Vegetables don't have to be boring. There are a variety of ways to prepare vegetables without losing color, texture or nutrients. And we're not thinking salads and a thousand ways to dress them up. Steaming vegetables is a great and viable option. The process is quick, rather hassle-free and produces nutritious and quick dishes to complement any meal.

Steaming is a simple feat and requires few cooking implements. You can buy an electric steamer or just a steaming rack, colander or bamboo steamer. Not a gadget person? Get innovative by crushing aluminum foil into balls and placing them at the bottom of your pot. You can also steam vegetables in the microwave. Try Zip n Steam microwave bags (Glad has a version of that too) or simply put some moist towels over the vegetables and hit the cook button.

Here are some simple rules to follow when steaming vegetables:

* Place steaming rack or colander in the pot. Pour an inch or two of water into a pot. Make sure that rack or colander is above the water level. Bring it to a boil over high heat. Maintain high heat through the cooking process as the intensity of heat will cook vegetables faster and crisper.

*While the water is boiling, prepare your vegetables. Any kind of vegetables can be steamed. The length of steaming time required depends on the vegetables. Denser vegetables like potatoes and carrots require more time. Cutting them into smaller chunks or thinner slice will speed up the process. Fragile greens like spinach requires almost no time at all -- a minute or two will do.

*Once water boils, place vegetables on the steaming rack. Most vegetables only need one to three minutes. Once the vegetables take on a vibrant change of color, remove them immediately. If you are not sure, use a fork or knife to see if they are done.

*Serve immediately. Steamed vegetables taste best when eaten while they are still hot. They tend to turn mushy if they are left to sit for a while.

Steaming vegetables is only part of the fun. You can create impressive, delicious dishes with a few tricks:

1. You can infuse the vegetables with a touch of flavor by adding herbs, spices and seasonings to the water while steaming. This method of flavoring the vegetables will add some zing, without drowning the natural flavor of the vegetables themselves. Toss sprigs of herbs like cilantro, thyme, lemon grass. Consider garlic, slices of lemon, soy sauce, olive oil, ginger, vinegar. Get creative.

2. Use light seasonings. Sometimes the best of flavors are brought out by the simplest of seasonings. Season steamed vegetables with butter, salt or pepper. Or use olive oil and finely chopped fresh herbs. Sprinkle veggies with grated cheese or seasoning rub like Knox's Cracked Pepper dry rub. Try steamed edamame with a dash of kosher salt - so good, even the most finicky eater will eat them.

3. Dress it up. Try some of these simple, tasty dressings:

One-quarter cup honey

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

1 tbsp grated ginger

Salt and pepper to taste

Whisk all of the above and pour mixture over steamed vegetables.

Oriental Twist

2 tbsp of oyster sauce

1 teaspoon of sesame oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Whisk together in a large bowl. Put in steamed vegetables and toss well.

4. Dips, sauces and fondues