Low Carb Diabetic Diet

How To Cook Beans Easily

Beans are about the best nutrition bargain going. Low in cost, they provide thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, iron, and calcium. When complemented by grains or dairy products, they are a main source of high-quality protein for vegetarians.

The simplest cooking directions are to sort through the beans and discard any bad ones, then rinse well, drain, and gently boil, uncovered, in three times their volume of water until tender.

For some beans, cooking “until tender” can take a considerable length of time. If you prefer, you can shorten their cooking time by soaking them according to one of the following methods.

1. Quick soaking: In a kettle, combine 6 to 9 cups hot water with 1 pound dry beans. Bring to a boil over high heat and continue to boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let soak, covered, for 1 hour before draining.
2. Long soaking: In a kettle, combine 6 to 7 cups cold water with 1 pound dry beans. Add 2 teaspoons salt, (it helps beans absorb water evenly). Let soak for at least 3 to 4 hours or until next day. Drain before cooking.

To cook soaked beans: In a kettle, bring 6 to 7 cups water to a boil. Add drained, soaked beans. Boil gently partially covered, until tender Add water if needed to keep beans covered. Add salt to taste (up to 2 teaspoons) when beans are tender. Drain excess water when done; reserve for soups or stews, if desired.

Beans double in size; 1 pound dry beans yields about 4 cups cooked beans. We prefer to cook a large quantity of beans and freeze whatever we don’t plan to use right away.

The following list of legumes (mostly beans) contains a brief description as well as recommended cooking time after soaking for each item. Note that lentils and split peas do not need soaking.

1. Black beans: Robust flavor; popular in South American cooking. 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
2. Black-eyed peas: Smooth texture, pealike flavor; good mixed with other vegetables. 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
3. Garbanzos (chick peas, ceci): Firm texture, nutlike flavor; naturals for minestrone, salads. 2 to 2 1/2 hours.
4. Great Northern beans: Mild flavor; good in soups, and combined with other vegetables. 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
5. Kidney beans: Firm texture, meaty flavor; hold shape well in chili dishes and other casseroles. 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
6. Lentils: No soaking needed. Mild flavor blends well with many different foods, spices. 40 to 45 minutes.
7. Limas, baby: Versatile; use like other white beans in soups, casseroles. 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
8. Pink, pinto, and red beans: Hearty flavor; great for barbecue-style beans, Mexican cooking, soups, casseroles. 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
9. Soybeans: Strong-flavored, near-perfect protein source. Refrigerate while soaking. 3 to 3 1/2 hours.
10. Split peas, green and yellow: No soaking; good for soups, side dishes. 40 to 50 minutes.
11. White beans (navy), small: Hold their shape when cooked; classic for baked beans. 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Cream Of Green Beans Soup Recipe

Green Beans Bake Onion Recipe

Seasoned with fresh herbs, mushrooms are an excellent raw salad ingredient, and also add flavour to many cooked dishes.

Select firm, unblemished, fresh-looking mushrooms that are creamy white in color. Large mushrooms are great for garnishing and in casseroles, small ones are more practical.

Preparation: Some people simply wipe mushrooms with a cloth before cooking, but it’s better to wash them gently and briefly in a large quantity of water to dissolve any dirt. Do this just before cooking, otherwise they lose their lovely color. Mushrooms can be steamed, microwaved, stir-fried, baked or barbecued, and are a popular addition to casseroles. When baking and barbecuing, dry the washed (large) mushrooms, brush them with a little olive oil and season with pepper just before cooking.

Suggested seasoning: Lemon juice, freshly ground black pepper, soy sauce, parsley, chives, basil, nutmeg, cummin, garlic.

Baked Fish with Mushrooms Recipe

Baked Ham-Stuffed Mushrooms Recipe

In the interests of freshness and economy, it is preferable to buy chicken whole rather then portioned. When serving meat of any kind pay attention to the size of the helpings on the plate. Health authorities advise us against eating large servings of meat. A chicken weighing 1.2 kg is sufficient for a meal to serve four average-size people. Small chickens (1 -1 .2kg) are generally more tender than large ones, but the larger ones usually have more taste.

Select a fresh, plump bird with a meaty breast and a fairly taut skin. Loose skin indicates lack of freshness. The color should be fleshy pink rather than off-white, and the legs should be strong-looking. Look for a bird with a rather solid bone structure. Free-range chickens, which have had a more varied diet and more exercise, are tastier and firmer-fleshed than battery chickens. The latter tend to lose more weight during cooking, due to slightly extra moisture loss. Free-range chickens cost a little more per kilogram, but there is more left after cooking for you to eat.

In order to preserve its vitamin C content, capsicum is best used raw in salads. However, cooked capsicum gives superb flavour to other foods. It is interesting to note that red capsicums are simple green capsicums at a later stage of ripeness.

How to Select:

Select capsicum that are shiny, firm, full and without blemish. Capsicum is at its peak during the warmer months of the year.

How to Prepare:

If the capsicum is to be sliced or diced, it must first be halved, seeded and washed. It can be steamed, stir-fried, baked, microwaved or boiled, but is most often combined with other vegetables such as tomato, zucchini, eggplant and onion. Capsicum can be baked after being stuffed with such things as other vegetables, rice, beans and meat, as well as being a delicious addition to casseroles. It is popular in Asian cooking and is well suited to stir-frying in a wok.

Suggested Seasoning: Garlic, oregano, parsley, freshly ground black pepper.

Low Carb Diabetic Diet

The cabbage could well be elected king of the protective cruciferous vegetables of winter.  It is a good source of vitamin C and I strongly recommend its use in your family cooking. Cabbage is widely used in Chinese cuisine. Finely shredded raw cabbage is excellent in salads.

Select cabbages with firmly packed, crisp, unblemished leaves and a good green, creamy white or red colour, depending on the variety.

Preparation: Depending on the way you wish to cook it, cabbage may be quartered, sliced or shredded, or the leaves may simple be detached. Trim large stalks and wash cabbage before cooking it. It may be steamed, stir-fried, microwaved, boiled or cooked in a a casserole. Quartered, it takes about 10 mins to steam. When using cabbage in a casserole, which usually required lengthy cooking, it is preferable to precook or blanch the raw cabbage first in boiling water for 2 mins to make it more palatable.

Suggested Seasoning: Parsley, soy sauce, cummin, vinegar, lemon juice.

Company Cabbage Pecans Recipe

Low Carb Diabetic Diet