The frosty side of legumes

The fact of “devouring” a food comes from extreme hunger or a certain gluttony. Devour the legumes is, however, the title chosen by Eve-Lyne Auger to cover her cookbook which shows that chickpeas, beans, peanuts and soy have everything they need to be at the heart of alluring dishes.

Isabelle Morin
The Press

Pulses jostle with aperitifs, interfere in decadent desserts and even dare to steal the show in dishes designed to wow the gallery. Would we have underestimated their charms in terms of taste? Maybe ! Culinary content creator Eve-Lyne Auger doesn’t doubt it for a moment, she who has given herself the mission of convincing us that to their “natural” side is added a frosted reverse.

By becoming a vegetarian a decade ago, Eve-Lyne Auger gorged herself on nutrition information and took up cooking. This activity has become a passion that she shares in her online magazine, La Fraîche, where she has been publishing her recipes and discoveries since 2016. However, it is only for three years that she has really taken an interest in legumes, which have become its favorite food category.

Many possibilities

“Vegan recipes often feature tofu or tempeh. I have the impression that legumes are often the unloved in vegan cooking when you can do so many things with them, ”she pleads, insisting that her book is for everyone, carnivorous or not. Legumes are among the most versatile foods. Their derivatives — tofu, miso, peanut butter, tempeh, microgreens, textured vegetable protein (TVP), flours, soy sauces and tamari… — further multiply the possibilities.

“People have the impression that it’s flat,” she observes. The other obstacle being the digestive discomfort that can accompany them. Let’s settle this point straight away: the discomfort decreases with use. To gradually learn about their effect and taste, you can combine them with foods and dishes you like, she suggests. They also go unnoticed in a soup or muffin preparation.

“I wanted to deconstruct the idea that people have of them to make them shine and that we want to cook them more,” she adds. The books that put them in the spotlight are rare, we can see by flying over the culinary literature of Quebec. You’ll quickly get a taste for the Elvis sandwich with peanut butter and tofu bacon or the all-dressed TVP nachos.

Plea for the legume

The arguments for adopting legumes are not lacking. In addition to their obvious nutritional value — because legumes are packed with fibre, protein and nutrients — there are others that are unbeatable from an environmental and budgetary point of view, whether you are a vegetarian or not. Their low price makes them essential to balance an increasingly salty grocery bill. “Even in cans, they remain really accessible ingredients that you can prepare in no time and that you can have on hand at all times. Cooked at home, they are even more economical. »

Their appeal, however, goes beyond the sensible choice, argues the recipe creator, referring to their qualities in the kitchen.

Legumes are excellent foils for herbs, garnishes and sauces thanks to their relatively neutral taste. They assert themselves more in their textures. Some are creamy and add creaminess to dips and desserts, while others stay firm when pan-fried and crisp when roasted. Hybrids, such as broad bean, mask a melting interior under a crisp peel and create a surprise effect in salads or stews.

Pulses are a large and varied food category. Eve-Lyne Auger invites us to discover such a diverse range of recipes: for happy hours, snacks, desserts, lunches, weekday meals and Saturday meals. “My recipes are healthy, but they are really tasty. Proof, she demonstrates, that good food can be symbolized by many other things than a steak on the plate!

Devour the legumes

Eve-Lyne Auger

Editions de l’Homme

208 pages

Recipe: lentil, miso and grilled mushroom soup

“I have a huge crush on this miso soup that I would eat every day. People know the Asian soup, but not this version with forest flavors which is a real comfort food ! says Eve-Lyne Auger, culinary content creator.

Ingredients

• 400 g (14 oz) mixed fresh mushrooms, patted dry and coarsely chopped
• 1 C. tablespoon melted butter
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 C. tablespoon fresh rosemary
• 2 tbsp. butter
• 2 shallots, finely chopped
• 2 celery stalks finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 tbsp. tablespoon fresh thyme
• 145 g (3/4 cup) wild rice
• 160 g (3/4 cup) dry brown lentils
• 1.5 L (6 cups) vegetable broth
• 2 bay leaves
• 250 ml (1 cup) 15% cooking cream
• 2 tbsp. buckwheat miso
• Salt and pepper

Preparation

• 1. Preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• 2. In a bowl, place the mushrooms. Pour in the melted butter and olive oil, and add the fresh rosemary leaves. Add salt, pepper and mix well.
• 3. Spread the mushroom mixture onto the prepared baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes, stirring halfway through. Finish grilling (broil) 1 minute.
• 4. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, melt the butter and brown the French shallots and celery. Season with salt and pepper and cook for 3 minutes.
• 5. Add the garlic and thyme, mix and cook for 1 minute.
• 6. Add the rice and lentils, and mix.
• 7. Pour in the vegetable broth and add the bay leaves. Bring to a boil, reduce to medium heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from fire.
• 8. Remove the bay leaves, pour in the cream and add the miso. Mix well.
• 9. Garnish with grilled mushrooms and serve.