About the College Veggie...

Hey all! I love food! I love to cook nutritious food and bake for my friends - on a college budget. This blog chronicles the best (and worst) of my kitchen adventures. I just completed a BS in Kinesiology and am working on a Masters in Public Health and dietetics, so expect these posts to be full of healthful foods and great information. Most of the info from this blog comes from a combination of internships I've done with RDs and reputable websites, as well as information I've picked up other ways over the years.

I believe that food should be real, and most ingredients you use every day should look like the foods picked out of the ground or off a tree. Food should also taste good. Not like a salt-lick or a grease-fryer. Finally, food is meant to fuel you. It's amazing how many chronic diseases (type 2 diabetes, cancers, even alzheimers) have been linked to lifestyle and diet. By giving our bodies what they need, we can live long, healthy, active lives.

“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” -Hippocrates

Aug 17, 2012

Food Science Meets Taco Salad

I took a Molecular Gastronomy course this summer... this was my final project. We needed to take 3 topics covered in the course and create a dish that utilized techniques we had learned. You might just learn something! :)




Vegetarian Taco Salad with Homemade Salsa
Final Project for NUTR 441
Summer 2012

Maia Kurnik


Introduction

            I am a vegetarian with a very low tolerance for spicy foods. That being said, I have been on several missions to Mexico and El Salvador and fell in love with the food in those regions – simple, whole, and colorful. After the balancing flavors lab, I was excited to try to make my own salsa from a few simple ingredients including jalapeno peppers which I had been to scared of using in the past. I chose to make tacos because I wanted to try to make a salsa that tasted flavorful rather than just spicy. The dish is not wholly tacos or wholly salad. It is a reflection of how I prefer to make my tacos – too many vegetables in not enough tortilla, thereby resembling a salad. I chose to use whole black beans rather than refried beans found commonly in taco salads simply because I like them better and wanted to try cooking whole dried beans again. I usually use canned beans, so using dried beans was another first for me in this class. Finally, I enjoyed the experiment in using acids and bases to alter the color of cabbage. In reading about how cooking alters the color of other plant foods, I had flashbacks to vegetable I had cooked prior to this course whose color left much to be desired.  My goals in this final project were to create flavorful and tolerably spicy salsa by balancing spice with acid, sugar, and salt, to cook dried black beans and make them flavorful, and to cook peppers without losing their vibrant color.

Preparation of Salsa – Balancing flavors:

In preparing the salsa, I used an approach similar to experiment 3 of unit one (thai chili sauce exercise in balancing flavors). I began with 2 small green jalapeno peppers and 2 roma tomatoes. I blended these with 1 clove of garlic and 4 Tbs diced yellow onion for 30 seconds. I wanted the salsa to be chunky, but also have some saucy base. To this base I added 1 ¼ cup (about 2 tomatoes) diced roma tomatoes and 3 more Tbs chopped onion. At this point I tasted the salsa. It was far too spicy. I could not taste the tomatoes, only the peppers and some onion. The flavors of the garlic and tomatoes were not yet detectable.
I wanted to use cumin, but was unsure of how forgiving the flavor would be. I decided to add it before any of the salty, sweet, or sour flavors so I would have some opportunity to correct it if I accidentally added too much. I added ½ Tbs of cumin, which was enough for the cumin to just be detectable but not overpowering. The cumin did add to the spicy flavors which were overpowering still.
To balance the spicy flavors, I began by adding 1 tsp salt. I added two more ½ tsp portions of salt, tasting after each addition, until I could taste the salty flavor and the spice had dulled considerably. At this point, I added 1 Tbs of lime juice, and then two more tablespoons of lime juice. After each addition I noticed that the spicy flavors became more tolerable, but the tomato and garlic flavors were hidden. Once I could taste the lime, I began adding sugar ½ a teaspoon at a time until the spicy flavors became mild enough and the tomato and garlic flavors were detectable. I kept in mind that the salsa would be part of a final dish, rather than be eaten by itself, so I stopped adding sweet, salty and sour flavors when the spice was just barely tolerable. The lime flavor also brightened upon addition of sugar. However, the lime and sweet flavors overpowered the salty flavors. I finished the salsa by adding another ½ tsp of salt.
Salty, sweet, and sour, and bitter flavors work to balance each other; if a dish is too salty, sour, or bitter, it may be salvaged by adding sugar (This, 2006, p.94-95; Loha-unchit, 2000, “Balancing Flavors”).  My experiences in balancing flavors in unit one made me feel empowerd to take on spicy food recipes. After reading Kasma’s blog on cooking “to taste” and learning about how sweet, sour, and salty flavors balance each other I was able to go back and correct my mayonnaise recipe in Lab 1 by adding more sugar and salt to make it less acidic. I was then also able to better taste the mustard, probably because sugar can blend flavors that seem too distinct in a recipe (Loha-unchit, 2000, “Balancing Flavors”). This information has made me more comfortable altering recipes instead of following them verbatim. I also now understand why salt is always used in sweet recipes such as desserts – to bring out the flavors in the sweet food, and why sugar is added to savory foods such as salad dressings – to tie the flavors together (This, 2006, p. 95).
To improve this recipe in the future, I would very likely add a third jalapeno. I overestimated the spiciness of the peppers and perhaps added too much salt, sugar, or lime juice. In the final dish, the salsa was delicious, but slightly too mild. In addition, I would only blend half as many of the ingredients. Upon addition of the lime juice, the salsa thinned considerably. It worked well as a dressing for the taco salad, but would be too soupy for dipping chips into.

Preparation of the black beans –Legume cookery:

            I chose to soak the beans overnight in light of the results of the experiment in the grains and legumes unit. The soaked beans were more flavorful than the beans that were cooked while dry. Cooking dry beans also resulted in dryer, blander beans. Soaking the beans also results in a faster cooking time by 25% or more (McGee, p. 488). Whole dried peas and beans can take upwards of two hours to cook. Initially, water can only enter through the hilum (small pore on the back of the bean), but after 30-60 minutes the seed coat becomes hydrated and expands allowing water to flow through the entire seed coat. Soaking is not required, but quickens cooking by 25%. Cooking without soaking may result in legumes with undesireably soft outer layers because much of the cooking time is waiting for water to make it to the center of the bean. Soaking also removes ogliosaccharides, minerals, vitamins, and some flavors, colors, and antioxidants from the legume. To minimize nutrient loss from the beans I soaked and cooked them in only enough water to completely cover them and added more as necessary (McGee, p. 486-88).
 I also chose to soak the beans in salted water. The sodium in the salt displaces the magnesium from the cell wall pectins and makes them easier to dissolve. Water can then enter the bean more rapidly (McGee, p. 489).  Salt and baking soda (alkaline) speed cooking of legumes by dissolving the hemicelluloses in the cell wall, allowing water to penetrate more quickly. A disadvantage to this method is the resultant slippery mouthfeel of the cooked beans and a soapy taste (McGee, p. 489).
            The actual cooking of the beans took about 22 minutes once the water began to boil. I rinsed the beans, and then added them to fresh water to cook in. I also added salt to the water to speed the cooking time as well as to try to avoid the bland flavor of the beans cooked in plain water in the lab unit. Once the beans were soft, I drained the excess fluid and let them cool slightly before adding lime juice and pepper. I love the bright flavor of limes, and thought it would be a nice addition to make the beans less bland. In combination with the pepper they were wonderful!
            After I had prepared the salad, I found another recipe for cilantro lime black beans. The beans tasted great with the lime, but the beans and the salad as a whole may have benefitted from the bright, fresh flavor of cilantro.

Preparation of the peppers – Cooking vegetables to retain color:
           
            Prior to this experiment, the peppers I cooked usually ended up mushy and dull. My problem was too little heat for too much time. Plant pigments are altered by cooking, and green pepper pigments are more susceptible to alteration than red or orange pigments that are more oil soluble (McGee, p. 278). I considered adding lime juice to the peppers as well, but acid makes the chlorophyll in green peppers more soluble and likely to leach out into the cooking liquid (McGee, p. 279). Heat can displace the magnesium from the center of the ring in the chlorophyll molecule, and it is replaced by a hydrogen ion and the color is dulled. Rapidly cooking the peppers by stir-frying them (rather than sautéing them as I had in the past) appeared to be the best way to cook them while retaining pigments and nutrients (McGee, p. 286).
            I cut the peppers into small enough pieces so that they would heat through quickly, and added them to a very hot pan with a little oil. I used a green bell pepper and smaller red and yellow peppers that I already had. I was afraid the smaller peppers would cook faster than the green bell peppers because the walls of the smaller peppers were thinner. I chose to add the smaller peppers later in the cooking, after about 1 minute. I stirred constantly for about 2 minutes total to prevent them from burning. The result was beautifully green, red, and yellow/orange peppers.
            I forgot to season my peppers, and in the future would add a little salt to them. They were quite flavorful by themselves and with the salsa as part of the completed salad.

            As a whole, the taco salad was fairly easy to prepare. Making the salsa and tasting at each step was the most tedious part, but also the most rewarding for me. The entire preparation took about a half hour once the beans had soaked. Most of that time was spent chopping vegetables and waiting for the beans to finish cooking. One foreseeable problem with using the dried beans rather than canned beans is the need to plan ahead and soak the beans. An easy fix would be to use canned beans instead.

Results of 2 Taste Tests:
Characteristic
Poor
Ok or Good
Excellent
Comments
Color
  • Bright
  • Retain pepper colors
  • Not brown or dull


X
Color of peppers is well maintained, no browning; bright greens, red, and orange look pleasing
Flavor
  • Tolerably Spicy
  • Not too bland
  • Limy
  • Fresh, bright, retain flavors of vegetables


X

Peppers should have been salted, salsa could be a bit spicier as part of the dish
Aroma
  • Pleasant
  • Fresh
  • Spicy


X

Texture
  • Peppers are firm, but not still crunchy
  • Mushrooms are firm, not rubbery
  • Beans are moist and soft, not chalky or dry
  • Salsa dressing is a pleasing texture, not too thin or gritty


X
Salsa was a perfect consistency for salad dressing, perhaps too thin to be used as a dip for chips, etc.
Combination/Mouthfeel:
  • Pleasing combination of warm and cold ingredients
  • Pieces are manageable size
  • Portion was neither too small nor too large


X
Green peppers could have been cut in half or thirds to make them more manageable, but the large pieces looked nice on the plate.
Overall Presentation


X
Bright & colorful! I was very proud of the look of the finished product

Characteristic
Poor
Ok or Good
Excellent
Comments
Color
  • Bright
  • Retain pepper colors
  • Not brown or dull


X
Colors were beautiful! Made me excited to try the dish
Flavor
  • Tolerably Spicy
  • Not too bland
  • Limy
  • Fresh, bright, retain flavors of vegetables


X

Salsa needed to be spicier, a bit bland
Aroma
  • Pleasant
  • Fresh
  • Spicy


X
The kitchen smelled great while she was cooking. I could smell the limes, peppers, and salsa especially
Texture
  • Peppers are firm, but not still crunchy
  • Mushrooms are firm, not rubbery
  • Beans are moist and soft, not chalky or dry
  • Salsa dressing is a pleasing texture, not too thin or gritty


X
Peppers were warmed through but still very firm. The crispness contrasted the soft beans nicely.
Combination/Mouthfeel:
  • Pleasing combination of warm and cold ingredients
  • Pieces are manageable size
  • Portion was neither too small nor too large

X

This was almost “excellent” but the green peppers should have been cut smaller
Overall Presentation


X
Great colors and presentation. The tortilla at the bottom made it easy to finish the pieces that escaped the fork.

Summary of Sensory Evaluation

            Overall, I was very pleased with this dish. My three main objectives (retain color, create flavorful salsa, and cook flavorful, moist beans) were met. The color of the peppers was wonderful and they made the dish look very vibrant. I was pleased with the flavors, though the next time I make this I will remember to season the peppers after cooking with salt. The aroma of the peppers mixed well with that of the salsa and limy beans to make the dish smell fresh as well as hearty. The meat was not missed in this recipe due to the robust texture of the black beans, which is why I chose whole beans over refried beans. The beans were soft but not mushy, and the lime made them very flavorful. They retained some of their nutty flavor as well. I was worried about the combination of warm and hot ingredients. However, placing the beans opposite the spinach on the plate allowed the spinach to maintain its coolness and texture rather than wilting. The cool salsa blended well with the warm peppers and mushrooms and the beans. The overall presentation was very attractive. I cannot, however, take too much credit for that. It would have been difficult to create an unattractive presentation with such beautiful colors, thanks to stir-frying the peppers rapidly at high heat rather than cooking them until they were mushy and dull, the presentation was beautiful!

Reflection on Learning

            As highlighted in the preparation descriptions above, this recipe has come about in response to previous lack of knowledge and a new understanding of cooking techniques. I was especially proud of my learning experience balancing flavors in the salsa. The initial balancing experiment was a bit of a trial by fire. I am very sensitive to spicy foods, and tended to avoid using any spice in my cooking. I now know that I can use different combinations of salty, sweet, and sour to adjust the heat of peppers to my tastes, as well as salvage bland mayonnaise, too-salty soups, and flavorless salad dressings. I have also learned that high heat is okay for cooking vegetables in order to preserve their color. Previously, I had avoided high heat out of fear of scalding the vegetables. I have also learned much about how acids and bases affect food texture and flavors. I learned that adding lime juice after cooking the beans, rather than during cooking or soaking, would result in the best finished product. I also learned that adding acid to vegetables during cooking is a good way to lose color, and that citrus fruit juices or vinegar should be added after cooking.


Recipes:

Salsa (Final Recipe):

2 small green jalapeno peppers, diced
4 Roma tomatoes, diced
1 clove garlic, diced
½ large yellow onion (about ½ c chopped)
½ Tbs cumin
2 tsp salt
2 ½ tsp sugar
3 Tbs lime juice

Blend the peppers, 2 of the 4 tomatoes, the garlic, and 3 Tbs of onion for 30 seconds or until almost smooth. Add the remaining tomatoes and onion. Add ½ Tbs cumin, and half of the salt, sugar, and lime juice. Add remaining salt, sugar, and lime juice in ½ tsp increments until desired flavor is achieved, tasting between each addition. Makes approximately 3 cups of mild salsa.

Taco “Salad:”

1 cup dry black beans
6+ cups water (3 for soaking, 3+ for cooking)
Salt
1 green bell pepper, sliced thin
1 red bell pepper, sliced thin
1 orange/yellow bell pepper, sliced thin
4 Tbs olive oil
1 small package white button mushrooms, sliced
½ c diced yellow onion
3 c spinach
Tortillas
1 ½ tsp black pepper
1 ½ Tbs lime juice
1 avocado, sliced just prior to serving to avoid browning
1 lime, sliced into wedges

Rinse the beans in a strainer, then soak for 6-8 hours (overnight) in 4c water with 1 tsp salt. Rinse the beans, place them in a sauce pan and add 1 tsp salt and enough water to just cover the beans while the cook. It may be necessary to add more water during cooking. Bring the water to a boil then reduce the heat to simmer the beans, covered, for 20-25 minutes until the beans are soft. Drain the beans, then add the pepper and lime juice. Stir gently to avoid peeling the skins off the beans.
Add the onions and mushrooms to a pan with 2-3 Tbs olive oil. Sauté the onions and mushrooms until the mushrooms are soft and slightly brown.
Heat a large skillet on high heat. Add 1 Tbs olive oil to the pan just before adding the peppers. Stir the peppers constantly for 1-2 minutes over high heat until they begin to soften slightly and are cooked through.
Assemble the taco salads! This recipe makes enough 3 medium taco salads. Over 1 tortilla, place a bed of spinach. Put the beans to the side of the spinach to avoid wilting the spinach. Over the spinach, lay peppers and mushrooms, and garnish with sliced avocado and lime wedges. Top with several tablespoons of salsa. 


Hopefully you learned something... I sure did!

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