veganculinaryacademy

Anthocyanins—what are they?

Tue, 21 Mar 2023 05:09:45 GMT

Anthocyanins—what are they? An anthocyanin is a phytochemical found in deeply colored plant foods, particularly purple, red, and blue such as blackberries, purple carrots, strawberries, tomatoes, black beans, and blueberries,

The water-soluble nutrients of these plant foods are high in antioxidants. The fact that they are water-soluble means their pigmentation, and its nutritional value, can be leached out if the food is boiled or cooked too long.

Several major health benefits of the anthocyanin group of flavinoids include protection against inflammation and certain forms of cancer, improved heart health and brain function, and a reduction of the risk of type 2 diabetes.

Make-ahead Roast Vegetables for Soup

Sun, 20 Nov 2022 05:13:35 GMT

Ingredients to roast for the recipe “Roast Cauliflower Tomato Soup”, include a cauliflower head, four cups of cherry or San Marzano tomatoes, and four tablespoons of minced, fresh garlic.

Cherry tomatoes or San Marzano tomatoes are the varieties of choice because they do not contain as much tomato juice and have fewer tomato seeds. These tomatoes do not need to have the pulp scooped out. Proper preparation of the tomatoes is slicing in half for cherry tomatoes. For San Marzano tomatoes, slice in quarters, lengthwise, then half-inch segments crosswise to achieve the same size of chopped tomatoes as the sliced cherry ones.

The cauliflower head is sliced in half-inch thickness crosswise slices through the whole head. Cutting in this fashion yields four or five slices for the whole head. These are then broken up into smaller sections, manually, as shown in the picture.

Mincing raw garlic completes the cutting preparation. With the vegetables properly prepared, they are laid on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet and the oil is drizzled over, and lightly combined. At this point the cookie sheet of prepared ingredients is put into a 425 degree Fahrenheit oven for 15 minutes. Stir after this time is up, then return to the oven for another 5-10 minutes to complete roasting.

With the conclusion of this step, the roasted vegetables may be left to cool to room temperature—for ten to fifteen minutes. Then, the vegetables may be spooned into a quart-sized freezer bag, labeled, chilled in the refrigerator two or three hours, and finally, transferred to the freezer.

On the day the finished soup will be made, remove the frozen, roasted vegetable bag from the freezer, leaving it in the refrigerator 4 – 6 hours before time of use, or over the previous night.

Proceed with the recipe for “Roast Cauliflower Tomato Soup,” starting with Step 2. The remaining steps will take 30 minutes to complete, but are so easy, as to leave the cook free to multi-task in the kitchen while attending to the remaining tasks of making the soup.

Enjoy the abundence of tomatoes available for roasting during this season, starting with the hearty, flavorful “Roast Cauliflower Tomato Soup.”

Thoughts on Carob

Fri, 27 May 2022 22:24:20 GMT

Thoughts on Carob

Did you know that pets are allergic to chocolate? Baking chocolate and dark chocolate contain enough theobromine, a chemical closely related to caffeine, to make your dog sick.

These chemicals, caffeine and theobromine, are used medicinally as diuretics, heart stimulants, vaso-dilators, and smooth muscle relaxants. Why would we want to make medicine our food? Centuries ago, Hippocrates said, “Let food be your medicine.”

Many pet treats are made from carob, chocolate-tasting seed pods, grown from carob trees. These nutrient dense pods are dried and can be munched on as a snack. Or, the pods can be roasted and ground into powder. The pods are also ground raw, without roasting, to produce a mild, sweet flour, great to enhance the sweetness of granola without the negatives of concentrated sugars.

Carob powder does not contain harmful, stimulating chemical compounds. Caffeine and theobromine, found in cocoa and chocolate containing foods, may affect heart health, the propensity to be more vulnerable to various cancers, and unnatural nervous stimulation which leaves the body dragged out after such a chemical “high.”

Take a cue from the animals. Choose carob snacks and desserts instead of chocolate ones to stay healthier! And enjoy the amazing, fresh, sweet flavor of Australian Carob.

Golden Savory Seasoning

Sun, 27 Mar 2022 05:02:00 GMT

Almond Sour Creme

Tue, 01 Feb 2022 05:44:23 GMT

Almond Sour Creme

Coconut Palm Sugar

Fri, 19 Nov 2021 19:05:52 GMT

Sugar, sweetness, good, bad. What's the real story about this newest of sugars? For a start, it really isn't new. Sap collected from the flower buds of coconut palm trees in countries such as Indonesia, Thailand, and the Philippines has been going on for years.

Collected sap, boiled in shallow pans to concentrate, then dried, is the simple process of creating coconut palm sugar. It isn't a new process. What's new is that coconut palm sugar has been discovered by the rest of the world to be a sweetener of delicate flavor, composed largely of sucrose, and lower on the Glycemic Index than other sugars such as white sugar, brown sugar, corn syrup, and maple syrup.

A sugar lower on the Glycemic Index is agave syrup. However, agave syrup, from the agave plant in Mexico, is a concentrated sugar composed largely of fructose, a simple sugar which is hard on the liver.

Catherine Saxelby, an accredited nutritionist, blogger and award-winning author has written a lengthy article about coconut palm sugar which is worth taking the time to read. It is well documented and very informative. The link to this research is here:

https://foodwatch.com.au/blog/carbs-sugars-and-fibres/item/coconut-sugar.html

In conclusion, sugars derived from various plants are all concentrated sweeteners with calories. It's important to use them sparingly and wisely. Hopefully, after reading the coconut palm sugar article by Catherine Saxelby, you will better understand why this sugar was used in the final recipe of the year from the Vegan Culinary Academy. Coconut sugar is a concentrated sweetener of more value than other refined sugars. All concentrated sugars must be used sparingly, if at all.

Tomatoes for Roasting

Sun, 19 Sep 2021 05:08:08 GMT

Cherry tomatoes yield high flavor when roasted. Their many varieties--red, yellow, orange, purple, and green, each with a unique flavor, made more intense by roasting, are first choice for creating a highly-flavored roasted topping of tomato, onion, and garlic used on pizza, pasta, garden vegetables, and baked potatoes. With their thin skins and smaller amounts of juice, there's never too many cherry tomatoes in the garden to roast into a thick, flavorful sauce.

Another favorite besides cherry tomatoes are plum tomatoes. The three-inch long, Heirloom San Marzano Lungo tomato variety has meaty walls, few seeds, and minimal juice, all good qualities for roasting and making tomato sauce. Slicing either cherry or plum tomatoes releases the flavor into the roasted sauce.

So look for vine ripe, cherry and plum tomatoes to create delicious, complex sauces you'll want to make again and again.

Collard Greens

Thu, 01 Apr 2021 03:23:56 GMT

Collard Greens

“In a recent study, steamed Collard Greens out shined steamed kale, mustard greens, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and cabbage in terms of its ability to bind bile acids in the digestive tract. When this bile acid binding takes place, it is easier for the bile acids to be excreted from the body. Since bile acids are made from cholesterol, the net impact of this bile acid binding is a lowering of the body's cholesterol level. It's worth noting that steamed collards show much greater bile acid binding ability than raw Collards.”

By George Mateljan in his popular book, The World's Healthiest Foods , page 250

Quinoa, the pseudo-grain

Mon, 22 Feb 2021 03:46:40 GMT

Quinoa

Quinoa is an ancient grain that isn't a grain. It's an edible flowering plant in the amaranth family. Amaranth and quinoa are related to beets, chard, and spinach. Eat the leaves like spinach, and the tiny seeds from the flower head are eaten like cereal grains.

The history of quinoa and its use as a food goes back to the Incas of the Andes in South America. However, for many centuries quinoa was little known and almost became extinct high in the mountains of the Andes.

But during the 1970's, quinoa was re-discovered and found to grow easily in cooler temperatures with short days. As more quinoa became available, its wonderful, nutrient-dense properties and culinary advantages were promoted. Quinoa is now quite available in many parts of the world, including North America.

A quick-cooking cereal food, quinoa should be rinsed before cooking to enhance its flavor by washing away the saponin, a chemical compound on the outside of the seeds that helps to discourage quinoa plant predators from eating the tiny seeds.

Once the “grain” is thoroughly rinsed by running cold water through the seeds deposited in a fine mesh collander, until the water runs clear and not frothy, then the seeds may be cooked without a trace of bitterness.

Place one part of quinoa and one and a half parts of water in a sauce pan. Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover the pan with a tight fitting lid, and reduce the heat to low. Cook on low for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat, being careful to leave the cover on the pot. Let the cooked “grain” steam for another five minutes. Remove the cover and fluff up the quinoa with a fork. It may be served hot or cold, and keeps in the refrigerator for 6 days.

Once you've gotten used to cooking quinoa, you'll find many different ways to incorporate this slightly nutty tasting, delightfully textured, eye-appealing super food into your menus.

Chia Seeds

Mon, 04 Jan 2021 05:35:19 GMT

Ancient Chia seeds known by the Aztecs to provide energy and promote health, are today considered to be a “super food” among health enthusiasts.

What makes these tiny black seeds so nutritious? Some outstanding health benefits of Chia seeds include:

A high amount of soluble fiber to support even blood sugar levels.
This soluble fiber helps to lower cholesterol.
Such a high fiber food with relatively few calories, promotes weight loss.
A good amount of omega-3 fatty acids improves heart health.
Chia seeds are high in minerals, particularly calcium, magnesium, and zinc.

Regarding culinary use:

Chia seeds act as a useful thickener for puddings and smoothies.
Because of their high protein profile, Chia seeds complement other ingredients in combination for plant-based main dishes such as roasts and patties.
These seeds may be stored for several years in a cool, dark, unrefrigerated location.

Some advice regarding the consumption of Chia seeds is to eat them in a liquid or semi-liquid mixture with other ingredients. If swallowed dry, the seeds may form an obstruction in the alimentary tract. Further, though chia seeds are known as a “super food”, no one food should be viewed as the “wonder food.” Balance and combinations of various plant foods, including chia seeds, is the best practice.

The Coconut

Fri, 30 Oct 2020 21:22:20 GMT

The Coconut

Coconut, the high fat food that's gotten bad press for many years is now being recognized for its inherent nutritional value. Labeled a “superfood”, coconut flour contains high fiber. In a two tablespoon serving of coconut flour, there's three grams of protein and seven grams of fiber. Further, researchers are discovering that the naturally occurring, medium-chain fatty acids in coconut flour may be useful in the “dietary management of existing obesity”.

When using coconut flour for baking, these three key points are helpful. First, in a replacement of flour, use only 20% to 25% of the whole amount as coconut flour. Second, coconut flour absorbs moisture readily. Liquid measurements may need to be adjusted when using coconut flour. Third, coconut flour does not have strong binding properties. Nuts, beans, flax and chia seeds are much more dependable ingredients for binding cookies and quick breads.

For those doing gluten-free baking, coconut flour is a great addition to a mix of gluten-free flours. A major contribution it makes is lightness in the finished product.

Gong Bananas

Fri, 25 Sep 2020 17:08:05 GMT

Is the Wprld Going Bananas?

Bananas are America's favorite fresh fruit. Per capita consumption per year averages about 11 pounds. They're popular world wide too. According to the Food and Agriculture Association of the United Nations, 114 metric tons of bananas were produced worldwide in 2017.

Besides being sweet, flavorful, and available almost anywhere, bananas deliver considerable amounts of nutrition to those who consume them. They are most noted for being a high fiber food at 3 grams per banana, contributing 25% of the daily requirement for Vitamin B6, yielding 16% of the daily Vitamin C requirement, and 13% of the daily requirement for potasium.

According to Laura Flores, a nutritionist in San Diego interviewed by Live Science, "Bananas are known to reduce swelling, protect against developing Type 2 diabetes, aid in weight loss, strengthen the nervous system and help with production of white blood cells . . .”

Live Science also noted in their article, “Bananas: Health Benefits, Risks, and Nutrition Facts,” . . . . “research has shown that the levels of nutrients rise in bananas as they ripen. Bananas with dark spots were eight times more effective in enhancing the power of white blood cells than green-skin bananas, according to a 2009 study published in Food Science and Technology Research. White blood cells fight infections from bacteria, fungi, viruses and other pathogens.”

In his book, The World's Healthiest Foods, George Mateljan reports that the low glycemic carbohydrates uniquely combined with vitamins and minerals in the banana, enabled it to be as effective in keeping energy levels steady as a processed sports beverage, when one-half a banana was consumed every 15 minutes by cyclists during a three-hour race.

An old saying goes, “an apple a day keeps the doctor away.” Perhaps a banana a day wouldn't be such a bad idea either!

A Cook Looks At Kale

Fri, 03 Jul 2020 04:29:41 GMT

Kale boasts 2000 years of culinary history, as far back as the Greeks and Romans, greens called “brassica” were eaten. Brassica plants include cabbage, kale, broccoli, and cauliflower. Different varietals developed in different parts of Europe during the Middle Ages—three particularly popular varieties from that time are curly leafed Scottish Kale from Scotland, Dinasor Kale from Italy, and Red Russian Kale developed in Russia to withstand the snow.

During World War II kale climbed in popularity as a nutritious green, providing Vitamin C, Vitamin K, and Beta Carotene all vital nutrients the body cannot manufacture on its own. Because of kale's hardy growth habits, flourishing in hot and cold climates, it was readily available.

Today, kale's versatility continues to increase with the expanding creativity of cooks. Interest in this mild-flavored, deep leafy green vegetable starts with its impressive nutritional profile: each cup of raw kale contains more than 100% of the daily needs for Vitamin K, Vitamin C, and Beta-Carotene—precursor for Vitamin A. Add to that impressive record high fiber and significant amounts of manganese, calcium, copper, potassium, magnesium and folate, and kale comes out a winner.

The World Journal of Psychiatry said in its September 20, 2018 online issue, “The Antidepressant Food Score was designed to identify the most nutrient-dense individual foods to prevent and promote recovery from depressive disorders and symptoms. . . . The highest scoring plant-based foods were leafy greens, lettuces, peppers, and cruciferous vegetables.”

But from a cook's perspective, a food that's only nutritious but doesn't taste good or look good isn't worth much. Kale not only tastes good, and keeps its shape, it mixes easily with other foods.

For example, the fiber structure of kale keeps it from melting to next to nothing when cooked. In plant-based cooking, kale adds a delectable chewiness. Paired in a breakfast hash with yellow potatoes, kale stars.

Kale's fibrous texture yields a fine, dehydrated chip, popular the past decade as a snack food. It's mild “greens” flavor earns kale a place in the smoothie sector. As the basic ingredient for kale salad, kale's texture, flavor, and long shelf life, make this salad almost as umbiquitous as potato salad.

And, for an entree, take the recipe “Colorful Kale” in this month's newsletter, add a 14-ounce can of drained, rinsed black beans, another half teaspoon of salt and two more tablespoons of fresh basil cut chiffonade. Toss this combination together, and serve it over rice with a plant-based cheese sauce topping, salsa, or fresh avocado.

Who's to say how many kale recipes you'll come up with between now and the end of gardening season. Hopefully, this month's newsletter and blog give you a good start!

Advantages of Vegan Cheez

Thu, 28 May 2020 17:07:13 GMT

Advantages of Vegan Cheez

Cheese, a quintessential food consumed for thousands of years, has become a hot topic of discussion during the last two decades. What is the attraction of cheese, and why is its consumption being discouraged by thoughtful medical and nutritional authorities?

First, why the strong attraction for cheese? Scientists now know that cheese contains glutamic acid, a chemical that registers with certain taste buds of the tongue as a savory taste. A Japanese chemistry professor by the name of Kikunae Ikeda, initially discovered this distinct savory taste while eating a bowl of kelp soup. He distilled glutamic acid in the chemistry laboratory and proved that this taste, which he called “umami”, meaning “delicious” in Japanese, responds to a fifth, specific group of taste buds on the tongue which he named umami taste buds.

This savory taste is found in dairy, goat, buffalo, and other animal-based cheeses. Many people find umami tasting foods irresistible, just like sweet foods.

However, like Professor Ikeda found out, this savory taste is not limited to only animal products. There are many vegetable foods that contain sizable amounts of umami taste too. Some well-known plant-based foods strong in umami are kelp, soy sauce, nutritional yeast, tomatoes, cabbage, onion, and garlic.

According to the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, “Milk and other dairy products are the top source of saturated fat in the American diet, contributing to heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and Alzheimer's disease. Studies have also linked dairy to an increased risk of breast, ovarian, and prostate cancers.”

The US National Library of Medicine gives a succinct explanation of cholesterol. “Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance that's found in all the cells in your body. Your body needs some cholesterol to make hormones, vitamin D, and substances that help you digest foods. Your body makes all the cholesterol it needs. Cholesterol is also found in foods from animal sources, such as egg yolks, meat, and cheese.”

“If you have too much cholesterol in your blood, it can combine with other substances in the blood to form plaque. Plaque sticks to the walls of your arteries. This buildup of plaque is known as atherosclerosis. It can lead to coronary artery disease, where your coronary arteries become narrow or even blocked.”

It could be said that the cholesterol of animal foods puts an overload of cholesterol on the body. Those who eat animal foods run a much higher risk of contracting many degenerative diseases. Plant foods contain no cholesterol.

In 2006, Dr. T. Colin Campbell wrote the widely acclaimed book, The China Study, based on his research of the dietary patterns and degenerative diseases found in a broad spectrum of the Chinese population. He included a section regarding cheese and its negative effects on health. The book has since been published in an expanded version and is worth taking time to read.

For those who wish to enjoy the taste of umami without the health hazards, plant-based cheeses are one way to enjoy this savory satiety. Plant-based cheeses have much to recommend them, especially those less processed and containing a simple ingredients list.

Quick and Tasty Salad Greens

Mon, 09 Mar 2020 04:18:07 GMT

With a little planning, salads need not take a lot of time to make. The nutritional impact of salad, and its flavor enhancement to a meal, underscore the importance of salad preparation. Pasta, grain, and beans act as the base for main dish salads. However, a daily side of raw, leafy greens goes a long way to help us ward off infectious diseases.

In the leafy green category, choose from multiple kinds of chard and spinach, many varieties of lettuce such as Butter, Green Leaf, Red Leaf, and Romaine. For herbs, different basil, mint, and parsley varieties are well-known options. In the cruciferous family, of which nutritionists say we should eat one, half-cup serving a day, bok choy, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, collard greens, kale, mustard greens and radishes are some of the most popular choices.

The advantage of salad greens is they're ready to eat without cooking. No cooking translates as nutrient dense because the produce is less processed. If greens are washed as soon as they're purchased, spun dry in a salad spinner, then stored in a closed container in the refrigerator, most nutrients will be available for up to seven days.

Cabbage leaves grow so tightly together, the head of cabbage may be rinsed with a fruit and vegetable wash, and then just the outer leaves peeled off. Thinly sliced off the bottom part of the core to finish the cleaning process. Wrapping cabbage for storage keeps it moist.

An ideal disinfectant for washing greens is Grapefruit Seed Extract, a viscous liquid product sold in two or four-ounce bottles. This product, known as GSE for short, is antibacterial and antiviral in its properties. Putting 15 – 20 drops in a basin of water is sufficient to wash greens and other fruits and vegetables. There is no need to rinse the produce afterwards as the solution is non-toxic and not soapy.

Chiogga Beets

Wed, 12 Feb 2020 05:45:46 GMT

Chiogga Beets

From the Italian town of Chiogga, in the early nineteenth century, came a festive, red and white striped, beet reminiscent of candy canes. The cooks of the town were known for their flavorful, upscale cooking, and though this heirloom beet variety was not readily accepted when introduced to the United States in the 1840s, chefs have always prized the mild, sweet Chiogga beets.

Though Chiogga beets are primarily eaten raw because their red and white rings are more distinctive before cooking, roasting Chioggas produces a rich sweet, salty flavor when the beets are sliced one-fourth of an inch thick, spread on parchment paper on a cookie sheet, drizzled with a little olive oil, and roasted on the bottom rack of the oven at 450 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes. They can be served salted, or left unsalted by personal preference.

And as promised, here are two more ways to use Pineapple Sweet and Sour Sauce. The first one is to add a half teaspoon of celery seed and fourth teaspoon of dried dill weed to 3 tablespoons of Pineapple Sweet and Sour Sauce. This new variation of seasoned sauce is delicious tossed with a cup of cooked, verigated sliced carrots. Salt to taste, and multiply up as much sauce as needed for as many cups of cooked carrots as you like. Hint: one cup of carrots and sauce can easily be consumed by one!

Another use for Pineapple Sweet and Sour Sauce is to add grated fresh ginger and half the amount of Toasted Sesame Oil as measured sauce. Shake the sauce well, and wahlah—it's a yummy salad dressing!

The Vegan Kitchen

Sat, 04 Jan 2020 03:55:03 GMT

The Vegan Kitchen is a place to share cooking experiences in making plant-based meals. Triumphs and trials, insights and information gleaned cooking vegan increases the confidence of another just starting on the road of vegan food preparation.

Pesticides

Fri, 03 Jan 2020 19:26:10 GMT

Many pesticides found in common produce

I found this article recently which supports the VCA contention that the best flavor, best taste, optimal nutrition, and best safety for eating is found in organically grown produce. It has some food for thought.

_________________________

Alexis Temkin of the Environmental Working Group said: ‘The Shopper’s Guide to Produce is building on a body of evidence that shows mixtures of pesticides can have adverse effects.

About 70% of fresh produce sold in the US has pesticide residues on it even after it is washed, according to a health advocacy group.

According to the Environmental Working Group’s annual analysis of US Department of Agriculture data, strawberries, spinach and kale are among the most pesticide-heavy produce, while avocados, sweetcorn and pineapples had the lowest level of residues.

More than 92% of kale tested contained two or more pesticide residues, according to the analysis, and a single sample of conventionally farmed kale could contain up to 18 different pesticides.
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Dacthal – the most common pesticide found, which was detected in nearly 60% of kale samples, is banned in Europe and classified as a possible human carcinogen in the US.

“We definitely acknowledge and support that everybody should be eating healthy fruits and vegetables as part of their diet regardless of if they’re conventional or organic,” said Alexis Temkin, a toxicologist working with the EWG.

“But what we try to highlight with the Shopper’s Guide to Produce is building on a body of evidence that shows mixtures of pesticides can have adverse effects.”

Other foods on the group’s “dirty dozen” list include grapes, cherries, apples, tomatoes and potatoes. In contrast, its “clean 15” list includes avocados, onions and cauliflower.

Leonardo Trasande, an environmental medicine specialist at the New York University medical school, called the EWG report “widely respected” and said it can inform shoppers who want to buy some organic fruits and vegetables, but would like to know which ones they could prioritize.
Quick guide What foods contain the most pesticides? Show Hide

The most:
Strawberries
Spinach
Kale
Nectarines
Apples
Grapes
Peaches
Cherries
Pears
Tomatoes
Celery
Potatoes

The fewest:
Avocados
Sweet corn
Pineapples
Frozen sweet peas
Onions
Papayas
Eggplants
Asparagus
Kiwis
Cabbages
Cauliflower
Cantaloupes
Broccoli
Mushrooms
Honeydew melons

Source: the Environmental Working Group's assessment of USDA data.
Was this helpful? Thank you for your feedback.

Despite a growing body of research, scientists say it is difficult to pinpoint how many pesticides people are exposed to in their daily lives, and in what quantity. And it is also hard to say how those chemicals in combination affect the body.

One recent French study found that people eating organic foods were at a significantly lower risk of developing cancer, although it suggested that if those findings were confirmed, the underlying factors would require more research. Nutritional experts at Harvard University cautioned that that study did not analyze residue levels in participants’ bodies to confirm exposure levels.

While 90% of Americans have detectable pesticide levels in their urine and blood, “the health consequences of consuming pesticide residues from conventionally grown foods are unknown, as are the effects of choosing organic foods or conventionally grown foods known to have fewer pesticide residues,” they said.

A separate Harvard study found that for women undergoing fertility treatment, those who ate more high-pesticide fruits and vegetables were less likely to have a live birth.

The CDC explains that “a wide range of health effects, acute and chronic, are associated with exposures to some pesticides,” including nervous system impacts, skin and eye irritation, cancer and endocrine disorders.

“The health risks from pesticide exposure depend on the toxicity of the pesticides, the amount a person is exposed to, and the duration and the route of exposure,” the CDC says, noting evidence suggests children are at higher risk.

The Environmental Protection Agency sets rules for how pesticides are used, but those rules do not necessarily prevent cumulative exposure in a person’s diet.

The agency is fighting a court order to ban chlorpyrifos, a pesticide that is associated with development disabilities in children.

EPA has also scaled back what types of exposure it will consider when evaluating human health risks. And President Trump has appointed a former executive from the industry lobbying group the American Chemistry Council, Nancy Beck, as the head of its toxic chemical unit.

Courtesy of: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/mar/20/pesticide-residues-produce-even-after-washing-us#img-1

Tips to Preparing Dried Beans

Fri, 03 Jan 2020 18:55:42 GMT

Cold months of the year motivate us to look for plant foods with a longer shelf life because not much is growing in the garden. For the vegan palette, dried beans play an important part on the menu.

During the summer, green beans allowed to dry on the vine become shell beans. The pods are too tough to eat, but the mature bean seeds inside make wonderfully hearty bean dishes. Black beans, kidney beans, navy beans, pintos, and limas, are some basic dried bean varieties, each with it's own unique flavor. As noted in the December newsletter, many more sub-varieties of these beans contribute subtle flavor, texture, and visual nuances such as Christmas Lima Beans.

Those cooked soon after harvest may take less than an hour to cook, but don't count on it. The larger the bean, the longer the cooking time. A first step for well-cooked beans is to soak them in twice their volume of water for 24 hours in the refrigerator. Should there be no room in the refrigerator for soaking beans, a bowl of beans and water may be left on the counter top, but the water should be changed after 12 hours to prevent its souring and tainting the quality of the soaking beans.

During this soaking time, organic dried beans actually begin to sprout. Sprouting beans change chemically, becoming less starchy, and more easily digested. There's really no short cut to properly soaked and cooked beans for digestability, flavor, and a well-cooked texture.

If you don't have a crock pot, sometimes called a slow-cooker, it's worth getting one just for cooking beans. With a slow-cooker, beans can be left to cook on a high or low setting for hours with no danger of burning them, and minimal watching. Larger beans can take up to 12 hours to cook, but it's an easy do in the crock pot.

Cooked beans are a major ingredient in chili, hearty soups, re-fried beans, salads, spreads, and even some vegan cheeses. So cook up a pound or two, a different variety each week, and see what creative ways interest you in making beans the center of the plate. Should only one dish appeal to your time and talents, freeze the remaining beans to use another week. The flavor or home-cooked beans outshines canned beans any day.