Table of content:

Preparing Egg, Vegetable and Farinaceous

Dishes
https://youtu.be/QPTaP9ZtPoE

UNIT 1: Preparing Egg Dishes

LESSON 1: Identifying the Composition and Structure of Meat

 Introduction
 TOPIC 1: Composition of Meat
 TOPIC 2: Structure of Meat

LESSON 2: Determining the Types and Characteristics of Meat

 Introduction
 TOPIC 1: Types of Meat
 TOPIC 2: Meat Grades
 TOPIC 3: Tenderness of Meat
 TOPIC 4: Aging Meat

UNIT 2: Meat Fabrication

LESSON 1: Determining the Primal and Sub-primal Cuts of Meat

 Introduction
 TOPIC 1: Beef Cuts
 TOPIC 2: Pork Cuts
 TOPIC 3: Lamb Cuts
 TOPIC 4: Variety Meats

LESSON 2: Handling Meat Safely

 Introduction
 TOPIC 1: Cleaning Meat

o Cleaning Variety Meat

 TOPIC 2: Storing and Freezing Meat
o Labeling Meat for Storage
 TOPIC 3: Thawing Meat
 TOPIC 4: Minimizing Meat Wastage
 LESSON 3: Preparing Meat for Cooking

 Introduction
 TOPIC 1: Preparing Portion Cuts
 TOPIC 2: Preparing Frenched Meat
 TOPIC 3: Tying Roasts
 TOPIC 4: Marinating Meat

o Guidelines for Marinating Meat

LESSON 4: Cooking Meat Dishes

 Introduction
 TOPIC 1: Roasting Meat

o Roasted Beef Tenderloin

 TOPIC 2: Grilling and Broiling Meat
o Grilled Lamb Chop
 TOPIC 3: Sautéing and Searing Meat
o Beef Salpicao
o Filet Mignon
 TOPIC 4: Smoking Meat
 TOPIC 5: Frying Meat
o Butter-Fried Steak with Crispy Garlic
 TOPIC 6: Braising and Stewing Meat
o Braised Beef with Mushroom
 TOPIC 7: Poaching and Steaming Meat
o Cooking Sous Vide Meat

LESSON 5: Plating Meat Dishes

 TOPIC 1: Checking Meat for Doneness

 TOPIC 2: Guidelines for Plating Dishes
 TOPIC 3: Common Accompaniments of Meat Dishes
Lesson 3: Preparing Vegetable Dishes
https://youtu.be/FkLVFRT__KA

At the end of this unit, you should be able to:

 Determine the types and characteristics of vegetables;

 Identify the qualities of vegetables;
 Prepare vegetable dishes; and
 Perform procedures for controlling changes in the quality of vegetables.

Unit 1: Introduction to Vegetables

Introduction
A vegetable is an edible plant or parts of a plant. Vegetables may be classified as root, green
or fruit vegetable. This lesson will present the types and characteristics as well as the qualities
of vegetables.

TOPIC 1: Types and Characteristics of Vegetables

Vegetables may be classified in many different ways. Determining the types of
vegetables helps you not only in cooking vegetable dishes but also in keeping these items in
high quality during storage. The following are the common classification of vegetables:

 Root Vegetables - As their name suggests, root vegetables grow under the ground or
plant roots commonly consumed as vegetables.  These include all vegetables derived
from roots, bulbs and tubers of plants.

 Green Vegetables - These include the stems, flowers and leaves of plants that
humans consume for food. Some plants may have all parts eaten as a vegetable while
there are also those with only one or some parts safe or desirable for food service.

 Vegetable Fruits - These are fruits used in food service as vegetables.

Types and Characteristics of Mushrooms
Biologically, mushrooms are not considered as plants. These are fungi that can be cultured or
collected in the wild for food and other purposes. However, there are mushrooms that cannot
be eaten and are considered poisonous. As a kitchen staff, it is important that you are familiar
with at least the most popular varieties of both cultivated and wild mushrooms.

TOPIC 2: Qualities of Vegetables

Cooking affects the following factors or qualities of vegetables:

 Texture
 Flavor
 Color
 Nutrients

The changes in these four characteristics determine the outcome of the dish that you are
cooking.
Texture
The texture of vegetables can be represented in various degrees depending on the cooking
technique used. The texture of vegetables is affected by the fiber and starch components.

Controlling Changes in Color

White-pigmented vegetables:

 Add a little lemon juice or cream of tartar to the cooking water (Do not add too much as this
may toughen the vegetable). Covering the pot also helps keep acid in.
 Cooking for a short time, especially in the steamer, helps maintain color (and flavor and
nutrients as well).
 Overcooking or holding too long in a steam table turns white vegetables dull yellow or gray.

Red-pigmented vegetables:

 Anthocyanins dissolve easily in water which means:

 Use a short cooking time. Overcooked red vegetables lose a lot of color.
 Use only as much water as is necessary.
 Cook beets whole and unpeeled, with root and an inch of stem attached to protect color. Skins
easily slip off cooked beets.
 When steaming, use solid pans instead of perforated pans to retain the red juices.
 Whenever possible, serve the cooking liquid as a sauce with the vegetable
Yellow and orange-pigmented vegetables:

 Carotenoids get affected by acids and alkalies minimally.

 Long cooking can dull the color while short cooking not only prevents dulling of the color but
also preserves vitamins and flavors.

Green-pigmented vegetables:

 Cooking uncovered to allow plant acids to escape.

 Cooking for the shortest time possible. Properly cooked green vegetables are tender-crisp, not
mushy.
 Cooking in small batches rather than holding for long periods in the steam table.

Flavor
This is the quality of fruits and vegetables described as the combination of aroma and
taste. Food and nutrition scientists say that there are two ways vegetables can be classified
according to flavor:

Many flavors are lost during cooking. This occurs when flavors are dissolved into cooking
liquid and by evaporation. The longer a vegetable is cooked the more flavor it loses. There
are ways in which cooking results into flavor loss.

Cooking produces certain chemical changes, which is why vegetables taste different when
cooked compared to when vegetables are raw. As long as the vegetables are not overcooked,
this change is desirable. It produces the flavors one looks for in vegetable dishes.
Controlling Flavor Loss

Flavor loss can be controlled in several ways:

 Cook for as short a time as possible.

 Use boiling salted water. Starting vegetables in boiling water shortens the time. The
addition of salt helps reduces flavor loss.
 Use just enough water to cover to minimize leaching. Note that this rule contradicts rule
1 in that adding vegetables to a small quantity of water lowers the temperature more, so
cooking time is extended.
 Steam vegetables whenever appropriate. Steam cooking reduces leaching out of flavor
and shortens cooking time.

To serve sweet-tasting vegetables:

 Try to serve young, fresh vegetables that have been stored for a short time only.
 For older vegetables, add a small amount of sugar to the cooking water to replace loss
of sweetness.

Color
It is important to preserve as much natural color as possible when cooking vegetables. Its
visual quality is as important as its flavor or nutritional value. Pigments are compounds that
give vegetables their color.
Controlling Changes in Color

White-pigmented vegetables:

 Add a little lemon juice or cream of tartar to the cooking water (Do not add too much as
this may toughen the vegetable). Covering the pot also helps keep acid in.
 Cooking for a short time, especially in the steamer, helps maintain color (and flavor and
nutrients as well).
 Overcooking or holding too long in a steam table turns white vegetables dull yellow or
gray.

Red-pigmented vegetables:

 Anthocyanins dissolve easily in water which means:

 Use a short cooking time. Overcooked red vegetables lose a lot of color.
 Use only as much water as is necessary.
 Cook beets whole and unpeeled, with root and an inch of stem attached to protect
color. Skins easily slip off cooked beets.
 When steaming, use solid pans instead of perforated pans to retain the red juices.
 Whenever possible, serve the cooking liquid as a sauce with the vegetable

Yellow and orange-pigmented vegetables:

 Carotenoids get affected by acids and alkalies minimally.

 Long cooking can dull the color while short cooking not only prevents dulling of the
color but also preserves vitamins and flavors.

Green-pigmented vegetables:

 Cooking uncovered to allow plant acids to escape.

 Cooking for the shortest time possible. Properly cooked green vegetables are tender-
crisp, not mushy.
 Cooking in small batches rather than holding for long periods in the steam table.
UNIT 2: Preparing Vegetables for Cooking

Introduction
The best dishes are made with the use of the freshest ingredients. That is why most of the
time cooks prefer using fresh vegetables. This lesson will present the procedures for
preparing vegetables for cooking and the measures for controlling the changes in the quality
of vegetables during cooking.

TOPIC 1: Preparing Fresh Vegetables for Cooking

In order to preserve and maximize the good quality fresh vegetables have, it is important to
learn how to handle vegetables before, during and after preparation.

Guidelines for Preparing Vegetables for Cooking

Preparing vegetables for cooking includes washing, soaking, peeling, cutting and trimming
vegetables.

Washing:

  Wash vegetables thoroughly.

 Root vegetables that are not peeled, such as potatoes for baking, should be scrubbed
very well with a stiff vegetable brush.
 Wash green, leafy vegetables in several changes of cold water. Lift the greens from the
water so that the sand will sink to the bottom. Pouring off into a colander dumps the
sand back onto the leaves.
 If needed for later use, drain vegetables well, cover and refrigerate to prevent drying.

Soaking:

 To preserve as much flavor, do not soak vegetables in water for long periods (except
for dried legumes). 
 If necessary, cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and 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 crispiness.
 Dried legumes are soaked for several hours before cooking to replace moisture lost in
drying. Dried beans absorb their weight in water.
 Treat vegetables that brown easily (potatoes, eggplant, artichokes, sweet potatoes)
with an acid, such as lemon juice, or an antioxidant solution, or hold under water until
ready to use (some vitamins and minerals will be lost).
Peeling, Cutting and Trimming:

 Peel most vegetables as thinly as possible. Many nutrients lie just under the skin.
 Cut vegetables into uniform pieces for even cooking.
 Peel and cut vegetables as close to cooking time as possible to prevent drying and loss
of vitamins through oxidation.
 Save edible trim for soups, stocks, and vegetable purees.

TOPIC 2: Handling and Preparing Processed Vegetables

Due to the high perishability of fresh vegetable products, seasonal variations in availability
and price as well as the amount of labor required to handle fresh products in commercial
kitchens, food service heavily relies on processed vegetables. Processed vegetables may be
sold frozen or dried. 

It is important that you know how to handle processed products properly. The following are
important reminders for handling processed vegetables safely.

Guidelines for Handling and Preparing Frozen Vegetables

Handling Frozen Vegetables:

 Temperature inside the packaging should be at 0ºF (-18 ºC)

 Ice crystals should be kept at a minimum. Lots of ice crystals means poor handling.
 Packaging should not have leaks or other obvious signs of thawing.
 Vegetables inside packages should have bright and natural color and not yellowed or
dried by freezer-burn.

 Preparing Frozen Vegetables:

 Frozen vegetables have been partially cooked, so final cooking time is shorter than for
fresh products.
 Cook from the frozen state. Most vegetables need no thawing. They can go directly into
steamer pans or boiling water.
 Exceptions: Corn on the cob and vegetables that freeze into a solid block, such as
spinach and squash, should be thawed in the cooler first for more even cooking.
 Seasoning: Most frozen vegetables are slightly salted during processing, so add less
salt than you would to fresh products.
Guidelines for Handling Dried Vegetables
Most of the many-colored beans are types of kidney beans, peas, and lentils. Lentils are
small, lens-shaped legumes that have shorter cooking times than kidney beans. Other types
of dried beans include chickpeas or garbanzos, fava beans, and lima beans.

Handling and Preparing Dried Legumes:

When handling dried vegetables, it is important to take note of the following, accordingly:

1. Pick over to remove any foreign particles and rinse well.

2. Soak overnight in 3 times their volume of water. (Split peas and some lentils do not
require soaking. Check package directions).
3. Simmer, covered, until tender. Do not boil, or the vegetables may toughen. Some
beans require up to 3 hours of simmering.
4. If you forget to soak beans overnight, an alternative method can be used. Put the beans
in a cooking pot with 3 times their volume of cold water. Bring to a boil. When water
boils, cover tightly and remove from the heat. Let stand for 1 hour. Then proceed with
step 3.

Handling Freeze-Dried and Other Dehydrated Vegetables

Drying has always been an important method for preserving vegetables, especially before
modern canning and freezing techniques were developed. Modern technology has developed
additional methods for drying foods, so a great variety of dried products is on the market.
Here are some reminders for handling freeze-dried and other dehydrated items:

 Follow the manufacturer’s directions for reconstituting these products. Many need to be
soaked in cold or warm water for specific lengths of time. They continue to absorb water
as they are simmered.
 Dried products, especially potatoes, require only the addition of boiling liquid and
seasonings to be ready to serve. Again, the manufacturer’s directions vary with their
brands.
 Dried mushrooms should be soaked in hot water until soft, then drained and lightly
squeezed before being cooked. The flavorful soaking liquid is trained and used as a
flavoring for cooking liquids and sauces.
UNIT 3: Cooking and Plating Vegetables

Introduction
This lesson will present the different methods vegetables can be cooked. Moist and dry heat
methods will be presented as well as procedures for cooking vegetables in batches for food
service. This lesson will also present the topics to help you determine the qualities of a well-
cooked vegetable and reminders on the appropriate accompaniments of vegetable dishes.

TOPIC 1: Boiling and Steaming Vegetables

https://youtu.be/aWa9ieZgiB8

Two of the most common methods in cooking vegetables is boiling them in water and
steam. The following are methods similar to boiling and steaming:

 Blanching - Vegetables are immersed briefly, usually 30 seconds to 1 minute,

depending on ripeness, in boiling water to make the skin easy to remove, to eliminate
or reduce strong odors or flavors, to set the color of vegetables to be served cold,
and/or as the first step in other cooking methods.
 Par-cooking/ Parboiling - Vegetables are cooked to partial doneness, to prepare them
to be finished by grilling, sautéing, or stewing.

Procedure for Boiling Vegetables

1. Boil the water in a pot.

2. Season the cooking liquid and bring it to proper cooking temperature before adding the
prepared vegetables.
3. Cook the vegetables to the desired doneness.
4. Drain thoroughly using a colander or sieve.
Tips for Boiling Vegetables
Broccoli Mornay
https://youtu.be/oqQZiceL_Co

Ingredients

150 g  Broccoli
½ cup Cream
½ cup Milk
1 Tbsp Parmesan cheese
As needed Water
tt  Salt and pepper
Yield: 2 to 3 Servings

Procedure

1. Place the milk in a small bowl.

2. In the same bowl, add the cream, salt, pepper, and parmesan cheese.
3. Mix the ingredients together until well-blended.
4. Place a saucepan over low heat.
5. Pour the milk mixture into the pan.
6. Heat the mixture until it thickens. Stir the mixture occasionally to avoid lumps to form. 
7. Set aside.
8. Trim and wash the broccoli. Separate large pieces into smaller serving pieces. Split or
peel stems for even cooking.
9. Arrange broccoli in a pan with the flowers outside and the stems in the center.
10. Pour in boiling water to partially cover the broccoli. Cover with clean wet towels.
11. Simmer until blossom parts are nearly tender.
12. Leave stems covered and continue simmer until stems feel tender but al dente
when pierced with a knife. Drain well.
13. Ladle the sauce over the broccoli.
14. Plate and serve immediately.
TOPIC 2: Sautéing Vegetables
https://youtu.be/u5m0ROXnrSE

Sautéing cooks vegetables quickly in a small amount of fat. Vegetables are tossed or flipped
in the pan over high heat. Sautéing may be used to cook precooked or blanched as well as
raw vegetables.

Procedure for Sautéing Vegetables

1. Blanch the vegetables and drain afterward.

2. Place sauté pan on high heat. Add a small amount of clarified butter and oil enough to
coat the bottom of the pan.
3. Add the vegetables.
4. Season the vegetables with salt and pepper.
5. Turn the vegetables as often as necessary to cook and coat the vegetables evenly.
6. As soon as the vegetables are cooked, or heated through if precooked, remove from
the pan, plate and serve.

Tips for Sautéing Vegetables

TOPIC 3: Braising and Stewing Vegetables
Braised vegetables are seared or browned and added to a small amount of liquid to be
cooked until done. Meanwhile, in stewing vegetables are fully submerged in water or other
liquid and simmered until tender.
Ratatouille
https://youtu.be/2ln-vjIJ99c

Ingredients

100 g  Eggplant, medium diced

70 g Zucchini, medium diced
40 g Green bell pepper, medium diced
1 Tbsp Olive oil
¼ cup White onion, diced
1 tsp Garlic, minced
½ cup Button mushroom, sliced
½ cup Tomato concasse
1 Tbsp Tomato paste
30 ml Vegetable stock
As needed Fresh herbs
tt Salt and pepper
Yield: 3 to 5 Servings

Procedure

1. Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté until translucent.
2. Add the garlic and sauté until it releases its aroma.
3. Add the tomato paste and cook over medium heat until it turns a deeper color and gives
off a sweet aroma.
4. Add the bell pepper, eggplant, zucchini, mushroom and tomato concasse. Stir as
necessary.
5. Pour in the stock and season with salt and pepper to taste.
6. Simmer over low heat until the vegetables are fork-tender. Add chicken stock if the stew
begins to appear dry.
7. Serve immediately or hold for later use.
TOPIC 4: Grilling and Broiling Vegetables
Broiling applies heat from a source above the meat while grilling or pan-broiling apply heat
from a source below. Broiling and grilling are also used to finish cooked or partially cooked
vegetables by browning or glazing them on top.
Grilled Vegetable Kebabs
Ingredients

1 pc  Squash (small), sliced into ¼ inch pieces

1 pc Onion, cut into 8 pieces
1 pc Red bell pepper, cut into 8 pieces
1 pc Eggplant, cut into ¼ inch slices
3 Tbsp Olive oil
2 Tbsp Cooking wine, red
4 Tbsp Lemon juice
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp Basil, chopped
1 Tbsp Parsley, chopped
2 cloves Garlic, minced
tt Salt and pepper
Yield: 2 to 3 Servings

Procedure

1. Prepare the marinade. Mix the olive oil, wine, lemon juice, mustard and the herbs in
one bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Toss the vegetables into the marinade. Coat the vegetables and marinate for 30
minutes. 
3. Set the grill to medium heat. 
4. Place the vegetables on skewers. You can run the vegetables on the skewer alternately
for presentation. If you are using wooden skewers, it is advisable that you soak them in
water for 30 minutes before use.
5. Grill the kebabs for 10 to 12 minutes. 
6. Brush the kebabs with the marinade every two to 3 minutes as you rotate the skewers.
7. Take the kebabs out of the grill when the vegetables are brown and tender.
8. Plate and serve.
TOPIC 5: Frying Vegetables
Frying cooks’ items in fat. This method can be done in two ways:

 Shallow/ Pan Frying - cooking with oil in a pan in a medium to high heat

 Deep- fat Frying - submerging food into hot oil in a temperature which can range
between 325°F (165°C) and 400°F (200°C).
Vegetable Fritters
https://youtu.be/gyN8FpBy0TU

Ingredients

75 g  Eggplant
75 g Squash
10 g Asparagus
75 g Zucchini
75 g Carrots
2 pcs Eggs, beaten
25 ml Milk
25 g Flour
¼ cup Baking powder
As needed Cooking oil
tt Salt and pepper

Yield: 3 to 5 Servings

Procedure

1. Combine the eggs and milk.

2. Mix together the flour, baking powder, salt pepper. Add to the milk and eggs and mix
until smooth.
3. Let the batter stand for several hours in the refrigerator.
4. Blanch the vegetables into simmering water until half cooked and cool.
5. Coat the vegetables with the batter.
6. Scoop a portion of the mixture into deep fat at 350°F or 175°C. Hold the measuring cup
just above the hot fat when dropping. Fry until golden brown.
7. Drain well and serve.
TOPIC 6: Cooking Large Quantities of Vegetables

In quantity cooking, it is rarely possible to cook individual vegetable portions to order. After 20
to 30 minutes at steam table temperatures, even carefully prepared vegetables are usually
overcooked. Two common systems have been devised for quantity cooking are:

 Batch Cooking - a method of quantity cooking suited for set meal services or those
with fixed menu items. In this method, vegetables are cooked one batch at a time. 
 Blanch-and-Chilling - a method that involves partial cooking and chilling vegetables to
be cooked just before serving. Blanch-and-Chilling is most helpful in extended meal
service as it gives the cook complete control over the degree of doneness of vegetables
when served. 
TOPIC 7: Checking Vegetables for Doneness
The doneness of vegetable varies from one to another. Some, such as winter squash,
eggplant, and braised celery, are considered properly cooked when they are quite soft. Most
vegetables are best cooked very briefly until they are crisp-tender or al dente (firm to the
bite). 
TOPIC 8: Guidelines for Plating Vegetable Dishes
When plating vegetable dishes, it is important that accompaniments such as the sauces and
side dishes are looked into. Accompaniments should add contrast while complimenting the
dish. The following are important reminders for selecting vegetable accompaniments for
plating: