The plant called fava is a great source of various minerals, for example magnesium and potassium, as well as fiber, proteins and B vitamins. The taste is really interesting, and it is also possible to buy a flour made of it. They have to be cooked first, in order of using them in your favorite recipes, and you first have to learn how to cook fava beans.
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.
You will also find dried fava, large and small. Both should be soaked first, usually over the night or even 24 hours. After that, they should be drained and rinsed, as well as peeled. Some recipes require unpeeled small dried beans, but they might cause digestion problems if unpeeled, and it's always a good idea to peel them anyway.
If you don't have enough time for this procedure, there is another way. This time you should place them in some pot, covered with enough water, and let them boil for several minutes. Put the lid on and remove from the stove. Let them soak there for one hour, drain and rinse, and start peeling them.
When you finish peeling them, it's time to place them all in a pot with salted water, to simmer until they become soft enough, but you don't want them to become mushy. This takes for about 45 minutes or so. After that, they can be used for preparing various dishes or for replacing some ingredients in dishes you usually prepare, for example peas.
Fresh, green ones can be used on several interesting ways. With the addition of a garlic, lemon and olive oil they can be used as a delicious spread for your bruschetta, for example. They could become an interesting addition to your side dish or salad. They can also be bought already peeled and frozen, as well as 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.
You will also find dried fava, large and small. Both should be soaked first, usually over the night or even 24 hours. After that, they should be drained and rinsed, as well as peeled. Some recipes require unpeeled small dried beans, but they might cause digestion problems if unpeeled, and it's always a good idea to peel them anyway.
If you don't have enough time for this procedure, there is another way. This time you should place them in some pot, covered with enough water, and let them boil for several minutes. Put the lid on and remove from the stove. Let them soak there for one hour, drain and rinse, and start peeling them.
When you finish peeling them, it's time to place them all in a pot with salted water, to simmer until they become soft enough, but you don't want them to become mushy. This takes for about 45 minutes or so. After that, they can be used for preparing various dishes or for replacing some ingredients in dishes you usually prepare, for example peas.
Fresh, green ones can be used on several interesting ways. With the addition of a garlic, lemon and olive oil they can be used as a delicious spread for your bruschetta, for example. They could become an interesting addition to your side dish or salad. They can also be bought already peeled and frozen, as well as 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.
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