5.1 Cereal and Legume Introduction
Before You Come to Lab
Name: _________________________________
Check out the Whole Grains Council website (find the link in Canvas).
1. Explain what an enriched grain is.
2. Does an enriched grain have the same amounts of vitamins and minerals as a whole grain? Explain.
Watch “The Science Behind Pressure Cookers” to refresh your memory on how pressure cookers work.
3. In the video example, the air pressure in the pressure cooker is about double the air pressure at sea level. What temperature does the water boil at in the pressure cooker?
Cereal Ingredients
There is a wide range of cereal grains and varieties within those cereal grains. Many cereal grains are further processed, such as grinding, flaking, separating the grain components (for refined grains), and precooking. These steps are designed to make the grains easier to use and eat, but it can be a bit confusing when looking at all of the cereal grain ingredients and foods in the store. Building on what was observed and discussed in Chapter 4, here are some additional cereal products to know.
- Polenta: Corn mush, a staple of Italy, made from cornmeal
- Couscous: small pasta pieces made from semolina flour, also a traditional North African dish with the same name
- Bulgar: Parboiled, dried & cracked wheat, used to make Tabbouleh
- Farina: Coarsely ground wheat endosperm, used to make a modified version of Gnocchi (Italian small dumplings traditionally made from potato).
- Quinoa: Ancient grain, high in protein & minerals (calcium, phosphorus, iron)
- Malted Barley: Sprouted barley that has been dried, can be used for flavoring or for making beer and spirits.
This lab will include a variety of rice dishes using different kinds of rice. Here are some of the rice types that can be used.
| Rice Types | Whole Grain? | Typical Application |
|---|---|---|
| Long grain | No | Separates easily, drier texture |
| Short grain | No | Higher starch content, sticks together, used in sushi |
| Brown | Yes | High-fiber, bran is present (could be short, medium, or long-grain) |
| Converted | No | Parboiled rice, soaked & dried before milling. Process infuses nutrients into the endosperm |
| Arborio | No | Specialty rice used for risotto for its starch properties |
| Wild | Yes | Wild rice is not technically rice but is a semi-aquatic grass native to North America that is 100 percent whole grain. Wild rice grains are long, slender, and dark brown. Cooked grains have a nutty flavor and chewy texture. |
Legumes
Cereals pair well with legumes but differ in a few specific ways.
Legume Definition: a plant with seed pods; seeds contain a good source of protein, fat, starch & fiber
- Legumes need to be soaked and often pressure-cooked due to a tough seed coat, higher protein content, and larger particle size.
- Two ways to speed the cooking of legumes are soaking and pressure cooking.
- Fat (butter or oil) is added to the pressure cooker when cooking legumes to reduce foaming.
This lab will include a variety of legume dishes. Here are some of the legume types that can be used:
| Legume | Uses | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Black-eyed-peas | Hopping John | |
| Kidney beans | Chili | |
| Garbanzo beans or Chickpeas | Hummus, Ensalada de Frijoles | |
| Pinto beans | Refried Beans, Pinto Bean Casserole | |
| Black beans | Salsa | |
| Soybeans | Soybean Casserole, often further processed | |
| Tofu | Soy “cheese” | |
| Peas | Split Pea Soup |
