Cooking legumes, grains and cereals

From the book Tasty, Healthy & Gluten-Free! Vol. 2

Legume cooking table

Here are the main rules to follow for successful cooking of legumes:

1. For almost all legume varieties, soak for 8 to 12 hours in four times their volume of water. It is important to always use unchlorinated water (filtered or spring water), as the water will penetrate the food, and to add kombu seaweed. Mung beans, brown lentils, and red lentils, however, can be soaked for only 30 minutes, as they cook much more quickly.
2. The soaking step is important because it facilitates digestion and helps soften the legumes, thus reducing cooking time. In addition, as is the case with cereals, legumes naturally contain phytic acid. This acid combines with certain minerals present in the human body, such as calcium, magnesium, iron and zinc. Following the ingestion of phytic acid, insoluble phytates are formed which are eliminated by the body along with the minerals mentioned above with which they are combined; this leads to a certain demineralization of the body. Soaking therefore eliminates phytic acid and then allows good assimilation of the minerals present in legumes.
3. After the soaking time, simply rinse the legumes as the soaking water is indigestible.
4. Place them in a saucepan and cover with fresh water. Add a few bay leaves; this helps reduce gas and bloating sometimes associated with eating legumes. You can also change the water after 30 minutes of cooking to aid digestion and reduce gas production.
5. Bring to a boil, then simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally during cooking and skimming off any scum that forms. Refer to the cooking times given in the table. These times are approximate as they may vary depending on the freshness of the legumes. In the fall, they will cook more quickly; as the year progresses, they will take longer.
6. They will be ready when tender to the bite. To cook legumes that will be used later in a recipe where they will cook a little longer, simply reduce the cooking time slightly.

Above all, always remember to cook more than the recipe calls for. Cooked legumes will keep for 1 week in the refrigerator. They can also be frozen. This way, you'll always have some on hand, making them easy to incorporate into your daily menu!

Cooking grains and cereals

You can also soak your grains and cereals before cooking them. This will facilitate the assimilation of all the minerals they contain (see note in point 2, section on cooking legumes).

Here are the main rules to follow for successful cooking of grains and cereals:

1. Rinse and drain grains or cereals well before cooking. It is important to measure the amount to be cooked before rinsing.
2. Measure the amount of water required for cooking based on the amount of grain or cereal measured by volume, i.e., in a measuring cup. At the cooking stage, measuring in grams would inaccurately calculate the amount of water required since volume differs from weight.
3. Millet, quinoa, and brown basmati rice : Cook them in double their volume of water. For example, for 180 g (1 cup) of brown rice, cook in 500 ml (2 cups) of water. Buckwheat : Cook in one and a half times its volume of water. For example, for 200 g (1 cup) of buckwheat, cook in 375 ml (1 1/2 cups) of water.

When cooking:

1. Millet, quinoa, or buckwheat : Place the desired amount in a medium saucepan with the required volume of water for cooking. If desired, add a little olive oil and salt. *
   Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes with the lid closed. Remove the lid and fluff with a fork.
2. Brown Basmati Rice : Place the required amount of water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. If desired, add a little olive oil and salt. *When the water boils, add the rice and bring back to a boil. Cover and simmer over low heat for 40 to 45 minutes, or until all the water has been absorbed. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes, with the lid closed. Remove the lid and fluff with a fork.

* For my part, I use the following rule: for each cup of grains or cereals, I add 1 ml (1/4 tsp) of salt and 5 ml (1 tsp) of olive oil.

Here's how my friend Julie guides her weekly menu around a cooked legume and cereal: here, how to save time & ideas with legumes.