Warm beetroot, parsley and feta cheese salad

The beetroot in this recipe are steamed whole and unskinned. They will take quite a while to cook, but leaving them whole is the only way to avoid staining everything with their deep red juices. You can serve this salad warm or at room temperature.

Serves 2 as a main course or 4 as a side dish

700g raw beetroot
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
3 shallots, finely sliced
½ fresh red chilli, seeded and finely sliced
¼ tsp cumin seeds
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1½ tbs cider vinegar
large handful of flat-leaf parsley leaves
115g feta cheese, roughly crumbled
salt

Simply trim the stalks off the beetroot, leaving about 1 cm, then wash them without scrubbing too much so you don't tear the skins. Bring the water in your steamer to a rolling boil.

Add the beetroot and steam, covered, for 45-50 minutes, regularly checking the water level in the steamer and adding more water if necessary, until tender. Set aside the beetroot to cool slightly while you make the dressing.

Heat one tablespoon of the olive oil in a small pan over a medium heat. Add the shallots and chilli and fry for 5 minutes. When they begin to get a little colour, add the cumin and garlic and fry, stirring, for 30 seconds. Pour in the vinegar and bring to the boil.

Let the dressing bubble away for one minute until the vinegar has evaporated, then remove the pan from the heat and stir in the remaining tablespoon of olive oil.

The beetroot should now be cool enough to handle, so peel and cut them into thick wedges. Toss the wedges in the dressing with the parsley and feta cheese and season with salt.

If eating the salad warm, let it stand for 5 minutes before tossing again and serving. Alternatively, let it cool to room temperature.

Prawn and squid salad

This is a light, warm seafood salad with a tangy citrus dressing.

Serves 6 as a starter or 4 as a main course

450g squid
200g raw peeled king prawns
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 lemon
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 tbs olive oil
12 cherry tomatoes, halved
55g wild rocket

Clean the squid. Using a small sharp knife, de-vein the prawns by making a cut along the back and pulling out the dark intestinal tract.

Bring the water in your steamer to a rolling boil. Season the squid and prawns with salt and pepper and place them on the perforated steaming rack. Grate the rind of the lemon over the seafood and scatter with the garlic. Cover and steam over a medium heat for 3-4 minutes until the prawns just turn pink and the squid opaque.

Transfer to a serving bowl and stir in the olive oil and the juice of half the lemon. Toss in the tomatoes and rocket and season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Carrots and green beans with sesame seeds and seaweed

The dry topping of this dish, made with bonito flakes, seaweed and sesame seeds, is both nutty and salty, and plays off the sweetness of the carrots beautifully. You can also eat this dish cold as a salad, but wait until you're ready to serve before adding the topping.

Serves 4 as a side dish

1/2 sheet dried nori seaweed
1 tbs sesame seeds
1 tsp dried bonito flakes
2 medium carrots, peeled
150g green beans, trimmed
2 tsp sesame oil
2 tsp Japanese soy sauce
2 tsp mirin

Using a pair of tongs, toast the nori sheet over a low flame until it crisps up and begins to release its aroma, then cut it into thin strips. Set aside.

Toast the sesame seeds in a dry frying pan over a low heat, stirring, until they become golden. Tip them into a bowl with the prepared nori strips and the bonito flakes and set this aside while you cook the vegetables.

Cut the carrots into long matchsticks, a little thinner than the beans. Place both vegetables into a shallow heatproof dish that will fit in your steamer. Drizzle with the sesame oil, soy sauce and mirin.

Bring the water in your steamer to a rolling boil. Place the dish of vegetables inside the steamer and steam, covered, for 3-4 minutes until the beans are just tender.

Transfer the cooked vegetables and the cooking juices to a serving dish and scatter with the prepared dry mix. Toss gently and serve.

Salted mackerel with cucumber and seaweed salad

This recipe takes inspiration from the Japanese tradition for pickling or grilling salted mackerel, but here the fish is steamed instead.

Serves 2

4 mackerel fillets
coarse sea salt
5g dried wakame seaweed
200g cucumber, peeled and finely sliced
2 tbs rice vinegar
1/2 tbs Japanese soy sauce
1/2 tsp caster sugar

Place the mackerel fillets, flesh side down, on a bed of salt, then cover with more salt. Set aside for 40 minutes, but no longer.

Soak the wakame in cold water for 15 minutes. Drain then blanch in boiling water for 2 minutes; drain and refresh in cold water. Squeeze out excess water and place in a bowl. Gently toss with the cucumber, rice vinegar, soy sauce and sugar.

Bring the water in your steamer to the boil. Wash the fish under cold water, then pat dry. Place on a perforated rack, skin-side up and steam, covered, over a warm heat for 5 minutes until the flesh is flaky. Serve on top of the salad.

Duck breast salad with minted summer vegetables

Once skinned, duck breast is relatively lean. Steamed in a sweet citrus marinade, its rich flavour is significantly mellowed and works well with the freshness of the vegetables in this recipe.

Serves 2 as a main course or 4 as a starter

1/2 tbs clear honey
grated rind and juice of ½ orange
2 skinned duck breasts, about 175g each
salt and freshly ground black pepper
75g fresh or frozen shelled peas
125g sugar snaps, split in half
2 tbs extra-virgin olive oil
75g baby spinach leaves
a handful of fresh mint leaves

Put the honey and orange rind and juice in a shallow heatproof dish that will fit in your steamer. Add the duck breasts, turning them in the liquid. Cover and marinate for at least 30 minutes or overnight.

Bring the water in the steamer to the boil. Season the duck with salt and pepper. Place the dish of duck in the steamer and steam, covered, over a medium heat for 12 minutes for medium, or 14 minutes if you prefer the meat well done. Remove the duck from the cooking dish and set it aside to rest for 5 minutes, then slice.

Steam the peas and sugar snaps, covered, over a high heat for 3 minutes. Tip the duck's cooking juices into a salad bowl and stir in the olive oil. Toss in the cooked vegetables, spinach and mint leaves. Serve the salad topped with the sliced duck.

· Steam Cuisine by Marina Filippelli is published by Ebury, £17.99. To order a copy for £16.99 with free UK p&p, go to observer.co.uk/bookshop or call 0870 836 0885