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Preparing Vegetable Dishes
Preparing Vegetable Dishes
Introduction
TOPIC 1: Composition of Meat
TOPIC 2: Structure of Meat
Introduction
TOPIC 1: Types of Meat
TOPIC 2: Meat Grades
TOPIC 3: Tenderness of Meat
TOPIC 4: Aging Meat
Introduction
TOPIC 1: Beef Cuts
TOPIC 2: Pork Cuts
TOPIC 3: Lamb Cuts
TOPIC 4: Variety Meats
Introduction
TOPIC 1: Cleaning Meat
Introduction
TOPIC 1: Preparing Portion Cuts
TOPIC 2: Preparing Frenched Meat
TOPIC 3: Tying Roasts
TOPIC 4: Marinating Meat
Introduction
TOPIC 1: Roasting Meat
Introduction
A vegetable is an edible plant or parts of a plant. Vegetables may be classified as root, green
or fruit vegetable. This lesson will present the types and characteristics as well as the qualities
of vegetables.
Root Vegetables - As their name suggests, root vegetables grow under the ground or
plant roots commonly consumed as vegetables. These include all vegetables derived
from roots, bulbs and tubers of plants.
Green Vegetables - These include the stems, flowers and leaves of plants that
humans consume for food. Some plants may have all parts eaten as a vegetable while
there are also those with only one or some parts safe or desirable for food service.
Texture
Flavor
Color
Nutrients
The changes in these four characteristics determine the outcome of the dish that you are
cooking.
Texture
The texture of vegetables can be represented in various degrees depending on the cooking
technique used. The texture of vegetables is affected by the fiber and starch components.
White-pigmented vegetables:
Add a little lemon juice or cream of tartar to the cooking water (Do not add too much as this
may toughen the vegetable). Covering the pot also helps keep acid in.
Cooking for a short time, especially in the steamer, helps maintain color (and flavor and
nutrients as well).
Overcooking or holding too long in a steam table turns white vegetables dull yellow or gray.
Red-pigmented vegetables:
Green-pigmented vegetables:
Flavor
This is the quality of fruits and vegetables described as the combination of aroma and
taste. Food and nutrition scientists say that there are two ways vegetables can be classified
according to flavor:
Many flavors are lost during cooking. This occurs when flavors are dissolved into cooking
liquid and by evaporation. The longer a vegetable is cooked the more flavor it loses. There
are ways in which cooking results into flavor loss.
Cooking produces certain chemical changes, which is why vegetables taste different when
cooked compared to when vegetables are raw. As long as the vegetables are not overcooked,
this change is desirable. It produces the flavors one looks for in vegetable dishes.
Controlling Flavor Loss
Try to serve young, fresh vegetables that have been stored for a short time only.
For older vegetables, add a small amount of sugar to the cooking water to replace loss
of sweetness.
Color
It is important to preserve as much natural color as possible when cooking vegetables. Its
visual quality is as important as its flavor or nutritional value. Pigments are compounds that
give vegetables their color.
Controlling Changes in Color
White-pigmented vegetables:
Add a little lemon juice or cream of tartar to the cooking water (Do not add too much as
this may toughen the vegetable). Covering the pot also helps keep acid in.
Cooking for a short time, especially in the steamer, helps maintain color (and flavor and
nutrients as well).
Overcooking or holding too long in a steam table turns white vegetables dull yellow or
gray.
Red-pigmented vegetables:
Green-pigmented vegetables:
Introduction
The best dishes are made with the use of the freshest ingredients. That is why most of the
time cooks prefer using fresh vegetables. This lesson will present the procedures for
preparing vegetables for cooking and the measures for controlling the changes in the quality
of vegetables during cooking.
Preparing vegetables for cooking includes washing, soaking, peeling, cutting and trimming
vegetables.
Washing:
Soaking:
To preserve as much flavor, do not soak vegetables in water for long periods (except
for dried legumes).
If necessary, cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and cauliflower may be soaked for
30 minutes in cold salted water to eliminate insects.
Limp vegetables can be soaked briefly in cold water to restore crispiness.
Dried legumes are soaked for several hours before cooking to replace moisture lost in
drying. Dried beans absorb their weight in water.
Treat vegetables that brown easily (potatoes, eggplant, artichokes, sweet potatoes)
with an acid, such as lemon juice, or an antioxidant solution, or hold under water until
ready to use (some vitamins and minerals will be lost).
Peeling, Cutting and Trimming:
Peel most vegetables as thinly as possible. Many nutrients lie just under the skin.
Cut vegetables into uniform pieces for even cooking.
Peel and cut vegetables as close to cooking time as possible to prevent drying and loss
of vitamins through oxidation.
Save edible trim for soups, stocks, and vegetable purees.
It is important that you know how to handle processed products properly. The following are
important reminders for handling processed vegetables safely.
Frozen vegetables have been partially cooked, so final cooking time is shorter than for
fresh products.
Cook from the frozen state. Most vegetables need no thawing. They can go directly into
steamer pans or boiling water.
Exceptions: Corn on the cob and vegetables that freeze into a solid block, such as
spinach and squash, should be thawed in the cooler first for more even cooking.
Seasoning: Most frozen vegetables are slightly salted during processing, so add less
salt than you would to fresh products.
Guidelines for Handling Dried Vegetables
Most of the many-colored beans are types of kidney beans, peas, and lentils. Lentils are
small, lens-shaped legumes that have shorter cooking times than kidney beans. Other types
of dried beans include chickpeas or garbanzos, fava beans, and lima beans.
When handling dried vegetables, it is important to take note of the following, accordingly:
Follow the manufacturer’s directions for reconstituting these products. Many need to be
soaked in cold or warm water for specific lengths of time. They continue to absorb water
as they are simmered.
Dried products, especially potatoes, require only the addition of boiling liquid and
seasonings to be ready to serve. Again, the manufacturer’s directions vary with their
brands.
Dried mushrooms should be soaked in hot water until soft, then drained and lightly
squeezed before being cooked. The flavorful soaking liquid is trained and used as a
flavoring for cooking liquids and sauces.
UNIT 3: Cooking and Plating Vegetables
Introduction
This lesson will present the different methods vegetables can be cooked. Moist and dry heat
methods will be presented as well as procedures for cooking vegetables in batches for food
service. This lesson will also present the topics to help you determine the qualities of a well-
cooked vegetable and reminders on the appropriate accompaniments of vegetable dishes.
Two of the most common methods in cooking vegetables is boiling them in water and
steam. The following are methods similar to boiling and steaming:
Ingredients
150 g Broccoli
½ cup Cream
½ cup Milk
1 Tbsp Parmesan cheese
As needed Water
tt Salt and pepper
Yield: 2 to 3 Servings
Procedure
Sautéing cooks vegetables quickly in a small amount of fat. Vegetables are tossed or flipped
in the pan over high heat. Sautéing may be used to cook precooked or blanched as well as
raw vegetables.
Ingredients
Procedure
1. Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté until translucent.
2. Add the garlic and sauté until it releases its aroma.
3. Add the tomato paste and cook over medium heat until it turns a deeper color and gives
off a sweet aroma.
4. Add the bell pepper, eggplant, zucchini, mushroom and tomato concasse. Stir as
necessary.
5. Pour in the stock and season with salt and pepper to taste.
6. Simmer over low heat until the vegetables are fork-tender. Add chicken stock if the stew
begins to appear dry.
7. Serve immediately or hold for later use.
TOPIC 4: Grilling and Broiling Vegetables
Broiling applies heat from a source above the meat while grilling or pan-broiling apply heat
from a source below. Broiling and grilling are also used to finish cooked or partially cooked
vegetables by browning or glazing them on top.
Grilled Vegetable Kebabs
Ingredients
Procedure
1. Prepare the marinade. Mix the olive oil, wine, lemon juice, mustard and the herbs in
one bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Toss the vegetables into the marinade. Coat the vegetables and marinate for 30
minutes.
3. Set the grill to medium heat.
4. Place the vegetables on skewers. You can run the vegetables on the skewer alternately
for presentation. If you are using wooden skewers, it is advisable that you soak them in
water for 30 minutes before use.
5. Grill the kebabs for 10 to 12 minutes.
6. Brush the kebabs with the marinade every two to 3 minutes as you rotate the skewers.
7. Take the kebabs out of the grill when the vegetables are brown and tender.
8. Plate and serve.
TOPIC 5: Frying Vegetables
Frying cooks’ items in fat. This method can be done in two ways:
Ingredients
75 g Eggplant
75 g Squash
10 g Asparagus
75 g Zucchini
75 g Carrots
2 pcs Eggs, beaten
25 ml Milk
25 g Flour
¼ cup Baking powder
As needed Cooking oil
tt Salt and pepper
Yield: 3 to 5 Servings
Procedure
In quantity cooking, it is rarely possible to cook individual vegetable portions to order. After 20
to 30 minutes at steam table temperatures, even carefully prepared vegetables are usually
overcooked. Two common systems have been devised for quantity cooking are:
Batch Cooking - a method of quantity cooking suited for set meal services or those
with fixed menu items. In this method, vegetables are cooked one batch at a time.
Blanch-and-Chilling - a method that involves partial cooking and chilling vegetables to
be cooked just before serving. Blanch-and-Chilling is most helpful in extended meal
service as it gives the cook complete control over the degree of doneness of vegetables
when served.
TOPIC 7: Checking Vegetables for Doneness
The doneness of vegetable varies from one to another. Some, such as winter squash,
eggplant, and braised celery, are considered properly cooked when they are quite soft. Most
vegetables are best cooked very briefly until they are crisp-tender or al dente (firm to the
bite).
TOPIC 8: Guidelines for Plating Vegetable Dishes
When plating vegetable dishes, it is important that accompaniments such as the sauces and
side dishes are looked into. Accompaniments should add contrast while complimenting the
dish. The following are important reminders for selecting vegetable accompaniments for
plating: