LESSON 1: PREPARE VEGETABLE DISHES

Overview

Vegetables are plants or parts of plants like leaves, fruits, tubers, roots, bulbs, stems, shoots, and flower used in a
dish either raw or cooked. Vegetables give color, texture and flavor to our meals. They also give vitamins and minerals.
Vegetables provide nutrients vital for health and maintenance of your body.Eating vegetables provides health
benefits to people like reduced risk of some chronic diseases including heart attack and stroke, protect them against
certain types of cancers, reduce obesity and type two diabetes,lower blood pressures,reduce the risk of developing kidney
stones and help decrease bone loss.
Vegetables are important sources of many nutrients, including potassium, dietary fiber, folate (folic acid), vitamin
A, and vitamin C.
 Diets rich in potassium may help maintain normal blood pressure. Vegetable sources of potassium include sweet
potatoes, white potatoes, white beans, tomato products (paste, sauce, and juice), beet greens, soybeans, lima
beans, spinach, lentils, and kidney beans.
 Dietary fiber from vegetables, as part of an overall healthy diet, helps reduce blood cholesterol levels and may
lower risk of heart disease. Fiber is important for proper bowel function. It helps reduce constipation and
diverticulosis. Fiber-containing foods such as vegetables help provide a feeling of fullness with fewer calories.
 Folate (folic acid) helps the body form red blood cells. Women of childbearing age who may become pregnant
should consume adequate folate from foods, and in addition, 400 mcg of synthetic folic acid from fortified foods or
supplements. This reduces the risk of neural tube defects, spinal bifida, and anencephaly during fetal
development.
 Vitamin A keeps eyes and skin healthy and helps to protect against infections.
 Vitamin C helps heal cuts and wounds, and keeps teeth and gums healthy. Vitamin C aids in iron absorption.

Learning Outcome 1Perform Mise’ En Place

Vegetables need to be prepared before they are ready to serve or used as an ingredient in a cooked dish. Prior to
preparation you need to identify the various kinds of vegetables and different tools and equipment needed in the
preparation of vegetables. It is an important factor to consider in the preparation of vegetables.

Classifications of Vegetables

a. According to parts of plants

 Gourd family
- cucumber, pumpkin, chayote






 Seeds and pods

- beans, peas, corn, okra

1. Fruit
Vegetables

- avocado, eggplant, sweet pepper, tomato

  Roots and tubers
- beet, carrot, radish, turnip, artichoke, potato, sweet potato

 Cabbage family
- cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, bokchoy

 Onion
family

- onion, scallion, leek, garlic, shallot

 Leafy greens
- spinach, lettuce

 Stalks, stems, and shoots

- artichoke, asparagus, celery, fennel, bamboo, shoots

 Mushrooms

2. According to Chemical Composition

 Carbohydrates-rich vegetables – seeds, roots, tubers
  Protein-rich vegetables –legumes, peas, beans
 Fat-rich vegetables – nuts, olives, avocado
 High moisture content – mushroom, tomatoes, radish, green leafy vegetables

3. According to Nutritive Value

The following is based on their nutrient content since fruits and vegetables are good sources of vitamins
and minerals.
 Vitamin A-rich vegetables – green leafy and yellow fruits and vegetables
 Vitamin C-rich vegetables – yellow vegetables
 Vitamin B (complex) – legumes, peas, beans

Tools and Equipment Needed in Preparing Vegetables

paring knife - used in paring

chef knife - used in cutting

chopping board
-- used to hold item while chopping

colander - used to drain excess water after

washing

bowls
- used to hold vegetables
 utility tray
- used to hold ingredients

sauté pan
- for sautéing or stir frying vegetables

steamer
- for steaming vegetables

oven - for cooking vegetables oven-

steam or bake

Flavor Components of Vegetables

1. Sugar –
Fructose – the natural sugar that provides the sweetness in vegetables.

2. Glutamic Acid –
This forms a product called monosodium glutamate when combined with salt. It is found in large amount
from young and fresh vegetables.

3. Sulfur compounds –
Give the characteristic strong flavor and odor of some vegetables like onions, leeks, garlic, chives,
cabbage and broccoli.

Color Components
1. Chlorophyll – a fat soluble compound responsible for the green color of plants. When combined with acid, it forms
pheophytin which produces an olive green color.
When combine with alkali, it forms chlorophyllins which produces a more intense green color.
The addition of baking soda when cooking that results to brighter green color, is an example.

2. Carotenoids – the yellow, orange to red soluble pigments found in plants.

2.1 - beta carotene from carrots and squash
2.2 - lycopene, from tomatoes

3. Flavonoids
3.1 - Anthoxanthin – responsible for the yellow pigments
3.2 - Anthocyanins – responsible for red and blue to violet pigments (beets) Tube, eggplants
Factors to consider in choosing good quality vegetables

1. Freshness
Fresh vegetables should be crisp and bright in colors.

2. Absence of decay or insect infestation

3. No mechanical damage or injury.

4. Right degree of maturity

5. Variety
Different varieties differ in color, shape, texture and sometimes flavor.

Vegetables are good sources of food nutrients that are very important in everyday meals.

Nutritional Value of Vegetables

1. Vitamin A
- Green leafy vegetables are sources of vitamin A.
Example:
alugbati
ampalaya leaves
kalabasa leaves
malunggay
petchay
sili leaves

2. Vitamin C
Example:
cabbage – type vegetables
bell peppers
 lettuce
potatoes
dark green and yellow vegetables

3. Vitamin B – complex
Beans and leafy greens are rich sources of vitamin B – complex
Example:
ampalaya tops
kulitis
pepper leaves
saluyot
dried beans

4. Complex carbohydrates
Complex carbohydrates are carbohydrate molecules with more than 20 – sugar residue. They
are called as polysaccharide.
Functions of Carbohydrate:
1. Source of energy ( protein sparing and prevents ketosis)
2. Source of B-vitamins for CHO metabolism
3. Type of carbohydrate chosen determines:
 Fiber content
 Glycemic load of diet
 Nutrient density and phytochemical content

Example:
wheat bran
whole grain breads and cereals
cabbage
carrots
Brussels sprouts

Preparing Fresh Vegetables

1. Washing
 Wash all vegetables thoroughly
 Scrub well unpeeled vegetables, like potatoes for baking
 Wash green leafy vegetables in several changes of cold water
 After washing, drain well and refrigerate lightly covered to prevent drying.

2. Soaking
 Do not soak vegetables for long periods to prevent flavor and nutrient loss.
 Cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower may be soaked for 30 minutes in cold salted water to eliminate insects.
 Limp vegetables can be soaked briefly in cold water to restore crispness.

3. Peeling and Cutting

  Peel vegetables as thinly as possible.
 Cut vegetables into uniform pieces for even cooking
 Treat vegetables that brown easily with acid (potatoes, eggplants, sweet potato) or hold under water until ready to
use.
 Save edible trim for soups, stocks and purees.

Basic Knife Cuts

1. Chopping – done with a straight, downward cutting motion.
2. Chiffonade (shredding) – making very fine parallel cuts.
3. Dicing – producing cube shapes
Diamond (lozenge) – thinly slicing and cutting into strips of appropriate width
5. Mincing – producing very fine cut usually for onions and garlic
6. Julienne and baton net – making long rectangular cut
Pays Anne (Fermi ere) – making curved or uneven cuts of the same thickness
8. Rondelle – making cylindrical cut
9. Bias –making diagonal cut
10. Oblique, or roll cuts – making diagonal cut by rolling the long cylindrical vegetables

Apply safe and accurate cutting techniques in preparing vegetables according to enterprise standards.
A. Trimming Artichoke bottom

1. Start by filling a bowl with cold water and lemon into it. (You could
also use a dash of vinegar) this will slow the browning on the surface of the
artichoke when it is cut and exposed to air.

2. Pull out the tough outer, dark green leaves of artichoke.

3. Continue removing leaves until you are left with light colored, tender
leaves. Rub surfaces with lemon.

4. Slice off the top one inch.

2. Trim the remaining dark green surfaces at the base, including stalk
and continue to rub with lemon.
3.
 6. Cut the artichoke in half.

7. Use spoon to remove hairy fibers in the center of the artichoke.

8. Pull out all of the tough red fibers, leaving the soft green leaves in
place.

9. Cut the artichokes lengthwise into sizes that suit your recipe and
place it in the water bath with lemon before cooking.

B. Trimming Asparagus

1. Hold a spear of asparagus in each hand.

2. Bend downward with each end until it breaks

into two.

3. Repeat with the whole bunch of asparagus. Purplish ends on the left are
destined for stock, and greenish spears to be trimmed.
 4. Trim or cut them into one inch length for cooking.

C. Preparing Avocados

1. Grip the avocado gently on one side with one hand, cut the avocado lengthwise
around the seed.

2. Open the avocado into halves to expose the seed.

3. Scoop out the seed with the use of spoon or scooper.

4. Gently tap the seed with a knife and twist to get the seed out and discard.

5. Scoop out the avocado flesh with a spoon or scooper.

6. Slice avocado into segments.

D. Cutting and Shredding Cabbage

1. Pull off any bruised or wilted outer leaves from a red or green cabbage head.

2. Cut the cabbage into halves.

3. Cut the halves into quarters lying flat side down on the cutting board.

4. Use a paring knife to remove the hard core. Repeat with remaining cabbage
quarters.

5. Cut into slices or shred the cabbage to your desired thickness.

E. Peeling and crushing garlic

1. To remove the paper skin of garlic, cut off the base of the clove.

2. Place the clove on a board and gently slam it with flat side of a knife.
 3. The skin will burst and can easily be removed.

4. Cut the garlic into slices as thin as possible.

5. From garlic slices, mince it.

4. Crush the garlic as you want.

F. Cleaning leeks

1. Cut off and discard the dark green leaves. Trim and discard the roots.

2. Cut the stalk into half lengthwise.

 3. Slice them crosswise.

4. Transfer them to a bowl of cold water and swish them around a few times.

5. With hands loosely cupped, lift the leeks out of the bowl and place them on a
plate or work surface (or colander).

6. Discard the water with the remaining grit.

7. Repeat until the water is clear and ready to be cooked.