Diet Plan Cooking Terms

There are just a few cooking terms that need to be defined for the beginner to take the mystery out of cooking. Here they are.

Chop or dice: to cut food into small pieces, usually little squares.

Mince: to chop very finely, usually using a rocking motion with a large knife, holding down the tip with one hand while you rock your knife-holding hand up and down.

Poach: to cook gently in a liquid which is barely simmering on the top of the stove. The liquid is first brought to a simmer, then the food is submerged in it. A very easy and satisfying way to cook fish.

Puree: to change the consistency of a food, such as a soup, cooked beans, or vegetables, by blending it in a blender or food processor, mashing it, or putting it through a food mill, so that it becomes smooth or partially smooth. Recipes will specify the extent to which foods should be pureed.

Sauté: to cook fairly quickly in a frying pan in a little bit of oil or butter. Here we will try to use nonstick frying pans so that we can use a minimum of oil.

Simmer: to cook just at or below the boiling point. The surface is barely bubbling. This is often achieved by bringing to a boil, then reducing the heat to very low.

Steam: to cook above boiling water in a lidded pot or steamer. This is a very efficient way to cook vegetables, because their vitamins are not lost in the water as they are when you boil them. To steam, bring a little bit of water to a boil in a lidded pot, then place your vegetables above the water, making sure they aren’t submerged, on a steaming trivet, a fold-up steaming basket, a colander, or a Chinese steamer (wooden or aluminum). Eight to 10 minutes is sufficient for most vegetables, like green beans, broccoli, peas, zucchini, and cauliflower. Potatoes, however, take about 20 minutes. Once the vegetables have reached the desired tenderness, remove from the heat and run for a few seconds under cold water to stop the cooking, or serve at once.

Stir-fry: to cook quickly, stirring all the time, in a little oil in a frying pan or wok. Here again nonstick skillets are recommended, to reduce the necessary quantity of oil. Don’t add the food until the pan is quite hot, or it will just sit and absorb the oil.