unit 3: vegetables
You should include ________ servings of them in your diet each day.
3-5
saute
A cooking method that uses a small amount of fat in a shallow pan over high heat. All ingredients are heated at once and cooked quickly; Saute literally means "jump", so remember to move ingredients around in the pan rapidly.
mince
A cooking technique in which ingredients are finely divided. This allows the flavor of the ingredient to be distributed more evenly.
microwaving
A microwave is a small oven that cooks or heats food very quickly. Instead of the electric or gas heat that a regular oven uses, a microwave heats with electromagnetic radiation. - Vegetables cooked in a microwave often retain their shapes, colors, flavors, and nutrients. This is due to the short cooking time and the use of little or no cooking liquid.
Stems
Asparagus, celery, bamboo, rhubarb, hearts of palm
baking
Baking is a method of preparing food that uses dry heat, normally in an oven, but can also be done in hot ashes, or on hot stones. Heat is gradually transferred from the surface of foods to their center.
Flowers
Broccoli, artichokes, cauliflower, squash blossom
vegetable classifications:
Bulbs, flowers, fruits, stems, leaves, seeds, tubers & roots.
legumes
Dried peas, beans, and lentils. These are the most common dried beans. They are high in protein and fiber, and make a great meat substitute.
Bulbs
Onion, garlic, green onion, leek
Seeds
Peas, corn, beans
potatoes
Potatoes are a vegetable, but they are treated somewhat differently. Four common preparation methods are: -Boiling -Mashing -Frying -Baking - New potatoes aren't a variety of potatoes. They are potatoes that are sent to market immediately after harvesting. - When baking potatoes, pierce several places with a fork. This prevents steam from building up, which could cause the potato to explode!
Tubers
Potatoes, Jerusalem artichokes, yams
Roots
Radishes, beets, carrots, sweet potatoes, turnips
Preparing Canned, Frozen & Dried Vegetables
- Canned vegetables have already been cooked. Heat canned vegetables no more than necessary before serving. - Frozen vegetables have already been blanched (preheated in boiling water or steam for a short time). This reduces cooking time by half. - Before cooking legumes, rinse & sort them. Dried beans must also be soaked before cooking so they will absorb water and cook more evenly. Discard soaking water before cooking to reduce the gas-causing properties of beans.
dried vegetables (legumes)
- Examples of dried vegetables are peas, beans, and lentils. - Legumes are high in protein and fiber. - Store them in covered containers in a cool, dry place.
storing vegetables
- For best flavor, appearance, & nutrition, you should use all vegetables as soon as possible - Most vegetables will keep fresh in the refrigerator for a few days - Store sweet corn in the husk - Allow tomatoes to fully ripen at room temperature before storing in the refrigerator, uncovered - Wrap leafy green vegetables in a damp towel & place in a perforated plastic bag before refrigerating - Store onions in open containers at room temperature - Store potatoes, hard-rind squash, eggplant, etc. in a cool, dark, dry place. Use potatoes within a week or they will sprout and shrivel. If exposed to light, potatoes may turn green. Cut away green portions before using.
preparing raw vegetables
- It is important to wash all vegetables to remove dirt, bacteria and pesticides. - Do not soak fresh vegetables in water. - Store washed & thoroughly drained vegetables in covered containers in the refrigerator.
When shopping for fresh vegetables, follow these guidelines...
- Look for good color - firmness & absence of bruises & decay - Avoid wilten and misshapen vegetables - Handle vegetables carefully to prevent bruising - Choose vegetables that are medium in size. - Small veggies may be immature & lack flavor, and large veggies can be over-mature and tough - Buy only what you will use within a short time. - Fresh veggies lose quality quickly, Vegetables that are in season are usually high in quality and low in
Frozen vegetables
- retain the appearance and flavor of fresh vegetables better than canned and dried vegetables. - However, freezing may alter their texture somewhat - Frozen vegetables usually cost less than fresh - Choose packages that are clean and solidly frozen - A heavy layer of ice may indicate that the food thawed and re-froze.
Leafy green & deep yellow vegetables are excellent sources of ________, which your body converts into vitamin A (needed for good vision & growth of bones & teeth).
carotene
All vegetables are good sources of _____ (promotes healthy bowel function). However, fresh vegetables are the best form of vegetables for ____________.
fiber, fiber content
Seeds, roots & tubers are _______ vegetables, which means they have more carbohydrate and calories per serving than other types of vegetables.
starchy
canned vegetables
usually cost less than either frozen or fresh produce, Choose cans that are free from dents, bulges, and leaks, Store cans in a cool, dry place.
Vegetables are excellent sources of many _________________ needed for good health.
vitamins & minerals
crisp-tender
A term that describes vegetables that are cooked until just tender but still somewhat crunchy.
pressure cooking
Cooking food at high pressure, using water or a water-based cooking liquid, in a sealed vessel known as a pressure cooker. High pressure limits boiling, and permits cooking temperatures well above 100 °C (212 °F) to be reached.
Leaves
Spinach, lettuce, cabbage, Brussels sprouts
boiling
The action of bringing a liquid to the temperature at which it bubbles and turns to vapor.
frying
This means cooking your food in fat. Frying is one of the quickest ways to cook food, with temperatures typically reaching between 175 - 225ºC. Broiling a cooking technique that uses radiant heat from an overhead source. Foods are placed in the oven, and the heat above cooks the food.
blanch
To cook in boiling water or steam, for a short time. This stops enzyme actions which can cause loss of flavor, color, and texture. It reduces cooking time by half. This must be done before freezing vegetables.
steam
To cook in steam by suspending foods over boiling water in a covered pot or steamer.
Fruits
Tomatoes, cucumber, peppers, squash
cost of fresh vegetables
Vegetables cost less during their peak growing season
Tomatoes, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, broccoli & cauliflower are good sources of _________________ (helps with formation of collagen, helps keep blood vessel walls firm, helps wounds heal and mends broken bones, helps fight infections, acts as an antioxidant).
Vitamin C
Food Science Principles of Cooking Vegetables
When you cook vegetables, several changes take place. - The cellulose (fiber) softens, to make chewing easier. - Starch absorbs water, swells, and becomes easier to digest. - Flavors & colors undergo changes, and some nutrients may be lost. - Crisp-Tender- This means vegetables are tender, but still slightly firm. You can pierce them with a fork, but not too easily. - Cooking vegetables too long causes several undesirable changes to take place. - In most cases, you should cook vegetables for a short time in a small amount of water. Serve them when they are crisp-tender. - Yellow vegetables contain carotene, a source of vitamin A. Heat does not destroy carotene, but overcooking will cause the cellular structure to break down and release carotene into the cooking liquid. - White vegetables contain pigments called flavones. Flavones are soluble in water. Overcooking white vegetables will cause them to turn yellow or dark gray. - Red vegetables contain a pigment called anthocyanin. Add vinegar or lemon juice (an acid) to the water to keep red vegetables red. - Cooking vegetables in their skins retains more nutrients. - Legumes are dried peas, beans and lentils. They must be soaked before cooking. - Vegetables cooked in the microwave can be more nutritious than vegetables cooked with other methods. This is due to the short cooking time and the use of little or no cooking liquid.