The 30-Minute Vegan - Mark Reinfeld [11]
Julienne: long and thin strips, approximately ⅛-inch wide.
Chiffonade: long, thinly cut strips of herbs or leafy veggies, achieved by rolling them up and then slicing.
Shred: cut into very thin strips, either by hand or by using a grater or food processor.
In your spare time, you can also practice turning fruits and vegetables into beautiful garnishes—an art form in itself. Experiment with different colors and sizes as you decorate your plates before serving. Carrots can be cut into stars; radishes and beets into roses; and many other intriguing forms await your knife as you become more experienced. Visit www.recipetips.com and do a keyword search for “garnishing” to learn several unique techniques.
Steaming
Steaming involves using a steamer basket made of either bamboo or stainless steel. Vegetables are placed in the basket; the basket is placed in a pot with 1 to 2 inches of water; and the pot is covered with a lid. As the water boils, the vegetables are cooked in the steam that is generated by the boiling water. Lightly steaming preserves as much of the foods’ nutritional value as possible. A small steamer basket fits well in a 3-quart pot and can provide countless quick and easy steamed veggie medleys.
If several vegetables are used, place the firmer vegetables that take longer to cook, such as yams, carrots, and cauliflower, in the steamer first and steam for a few minutes. (Also place on the lowest level of the steamer any vegetables whose juices may color or add an unpleasant taste to other vegetables they’d sit atop, such as beets or Brussels sprouts.) Add other vegetables such as broccoli, green beans, red bell peppers, mushrooms, purple cabbage, zucchini, or snow peas, and cook until just tender. Check periodically to make sure you don’t run out of water. Experiment with different timings to discover how long it takes to cook them to perfection.
With regard to measurements: Generally, 1 cup of raw vegetables will yield 1 cup of cooked vegetables, if not overcooked. For the more tender leafy greens, such as spinach or Swiss chard, 1 cup of raw veggies will yield approximately ½ cup or less steamed.
Blanching
Sometimes we like to precook hardier veggies such as broccoli or cauliflower before using them in a sauté or as crudités and in salads. This involves dipping the veggies in boiling water for several seconds to a few minutes, and then placing them immediately into ice water. This helps stop the cooking process and imparts a vibrant fresh color to vegetables.
Sometimes, we blanch almonds to remove their skins. Timing is important, especially for live food dishes. Drop the soaked almonds in boiling water, remove after 10 seconds, drain, and rinse well under cold water before removing the skins. The skins will easily pop off after blanching. The longer the almonds are left in the water, the less “live” they will be.
Sautéing
Sautéing involves cooking in a pan at a high temperature, usually with oil added. It is recommended to heat the pan before adding the oil. You can use a sauté pan or try using a wok. This is the technique used in the famous stir-fry—with all its variations. If you do use a wok, remember the sides of the wok are cooler than the bottom. As you add new veggies to your stir-fry, move the cooked ones to the side to allow the newer ones to cook on the hotter surface.
In your sautéing, avoid at all costs using any of the hydrogenated oils. These oils are damaging to heart health. There are so many wonderful nonhydrogenated oils out there—this book suggests many of them. Reap their benefits for your health and taste buds! Our favorite oils for sautéing include coconut, olive, sesame, and safflower. Be sure to avoid heating any oil until it smokes. This “smoke point” indicates that the oil has been denatured and is detrimental to health.
Steam Sautéing
Steam sautéing may be used by those wishing to eliminate the use of heated oils in their food. Water or stock is used instead of oil in the initial cooking