Tag: legume

Snow peas, delicious legume of spring rich in properties – Italian Cuisine

Spring time, pea time. Also of green beans, of course, which are good, especially fresh. And what about the beans? And then, there are the jackdaws. They are good, sweet and full of health. Like the previous ones, it is a legume, not a vegetable, therefore in a nutshell, a real superfood. And in fact the owned jackdaws really do have many. Let's see together what they are, and then how to choose and prepare this gift of spring.

172558 First of all: jackdaws, unlike peas, you eat everything, both the seeds and the pod. This is why they are also known as "pea mangiatutto". There are two varieties, one more rounded and similar to the pea, in fact, and a flatter one, with little developed seeds.

172552 The best friend of the jackdaws is the gut: this legume really helps bowel regularity, primarily thanks to its high fiber content. Another feature of them is to be a remineralizing food, that is able to bring important amounts of mineral salts to the body. Among the many, they are particularly rich in iron – important for anemics. And of all this means that they are very good for fight fatigue. they many vitamins and so they are a legume, therefore, theirs protein intake, when combined with a cereal, it is equal to that of meat.

It's not over: like peas, they contain plant estrogens which help women balance the cycle menstrual, especially when it is painful and problematic but also to prevent osteoporosis. And then they are very low in calories, satiating and with the characteristic of contributing to reduce sugar absorption and fat: perfect for getting in shape before the summer, then!

Select beautiful fresh jackdaws, firm but soft, intact and free of yellowish or moldy parts. The jackdaws are easy to clean and prepare: just wash them and get rid of the petiole (and if they are a little harder, the fibrous thread that flows to the sides of the pod) and then cook them, boiled or directly in the pan. If we traditionally use rather soft (careful not to prolong cooking too much, to avoid that they fall apart), a suggestion is to try them in the more crunchy version, stirring them "to the east" to a point of cooking a little earlier than when you would normally light the fire.

172555 Theirs sweet and delicate flavor makes them really versatile in the kitchen. They can be steamed and simply eaten with oil, salt and lemon or vinegar. Sautéed and seasoned, with spices and other flavorings at will, such as roasted sesame seeds rather than almond grit. They are very good stew with tomato and enrich the salads of the good season: combine them for example with a hard-boiled egg but also with a fresh or preserved fish, for example a mackerel for a more decisive taste or delicious shrimps.

Aurora Quinto
March 2019

DISCOVER THE COOKING COURSES OF SALT & PEPE

Recipe Sprouted legume salad with fennel and chestnut cream – Italian Cuisine

Ingredients

800 g fennel
400 g legumes and sprouted cereals
350 g carrots
200 g boiled chestnuts
200 g milk
2 shallots
a head of Belgian endive
thyme
fresh oregano
rosemary
butter
vegetable broth
extra virgin olive oil
salt

Duration: 40 min

Level: Middle

Dose: 4 people

For the recipe of legumes salad sprouted with fennel and chestnut cream, cut the fennel into small pieces and the shallots into slices. Sauté the shallot in a pan with a tablespoon of butter, add the fennel and toast for 18-20 minutes. Salt and switch off. Blend everything in the food processor, with a ladle of broth. Do not use the immersion mixer because it is not powerful enough.
For the salad: Peel the carrots and cut them into cubes; sauté in a pan with a little oil and a few thyme leaves for 8-10 minutes. Cut the Belgian salad into strips. Cook the chestnuts in the milk with a sprig of rosemary for 5 minutes, to soften and flavor them. Drain. Mix the sprouted legumes with the carrots and the Belgian salad and season with a little oil, salt, thyme leaves and oregano. Serve the salad over the fennel cream and complete with chestnuts.

The 10 best legume pasta for your autumn light – Italian Cuisine

Chickpeas, lentils, peas and beans. With the flours of these legumes it is possible to prepare tasty pasta, rich in fibers and proteins. Here are the best and how to eat them

The first to appreciate the legume pasta were celiac and gluten intolerant. In search of alternatives to traditional dry pasta, they have come across these products that are taking more and more space between the shelves of supermarkets. But in reality I am one product also indicated for those who are not intolerant is that everyone should taste.
Many have hesitated before the purchase, curbed by cents a pound more than traditional pasta, but also by doubts related to the consistency, flavor and ability to hold the cooking of pasta. Here then a mini guide to the product, tasting and purchase.

What are

Just like traditional pasta, those of legumes are made with flour: chickpeas, beans, lentils, peas, soy, obtained from steaming legumes, then drying and finally grinding. This is the standard process that allows to obtain a paste very similar to that made with wheat flour, but in some cases the recipe is very different. Just think of the typical Chinese soy vermicelli, prepared with legume starch instead of flour. Precisely for this reason, however, they are less noble than others and not as rich in vegetable proteins that make them a valuable food for balancing vegetarian and vegan diets.

Cooking and flavor of legume pasta

One of the doubts that afflicts consumers at the first purchase is how much the legume pasta know how to keep cooking. Well, the answer is simple: just look carefully at the package. The cooking time depends on the type of legume with which they were made and is usually less than that required for traditional pasta. It goes from an average of three to eight minutes and, just like pasta made with wheat flour, it should be drained first if you want to sauté in a pan.
As for the taste, however, is closely related to the legume with which they are made. That of chickpeas really knows chickpeas, that of peas is slightly sweet as well as that of lentils. So orient yourself to the legume that you like because you will really taste it.

The recipes

What we said above is a valid starting point for choosing how to prepare these pastas. Call up the basic ingredient of the pasta in the condiment it will ensure a seamless combination, to be replicated both dry and in broth. Maybe from revive with a few cubes of bacon.
Legume pasta is also delicious with le vegetables and saffron, in salad or seasoned simply with garlic, oil and chilli. But also with a white ragout of lean meat or steamed fish, stewed or in a pan. A final ground pepper is appreciated, as well as a drizzle of raw oil.