The Happy Herbivore Cookbook (3 page)

BEANS:
Use canned beans, drained and rinsed, unless the recipe specifically calls for dried beans.

BLANCHING:
A cooking technique that involves tossing vegetables into boiling water very briefly and then immediately chilling them in ice water so the vegetables stop cooking and remain crisp and tender.

BLEND:
Stirring to incorporate all ingredients until they are well combined and the mix is homogenous. (Also called Whiz.)

CHOP:
Cut ingredient into bite-sized pieces; uniform cuts are not necessary, and size is relatively unimportant (it's more of a personal preference).

COOKED:
A vegetable prepared by steaming, baking, or boiling until fork-tender and seeded and/or skinned prior to cooking if necessary.

CREAM:
Beat the ingredients with an electric mixer until well combined and they have a creamy consistency. This also can be done by hand with a spatula.

CRUMBLE:
Break ingredient apart into smaller pieces. With tofu, break the tofu apart until it resembles ricotta or feta cheese.

DICE:
Chop the ingredient into uniform cubes, approximately half an inch.

FOLD:
Gently stir a single ingredient into a mixture, such as muffin batter, with a spatula or large spoon until just combined.

GREASE:
Lightly spray a pot, pan, paper liner, or other container with cooking spray. If you don't have a cooking spray can, add a tiny dab of oil into the center and use a clean napkin, paper towel, or rubber spatula to spread the oil around, making a thin layer along all surfaces.

LINE:
Add a thin layer of water or broth that just barely covers the bottom of the pot or skillet. Start with
¹
⁄
₄
cup of liquid.

MINCE:
Chop ingredients into very small pieces one—eighth inch or smaller.

ONION:
Small onions are the size of a lemon, medium onions are roughly the size of an orange, and large onions are the size of a grapefruit.

PACKED TIGHT:
Completely filling the measuring container without a lot of air to help fill the space.

PRESS:
Drain tofu, then wrap it in a clean paper towel. Place it between two cutting boards or a cookie sheet and cutting board, with the board on top. Place something heavy on top, such as a 28-ounce can of tomatoes. Allow the weight to press excess water out of the tofu for at least twenty minutes. After it's been pressed, pat dry with a clean paper towel. (Nasoya also makes an inexpensive tofu press machine.)

SALT AND PEPPER TO TASTE:
¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon salt and
¹
⁄
₄
teaspoon pepper is usually a good starting point for recipes that serve at least two. Reduce salt if you're using ingredients with sodium, such as canned goods or soy sauce. Double spices as necessary to achieve your preferred taste.

SEASON TO TASTE:
The same as salt and pepper to taste.

SKILLET:
Also known as a frying pan; generally, you'll want to use a medium or large skillet.

SPRINKLE:
Scatter an ingredient lightly over the top.

STIR:
Use a circular motion, clockwise or counterclockwise, to move or incorporate ingredients.

WHIZ:
Another word for Blending.

NO COOKING REQUIRED:
Recipes that don't require any cooking or require very minimal passive cooking, such as toasting bread.

QUICK:
Recipes that can be made, start to finish, in 30 minutes or less. Some recipes may require multitasking to complete in 30 minutes.

FAT-FREE:
Recipes with less than 1 gram of fat per serving.