The plant fava is rarely used today, although people are using it for thousands of years. It's a very good source of various good stuff, including minerals, for example magnesium, iron and potassium, B vitamins, fiber and even proteins. It's used for making flour as well, and this flour may improve the taste of other flours you use. Find out how to cook fava beans, and to use them to add flavor to your usual dishes.
They can be used fresh, and they come in large green pods you have to remove them from first. Every pod contains up to five lovely, large, bright green beans. Once you remove them from their pods, let them boil in lots of water for 30 to 60 seconds, and then quickly drain this water and replace it wit ice cold one, to stop the cooking immediately.
Although young and fresh, they need to be peeled, because each is placed into a kind of a waxy shell, hard and not very tasty. It's not difficult to peel the shell using your fingers. Peeled fresh ones are bright green and can be added to salads or any other dish you want to prepare. If you think they are too hard, steam them for a while, until soft.
Dried fava is brown, and comes in small and large variation. Both need to be prepared and peeled first. Soaking them in a large quantity of water overnight or longer, up to 24 hours, is for the best. After that, when they double their volume, drain and rinse them. It's always for the best to peel them, even if some people say that small ones don't have to be peeled.
In some occasions you might not have enough time to let them soak overnight, but there is one much faster method you can use. Cook them for several minutes and let them soak for an hour in one covered large pot. It is important to provide enough water, because they will increase their volume considerably. Now it's time to peel them all.
Once peeled, cook them in a pot of fresh, salted water until soft, but not mushy. It usually takes for about 45 to 50 minutes, depending on their size. They should only simmer. Once cooked, you can use them in various recipes. They can also replace chick beans in some recipes, or a part of some other ingredients you would normally use.
Green fava can be used for making delicious bruschetta spreads, for example. Put them in your blender together with fresh garlic, olive oil and lemon juice, cardamom or some other spices, and in a few seconds you will get a lovely spread. If you don't have enough time for preparing fava, buy frozen green or dried ones, or the ones that can be found in cans.
If you have larger quantities, it's best to keep them frozen, previously cooked and peeled. Dried ones may stay as they are, stored in boxes. Anyway, maybe it would be better to cook and peel them first, and to keep them frozen. It takes quiet a long time to do this, and it would be much easier to have them already prepared, when you get in a mood for making some specialties.
They can be used fresh, and they come in large green pods you have to remove them from first. Every pod contains up to five lovely, large, bright green beans. Once you remove them from their pods, let them boil in lots of water for 30 to 60 seconds, and then quickly drain this water and replace it wit ice cold one, to stop the cooking immediately.
Although young and fresh, they need to be peeled, because each is placed into a kind of a waxy shell, hard and not very tasty. It's not difficult to peel the shell using your fingers. Peeled fresh ones are bright green and can be added to salads or any other dish you want to prepare. If you think they are too hard, steam them for a while, until soft.
Dried fava is brown, and comes in small and large variation. Both need to be prepared and peeled first. Soaking them in a large quantity of water overnight or longer, up to 24 hours, is for the best. After that, when they double their volume, drain and rinse them. It's always for the best to peel them, even if some people say that small ones don't have to be peeled.
In some occasions you might not have enough time to let them soak overnight, but there is one much faster method you can use. Cook them for several minutes and let them soak for an hour in one covered large pot. It is important to provide enough water, because they will increase their volume considerably. Now it's time to peel them all.
Once peeled, cook them in a pot of fresh, salted water until soft, but not mushy. It usually takes for about 45 to 50 minutes, depending on their size. They should only simmer. Once cooked, you can use them in various recipes. They can also replace chick beans in some recipes, or a part of some other ingredients you would normally use.
Green fava can be used for making delicious bruschetta spreads, for example. Put them in your blender together with fresh garlic, olive oil and lemon juice, cardamom or some other spices, and in a few seconds you will get a lovely spread. If you don't have enough time for preparing fava, buy frozen green or dried ones, or the ones that can be found in cans.
If you have larger quantities, it's best to keep them frozen, previously cooked and peeled. Dried ones may stay as they are, stored in boxes. Anyway, maybe it would be better to cook and peel them first, and to keep them frozen. It takes quiet a long time to do this, and it would be much easier to have them already prepared, when you get in a mood for making some specialties.
About the Author:
Get tips on how to cook fava beans and enjoy the taste of this delicious food. To see the latest recipes and instructions, go to http://www.prairiefava.com/how-to-cook-favas.