Vegetable Preparation and Cooking

Vegetable Preparation and Cooking

• Vegetables are plants used as food, often accompanying meat or fish.
• Types of vegetables include: fat-rich (nuts, seeds, avocados, olives); carbohydrate-rich (seeds, roots, tubers); protein-rich (beans, peas, legumes); and high-moisture (tomatoes, radish, mushrooms).
• Key components in vegetables include fructose (sweet), glutamate (amino acid), carotenoids (yellow/orange/red pigments), anthoxanthin (white/pale yellow), and anthocyanin (red/blue/violet pigments).
• Washing and soaking are crucial for preparing vegetables; treat those that brown easily with acid (e.g., potatoes, eggplants).
• Common vegetable cutting methods include julienne (thin strips) and batonnet (small square shapes).
• Cooking vegetables affects texture, water content, color, and nutrient composition.
• Moist heat cooking (e.g., boiling) gelatinizes starch, while dry heat cooking (e.g., roasting) dextrinizes starch or caramelizes sugars.
• Protein in vegetables becomes more soluble and digestible with certain cooking methods, but vitamins (like vitamin C) may be destroyed by heat. Minerals can be lost to cooking liquid.
• Overcooking vegetables should be avoided; cook as close to service time as possible. If cooking ahead, slightly undercook and chill quickly for reheating.
• Avoid using baking soda with green vegetables.
• Cut vegetables evenly for even cooking; use salted water to boil green and other vegetables.
• Cook strong flavored vegetables uncovered; cook red/white in mildly acidic liquid to preserve color.
• Avoid mixing freshly cooked vegetables with vegetables previously cooked in a pan.
• Cooked vegetables should have natural, bright colors. Green vegetables should be bright green.
• Dishes should be attractively arranged on the plate. Textures should be crisp-tender.
• Vegetables like potatoes, squash, and tomatoes ideally have a smooth texture.

Avocado Preparation

• To prepare an avocado, slice it lengthwise around the pit, open it, carefully remove the pit, and scoop out the flesh.

General Cooking Techniques

• Sauteing: Quick cooking in a small amount of fat over high heat, tossing frequently.
• Pan-frying: Cooking in more fat over medium heat, without tossing.
• Braising: Slow cooking in a small amount of liquid.
• Baking: Cooking in a hot oven.
• Broiling/grilling: Cooking with direct heat.

Food Temperature and Presentation

• Serve hot foods on hot plates and cold foods on cold plates.
• Properly arrange food on plates, allowing space to enhance presentation; ensure portions are appropriate to each serving size.

Storage and Preservation

• Store potatoes and onions in a cool, dry, dark place; keep separate from fruits.
• Store frozen vegetables at a low temperature.
• Store dried vegetables in a tightly closed container in a cool, dry, and well-ventilated place.
• Canned vegetables should be stored in a cool, dry place.

Poultry Cooking

• Mature poultry is best cooked using moist heat methods, while young poultry is better using dry heat methods. Poultry stuffing should be done just before roasting.
• Basting helps enhance the flavor of lean poultry by adding moisture.

Cooking Methods (Additional Details)

• Simmering: Cooking in liquid just below boiling point.
• Boiling: Cooking in liquid at the boiling point.
• Steaming: Cooking using steam.
• Braising/Stewing: Combining dry and moist heats.
• Roasting/Baking: Cooking using hot air.
• Broiling/Grilling: Cooking with direct heat.
• Pan-Frying/Sautéing: Cooking in small amount of fat.
• Deep-Frying: Cooking in a large amount of hot oil.

Portion Sizes and Serving Sizes

• Portion is the amount of food an individual chooses to eat, which can be more or less than the serving size.
• Serving size is a quantified amount recommended on nutrition facts labels.
• Portion Distortion refers to increasing portions sizes that are considered "normal".
• To control portions, use measuring tools (cups, spoons, scales) and eat from plates instead of packages.

Food Safety (General)

• Keep raw poultry separate from other foods.
• Refrigerate cooked poultry at appropriate temperatures to avoid bacteria growth.