meat or fish - is enclosed, only this time under a layer of rock salt. It is a very Mediterranean way to cook, and its most important feature is that the salt absorbs much of the grease given off by the food. After covering the food, just put it in the oven. Once it is cooked, remove the salty crust that forms on the outside.

Grills
Electric or barbecue-style, are two other well-known techniques with undisputed virtues. Just about any kind of food can be cooked with these two techniques, the success of which depends on keeping the heat at the right temperature. The grill should be good and hot, and to keep food from sticking simply use a pinch of rock salt and a dash of oil. As with other cooking styles, in the case of vegetables it is best not to overcook them. Vegetables are rich in vitamins that are easily destroyed by heat.

Microwave ovens
They have revolutionized kitchens and earned� somewhat of a bad reputation, but this is not justified. Indeed, these appliances are both versatile and practical. Although microwaves are generally used to reheat food, they can also cook from the outset. The cooking time is short, so the food is hardly modified, and the technique involves very little water, so foods like vegetables retain their mineral salts better. Furthermore, dishes cooked in a microwave are more easily digested than other foods, which is important for people with delicate stomachs.