Cooking Legumes and Grains

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Cooking Legumes and Grains

• Chapter 2.3 Notes

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Legumes and Grains

• Concentrated sources of nutrients
• Protein
• Fiber
• Vitamins
• Minerals
• Good-tasting
• Inexpensive
• Readily available

• Must be cooked
• To change their texture to be chewed and digested
• To develop their flavor
• To remove dirt, dust, or other natural substance
  harmful to humans

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Legumes

• Seeds from pod-producing plants
• Examples
• Yellow split peas
• Great Northern beans
• Kidney beans
• Pinto beans
• Lentils
• Navy beans

• Many uses in cooking
• Salads
• Appetizers
• Main course
• Dessert

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Storing Legumes

• Store in cool, dry, well-ventilated areas
• Keep away from light and excessive heat
• Discard any beans or peas that appear moldy,
  damp, or wrinkled
• Can be kept for 1 to 2 years best used within 6
  months of purchase

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Cooking Legumes

• Rinse carefully and in some cases soak before
  cooking
• Rinse with cold water in colander or sieve
• Place in large pot of cold water any legumes
  that float should be discarded
• Soaking shortens the cooking time
• Legumes dont absorb water quickly
• Soak overnight in cold water or flavorful liquid
• Quick method boiled briefly and then soaked in
  the hot water for one hour

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Grains

• Grasses that grow edible seeds
• Essential for everyday cooking
• Whole Grains grains that have not been milled
• Milling process the germ, bran, and hull of the
  grain are removed, or polished
• Stone-ground grains that are ground and broken
  down
• Retain more nutrients because the germ, bran, and
  hull are left intact

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• Hull protective coating, or husk, that
  surrounds the grain
• Bran though layer surrounding the endosperm
• Endosperm largest part of the grain
• Germ smallest part of the whole grain

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Grains

• Wheat classified as soft or hard, depending on
  the protein content
• All-purpose white flour good for making muffins
  pancakes not making breads
• Soft wheat good for making cakes pastries

• Hard wheat good for making bread
• Durum wheat type of hard wheat good for making
  pasta
• Semolina refined durum good for making pasta

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Storing Grains

• Dry grains store above floor level on shelves
  in a dry, ventilated, and accessible area
• Whole grains store in freezer
• Brown rice and wild rice store in refrigerator

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Cooking Grains

• Soak before cooking
• Water softens the outer layer, or bran
• Examples of methods of ways to cook grains
• Steaming
• Pilaf
• Risotto

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• Steaming
• Cooked in double boiler
• Properly steamed grains should be tender to the
  bite have good flavor
• Pilaf
• Cooking grains in which the grain is sautéed
  briefly in butter, then simmered in stock or
  water with seasonings

• Risotto
• Rice is stirred constantly as small amounts of
  hot liquid, usually flavored broth or water, are
  added and absorbed
• Starch gradually is released producing a creamy
  texture
• Best risotto has a porridge-like consistency
  (sticky creamy)