2.12: Methods of Preparation

Learning Objectives

• To practice various cooking methods for fresh and frozen vegetables – boiling, broiling, baking, steaming, panning, sautéing, etc.
• To prepare less-familiar vegetables in order to appreciate the wide variety of characteristics of vegetables.

Laboratory Problems

• Prepare vegetables according to the following recipes.
• Buttered crumbs: Blend ¼ cup fine dry bread crumbs with 1 tbsp. melted butter.

Culinary Techniques

• Blanch or parboil – Partially cook in a large amount of boiling water to inactivate enzymes or to facilitate peeling.
• Pan (verb) – Cook very thin slices of vegetables at high heat in enough oil to keep them from sticking. Vegetables may be covered and a very small amount of water (1-2 tbsp.) added to create steam. When covered, the pan should be shaken to prevent sticking.
• Sauté – Cook in a small amount of fat over fairly high heat in an open, shallow pan until just done; vegetables should look translucent, not brown.
• Stir-fry – Heat a small amount of oil. Add very thin slices of vegetables and cook over medium-high heat. Stir constantly. A wok is the preferred utensil, but a large, deep skillet may be used. Cook only a few vegetables at a time.

Terms

• Vegetable Pigments: Chlorophyll, Carotenoids, Anthocyanin, & Anthoxanthin
• Flavor Categories: Mild, Brassica, Allium
• Texture: Cellulose, Pectin, & Hemicellulose
• Enzymatic Browning
• Osmosis

Prepare vegetables according to the following recipes:

Artichokes with Butter Sauce

1 whole artichoke	1½ tsp. fresh or frozen lemon juice
2 tbsp. butter	1½ tsp. chopped parsley

Hold artichoke by the stem and dash up and down in a bowl of water. Cut off stem, 1 inch from top, and ¼ of the top of each leaf. Discard the bottom row of leaves. Boil gently in salted water to cover until end of stem is tender and leaves pull easily from base, approximately 20-30 minutes. Carefully remove from water and drain upside down. Prepare butter sauce: melt butter, add lemon juice and parsley. Heat 1-2 minutes to blend flavors. Place artichoke stem end down on a plate and serve with the hot butter sauce. To eat, dip each leaf into sauce, pull leaf through teeth drawing off tender part, and discard the remainder of the leaf.

Stir-Fried Asparagus

⅓ lb. fresh asparagus spears	1/8 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. vegetable oil	dash pepper

Wash and snap off lower woody stems of asparagus, cut tips into bias-cut (diagonal) pieces, 1½ inches long. In a skillet, stir-fry asparagus and seasonings in oil for 1 minute. Cover skillet and shake while cooking, about 2-3 minutes, until asparagus is crisp-tender.

Scalloped Broccoli

⅓ to ½ lb. broccoli	¼ cup fine dry bread crumbs
¾ cup thin white sauce	1 tbsp. melted butter
1 oz. grated sharp cheddar cheese	dash paprika
White Sauce:
2 ¼ tsp butter or margarine	2 ¼ tsp flour
¾ cup milk	1/16 tsp – salt to taste
Melt fat in saucepan, blend in flour and salt; remove from heat.
Add milk, stirring to blend, return to heat and stir gently while heat to a full boil.

Wash and trim broccoli. Cut into 2-3 inch spears. Boil broccoli in a large amount of water until nearly crisp-tender. Prepare white sauce. In a 1-pint glass baking dish, alternate layers of broccoli, white sauce, and cheese. Repeat until all broccoli is used. Blend bread crumbs with melted butter, spread on top of casserole and bake uncovered at 375^°F for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with paprika.

Stir-fried Celery

1½ cups celery (1-2 ribs)	½ cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1 tbsp. vegetable oil	1-2 tsp. soy sauce

Wash and trim celery. Cut diagonally into ¼-inch slices. In a skillet, stir-fry celery in oil until almost crisp-tender. Remove celery and stir-fry mushrooms in same oil. Return celery to pan, and soy sauce. Continue cooking one minute more.

Brussels Sprouts Au Gratin

⅓-½ lb. Brussels sprouts	⅓ cup sliced water chestnuts
¾ cup thin white sauce	¼ cup fine dry bread crumbs
1½ oz. grated sharp Cheddar cheese	1 tbsp. melted butter
⅛ tsp. dry mustard
White Sauce
2 ¼ tsp butter or margarine	2 ¼ tsp flour
¾ cup milk	1/16 tsp – salt to taste
Melt fat in saucepan, blend in flour and salt; remove from heat.
Add milk, stirring to blend, return to heat and stir gently while heat to a full boil.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Trim stems and wilted leaves from Brussels sprouts; wash sprouts. Boil in large amount of water until almost done. Slice sprouts in half. Prepare white sauce, cool slightly, and stir in cheese and mustard. In a 1 pint baking dish, alternate layers of halved Brussels sprouts, water chestnuts, and cheese sauce. Blend bread crumbs with melted butter, spread on top of casserole and bake uncovered at 350^°F for 15 minutes.

Cabbage with Cheese Sauce

¼ head green cabbage	¾ cup thin white sauce
2 bacon slices	1 oz. grated sharp Cheddar cheese
White Sauce
2 ¼ tsp butter or margarine	2 ¼ tsp flour
¾ cup milk	1/16 tsp – salt to taste
Melt fat in saucepan, blend in flour and salt; remove from heat. Add milk, stirring to blend, return to heat and stir gently while heat to a full boil.

Wash cabbage; trim off wilted leaves and cut into small wedges, leaving a portion of the core in each wedge to hold the shape. Fry bacon in skillet over moderately low heat until crisp. Reserving drippings, remove bacon from pan and crumble. Boil cabbage wedges in large amount of water. Prepare white sauce, cool slightly, stir in cheese. Arrange hot drained cabbage on platter, pour cheese sauce over, and sprinkle with bacon bits.

Carrots with Dill and Sour Cream

½ lb. carrots	½ tsp. chicken bouillon
1 tbsp. vegetable oil	½ tsp. sugar
1 tsp. chopped fresh dill	⅓ cup water
½ teaspoon dried dill-weed	1 tbsp. sour cream

Wash and peel carrots; cut into julienne strips (about ⅛ x ⅛ x 2 inches). Sauté carrots and dill in oil for approximately 5 minutes without browning. Stir in chicken bouillon granules, sugar and water, and cook until carrots are crisp-tender. With a slotted spoon, remove carrots to a warm dish. Reduce cooking liquid to approximately two tablespoons; blend in sour cream and add carrots. Heat to serving temperature if necessary.

Deviled Cauliflower

¼ head cauliflower	¼ tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp. butter, melted	⅛ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. prepared mustard	dash cayenne pepper

Wash cauliflower and cut into flowerets; boil in a large amount of water until crisp-tender. Combine remaining ingredients, heat, and pour over hot, drained cauliflower.

Sautéed Leaks

3 medium leeks	1 tsp. lemon zest
2 tbsp. butter	salt and pepper
¼ cup chicken broth

Discard tough outer leaves of leeks. Trim off green tops and roots; slice remaining leek lengthwise twice, so that it has been cut into quarters. Then slice the quarters crosswise into 2-inch strips. Wash the strips by lifting them up and down in water. Lift leeks out of water. Repeat until no more sand or dirt settles to bottom of the container. Melt butter over moderate heat in sauté pan. Add leeks with water still clinging to them. Cook for five minutes, stirring occasionally. Add broth and zest, cover pan and cook until leeks are tender, about five minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Peanut Creamed Onions

½ lb. (8 oz.) small boiling onions	2 tbsp. chopped salted peanuts
½ cup medium white sauce	dash mace
White Sauce
1 Tbsp butter or margarine	1 Tbsp flour
½ cup milk	1/16 tsp – salt to taste
Melt fat in saucepan, blend in flour and salt; remove from heat.
Add milk, stirring to blend, return to heat and stir gently while heat to a full boil.

Blanch onions in boiling water for about 10 seconds. Drain, chill, trim and slip off skins. Cook in fresh boiling water to cover until almost done (boiling in large amount of water). Prepare white sauce. Halve onions, combine with white sauce, half the peanuts, and mace in a 1-pint baking dish. Top with remaining nuts and bake uncovered at 375^°F for 20 minutes.

Peas with Broccoli Medallions

1 tbsp. vegetable oil	¼ cup water
2 green onions, sliced	⅛ tsp. salt
1 cup shelled peas, fresh or frozen	dash pepper
½ cup peeled broccoli	½ tsp. lemon zest
stems cut into 1/8 inch disks	2 tsp. minced fresh parsley

Sauté green onions in oil; add peas, broccoli stems, water, salt and pepper. Boil uncovered for one minute (fresh peas only); cover and cook until peas are crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in lemon zest and parsley.

Parsnips Caramel

½ lb. (8 oz.) parsnips (3 medium)	1 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. brown sugar

Wash and peel parsnips, cut into ½-inch round slices, and steam until nearly tender. Drain any remaining water; put parsnips into one-pint baking dish, sprinkle with brown sugar, and dot with butter. Bake uncovered at 400^°F for 10 minutes.

Rutabagas and Turnips

½ cup cubed turnips	1 tsp. butter
½ cup cubed rutabagas	dash pepper

Peel and cube vegetables. In separate saucepans, boil vegetable in salted water to cover until tender. Combine vegetables, add butter, and season with pepper.

Panned Spinach

½ lb. (8 oz.) spinach	1 hard-cooked egg, chopped
⅛ tsp. salt	2 tsp. fresh or frozen lemon juice

Sort leaves and remove stems. Wash spinach thoroughly by lifting spinach up and down in water. Remove spinach from water. Repeat until no more sand settles to bottom of container. Drain. Cook salt and spinach in a skillet with tight-fitting lid, about 3 minutes, using only the water clinging to the leaves from the last rinsing. Drain, sprinkle with lemon juice, and garnish with chopped hard-cooked egg.

• Hard-Cooked Egg: Add egg to enough cold water to come at least 1” above egg. Bring to boil. Cover pan; remove from heat. Let egg stand in water 15-20 minutes. Cool immediately in ice water. When egg is cold, remove from shell.

Baked Acorn Squash

½ medium acorn squash	1 tbsp. brown sugar
½ cooking apple, diced	¼ tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. butter

Remove seeds from squash; place squash cut-side down in a baking dish large enough to allow contact between the cut surface of the squash and the bottom of the dish. Pour boiling water to ¼ inch depth around squash. Bake uncovered at 400^°F for 35 minutes. Invert squash and fill center with mixture of apple, brown sugar, cinnamon, and butter. Continue baking, uncovered, until apple and squash are tender, about 40 additional minutes.

Spaghetti Squash Parmesan

½ medium spaghetti squash	2 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
1 tbsp. butter, melted	Salt & pepper to taste

Heat oven to 350°F. Halve squash lengthwise; scoop out seeds. Place squash, cut side down, in a baking dish large enough to allow contact between the cut surface and the bottom of the pan. Pour boiling water to ¼-inch depth around squash. Bake in a 350^°F oven for 45-60 minutes until tender. With a fork, shred and separate the squash pulp into strands. Remove the squash from the shell, and toss with salt, pepper, melted butter and Parmesan cheese.

Four Cheese Broiled Tomatoes

¼ cup grated Parmesan and Romano cheese blend	¼ cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
¼ cup ricotta cheese	¼ cup mayonnaise
¼ teaspoon salt	½ tablespoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon minced garlic	2 large tomatoes

In a small bowl, combine the first seven ingredients. Cut each tomato in half. Spread each with 3 tablespoon cheese mixture. Place on an un-greased baking sheet. Broil 3 in. from the heat for 3-5 minutes or until cheese mixture is golden brown and tomatoes are heated through.

Oven Roasted Vegetables

½ sweet potato, peeled	1 garlic clove
1 red potato	1 tbsp. olive oil
1 carrot, peeled	2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
½ fennel bulb, top and root removed	⅛ tsp salt
¼ green pepper	¼ tsp. lemon pepper
½ red onion, peeled

Wash and trim vegetables; cut into 2-inch pieces. Use a large spoon to combine vegetables and remaining ingredients and stir until vegetables are well coated. Bake in a shallow roasting pan at 425^°F for 45 minutes or until vegetables are tender and lightly browned.

Panned Zucchini Parmesan

½ lb. (8 oz.) zucchini squash	1/8 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. coarsely chopped onion	dash pepper
1 tbsp. butter	2 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
1 tbsp. water

Wash and trim ends of zucchini (do not peel); cut into ⅛” round slices. In a skillet, sauté onion in butter 1 to 2 minutes. Add all other ingredients except cheese. Cover, bring to a boil, and cook one minute. Uncover and cook, turning with spatula, until tender. Cool slightly (1-2 minutes), sprinkle with cheese, toss and serve.

Evaluation

Write observations of these vegetables and methods of preparation below the recipes. Include appearance, flavor, degree of doneness, compatibility of ingredients, and quality of fresh ingredients, if applicable.

Recipe	Method of Preparation	Flavor Category	Pigment Category	Sensory Attributes
Artichokes with Butter Sauce
Stir-Fried Asparagus
Scalloped Broccoli
Stir-Fried Celery
Brussel Sprouts Au Gratin
Cabbage with Cheese Sauce
Carrots with Dill and Sour Cream
Deviled Cauliflower
Sautéed Leaks
Peanut Creamed Onions
Peas with Broccoli Medallions
Parsnips Caramel
Rutabagas and Turnips
Panned Spinach
Baked Acorn Squash
Spaghetti Squash Parmesan
Broiled Tomatoes
Oven Roasted Vegetables
Panned Zucchini