Chopping
If a recipe asks you to chop the ingredients, this means to cut the food into small, irregular pieces about the size of peas.
Mince
In recipes requiring minced ingredients, cut the food into tiny irregular pieces, less than 1/8 inch in size.
Whole Soybeans
As soybeans mature in the pod they ripen into a hard, dry bean. Most soybeans are yellow. However, there are brown and black varieties. Whole soybeans (an excellent source of protein and dietary fiber) can be cooked and used in sauces, stews and soups. Whole soybeans that have been soaked can be roasted for snacks and can be purchased in natural food stores and some supermarkets. When grown without agricultural chemicals, they are referred to as organically grown soybeans.
Freezing in Portion Sizes
When freezing your food, divide it up into portion sizes first, so that you do not need to thaw the entire quantity when you want some. Your food will stay fresher, and if you do this with several dishes, you will have a variety of items to choose from in your freezer for a quick meal. If you need more than one portion, simply take out more than one package.
Baking Bread
When bread is baking, a small dish of water in the oven will help to keep the crust from getting too hard or brown.
Homemade Egg Substitutes
In many recipes, you can create your own egg substitute by any of the following methods: use one ounce of mashed tofu; use 1/2 mashed banana in sweet recipes; mix one tablespoon of flax meal with two tablespoons water; or use one tablespoon of cornstarch or arrowroot mixed with two tablespoons of water. These techniques will help the recipe to "bind" when eggs are included for that purpose.
Freezing Spicy Foods
Be careful when freezing some foods, as their taste may change during the process. Green pepper may change the flavor in frozen casseroles. Clove garlic and pepper flavors get stronger when they are frozen, while sage, onion and salt get milder.
How To Soak Beans
1) Rinse the beans in a sieve and pick through them, throwing out any pebbles or discolored beans you may find.
2) Put them in a large pot and add enough water to cover them by at least an inch.
3) Cover and refrigerate overnight. Drain any remaining water, and add fresh water for cooking.
Baking Powder Substitute
For each 1 teaspoon of baking powder called for in a recipe, you can make a substitute by using 1/4 teaspoon baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar.
Planning, Cooking, Preparing
More than likely you?ll be pleasantly surprised to find the planning, cooking and preparing of vegetarian foods to be fun, simple, convenient, and less costly than you are used to. It just takes a shift in thinking and a few variations. And, just like meal planning in general, it can be as simple or elaborate as you make it.
Low-Fat Cooking
When you use less fat in cooking than is called for in a recipe, spend more time stirring and check the food more often. Foods lower in fat tend to burn more easily.
Quick Soak Beans
1) Rinse beans, put them in a large pot, and add water to cover them by an inch.
2) Bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat, cover, lower, the heat and simmer for 2 minutes.
3) Turn off the heat and let the beans sit, covered, for 1 hour. Drain the soaking water, and add fresh water for cooking.
How to Cook Beans
For each 1/2 cup soaked beans, do the following:
1) Put the beans in a large pot and add 4 cups water.
2) Bring to a boil, skimming off any foam that forms on the surface.
3) Turn down the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until you can pierce the beans with a knife. This will take anywhere from an hour (kidney beans, pinto beans, chickpeas) to an hour and 40 minutes (black beans, white beans).
Note: To cook lentils, refer to specific recipes.
Freezing Soup
Most soups can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Be sure to leave some headspace to allow for expansion. Don?t add cream, yogurt or eggs to soup bases for freezing - they will curdle. Thaw soup in refrigerator before reheating. Freezing may diminish some flavors, so be sure to taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
Dice
Diced foods are small, uniform cubes of about 1/4 inch in size. To dice, first cut the food into matchsticks or shreds. Bundle pieces together; slice cross-wise into uniform cubes.