6.4 Legumes

General Directions For Preparing Legumes:

Prior to Lab:

Sort, then wash, dried legumes.  One cup of dried legumes will yield approximately 2¼ cups after cooking.

Use soft water, if possible for soaking and cooking.  Allow 2½ to 3 cups of water per cup of legumes.  If very hard water must be used, add 1/8 tsp. baking soda per cup of beans.

Soaking Methods:

• 1. soaking legumes overnight in cold water, or
  2. boiling legumes in water, uncovered, for 2 minutes then removing from heat, covering, and soaking for one hour.

During Lab:

Drain legumes, then cook in fresh water, or in broth according to specific recipe.

• Season cooking water with ½ tsp. salt per cup of dried legumes.
• Reduce foaming by adding 1 tbsp. fat per cup of legumes.

When using a pressure saucepan:

• Fill only ⅓ full with water and always add 1 tbsp. fat to reduce foaming.
• Cook under 15 lbs. pressure, beginning timing after pressure is reached.
• Bring saucepan slowly to operating pressure and reduce pressure gradually (do not cool under running water.)

Continue preparation according to specific recipe. Display a sample of the raw legumes with the prepared dish.

Hopping John

Soak peas. Drain. Gently boil peas in a saucepan with broth, vegetable oil and fresh water about 15 minutes. Add rice and cook 15 minutes until peas are just tender, 15-20 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and season to taste with salt and pepper. Bake in covered one-pint casserole dish at 350°F for 30 minutes.

Edamame with Ginger, Garlic, and Sesame

Bring the water to a boil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the frozen edamame and pinch of salt, cover, and cook until the beans have thawed, about 2 minutes. Remove lid and continue to cook until the water has evaporated and the edamame are heated through, about 2 minutes. Add the oil, garlic, and shallots, and cook until the shallots are soft, about 3 minutes. Off the heat, stir in the rice wine vinegar, sesame seeds, and sesame oil, grated ginger and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Lentil Soup

Combine ingredients except salt and vinegar.  Gently boil until lentils are soft, about 25-35 minutes.  Add vinegar and salt to taste.

Chili

Soak kidney beans.  Drain and combine beans, fresh water, salt, and vegetable oil in pressure saucepan.  Cook at 15 lbs. pressure for 18 minutes.

Brown bacon in 6-inch skillet, remove.  Sauté onion in bacon drippings, remove.  Lightly brown beef, then drain off excess fat.  Return bacon and onion to skillet, add remaining ingredients and drained kidney beans.  Simmer covered for 30 minutes, adding more tomato juice if necessary.

Ensalada de Frijoles (Spanish Bean Salad)

Soak beans.  Drain and combine beans, fresh water, salt and vegetable oil in pressure saucepan.  Cook at 15 pounds pressure for 12 minutes.

Combine sour cream, mayonnaise, onion, garlic, salt & pepper.  Add garbanzo beans and chill one hours or more.**  Toss and chill lettuce, green pepper & olives.  Add garbanzo bean mixture & sprinkle with grated cheese.

Lima Bean Chowder

Soak beans.  Drain and combine beans, fresh water and salt.  Boil 30-35 minutes.  Add  1 tsp. oil if necessary to control foaming.  Add remaining vegetables and continue cooking until all vegetables are tender, adding water if necessary to prevent scorching.  Drain, reserving ½ cup cooking water.  Add ½ cup milk (or more if there is less than ½ cup cooking water) to make 1 cup liquid.  Make a white sauce with butter, flour and 1 cup liquid.  Melt fat in saucepan. Blend in flour and salt; remove from heat.  Add cooking liquid, stirring to blend; return to heat and stir gently while heating quickly to a full boil, remove from heat Add vegetables.  Adjust consistency of chowder with additional milk or cooking liquid.  Season to taste.  If necessary, reheat to serving temperature.

Split Pea Soup

Gently boil peas in broth with oil for 20-25 minutes.  Add vegetables and seasoning.  Continue to simmer until vegetables are tender, approximately 15-20 minutes more.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Black Bean Salsa

Soak beans. Drain and combine beans, fresh water, salt and 1 tbsp of oil in pressure saucepan.  Cook at 15 pounds pressure for 18 minutes. Drain and cool beans in refrigerator for 30-45 minutes.  Add remaining ingredients to serving bowl with beans.  Serve with tortilla chips.

Pinto Beans

Soak beans.  Drain. Brown bacon in small skillet.  Drain off excess fat, reserving 1 tbsp. to control foaming.  In pressure saucepan combine beans, 1 tbsp. bacon fat, bacon, onion, salt, pepper chili powder and fresh water.  Cook for 18 minutes at 15 lbs. pressure.  Retaining liquid, pour contents into a strainer or colander.  Return liquid to the pan and boil to reduce liquid until about 3-4 tbsp. remain.  Pour over beans.

Soybean Casserole

Soak soybeans. Drain, combine beans, salt, vegetable oil, and fresh water in pressure saucepan.  Cook 22 minutes at 15 lbs. pressure.

Brown bacon in skillet; remove from pan and crumble.  Sauté celery, onion, & green pepper in bacon fat until tender.  Blend flour, ¼ tsp. salt and milk thoroughly; add to celery mixture and bring to boil.  Add cooked, drained soybeans and bacon.  Pour mixture into a one-pint baking dish.  Blend bread crumbs with butter.  Top with buttered crumbs, and bake uncovered at 350°F for 30 minutes.

Tofu with Rice

Put rice, water, and salt in heavy saucepan; cover with tight fitting lid.  Bring to a full boil; reduce heat to very low boil and cook until done,* approximately 15-25 minutes depending on variety of rice and temperature.  (Add more water if necessary to prevent scorching.) *Rice is done when a kernel pressed between the fingers feels completely soft.

Sauté onion, celery, mushrooms and carrots in oil.  Combine with cooked rice and all other ingredients except cheese.  Place in greased 1 quart baking dish.  Cover dish and bake at 350°F for 20 minutes.  Uncover and top with cheese; bake for 5 more minutes.

Pork and Tofu

Put rice, water, and salt in heavy saucepan; cover with tight fitting lid.  Bring to a full boil; reduce heat to very low boil and cook until done,* approximately 15-25 minutes depending on variety of rice and temperature.  (Add more water if necessary to prevent scorching.)

*Rice is done when a kernel pressed between the fingers feels completely soft.  Keep hot by putting rice in strainer over a pan containing boiling water.

Boil rice, water and salt.  Remove tofu from liquid in which it was packaged.  Wrap in paper towels and drain 15-20 minutes.  Cut in ¼-inch cubes.  Place cubes in simmering water for 10-15 minutes to firm slightly.  Drain.  Sauté pork and garlic until pork is well done.  Add remaining ingredients and mix well.  Gently stir in tofu cubes.  Simmer about 5 minutes, until flavors are well blended.  Serve over cooked rice.

Roasted Red Pepper Artichoke Dip with Tofu

Preheat oven to 375°F.  Chop the artichoke hearts and roasted red peppers and place in a medium sized mixing bowl.  Measure out tofu, mayonnaise, parmesan cheese, Italian blend cheese, and garlic, place in the mixing bowl with the artichoke hearts and roasted red pepper, and stir until incorporated.  Transfer artichoke mixture into an ungreased 8×8 baking dish, place in oven, and bake for approximately forty minutes or until brown and bubbly.

Hummus

Soak beans.  Drain and combine beans, fresh water, salt and vegetable oil in pressure saucepan.  Cook garbanzo beans at 15 pounds pressure for 12 minutes.

Turn on the food processor fitted with the steel blade and drop the garlic down the feed tube; process until it’s minced. Add the rest of the ingredients to the food processor and process until the hummus is coarsely pureed. Add reserved liquid until desired consistency.  Add hot sauce as needed for seasoning.  Serve chilled or at room temperature. Reserve cooking liquid.

Evaluation