Re: On garlic and mung beans

[Guest guest]

Garlic: I keep a few heads of garlic in a basket on my counter to use 1-2

cloves at a time. It doesn't last long because we use so much. I also keep some

frozen. Every March when new garlic comes in, I buy a 3-pound bag at Sam's.

Then I spend a couple hours preparing it for the freezer. Peeling takes the

longest, but I've found that I can whack several cloves in a heavy plastic bag

with a frying pan and then the husk comes off fairly easily. I toss the

peeled cloves into the food processor, pulse a few times and then bag the minced

garlic in 1-quart freezer bags. I flatten the bags so that once they're frozen,

I can break off however much garlic I need for a recipe. The frozen garlic

keeps well for several months. It's much better than the bottled stuff I've

tried and rejected. An hour or two of time invested is well worth the

convenience--and the flavor--for the rest of the year.

I've done the same with fresh ginger.

I have a stainless steel sink and remove the garlic odor by rubbing my hands

around the sink.

Mung beans. I love them. They cook in about the same time lentils do. I

season them only with a little salt--although Minor's Ham Base is nice, too.

I've not made pancakes, but I've done these as a side dish:

Mung Bean Patties

Combine:

2 cups drained and mashed mung beans

1 clove garlic, minced

1 onion, finely chopped

Chili powder and cumin

1 egg

Salt and pepper

Shape into patties or simply drop onto a hot, lightly oiled skillet. Let

brown on one side. Flip and brown on the other. Serve with salsa.

Left mashed but formed into patties and warmed in the microwave, this is a

dip like refried beans.

I've sometimes added minced green chiles, chopped bell pepper and bacon bits.

[Guest guest]

This is great info!

I find after some of my concoctions and mincings have been in the freezer for a

while, that

they get a " freezer taste. " How do you avoid that?

Annie D.

>

> Garlic: I keep a few heads of garlic in a basket on my counter to use 1-2

> cloves at a time. It doesn't last long because we use so much. I also keep

some

> frozen. Every March when new garlic comes in, I buy a 3-pound bag at Sam's.

> Then I spend a couple hours preparing it for the freezer. Peeling takes the

> longest, but I've found that I can whack several cloves in a heavy plastic bag

> with a frying pan and then the husk comes off fairly easily. I toss the

> peeled cloves into the food processor, pulse a few times and then bag the

minced

> garlic in 1-quart freezer bags. I flatten the bags so that once they're

frozen,

> I can break off however much garlic I need for a recipe. The frozen garlic

> keeps well for several months. It's much better than the bottled stuff I've

> tried and rejected. An hour or two of time invested is well worth the

> convenience--and the flavor--for the rest of the year.

>

> I've done the same with fresh ginger.

>

> I have a stainless steel sink and remove the garlic odor by rubbing my hands

> around the sink.

>

> Mung beans. I love them. They cook in about the same time lentils do. I

> season them only with a little salt--although Minor's Ham Base is nice, too.

> I've not made pancakes, but I've done these as a side dish:

>

> Mung Bean Patties

> Combine:

> 2 cups drained and mashed mung beans

> 1 clove garlic, minced

> 1 onion, finely chopped

> Chili powder and cumin

> 1 egg

> Salt and pepper

>

> Shape into patties or simply drop onto a hot, lightly oiled skillet. Let

> brown on one side. Flip and brown on the other. Serve with salsa.

>

> Left mashed but formed into patties and warmed in the microwave, this is a

> dip like refried beans.

>

> I've sometimes added minced green chiles, chopped bell pepper and bacon bits.

>

>

>

>

>