Cooking Techniques
Uncooked vegetables
Uncooked vegetables, while nutritionally and esthetically desirable, are less
easily digested. Cook all vegetables initially, preferably by steaming. Cooking
has several important functions. There are heat sensitive and potentially
troublesome substances in some vegetables and fruits that we want to alter by
adequate cooking. Cooking denatures protein and reduces allergenic molecules.
Cooking also softens food and liberates enzymes from ruptured plant cells,
promoting easier digestion. All vegetables contain indigestible carbohydrate
fiber as well as other indigestible molecules, some of which are toxic prior to
cooking.
Well-cooked vegetables may lose a small fraction of their nutritive value, but the important
advantages offered by cooking are worth the loss. Many people find that extra
cooking significantly reduces digestive problems. More complete cooking is
achieved by a pressure cooker, which raises the temperature higher than does
steaming or boiling. If you are unlucky and find you have trouble eating phase 1
vegetables, try pressure-cooking. Purees aid digestion and are achieved by
putting cooked vegetables or fruits into a blender or food processor and adding
water as necessary to blend the mixture; soups, and juices. Thick purees are
used as spreads.
Treat the food you are preparing as you would a special friend. Use clean
utensils for preparing and eating food. Rinse all your dishes, pots, and
utensils very well to rid them of detergent. Wash all fruits and vegetables in
hot water (to remove oily contaminants) and peel them whenever possible.
Steaming
is a desirable method of cooking vegetables; steam them using
a stainless steel basket in a covered pot or bamboo steamers (stacked in a wok
or pan). Most vegetables and fish steam in less than 10 minutes. The method of
cutting vegetable determines how long they need to cook. Steamed foods retain
their vitamins and minerals, as well as their flavors and colors. Steaming
several different foods or small dishes at once is an oriental style of eating.
The Chinese call it “dim sum” when small portions of varieties of succulent
steamed foods are served for meals between breakfast and late afternoon.Live steam rises from boiling water to circulate around the food and cooks by
direct contact. You need a covered pot containing boiling water. The
ingredients are then placed in a shallow dish and set on a rack 2 or 3 inches
above the water. As a rule, the steamer should be opened as little as
possible during cooking. With longer cooking dishes, however, the water
level should be checked from time to time. Add boiling water to maintain
the water level in the pot.
Poaching tenderizes food and keeps food moist. Place the
food in a pan on the stove and immerse the food in a liquid with no added fat
(water, safe juice, or de-fatted stock, for example). Cover the pan and simmer
the liquid gently (never boil the liquid rapidly). Add herbs to the liquid for
flavoring, if desired. When the food is poached, reserve the liquid for soup or
a sauce. To create a sauce, remove the poached food and reduce the poaching
liquid (over medium-high heat, evaporate some of the liquid to concentrate the
flavor), then stir in a pureed vegetable.
Boiling is an easy way to produce both cooked foods and a
broth that can be used for stock or sauces. Add water, salt, and the foods that you want to cook to a pot and bring
to a boil. Turn the heat down to a
gentle boil rather than a raging boil. Reserve the cooking liquid for later use, such as soup, salad dressings
and sauces.
Pressure Cookers are airtight and cook using superheated
steam. They reduce cooking time by as much as two-thirds. Some vegetable and
fruit problems are removed by pressure cooking—people with little food tolerance
may find this cooking method very helpful
Slow Cooking
(stewing and braising) is used with large cuts
of meat and poultry, fish and vegetables. It calls for ingredients to be simmered slowly until they are rich,
mellow and extremely tender. A Dutch
oven or similar heavy pot is used
Slow cooking includes braising and stewing. Braising requires a shorter time and can be used to cook root vegetables,
fish, poultry and some cuts of meat
Add ingredients to be browned in oil first, and then cook covered in a small
amount of liquid over low heat
Stewing is used for cooking fish, chicken, and other meats combined with
vegetables.Microwave Cooking
appears to be safe and effective. Try to
achieve the same vegetable consistency that steaming achieves. Microwave cooked
vegetables retain nutrients, flavor and color. Moist products are achieved
without added fat. The microwave is also useful for defrosting frozen foods or
re-heating leftovers. Most microwave ovens have elaborate methods of setting
cooking levels. Find the simplest settings for cooking your basic foods.Rice Cookers
are convenient appliances. Wash rice with hot
water until the water runs clear, add the required amounts of water, push the
cook button, and in 20 to 30 minutes, you have perfectly cooked rice. Read directions on rice packages to find the proper ratios for rice and
water: 1 cup of rice and 2 cups water is usual.It is also convenient for use with cook-ins and hot pot recipes. Most rice cookers also keep the cooked rice warm until time to eat.Sautéing
is a quick cooking method, which sears the surface
and browns foods. This is as close to frying as you want to get. Quickly seer
the outside of the food with heat and oil. Use a large, shallow-sided pan over
medium to high heat. Use a small amount of oil and heat it (but do not let it
smoke). Fibrous vegetables or large pieces of food should be steamed or cooked
briefly in the microwave before sautéing to tenderize them and reduce sautéing
time. If the foods brown too quickly, add a tablespoon or two of water and
continue cooking until the water evaporates. Stir the foods or shake the pan
frequently to prevent the food from sticking. Non-stick sautéing minimizes oil
use.
Wok Cooking:
a wok can be used to sauté then steam food in
attractive, tasty combinations
“Stir-frying” is acceptable with modification; use high temperature sautéing for
the first few minutes; then turn the heat down. Introduce sliced or cubed poultry, fish, meat, or tofu first and sauté.
Turn the heat down and introduce vegetables and/or cooked rice sequentially,
beginning with the vegetables requiring the most cooking. Stir-fry vegetables
briefly, then add a small amount of water to the wok and cover it with a lid to
finish the cooking by steaming. Use olive oil to stir-fry (2-3 teaspoons per
meal, or less if you want minimal fat intake). A touch of sesame oil may be
added for flavor. It is not desirable to use large amounts of vegetable oil.P1 Rice Cooking
Rice is the first desirable staple food you try; 1 to 3 cups of cooked rice
per day provides a caloric base for your diet. Begin with parboiled (converted)
white rice. You can try other types of rice in Phases 2 and 3. Rice cakes
are substitutes for wheat-based breads and crackers. Start with plain rice cakes
(they are made with brown rice). Introduce rice cakes with sesame seeds,
buckwheat, and millet later. Puffed rice or cooked rice cereal is a breakfast
option. Rice-based commercial cereals include Rice Chex, Rice Krispies and
organic rice cereals. You can introduce rice noodles or vermicelli. For
added flavor, cook rice in chicken or vegetable stock. Concentrating the
stock before hand by reducing the liquid makes rice even more savory. Make
soup stock from breast meat with no skin or bones.
Steamed Rice
Wash 1 cup / 250 ml of rice repeatedly in hot water, discarding the water.
Add 2 cups / 500 ml of water. Method#1: Boil for 3 minutes and
discard the water. Put the rice in a rice steamer and steam for 30 minutes to 1
hour. Method#2: Use Uncle Ben’s converted rice. Boil for 5 minutes and
discard the water. Place the rice in individual bowls, filling ¾ full to allow
room for expansion. Steam over medium heat for about an hour. Check occasionally
to ensure there is enough water for steaming, but not so much that it floods the
bowls. Add water as necessary.
Boiled Rice
Combine 1 cup / 250 ml of Uncle Ben’s converted white rice and 2 cups / 500
ml of water. Heat to boiling over high heat, then reduce to low heat. Cover and
cook about 20 minutes or until steam is visible around the edge of the lid. Do
not remove the lid too soon or the cooking process will be interrupted.Variations: Use chicken/turkey stock or safe juice instead of water for half of
the required water. Add chunks of canned peaches, pears, grated carrot, or peas
prior to cooking. When properly cooked, the rice will be soft and dry, not hard
and wet. This recipe can be increased by maintaining the proportions of 2 cups
water per 1 cup / 250 ml rice. For very soft rice, use an extra ½ cup /125 ml
water per cup of rice.
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