Thursday, November 18, 2010

Black Bean Burgers recipe

Black Bean Burgers recipe

Ingredients (use vegan versions):

1 can black beans, drained
1/4 cup fried onions (fresh or packaged)
2 slices multigrain vegan bread, crumbled finely
Cracker crumbs
Salt, pepper, other seasonings (your choice)
Oil or no-stick spray (for frying)

Directions:

In large bowl, mash beans.
Mix in crumbled vegan bread, onions and spices.
Mix thoroughly, and add just enough
cracker crumbs to make patties capable of holding together.
Form mixture into patties or balls.
(These can be coated with more cracker crumbs, if desired.)

Fry patties on both sides in a lightly greased frying pan.

Serve on buns, or any way you like 'em!

P.S.: Works with almost any kind of bean!

Indian Spinach Dip recipe

Indian Spinach Dip recipe

Ingredients (use vegan versions):

1/2 of a large bag of spinach
1/4 cup of red bell peppers, chopped
1 1/2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon vegetable stock
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon of Garam Masala**
1 teaspoon onion powder/garlic powder
1/2 cup cooked lentils/chickpeas, your choice
splash of apple juice, lemon, or both
salt and pepper to desired amount
1/4 cup green onions

Directions:

Cook the spinach, green onions and all
the spices/juices/veggie stock in a
wok-type pan for a couple minutes with
a bit of water till spinach is
properly wilted. You also want it to
be somewhat "juicy" and for there to
be some liquid left in the pan.

Take this cooked spinach mix and place
in a blender with the cloves of
garlic, the lentils, and the red
peppers and puree to desired
consistency.

This goes great with potatoes, basmati
rice, and especially pitas that have
been warmed in an oven till they are a
bit crispy. You could also serve this
together with hummus.

Indian spice mix (comprised of: cumin, black pepper, coriander, clove, cardamom, cinnamon,
nutmeg, mace). Probably can be found at most grocery stores, if not try specialty/health
stores.

Enjoy!

Serves: 2-3

Preparation time: 25 min

Lentil Loaf recipe

Lentil Loaf recipe

Ingredients (use vegan versions):

2 cups of thickly stewed lentils
1/3 cup minced onion
2 slivers of garlic minced
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/3 cup chopped celery leafs
1 red or green pepper diced
1 cup chopped nuts of your choice (I use almonds)
1/4 cup marinera sauce
1 cup vegan bread crumbs
1 cup shredded soy mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Mix all the ingredient and place in a meat loaf pan and bake at 375 for
45 mint or till a knife place in center comes out clean, serve with brown
gravy.

Serves: 12

Preparation time: 5 min. mixing 45 baking

Beans and Rice: The BEST RECIPE recipe

Beans and Rice: The BEST RECIPE recipe

Ingredients (use vegan versions):

1 can of organic black beans (Eden, Shari Ann's,etc.)
1 small onion
half of red or green pepper (whichever you prefer) (or a little of each)
half of a small (8 oz) can of Hunts Tomato sauce (Hunts is vegan)
olive oil
salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Cut up the onion into small pieces, along with the pepper.

2. Saute in a small-medium sized pot, with some olive oil
you can just drizzle enough on the onion and pepper to
cover, or you can measure out in tablespoons, it's
according to how much oil you want to use)

3. Add at least 1/4 of salt ( I use sea salt) or more

4. Add pepper (I usually just use a pepper shaker and shake
it about 10 times, sometimes more)
Saute on low heat until veggies are soft

5. Add half a can of tomato sauce, followed by can of black
beans. Let it come to a quick boil, then reduce heat to low or
simmer. The longer you let it simmer, the more flavorful
the dish. Stir occasionally.

*You can use any kind of beans, I just prefer black beans
Serve with rice. Enjoy.

*This is a simple dish. You can adjust any of the
ingredients according to taste!

Lentil Timbales recipe

Lentil Timbales recipe

Ingredients (use vegan versions):

1 small chopped onion
1 clove chopped garlic
1/2 teaspoon sage
1 & 1/2c mashed potatoes
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 cup wholemeal vegan breadcrumbs
2 cups cooked lentils
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:

Steam together until tender the onion, celery and garlic. Add all other ingredients and mix well.
Add water if too dry to form patties. Roll in vegan breadcrumbs or sesame seeds. To cook you may either
fry in non-stick pan with a small amount of olive oil or place on oiled baking tray, baking 30-40 minutes
at 150 degrees celsius, turning halfway through cooking.

Serves: 10-12 patties

Preparation time: 30 mins

Lima Bean Soup recipe

Lima Bean Soup recipe

Ingredients (use vegan versions):

3 cups cooked Lima Beans
1.5 cups prepared vego chichen stock
1 onion chopped
1 clove garlic chopped
fresh herbs of choice chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

In medium saucepan fry oil in just a dash of cold pressed
oil, add garlic then lima beans. Continue until fragrant
then add stock, keep on medium heat until beans are soft.
Add seasonings, heat through for one minute. Put bean mix
through processor until the right consistency is reached.
It is important to add flavourings as this soup can be a bit
tasteless without them. Adjust the consistency by adding
water or more stock if needed.

I haven't worked out the nutritional info, but if you use
just a small bit of oil it is quite good for you. If you
want to omit the oil try sauteing the onion in a little
stock.

Serves: 2

Preparation time: 20 min

Old Fashioned Baked Beans With Barbeque Sauce recipe

Old Fashioned Baked Beans With Barbeque Sauce recipe

Old Fashioned Baked Beans With Barbeque Sauce picture

Ingredients (use vegan versions):

2 cups of navy beans (I use a 1# bag and put the extra in soup)
1 onion, sliced thin
1 tablespoon peanut oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dry vegan mustard
2 tablespoons dark molasses
1/2 of an 8 oz. bottle of barbeque sauce

Directions:

Soak the beans in cold water over night. Next day drain off, rinse and
simmer in fresh cold water until the skins begin to burst. Slice
2/3 of an onion into the bottom of a lidded bean crock if you have one
otherwise use a covered casserole.
Stuff the crock 1/2 full with simmered, drained beans.
Slice in the rest of the onion and finish filling the crock with beans.
Drizzle the peanut oil over the beans.

Mix salt, dry mustard and molasses in a cup of hot water and pour it
over the beans. Dilute 1/2 jar of barbeque sauce with an equal amount
of water and pour it into the crock until it covers the top beans.
Save the rest to add as the beans cook to keep them moist. Bake at 300
for 6 to 8 hours. As the beans bake, keep adding diluted barbeque
sauce so they stay covered until the last hour. Do not add liquids
during the last hour, but keep the beans covered. Use the left over
beans and their cooking juice as a base for soup.

I like this recipe because I can make it in advance and reheat it for
a special dinner. Even though the cooking time is long, the beans
don't need attention often (once every 45 minutes or so). The crock
looks pretty on a table and can be used to store and reheat the beans
until they are finished.

Serves: 20

Preparation time: 8 hours

Mustard black beans recipe

Mustard black beans recipe

Ingredients (use vegan versions):

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 yellow onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
4 button mushrooms, sliced
1 tb yellow vegan mustard (prepared)
olive oil
chili powder
cayenne pepper

Directions:

Heat some olive oil in a skillet (or use lemon juice for low fat), then add the garlic, onion, and mushrooms and saute until the onions are almost, but not quite translucent. Add chili powder and cayenne pepper to taste, and stir for about 30 seconds. Then add the mustard, and continue to stir for another 30 seconds. Add the rinsed, drained black beans, and let the whole mess simmer for a few minutes.

These beans are very good as a part of taco salad, burritos, etc. They're also good just folded up in a heated corn tortilla.

Serves: 3

Preparation time: 15 min.

Basic Guide on Using Herbs

Need flavor? Add herbs. They are the simplest way to boost the character of a dish. Use them in baked recipes too. When choosing fresh herbs, look for herbs with a vibrant color and aroma. Black spots, off odors and yellow leaves indicate old, tired herbs that are losing much of their flavor. Farmer's markets carry field-grown herbs, which have a stronger aroma than the greenhouse herbs usually sold in grocery stores.

When washing herbs, put them in a large bowl of cool water and swish them about with your hands to loosen any bits of grit. Lift the herbs out of the water, leaving the grit in the bottom of the bowl. If the herbs are very gritty, repeat the process. Then, spin them dry in a salad spinner or blot dry by rolling up in a kitchen towel.

To store those tender fresh herbs like parsley, cilantro, basil, dill and tarragon, just remove any rubber bands or fasteners from the herbs, then trim the stems. Put the unwashed herbs, stem side down, in a tall container with enough water to cover the stems. Cover loosely with a plastic bag, then store on the top shelf of the refrigerator (the warmest part) for up to 5 days. The exception here is basil which can be stored loosely covered in a container of water at room temperature to protect its delicate leaves from the cold, which could cause them to turn brown. As for those hardy fresh herbs like thyme, rosemary and sage, simply wrap the stem ends in a damp paper towel. Then put the herbs in a plastic bag and refrigerate unsealed for up to 2 weeks.

Basic Information on Common Culinary Herbs
Variety	Description	Uses / Affinities
Basil	Leaves are pointed and green. Purple, large or small leafed varieties are available.	Flavoring for sauces, pesto sauce, dressing, infusing oils, vinegar etc. Also available in dried-leaf form. Chicken, fish and pasta dishes.
Bay Leaf	Smooth and rigid leaf.	Available dried year-round. Used to flavor soups, stews, stocks, sauces and grain dishes.
Chervil	Similar in shape to parsley, with finer leaves and licorice flavor.	Component of "fine herbs" often used to garnish dishes. Egg, chicken, shellfish dishes.
Cilantro	Similar in shape to parsley with pronounced and unique flavor.	Component of Asian and South/Central American dishes. Flavoring for salsa and other uncooked sauces.
Dill	Feathery shape with strong aroma.	Fresh is used to flavor sauces, stews and braises. Seeds used in pickles.
Marjoram	Small, rounded leaves with a flavor similar to oregano.	Used in Greek, Italian and Mexican dishes. Especially suitable for vegetable dishes.
Mint	Pointed and textured leaves. Size varies by type, as does particular flavor.	Used to flavor sweet dishes, beverages and in some sauces. Mint jelly is traditional with lamb dishes.
Oregano	Small and oval leaves.	Used with a variety of sauces in poultry, beef, veal, lamb and vegetables.
Parsley	Feathered leaves and may be curly or flat.	Component of "fine herbs" and of bouquet garni. Flavoring for sauces, soups, dressings and other dishes as garnish.
Rosemary	Leaves shaped like pine needles with a pine aroma and flavor.	Large branches used as skewers. Popular in Middle Eastern dishes, grilled foods and in marinades. Dried is nearly as intense in flavor as fresh.
Sage	Large leaves and may be furry or velvety. Green color.	Popular as flavoring in stuffing, sausages and some stews. Dried, rubbed sage also available.
Savory	Summer savory has flavor similar to thyme. Winter savory is more like rosemary.	Used in salads, stuffing and sauces.
Tarragon	Narrow leaves with pronounced licorice flavor.	Another component of "fine herbs". Used with chicken, fish, veal and egg dishes.
Thyme	Very small leaves. Varieties available with special flavors (nutmeg, mint, lemon, etc)	Part of bouquet garni. Dried leaves may occasionally be used in place of fresh. Used to flavor soups, stocks, stews and braises.

Benefits of Broccoli

Though available year round, broccoli is a cool-weather vegetable, and its flavor is best from late fall through early spring. Warm-weather broccoli is less tender, lacks the flavor and bright green color of broccoli grown in cooler months. To choose broccoli, look for firm stalks and firm, tightly bunched heads. Tiny yellow buds on the head signal that broccoli is over the hill. Also, hold a bunch up to your nose and breathe deeply. If it has an odor, leave it behind.

For more beta-carotene, choose broccoli with darker tops and a purplish hue. Do not worry as the purple tinge will turn to green when the vegetable is cooked. Beta-carotene, which the body converts to antioxidant vitamin A, has been linked to lower rates of heart attack and lower rates of cataract and certain cancers.

To remove dirt from a head of broccoli, simply soak it upside down in a bowl of cold water for 20 minutes. If storage is required, cut a slice off the bottom of the stalk and put the head of broccoli, stem end down, in a large glass of water. Cover the top loosely with a plastic bag and refrigerate for up to 1 week. After you have chopped off the florets, peel the stems and cut them into coins or batons to use in stir-fries or as a raw vegetable for dipping.

Problems solving tips for broccoli

To revive limp, uncooked broccoli, trim 1/2 inch from the base of the stalk and set the head in a glass of cold water in the refrigerator overnight.
To cook limp broccoli, steam-boil in a shallow pan of water, adding a pinch each of salt and sugar per cup of cooking water.
To brighten the color, blanch or quick-cook over high heat.
To avoid gray-green broccoli, do not add acids, such as lemon juice or vinegar to the cooking water. If desired, add them after cooking instead.
To prevent a sulfurous smell or taste, avoid overcooking. If steaming, only partially cover the broccoli and if boiling, don't cover it so that the vegetable's natural sulfur compounds can escape. You can also place a piece of bread on top of the cooking broccoli to absorb some of the odor. Never cook broccoli in an aluminum pan or the odor will worsen.
To rescue overcooked broccoli, chop it finely and toss it with rice and seasonings, sprinkle over baked potatoes and top with melted cheese.
To prevent slightly overcooked broccoli from cooking further, simply drain immediately and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process.
To cut a head of broccoli into florets, cut off the stalk crosswise as close to the florets as possible. Cutting through the small stems that attach the bottom layer of florets to the stalk. The bottom layer of florets will fall away from the stalk. Continue cutting across the stalk through the stems on the next layer of florets. Repeat until all florets have been removed.
To save time when cooking with pasta or rice, like all vegetables, broccoli can be cooked along with pasta or rice. Add trimmed and cut broccoli to cooking pasta or rice 3 minutes before it is scheduled to be done.
To avoid peeling and slicing stems, buy packaged broccoli slaw. It makes an easy addition to stir-fries.

Flavoring Tips for broccoli

To use broccoli in a stir-fry, blanch it first. The texture and flavor will be much improved. Drop into a large pot of boiling, salted water and cook until the stems can be pierced with the tip of a knife but before the bright green color starts to fade.
To preserve the flavor and texture of blanched broccoli, don't plunge it in a bowl of cold water. Instead, lay it on a plate or tray in a single layer and let it come to room temperature.
To dress with vinaigrette, cut florets from a large head of broccoli. Blanch or steam florets. Toss with 1/2 cup vinaigrette. To serve cold, cool broccoli first, then toss with dressing.

Healthy hint for broccoli

Avoid over-cooking, which destroys broccoli's protective compounds. Gentle cooking helps preserve the beta-carotene. For maximum nutrient retention, lightly steam or microwave broccoli until tender-crisp.

Blanching, a method of cooking

Blanching is a method of cooking in boiling water, with the implication that the food will be further cooked after blanching. For example, root vegetables or tubers such as potatoes or turnips may be blanched in boiling water until barely cooked through before being sautéed, grilled or roasted. Slow cooking root vegetables would otherwise overcook on the outside before the intense heat of the sauté pan or grill penetrate the dense flesh to the interior. Large root vegetables are blanched starting in cold water so that the heat penetrates them gradually and they cook more evenly.

Older turnips are sometimes sectioned and blanched, starting in cold water, to eliminate any bitterness. Meats and bones are sometimes blanched to eliminate the scum that would otherwise cloud the poaching liquid or broth. Tomatoes and peaches are often blanched to loosen their skins and make peeling easier.

Sometimes people add baking soda to the water used for blanching green vegetables. As baking soda is alkaline, it neutralizes natural acids contained in the vegetables and turns the vegetables bright green. Unfortunately, baking soda also causes vegetables to turn mushy.

Blanching as a Precursor

A method of partially cooking ingredients in boiling water, blanching is usually done as a precursor to some later preparation. Peaches, tomatoes and almonds are blanched in preparation for peeling, broccoli, green beans, and cauliflower are sometimes blanched to soften their fibers before baking, frying or sautéing. Blanching is often used to heighten and set the color and flavor of vegetables, usually before freezing or before serving in salads or as crudités.

To blanch, bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the food to the water and boil about 30 seconds for most foods. Remove the food from the pot and immediately plunge it into ice water to stop the cooking process. Note that some vegetables, such as asparagus and broccoli, can suffer in an ice water bath. To preserve their flavor and texture, spread them out in a single layer and let them cool to room temperature. If needed to blanch a large amount of food, blanch in batches. Too much food will bring the boiling water to a halt and slow cook rather than blanch the vegetables.

In order to blanch faster, use a pot with a pasta insert, or use a steamer basket. This makes it much easier to retrieve blanched ingredients from the boiling water and plunge them into ice water to stop their cooking.

Fascinating Fact :

Blanching is also a horticultural term for a labor-intensive technique in which the leaves of plants are not permitted to photosynthesize and turn green, by growing them in complete darkness. Belgian endive is grown in this manner.

Boneless and Skinless Chicken Breasts

The breast meat can be cut away from the rib cage before or after the legs are removed. Make a cut along the breast bone, and then carefully cut the meat away from the rib bones. If the wings are still attached, cut through the joint where the wings join the breast.

Be sure to remove the wishbone, if you haven't already. This is removed by either cutting or pushing the bones cleanly from the meat. Pull the skin away from the breast and you have completed the process. If desired, the "tenderloin" can be removed from the breast. It is attached by a thin filament, and should pull cleanly away from the breast meat. If necessary, use a paring knife or the tip of a boning knife to completely sever it. The tenderloin has a tendon running through it. This can be removed easily by holding the tendon steady with a towel. Press the knife blade at an angle so that the tendon is trapped but not cut, and push the knife away from the hand holding the tendon down, until the entire piece comes out.

Braising

Braising is to cook in a small amount of liquid. In contrast to poaching, in which the food is completely submerged in simmering liquid, braised dishes use a relatively small amount of liquid. Usually the purpose of braising is to concentrate the food's flavors in the surrounding liquid so that it can be made into a sauce, or allowed to reduce so that it coats or is reabsorbed by the foods being braised.

Braising can be a relatively rapid process by which foods are very gently simmered just until they are cooked through, or it can involve long, slow cooking, used most often but not always for tough cuts of meat that require long cooking to tenderize them. Foods may be browned or not before adding the liquid, meats may be larded with fat to keep them moist, and the cooking liquid can be varied. Most foods are braised with enough liquid to come halfway up their sides, but some recipes call for very little; otherwise use none at all and rely on the foods to braise in their own juices. Usually foods are braised in a covered pot, but some foods, such as seafood or vegetable are braised uncovered so the braising liquid reduces and concentrates.

Short-braising vegetables, also called glazing is an excellent way to cook root vegetables such as carrots, onions, and turnips. Short-braising is also a flavorful alternative to steaming or boiling green vegetables. Although the vegetables may lose their crunch and bright color, slow-cooking in a covered pot often reveals a depth of flavor that quick-cooking does not.

Fish can be braised whole, in fillets, or in steaks with just enough liquid to come halfway up its sides. Shellfish can be cooked with even less liquid, just enough to generate steam and leave enough cooking liquid for making a sauce. Most seafood braises are short-braises. The seafood is cooked only long enough for the heat to penetrate and cook the flesh. Some shellfish, however, such as squid, octopus, razor clams, conch and whelks, require long, slow braising to tenderize the flesh and release their flavor.

Braising, A Classic Cooking Technique

This classic cooking technique calls for food to be browned in hot fat, then covered and slowly cooked in a small amount of liquid over low heat. Braising is ideal for preparing tough cuts of meat, such as beef short ribs and pork shoulder, and firm-textured vegetables, such as cabbage, leeks and turnips.

To braise vegetables evenly, cut the vegetables to a uniform size. And to brown meat faster, time could be saved by browning it on a grill or under a broiler while you use the braising pot to sauté the vegetables. After browning, combine everything in the braising pot without skipping a beat. Another way to cut braising time is to use a pressure cooker, it could saves time by half without sacrificing flavor or tenderness. To convert a braised recipe for the pressure cooker, cut both the liquid and cooking time in half.

Time could also be saved by stir-braising. If you thinly slice tough cuts of meat, stir-frying techniques can be used to speed recipes for braising and stewing. Because the timing is shorter, flavors come from the addition of sauces, seasonings and stock rather than from long simmering.

Use stock or vegetable juice, or a combination, instead of water to add extra flavor to your dish. Fruit juices can also be used, and their sweetness may help balance the acidity of tomatoes or wine. Apple cider goes well with poultry or pork. Getting creative with braising is simple. Just combine ingredients such as carrots, celery and leeks and run through a juicing machine. If you don't have a juicer, a health food store can juice the ingredients for you. Bottled vegetable juices are also available in health food stores.

Braising Meats, Step by Step

Choose a cut of meat from the animal's working muscles : Beef short ribs, brisket, rump roast and some of the less expensive cuts of veal (such as the breast, shoulder and shank) are ideal. Chicken drumsticks and thighs are other good choices. Use about 1 to 1 1/2 pounds for 4 servings.
Use a heavy casserole pot with a tight-fitting lid. The pot should hold all of the ingredients snugly in order to minimize the amount of cooking liquid needed.
Heat about 1 tablespoon of fat in the pan over medium-high heat. Add the meat, taking care not to crowd the pan, and brown well on all sides. Don't rush the browning process. It's essential to the flavor of the dish.
Remove the browned meat from the pan and add any aromatic vegetables. Let these cook over medium heat until softened, stirring occasionally.
Return the browned meat to the pan with the softened vegetables and add your braising liquid. Choose veal stock for both veal and beef. Use beef stock only for hearty beef braises. Chicken stock goes well with poultry. For more flavor, add wine along with the stock. Tomatoes are another popular braising medium. They complement the flavor of beef and chicken dishes and help thicken the braising liquid. Be sure to keep the quantity of liquid to a minimum. The less liquid you add, the more concentrated the flavors will be.
Once all the ingredients are combined, bring them to a boil over high heat. As soon as the liquid begins to boil, reduce the heat to barely a simmer, cover tightly, and cook over low heat. Gentle heat is vital to dissolve the tough tissues in the meat. If allowed to boil unchecked, braised meats will become unpleasantly tough. Braised meats can be cooked on top of the stove or in an oven at about 300^oF. Cook until the meat is fork-tender.
When the meat is tender and the liquid is still hot, skim the fat from the surface. Most braised dishes taste better when they're allowed to chill overnight and reheated the next day. If you choose to do this, don't bother to degrease before cooling. The fat in the dish will congeal on the surface as it cools and can then be easily lifted away.

Bread Crumbs

Bread crumbs are used as a crisp topping for casseroles or as a thickener to add body to sauces. It is an economical way to use yesterday's bread. Use dried bread crumbs as a coating for fried fish or as a crust for vegetable gratins. Fresh bread crumbs are perfect for lighter crusts such as the classic coating for a roasted rack of lamb. It's a good idea to use store-bought bread crumbs on hand, but it's simple to make your own.

To make dried bread crumbs, use completely dry or stale bread. Tear it into small pieces and grind it into crumbs in a food processor. If your bread is still somewhat soft, slice it thinly and place in a 250^oF oven until completely dry. You can also season the bread at this point by spraying with cooking spray and coating with herbs. If you do not have a food processor or blender to make bread crumbs, place slices of very dry, stale bread in a sturdy plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin.

Dried bread crumbs could be stored by keeping them in a zipper-lock plastic bag or an airtight plastic container at room temperature for about 2 weeks or in the freezer for a few months.

Chef's Tip :

The next time you make a crumb coating mix for oven-frying or sautéing, reach for a different base to make your crumbs. Try one or a combination of the following to crush into crumbs : flavored melba toasts, tortilla chips, crackers, dry bagged stuffing mixed, pretzels or gingersnaps.

Broiling

To broil is to cook with a direct heat source, usually a gas flame or an electric coil which is located above the food. Broiling is sometimes called grilling.

Professional broilers, which have an adjustable broiler at eye level that makes it easy to control the cooking, are far more practical than home broilers, but home broilers can be effective if you use them properly.

Always preheat you broiler for at least 5 minutes before sliding in any food so the heating element has time to get hot. Some cooks like to line the broiler rack with aluminum foil to make it easier to clean. However it is not recommended because the foil can collect the liquid released by the meat or seafood, which in turn will cause the food to steam. To prevent the surface of foods from drying out under the broiler, rub the foods with a little oil before cooking.

The only way to regulate the heat of a home broiler is to adjust the height of the rack that holds the food. Thin pieces of meat or seafood should be placed closer to the heat source so they brown quickly without overcooking. Red meat being served rare also should be broiled very close to the source so it browns quickly before it overcooks. Slower-cooking foods, such as chicken, which must be cooked completely through, should be broiled farther away from the heat source so they don't brown too much before they are cooked. If you're unsure, keep a close eye on the food and adjust the broiler rack height accordingly.

At times, the broiler is used just to brown the top of cooked dishes, such as gratins, that don't brown enough in the oven. To brown these foods, just slide the dish under the preheated broiler. Move the dish around as necessary so the surface browns evenly, and watch it like a hawk as a broiler can char the surface very quickly.

You can also use a broiler to cook very quick-cooking dishes, such as thinly sliced seafood, directly on the serving plate. To prepare such dishes, each portion of the thinly sliced seafood is carefully spread over a sheet of buttered aluminum foil. Just before serving, the dinner plate is heated in the oven. The foil is inverted over the plate, the foil is peeled away, and the plate slid under the broiler. The plate is rotated (so the seafood cooks evenly) under the broiler for 10 to 20 seconds, usually brushed with a light sauce, and served immediately.

Browning for Food

The term browning may refer to several different processes. The most common type of browning, also known as the Maillard reaction, refers to a series of chemical reactions that makes foods from cookies to fried chicken and grilled steaks taste and look more appetizing. As the sugars in any food are heated, they change color from clear to dark brown and produce new flavor compounds. Browning is also an effective way to destroy surface bacteria on meats. A similar type of browning is known as caramelization. This is what happens to white sugar at high temperatures. Another, less desirable browning is what happens to certain fruits and vegetables when phenolic compounds in their flesh react with oxygen in the air to discolor the food.

Making the basic

To brown meats - Pat dry and place in a medium-hot pan and cook, turning occasionally, until browned all over.
To ensure even browning of meats - Avoid crowding the meat in the pan. Without enough room around the meat to allow for quick evaporation of moisture, the meat will steam instead of browning.
To brown roasted meats - Increase the oven temperature at the end of the cooking time. By that point, the juices, which contain many sugars and proteins, will have risen to the surface and will aid in browning the surface of the meat.
To delay browning in fried foods - Use a low-protein flour or cornstarch for dusting or in a batter. Or eliminate any sugar called for in the batter. Or add a little lemon juice or vinegar to the batter to make it more acidic.

Time savers

To brown faster - Use a broiler, a grill or a very hot oven. Browning ingredients this way frees you up to do other tasks in the kitchen, If the food to be browned this way is low in fat, a light coating of oil will help it brown more evenly and quickly. Also, to prevent flare-ups when browning at high heat, remove large deposits of fat from meats before browning. To brown under a broiler or on a grill, place the food about 3" from the heat (using a hot fire on a grill). To brown in an oven, preheat the oven to 500^oF and roast the food until browned, usually about 15 minutes.

Flavoring tips

To brown for extra flavor and color - Brown the meat without a flour coating. This will develop flavors in the meat rather than just browning the flour. After browning uncoated meat, deglaze the pan by adding liquid and scraping up the browned bits of caramelized meat juices in the pan. These brown bits will dissolve and add depth of flavor, creating the basis for a sauce.
To blacken - This technique is essentially the same as browning but more intensely so. Char the meat until dark brown or nearly black but not burnt.

Burmese Curries

The ingredients basic to all Burmese curries never vary - onion, garlic, ginger, chili and turmeric. The chili can be used in powder form, or whole dried chilies can be ground with the other ingredients, but chili is used sparingly and may be omitted if a hot curry is not desired. There will still be lots of flavor.

The more onions used, the thicker the 'gravy'. To make a curry for four people using 750g (1 1/2 lb) of meat, fish or poultry, here is a well-balanced mixture : one large onion, two or three cloves of garlic, one teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger, half a teaspoon ground turmeric and quarter teaspoon chili powder, and two or three tablespoons oil for frying. Animal fat of any sort is never used. Light sesame oil is best for capturing the true Burmese flavor. If corn, peanut, sunflower or other vegetable oil is used, add a small amount of Chinese-style dark sesame oil for flavor in the proportions of a teaspoon of sesame oil to a tablespoon of vegetable oil.

Preparation of basic ingredients

There is only one way to cook these basic ingredients in order to achieve a mellow flavor in which no single ingredient predominates.

Grind to a puree the onion, garlic and ginger. In the absence of the Asian grinding stone, this is best done in an electric blender, first chopping the ingredients roughly. it will be necessary to stop the motor frequently and scrape down the sides of the blender container. Or, if using the smaller blender jars provided with many machines, lift off and shake the jar to redistribute the contents. When pureed smoothly, mix in the turmeric and chili powder.

Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a saucepan until smocking hot. Be careful when putting in the ground ingredients, for the hot oil splutters violently. Reduce heat and stir well to mix ingredients with the oil. Cover pan and simmer the mixture, lifting lid frequently to stir and scrape the base of pan with a wooden spoon. This mixture fries too rapidly and begins to stick before the smell has mellowed and the onions become transparent, add a small quantity of water from time to time and stir well. When the water content of the onions has evaporated and the ingredients turned to a rich red-brown color with oil showing around the edge of the mass, the first stage of cooking, and the most important one, is completed.

There is a Burmese term to describe this - 'see byan', meaning 'oil returned', that is, with the water completely evaporated and the oil returned to just oil. The basic ingredients will not have the required flavor unless this procedure is followed. The meat, fish or vegetables added will release their own juices while cooking slowly in the pan with the lid on. A roasting chicken will sufficiently cooked by the time its own juices have evaporated. Boiling fowls, duck, some cuts of beef and pork may need a little water added from time to time as cooking continues until they are tender. Fish and shrimps cook very quickly but some types may need a little more liquid added - fish stock, water or coconut milk. Vegetables seldom require any added liquid, but if a wetter result is preferred, add water or coconut milk.

Cooking with carob flour

Carob Nutritional Profile

Energy value (calories per serving): Moderate

Protein: Moderate

Fat: Low

Saturated fat: Low

Cholesterol: None

Carbohydrates: High

Fiber: High

Sodium: Low

Major vitamin contribution: Niacin

Major mineral contribution: Calcium

About the Nutrients in This Food

Carob flour, which is milled from the dried pod of a Mediterranean evergreen tree, Ceratonia siliqua, looks like cocoa but has a starchy, beanlike flavor. It can be mixed with sweeteners to make a cocoa like powder or combined with fats and sweeteners to produce a candy that looks like and has the same rich mouth feel as milk chocolate but tastes more like honey.

Ounce for ounce, carob, which is also known as locust bean gum, has more fiber and calcium but fewer calories than cocoa. Its carbohydrates include the sugars sucrose, D-mannose, and D-galactose. (D-galactose is a simple sugar that links up with other sugars to form the complex indigestible sugars raffinose and stachyose.) Carob also contains gums and pectins, the indigestible food fibers commonly found in seeds.

The Most Nutritious Way to Serve Carob

As a substitute for cocoa or chocolate for people who are sensitive to chocolate.

Diets That May Restrict or Exclude Carob

Low-carbohydrate diet

Buying Carob Flour

Look for: Tightly sealed containers that will protect the flour from moisture and insects.

Storing Carob Flour

Store carob flour in a cool, dark place in a container that protects it from air, moisture, and insects. Keep carob candy cool and dry.

Preparing Food using Carob Flour

Measure out carob flour by filling a cup or tablespoon and leveling it off with a knife. To substitute carob for regular flour, use 1/4 cup carob flour plus 3/4 cup regular flour for each cup ordinary flour. To substitute for chocolate, use 3 tablespoons of carob flour plus 2 tablespoons of water for each ounce of unsweetened chocolate. Carob flour is sweeter than unsweetened chocolate.

What Happens When You Cook with Carob Flour

Unlike cocoa powder, carob flour contains virtually no fat. It will burn, not melt, if you heat it in a saucepan. When the flour is heated with water, its starch granules absorb moisture and rupture, releasing a gum that can be used as a stabilizer, thickener, or binder in processed foods and cosmetics. In cake batters, it performs just like other flours.

Medical Uses and/or Benefits of Carob Flour

Adsorbent and demulcent. Medically, carob flour has been used as a soothing skin powder.

As a chocolate substitute. People who are sensitive to chocolate can usually use carob instead. Like cocoa beans, carob is free of cholesterol. Unlike cocoa, which contains the central nervous-system stimulant caffeine and the muscle stimulant Theo bromine, carob does not contain any stimulating methylxanthines.

About Cereals

Cereals Nutritional Profile
Energy value (calories per serving): Moderate

Protein: Moderate
Fat: Low
Saturated fat: Low
Cholesterol: None
Carbohydrates: High
Fiber: Low to very high
Sodium: Low
Major vitamin contribution: B vitamins

Major mineral contribution: Iron, zinc

About the Nutrients in Cereals
Wheat cereals such as bulgar wheat, farina, and kasha are grains that have been milled (ground) to remove the cellulose and lignin covering (bran) so that we can digest the nutrients inside.

When grain is milled, the bran may be mixed in with the cereal or discarded. Cereals with the bran are very high-fiber food. Cereals with the germ (the inner portion of the seed) are high in fat and may turn rancid more quickly than cereals without the germ.

The proteins in wheat cereals are limited in the essential amino acid lysine. Wheat cereals are naturally good sources of the B vitamins, including folate, plus iron and zinc. In 1998, the Food and Drug Administration ordered food manufactures to add folates—which protect against birth defects of the spinal cord and against heart disease—to flour, rice, and other grain products. One year later, data from the Framingham Heart Study, which has followed heart health among residents of a Boston suburb for nearly half a century, showed a dramatic increase in blood levels of folic acid. Before the fortification of foods, 22 percent of the study participants had a folic acid deficiency; after, the number fell to 2 percent.

One-half cup cooked bulgar wheat has 5.5 g dietary fiber, 16.5 mcg folate (8.2 percent of the RDA for a man, 9.1 percent of the RDA for a woman), 0.87 mg iron (6 percent of the RDA for a woman of childbearing age), and 0.52 mg zinc (3.5 percent of the RDA for a man, 4.3 percent of the RDA for a woman).

The Most Nutritious Way to Serve Cereals
With beans, milk, cheese, or meat, any of which will provide the essential amino acid lysine to "complete" the proteins in the grains.

Diets That May Restrict or Exclude Cereals
Gluten-restricted, gliadin-free diet (farina, kasha)

Low-carbohydrate diet
Low-fiber, low-residue diet
Low-sodium diet (see About the nutrients in this cereals, above)

Buying Cereals
Look for: Tightly sealed boxes or canisters.

Storing Cereals
Keep cereals in air and moisture proof containers to protect them from potentially toxic fungi that grow on damp grains. Properly stored, de-germed grains may keep for as long as a year. Whole-grain cereals, which contain the fatty germ, may become rancid and should be used as quickly as possible.

What Happens When You Cook Cereals
Cereals are made of tightly folded molecules of the complex carbohydrates amylose and amylopectin packed into starch granules. As the granules are heated in liquid, they absorb water and swell. As the temperature of the liquid rises to approximately 140°F, amylose and amylopectin molecules inside the starch granules relax and unfold, breaking some of their internal bonds (bonds between atoms on the same molecule) and forming new bonds to other atoms on other molecules. This creates a network that traps and holds water molecules.'

Ounce for ounce, cereal has fewer vitamins and minerals after cooking simply because so much of the weight of the cooked cereal is water. Cereals are naturally sodium-free but absorb sodium from the soaking water.

* When you use a little starch in a lot of liquid, the amylose and amylopectin released when the starch granules rupture will thicken the liquid by attracting and immobilizing some of its water molecules. Amylose, a long unbranched spiral molecule, can form more bonds to water molecules than can amylopectin, a short branched molecule. Wheat flours, which have a higher ratio of amylose to amylopectin, are superior thickeners.

Grilling using a charcoal grill

The charcoal grill is undoubtedly the most unruly medium for cooking meal, but there's nothing like it once you've learned how to tame the flame.

The first challenge is to test the fire's heat level by knowing how hot the fire is. A simple test is to see how long you can hold your hand 5" above the cooking surface. One second means you've got a searing-hot fire. Two seconds equals medium-hot. Three to four seconds is a medium fire. Five seconds equals medium-low. After 6 seconds, you've got a low fire on your hands.

Food needs to be added at the right time. Use the fire's heat level to determine when to place foods on the grill. For example, to get a nice, dark sear on a steak, you want a hot fire. Similarly, you want a hot fire for a pork tenderloin, which is best when brown and crusty on the outside while light pink and tender inside. To cook firm, thick cuts of fish, such as tuna or salmon steaks, wait until the coals are medium hot. Many firm vegetables also do well with a medium-hot fire, such as eggplant, zucchini, summer squash, and asparagus. A medium fire is best for chicken breasts in order to crisp the skin without burning it and to cook the meat through evenly. For delicate fish fillets, use a medium-low fire.

It is advisable to make a two-level fire. Like a stove-top burner, a grill would ideally have adjustable heat. When grilling over charcoal, the answer is to build a two-level fire. When the coals are hot, use a grill poker to make two piles of coals, one lower pile and one higher pile. These are your two levels of heat to work with - medium low and high. For example, if you like your steak well-done, it's best to sear it over the high fire first, then move it to the medium-low fire so that it can cook through to well-done without charring to a a black, crusty slab. Similarly, with pizza, you can crisp and toast the crust over a hot fire, but finish cooking it with the toppings over low heat.

Two levels of heat also allow you to simultaneously cook a variety of foods that might need different levels of heat. When grilling something dense, such as a pork loin, pile the coals on just one side of the grill, then cook the roast on the opposite side, where there is no flame. This form of indirect grilling helps dense roasts cook slowly and evenly.

Chilies - Handle With Care

Fresh chilies are used in most Asian food, particularly that of Southeast Asia. If mild flavoring is required, simply wash the chili and add it to the dish when simmering, then lift out and discard the chili before serving. But if you want the authentic fiery quality of the dish and decide to use the chilies seeded and chopped as the Asians do, then equip yourself with disposable plastic or well fitting rubber gloves. Loose, clumsy gloves are difficult to work in.

Remove stalk of chili and make a slip to remove the seeds, scraping them out with the tip of a small sharp knife; or cut the chili in two lengthways and remove the central membrane together with the seeds. The seeds are the hottest part of the chili. It you wish to make some of the fiery hot sambals, the chilies are used seeds and all. Generally ground or pureed in a blender.

If you handle (cut or chop) chilies without gloves, after doing so, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and warm water. Chilies can be so hot that even two or three good washing do not stop the tingling sensation, which can go on for hours. If this happens, remember to keep your hands well away from your eyes, lips or where the skin is especially sensitive - and in particular, do not touch young children.

Dried chilies : There are large and small dried chilies; those called for in any of the following recipes are the large variety. If frying them as an accompaniment to a meal, use them whole, dropping them straight into hot oil. If they are being soaked and ground as part of the spicing for a sambal, sauce or curry, first break or snip off the stalk end and shake the chili so that the seeds fall out. They are safe enough to handle until they have been soaked and ground, but if you handle them after this has been done, remember to wash your hands at once with soap and water. Dried chilies, though they give plenty of heat and flavor, do not have as much effect on the skin as fresh chilies with the volatile oils.

Choosing a Saute Pan

A new cook often spend a lot of energy and money trying to find just the right sauté pan. In fact, it is possible to make perfect sautéed dishes in any old pan. It just easier if the pan is of better quality. Whenever possible, sauté in a pan just large enough to hold the food in a single layer, but not so large that it's difficult to handle. If the pan is too large, the juices released by the sautéing foods may run out to the edges of the pan and burn. If the pan is too small, the foods will be crowded and will steam in their juices instead of brown.

The most important quality to look for in a pan is that it is heavy-bottomed, so that the heat will be evenly distributed over its surface. If the pan is thin, the patch directly over the heat will get much hotter than the rest of the pan, and foods in that spot will burn while foods in the rest of the pan cook too slowly.
Use a pan with sloping sides to toss foods such as sliced vegetables, scallops or small pieces of meat. The sloped sides help toss the food back onto itself.
Use a pan with straight sides for sautéing larger pieces of seafood, poultry, meat and vegetables that are turned with tongs rather than tossed. A straight-sided pan is also best when you'll be deglazing the pan for a sauce. Otherwise, the sauce might stick to the sloping sides of the pan and burn as it reduces. If you're making a deglazed sauce, it is best to choose a pan with a light rather than dark surface such as aluminum, tin or stainless steel so that you can see if the juices have burned before you deglaze. Straight-sided pans with lids are also perfect for dishes such as fricassees, when sautéing is only the first step in a two-stage process and liquid will be added after the food is sautéed
High-quality nonstick pans make the easiest work of sautéing, but well-made, heavy-bottomed nonstick pans are expensive. A well-seasoned cast-iron skillet makes a good substitute but some cooks find them too heavy, especially for foods that need to be tossed. The French iron skillets called poeles are somewhat lighter and have sloping sides for tossing.

Choosing the Right Apple

There are currently more than 3,000 varieties of apples, which range from mouth-puckering tart to candy-sweet in shades of green, gold, pink and red. Below are the most popular varieties and how to use them (the best uses for each apple are listed first). Some apples are recommended specifically for salads because their flesh is slow to brown. For baked apples, Rome Beauty is the best choice.

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Thursday, November 18, 2010

Basic Guide on Using Herbs

Basic Information on Common Culinary Herbs

Benefits of Broccoli

Blanching, a method of cooking

Blanching as a Precursor

Boneless and Skinless Chicken Breasts

Braising

Braising, A Classic Cooking Technique

Braising Meats, Step by Step

Bread Crumbs

Broiling

Browning for Food

Burmese Curries

Cooking with carob flour

About Cereals

Grilling using a charcoal grill

Chilies - Handle With Care

Choosing a Saute Pan

Choosing the Right Apple

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