Tips and uses

Vegan Cooking Vegan Ingredients
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Tomatoes are probably one of the most popular summertime vegetables. It’s a member of the nightshade family and is closely related to potatoes, peppers, and eggplant.

As a South American native, the word tomato is derived from the ancient Mayan word “xtomatl”

There are hundreds of cultivated tomato varieties and this includes several heirloom varieties that have been grown for generations. All tomatoes can be classified by type: cherry, grape, beefsteak, plum (paste), slicing, and pear tomatoes based on their size, shape, and color. Beefsteak and heirloom tomatoes are only available seasonally but other types may be found year-round in supermarkets.

What to Look for When Purchasing

Irrespective of beefsteak and heirloom varieties, look for tomatoes that are well-formed, smooth, and free from blemishes. Heirloom and beefsteak tomatoes will likely be more irregular in shape and color than the other varieties. Vine ripened tomatoes will have a sweet aroma.

Avoid tomatoes that have bruises, green or yellow areas, large growth cracks, or water-soaked spots.

Storage Tips

Tomatoes should never be refrigerated. Refrigerating tomatoes will damage the fruit. To ripen unripe fruit, place it in a paper bag out of direct sunlight.

Tomatoes can be frozen or dehydrated to preserve the sweet, succulent flavor for winter.

Cooking Tips

Wash tomatoes in cold water and remove the stem end prior to use. You may peel the tomatoes if desired.

There’s a wide variety of uses for tomatoes ranging from baking, broiling or grilling, raw in salads, soups, stews, casseroles, salsa, on sandwiches, and just about any other way you can imagine serving them.

Uses

▸Stuffed tomatoes

▸Tomato pie

▸Shish kebobs

▸Pureed with peppers in a soup

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[size=150]TURNIPS[/size]

As one of the oldest and most widely eaten vegetables, turnips have traditionally played an important role as a storage vegetable. However, they have gained a reputation as being “common folk’s food” but are currently working hard to overcome that reputation.

They belong to the crucifer family and are related to cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower. They are similar in flavor to rutabaga, a close relative that is much larger than the turnip.

Turnips are grown for both their roots and greens.

Turnips have been around since the Middle Ages when they were first eaten by the Romans and throughout Europe.

There are several types of turnips available in the market including amber and white globe, baby bunch turnips, and purple top.

What to Look for When Purchasing

If turnips are sold in bunches with the leaves intact, select those that have crisp green leaves. These leaves can then be cooked and eaten.

The roots should be smooth, firm, and heavy for their size. Smaller turnips will be tenderer.

Storage Tips

Turnips should be stored, unwashed, in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. If the tops are attached at the time of purchase, remove them and store them wrapped in a damp paper towel or plastic bag in the crisper drawer of the refrigerator.

Cooking Tips

Scrub turnips with a vegetable brush before use. They can be eaten raw and actually have a higher nutritional value when uncooked.

Turnips can be boiled, baked, steamed, or roasted alongside meat.

Uses

▸Add turnip sticks to a vegetable tray.

▸Dice and add to soups or stews.

▸Make a slaw with shredded turnips and apples.

▸Mash turnips along with potatoes.

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WINTER SQUASH

Winter squash are members of the cucurbit family along with cucumbers, melons, pumpkins, and summer squash. They are hard-skinned and come in a variety of sizes, shapes, colors, and textures.

Squash comprises one of the Native Americans’ “three sisters” along with corn and beans. It is native to South America and originated in Argentina. It became popular in the United States because it provides an excellent winter food source.

The most common winter squashes in the market include acorn, banana, buttercup, butternut, delicate, hubbard, kabocha, spaghetti, and turban. Despite their differences in appearance, many of the above varieties can be substituted for one another in cooking because of their similar flavors.

What to Look for When Purchasing

Select winter squash that are firm, heavy, and have a hard skin that is free from cracks, soft spots or other blemishes. The skin should be dull if the fruit is mature. Try to select squash with their stems still attached.

Acorn squash should not have more than ½ orange coloring and butternut squash should be a uniform tan color.

A 1-pound winter squash yields 2 cups of cooked squash.

Storage Tips

Winter squash has excellent storability and is a necessary winter staple food. Winter squash can be stored at room temperature for up to a month. Place winter squash in a cool location for long-term storage.

Cooking Tips

Wash squash before using. If the recipe calls for peeled chunks of squash, cut the squash first then remove the peel as some varieties of winter squash can have very tough skin.

Uses

▸Boil or steam then mash and serve with butter.

▸Halve lengthwise and bake.

▸Serve spaghetti squash with butter and a tomato sauce.

▸Bake acorn squash and serve with brown sugar or maple syrup.

▸Stuff manicotti with pureed squash and ricotta cheese.

▸Add chunks of peeled winter squash to soups & stews.

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[size=150]ZUCCHINI[/size]

Like winter squash, pumpkins, cucumbers, melons, and gourds, summer squash is a member of the family cucurbitaceae and has a vining habit. Unlike its relatives, winter squash, summer squash varieties are picked while still immature, have thin skins, and don’t store as well.

There are several varieties of summer squash based on color and shape of the fruit. The most popular type is zucchini–straight and green. Yellow straightneck is a yellow version of the green zucchini. Yellow crookneck squash tapers toward the stem end and has a slightly bumpy texture. Patty pan squash is greenish-white and disk-shaped.

What to Look for When Purchasing

Choose summer squash that is small to medium sized. Less than 7 inches long for zucchini and yellow straightneck and less than 4 inches in diameter for pattypan squash.

Avoid squash with soft spots or wrinkled skin.

Storage Tips

Summer squash must be refrigerated to keep it hydrated and in good condition. It will last for up to a week in a plastic bag in the crisper drawer of the refrigerator.

Cooking Tips

Wash summer squash gently before using. Remove both ends but do not peel. If the squash is large, you may wish to remove the seeds.

Summer squash contains a lot of water so salt the squash and allow it to drain before cooking it to prevent your recipe from becoming mushy.

Uses

▸Brush with olive oil and grill.

▸Slice raw and use in salads.

▸Add to spaghetti sauce for additional flavor and texture.

▸Blanch pattypan squash and add halves to stir fried dishes.

▸Sauté with onion, garlic and pepper.

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[size=150]CARROTS[/size]

Carrots are members of the Umbelliferae family and close relatives of celery, cilantro, dill, parsley, parsnip, and Queen Anne’s Lace, or wild carrot. They originated in middle Asia and have been cultivated in Afghanistan 2000-3000 years ago. The first carrots grown were purple and pale yellow. Their early use was primarily medicinal and was touted as prescribed to cure stomach problems as well as liver and kidney ailments. It was not until the 17th century in the Netherlands that orange carrots were cultivated.

What to Look for When Purchasing

Carrots may be sold in bunches with their tops on, loose without their tops, or in bags. Select carrots that are brightly colored and firm. Do not purchase carrots that are shriveled, soft or cracked. Carrots with small cores are sweeter than those with large, woody cores. Because you can’t see the core at the time of purchase, look for carrots with smaller shoulders–the top of the carrot where the leaves are attached.

Buy one pound of carrots for 3-4 people (about 3 cups grated or 4 cups diced).

Storage Tips

Remove carrot tops if they are still attached at the time of purchase to reduce water loss in storage. Refrigerate in a plastic bag and use within 1-2 weeks.

Cooking Tips

Wash with cold water and scrub with a vegetable brush before using. Carrots may be eaten raw or steamed, stir-fried, or boiled in a soup, stew or casserole. When cooking carrots, cook with a little vegetable oil. Beta carotene is fat soluble and the oil will aid the body’s absorption of beta carotene. Don’t overcook carrots as this will decrease the carotene level.

Uses

▸Eat raw as a snack or with dip

▸Add chopped or grated carrots to soups and tomato sauces to sweeten them

▸Carrot juice

▸Puree with onions or leeks to make a creamy soup

▸Carrot slaw with apples or dried fruit

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GUAVA
One of top health benefits of guava is to help you lose weight faster and more efficiently.

Interestingly, there is a zero amount of cholesterol in guava. Additionally, the carbs only exist in guava with relatively low amount as well.

Meanwhile, guava contains many proteins, minerals and vitamins, not to mention its richness of dietary fiber.

Therefore, guava is an ideal choice to make your appetite satisfied easily. You will feel full for a longer period of time after consuming guava.

Surprisingly, even thin people can benefit from guava which is supportive for weight gain.

As it is full of nutrients, guava can enhance your metabolism and nutrient absorption from foods.

Click this link to get more information: wikihomenutrition.com/guava-health-benefits/

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Thanks, I’m trying to like frozen carrots, since I got some in bulk. A couple of other uses I found for carrots were vegetable broth and imitation squash. Using a pound of frozen carrots, I boiled them for five minutes in 24 ounces of water. That leaves 16 ounces of broth afterwards (which doesn’t taste too watered down). I took the carrots out and mixed up to a teaspoon of salt with the broth for a hot drink. Then I pureed the boiled carrots in a food processor, scooped them into a bowl, and stirred in some oil, salt and pepper. It tastes about the same as baked squash to me, and is easier to prepare. Or I might stir-fry it in the oil after pureeing next time to cook the pepper for extra food safety, and in case the food processor wasn’t clean enough… :sign10: :sign11: Well, I was reading that carrots are most often the source of food poisoning in mixes that contain several veggies, especially uncooked. Because of the two uses for one cooked batch here, I think that’s my favorite carrot dish at the moment (I haven’t tried all of the others mentioned yet, but like this better than how they’re usually served, being frozen carrots at least). Another one is imitation sweet potatoes, if the mashed carrots are mixed with mashed potatoes.

Speaking of mashed potatoes, I’ve since tried putting the boiled carrots in a blender with the broth, and afterwards I mashed them through a mesh strainer with a spoon to separate the juice from the pulp. This way I get a more flavorful drink, and the “squash” left over is more like the baked stuff (when seasoned the same way). I guess the juice is often made from raw carrots, but it tastes good cooked to me (fresh, that is, compared to drinking boiled carrot water).

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This is another frozen food I tried boiling, then blending with the hot water, and juicing through a strainer. It makes a tasty broth or drink (which looks to be more popular in Asian culture), and the leftover part is called pericarp, which is not digestible, so in a way corn is easier to drink than eat. Okay, so that’s another use for it (maybe not as well known, or at least it was new to me, since I hadn’t been a juice enthusiast—still I’m only a cooked juice maker for the sake of food safety, besides when my frozen grape juice fermented and I became a wine maker—well I’d imagine corn could be used in a mixed drink too, like tomato, now that’s bloody corny).

[spoil]Trivia time: there was a funny song lyric about those who were “born after the age of corn”, whatever that means… well you know, it rhymes (or I’m born-again corny for listening to that).[/spoil]