31 Learners Guide

Learner’s Guide
SITHCCC031
Prepare Vegetarian and vegan dishes
Learner Resource
Version Control & Document History
Date Summary of modifications Version
26 September 2022 Version 1.0 released for publishing. 1.0
Version 1.1 released with the following

modification:
▪ Updated Minor formatting issues
14 December 2022 ▪ Included standard recipe cards 1.1
▪ Included recipes in the Further Reading
sections
▪ Updated references
SITHCCC031 - Prepare vegetarian and vegan dishes
2 SALISBURY COLLEGE AUSTRALIA | RTO ID: 45062 I CRICOS ID: 03565E

L4& L5, 14 Railway Parade, BURWOOD, NSW 2134
Table of Contents
ABOUT THE TOURISM, TRAVEL AND HOSPITALITY TRAINING PACKAGE ............................. 5
USING THIS LEARNER RESOURCE ...................................................................................... 7
ABOUT THIS UNIT OF COMPETENCY .................................................................................. 8
CHAPTER 1: CHOOSE INGREDIENTS FOR VEGETARIAN AND VEGAN DISHES ..................... 10
1.1 Confirm Food Production Requirements for Dishes ................................................................ 11
1.2 Calculate the Amount of Ingredients Needed .......................................................................... 36
1.3 Identify and Select Ingredients From Stores Based on Criteria ............................................... 41
1.4 Check Perishable Supplies for Signs of Spoilage or Contamination ........................................ 49
Key Points: Chapter 1....................................................................................................................... 55
CHAPTER 2: SELECT, PREPARE AND USE NEEDED EQUIPMENT ......................................... 56

2.1 Select Appropriate Equipment to Use ...................................................................................... 57
2.2 Safely Assemble and Clean Equipment .................................................................................... 73
2.3 Use Equipment Safely and Hygienically ................................................................................... 77
Key Points: Chapter 2....................................................................................................................... 87
CHAPTER 3: PORTION AND PREPARE INGREDIENTS ......................................................... 88

3.1 Sort and Assemble Ingredients Based on Food Sequence ....................................................... 89
3.2 Weigh, Measure and Portion Ingredients ................................................................................ 92
3.3 Prepare and Store Vegetarian and Vegan Ingredients Away From Animal Products ............. 98
3.4 Clean and Cut Ingredients to Meet Culinary Standards ......................................................... 107
3.5 Minimise Waste to Maximise Food Profitability.................................................................... 117
Key Points: Chapter 3..................................................................................................................... 120

SALISBURY COLLEGE AUSTRALIA | RTO ID: 45062 I CRICOS ID: 03565E
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CHAPTER 4: COOK VEGETARIAN AND VEGAN DISHES .................................................... 121

4.1 Select and Use Cookery Methods Based on Recipes ............................................................. 122
4.2 Select and Add Accompaniments to Dishes ........................................................................... 144
4.3 Adjust Food Quality Within Scope of Own Responsibility ..................................................... 148
CHAPTER 5: PRESENT AND STORE VEGETARIAN AND VEGAN DISHES ............................. 155
5.1 Present Dishes Appropriately and Attractively ...................................................................... 156
5.2 Add Dips, Sauces and Garnishes to Dishes ............................................................................. 162
5.3 Visually Evaluate Dish and Adjust as Needed ........................................................................ 169
5.4 Store Prepared Dishes in Appropriate Environmental Conditions ........................................ 171
5.5 Clean Work Area and Dispose of, or Store By-products ........................................................ 175
SUMMARY ................................................................................................................... 185

REFERENCES ................................................................................................................. 186

About the Tourism, Travel and Hospitality Training Package
The SIT Tourism, Travel and Hospitality Training Package contains qualifications to provide skills for
people working in the following industry sectors:
▪ Hospitality
▪ Cookery
▪ Tourism
▪ Travel
▪ Events
Skills covered in these qualifications relate to areas including commercial cookery and patisserie,
event management, travel consultancy, caravan and holiday park management, tour guiding,
attractions management, visitor centre operations, food & beverage service, hotel operations and
management and tour operations.
To know more about this training package, click on this link:
https://www.skillsiq.com.au/FeedbackForum/TrainingPackages1/SITTourismTravelandHospitality

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Learner Resource
Defining Qualifications
When units of competency are grouped into combinations that meet workplace roles, they are called
qualifications. These qualifications are aligned to the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF). Each
qualification will have ’packaging rules’ which establish the number of core units, number and source
of elective units and overall requirements for delivering the qualification.
Delivery and Assessment of Qualifications

RTOs must have the qualifications (or specific units of competency) on their scope to deliver nationally
recognised training and assessment. RTOs are governed by and must comply with the requirements
established by applicable national frameworks and standards. RTOs must ensure that training and
assessment complies with the relevant standards.
Qualification Training Pathways

A pathway is the route or course of action taken to get to a destination. A training pathway is the
learning required to attain the competencies to achieve career goals. Everyone has different needs
and goals, and therefore requires a personalised and individual training pathway.
Foundation Skills
Foundation Skills are the non-technical skills that support the individual’s participation in the
workplace, in the community and in education and training.

Using this Learner Resource
You can find the following icons within the learner resource:
Further Reading
Includes links to websites, articles, or other online
reading materials to aid in your study.
Multimedia
Includes links to videos or audios you can watch or
listen to about the topic discussed.
Note: To access videos, hold the Ctrl key then click on

the link.
Notes
Space for you to jot down important details or
information learned from the chapter.
Learning Checkpoint
Asks you to answer the learning activities related to
the chapter discussed.
Links provided within this learner resource are in Blue Text. You can open this link through
the following:
▪ For Windows Users: Hold the Ctrl key then click on the link.
▪ For Mac Users: Click directly on the link.

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Learner Resource
About This Unit of Competency

This unit SITHCCC031 Prepare vegetarian and vegan dishes describes the performance outcomes, skills
and knowledge required to prepare and cook various vegetarian and vegan dishes following standard
recipes. It requires the ability to select and prepare ingredients, and to use relevant equipment,
cookery and food storage methods.
The unit applies to cooks working in hospitality and catering organisations. This could include
restaurants, educational institutions, health establishments, defence forces, cafeterias, kiosks, cafes,
residential caterers, in flight and other transport caterers, and event and function caterers.
It applies to individuals who work under the guidance of more senior chefs. They demonstrate
autonomy and judgement to complete routine activities and take limited responsibility in known and
stable contexts within established parameters.
The skills in this unit of competency must be applied in accordance with Commonwealth and State or
Territory legislation, Australian and New Zealand standards and industry codes of practice.

This Learner Resource has five chapters. These include:
1. Choose Ingredients for Vegetarian and Vegan Dishes
2. Select, Prepare and Use Needed Equipment
3. Portion and Prepare Ingredients
4. Cook Vegetarian and Vegan Dishes
5. Present and Store Vegetarian and Vegan Dishes
At the end of this training, you will be asked to complete an assessment pack for this unit of
competency. You will need to access a supervisor, a manager, or your assessor who can observe you
perform project or workplace tasks and verify your competency or performance.
On competent completion of the assessment, you must have demonstrated skills and knowledge
required to prepare vegetarian and vegan dishes.

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Learner Resource
Chapter 1: Choose Ingredients for Vegetarian and Vegan

Dishes
Many people these days are trying to live healthier lifestyles. Aside from maintaining regular exercise
routines, many people are looking into healthy eating. Two dish categories that many people are
getting fond of are vegetarian and vegan dishes.
Many people also get into vegan and vegetarian diets for ethical reasons. These people want to
remove animal cruelty. And they support this by going vegan or vegetarian in their diets.
Vegetarian dishes are dishes that do not include meat and animal-tissue products. However, these
dishes may consist of eggs and dairy products. Vegan dishes are like vegetarian dishes. But, in vegan
dishes, there are no animal products like eggs and dairy.
As a cook, you must know how to prepare vegetarian and vegan dishes. It is especially true if your
workplace or organisation serves such dishes on your menu.

1.1 Confirm Food Production Requirements for Dishes
Before you start cooking any vegetarian or vegan dish, you must first organise your work area. In this
case, your work area is the kitchen. An unorganised kitchen may affect your productivity and
efficiency. Hence, you must set up your work area properly. To do that, you need to practice mise en
place.
Mise en place means ‘everything in its place’. When you practice mise en place, you set up and lay out
all the needed items.
A typical customer complaint is the long preparation time for dishes. Mise en place helps lessen the
time spent preparing as everything is already there. It also creates a safe workplace due to less clutter
and a better flow of activities in the work area.
The following are the mise en place activities that may happen at work:
▪ Reviewing the recipe
▪ Confirming food preparation requirements from a recipe
▪ Calculating how much of each ingredient is needed
▪ Selecting and gathering the vegetarian and vegan ingredients from storage
▪ Checking the stored stocks for spoilage and contamination
▪ Selecting and assembling the equipment needed
▪ Sorting and assembling the ingredients based on the order of dishes to prepare
▪ Weighing, measuring and portioning ingredients
▪ Cleaning and cutting the ingredients

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1.1.1 Confirm the Food Preparation Requirements

Before you cook a dish, you must first be aware of the food production requirements of that
dish. Food production requirements are the conditions you must follow when preparing your
dishes. These requirements will guide you as you prepare, cook and plate your dishes.
Food production requirements also include the mise en place requirements. Mise en place
requirements refer to the ingredients and equipment. Vegetarian and vegan dishes usually have
similar mise en place requirements. However, there are also variations.
For example, vegetarian dishes do not use meat and animal-tissue products like poultry. But
these dishes may use eggs and dairy products. In contrast, vegan dishes do not include eggs and
dairy. It often leads to vegan dishes using tofu and other substitutes for meat. The same goes
for dairy products.
You can find these requirements in standard recipes. A standard recipe refers to general
instructions you follow to cook each dish.
Businesses often have recipes for making vegetarian and vegan dishes. However, businesses
often base these recipes on standard recipes typical in the industry. For example, a standard
recipe for vegan pasta.
Below are the most common food production requirements in a standard recipe.
Requirements Definition
Ingredients: These refer to the components that are combined

to make a dish. It also includes the amount of each element, such
Mise en place as 500 g of firm tofu.
requirements
Equipment: This is the tool or appliance you must use to prepare
the dish, such as a pan, grill or blender.
Temperatures refer to the specific heat requirements you will

Temperatures cook the dishes in.
E.g. grill at 150 C
Cooking times refer to the specific times involved in preparing

Cooking times and cooking the dish.
E.g. 10-minute preparation time and 20-minute cook time
Yield refers to how many portions of the dish are in the recipe.
Yield
E.g. the recipe serves eight portions

Requirements Definition
Portion size refers to the amount of the dish in a single portion.

Portion size
E.g. 65 g per portion
Cookery methods refer to how each dish or the components of

the dish must be cooked or prepared. You can find these methods
Cookery methods within the procedures.
E.g. grilling, boiling or braising
Procedures refer to the steps you must follow to prepare and

Procedure cook each dish.
E.g. steps to make vegan pasta
You must check any standard recipe you will use to cook a vegetarian or vegan dish. The recipe
will tell you the food production requirements that you must follow.
Aside from the information in the recipe, food production requirements also include:
▪ Quantity to be produced
Quantity refers to how many portions of the dish you will have to make. For example,
you need to serve five portions of vegan pasta. You must know how many portions you
will make to calculate your ingredients better.
▪ Special customer requests
Sometimes customers can have special requests. Special customer requests will tell you
if you need to do something specific for a customer. It includes requests from people
to set aside some things they do not eat.
For example, one customer may ask for less sauce for the dish because they do not
want too much of it.
▪ Special dietary requirements
Special dietary requirements will tell you if you need to prepare a dish differently. This
includes those who have specific dietary needs or allergies.
For example, you must prepare a dish with a note that the customer is allergic to
peanuts. You must prepare the dish safely and not contaminate the food with nuts. It
includes using clean and sanitised equipment that has not been used on nuts.

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▪ Deadlines
The deadline refers to the time required to serve the dish. Two things that can influence
the deadline of a dish are as follows:
Urgency of an order Commercial time constraints
o Urgency of an order
For example, the customer ordered vegan pasta. The pasta must be on the
customer’s table within 15 minutes to not keep the customer waiting too long.
o Commercial time constraints
Commercial time constraints refer to the factors that affect the time you have
in:
• Preparing the dish

• Cooking the dish
• Serving the dish
Time constraints are often affected by other things you do in the kitchen.
For example, on top of preparing the vegan pasta, you must also prepare the
garnish of another dish.
Knowing these food production requirements is essential to ensure the following:
You make the dish properly.
You do not waste ingredients.
You serve sufficient amount of the dish.
You serve the dish on time.

How to Confirm Food Preparation Requirements from Recipes
To confirm the food production requirements of a dish from a standard recipe, you can do the
following:
Check the yield and

Review the recipe. Check the ingredients.
portion size.
Check the equipment Check the procedures Check the cooking times
needed. and cooking methods. and temperatures.
1. Review the recipe.

Check the recipe that you will use for your dish. Make sure it is the correct one for the
dish you must prepare. For example, you need to prepare a vegan burger. An egg and
butter recipe will not be the right one since vegan dishes do not use eggs and dairy
products.
2. Check the yield and portion size.
Identify how many portions of the dish fit the recipe. Knowing the portion of the dish
in the recipe will help you calculate the ingredients you need. For example, the recipe
for vegan pasta you plan to use is for four portions.
Then check how much of each dish is in a portion. For example, each portion contains
65 g of vegan pasta.
3. Check the ingredients.
Identify the ingredients you will need and their amounts. You will learn more about how
to calculate ingredients in the following subchapter.
Remember that vegetarian and vegan dishes use similar ingredients. Their main
difference is that vegan dishes do not use eggs and dairy products. Instead, they use
substitutes. It includes meat substitutes as well.
On the next page, you will learn more about the common ingredients in vegetarian and
vegan dishes. It also includes their characteristics and historical and cultural origin.
Historical origin refers to the history behind each ingredient. Cultural origin refers to
the earliest records of using or cultivating each ingredient.

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Listed below are the most common ingredients used in vegetarian and vegan dishes.
▪ Dried vegetables and fruits
These are fruits and vegetables
that had their water content
removed. Drying fruits and
vegetables help prolong their
shelf-life. Examples of these are
raisins, prunes and sun-dried
tomatoes.
Historically, the practice of drying fruits and vegetables has been in place since
ancient times. For example, during the medieval period, people dry fruits and
vegetables through 'still houses'. They do this when there is not enough
sunlight.
Culturally, people back then often dried fruits and vegetables to prolong their
shelf-life. For example, the Romans actively used dried fruits and vegetables for
preservation. They would dry any fruit they could find, spreading it to other
places with Roman influence.
Further Reading
Click on the links below to see vegetarian recipes that use dried vegetables and
fruit.
Ultimate vegetarian ramen bowl
Brandied fruit semifreddo
Click on the links below to see vegan recipes that use dried vegetables and fruit.
Bean thread noodles with tofu and eggplant
Poached spiced dried fruits

▪ Fresh vegetables and fruit
These are fruits and vegetables that have been newly harvested. Fresh
vegetables develop from different parts of a plant aside from the flower.
Examples are potatoes, celery and onions. Fresh fruits develop from the flowers
of a plant. These ingredients are newly harvested. Examples are bananas,
mangoes and apples. Fresh fruits and vegetables contain nutrients and
minerals that are vital for maintaining good health.
Historically, people have always relied on fresh fruits and vegetables for food.
Hunter-gatherers used to collect them from nearby forests. But people started
cultivating their supply around
9000 B.C. or even much later.
Culturally, when people
started cultivating their supply
of fresh fruits and vegetables,
many countries became
suppliers. For example,
Australia is known for
exporting table grapes.
Further Reading
Click on the links below to see vegetarian recipes that use fresh vegetables and
fruit.
Pumpkin & lentil stew (vegetarian)
Tropical-fruit meringue and sorbet
Click on the links below to see vegan recipes that use fresh vegetables and fruit.
Vegan quinoa pilaf
Pineapple salsa

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▪ Frozen vegetables and fruits

These are fruits and vegetables
that are harvested at their ripest.
Then they are flash-frozen. Frozen
fruits and vegetable can retain
their nutrients for an extended
period. It makes it more
convenient and economical than
buying fresh ones. Examples are
frozen berries, frozen peas and
frozen carrots.
Historically, freezing has always been a popular food preservation method. But
it was not until the early 1930s that the first quick-frozen fruits and vegetables
were sold. This innovation is thanks to Clarence Birdseye, who developed his
quick-freezing process.
Culturally, freezing has become a popular preservation method in places with
cold climates. Freezing became a means to prolong the shelf-life of fruits and
vegetables.
Further Reading
Click on the links below to see vegetarian recipes that use frozen vegetables and
fruit.
Vegetable fried rice
Apple and blueberry tarts
Click on the links below to see vegan recipes that use frozen vegetables and fruit.
Green coconut soup
Vegan mango jelly slice recipe

▪ Fermented vegetables and fruits
These items are made by using
microorganisms to break down their
components. Fruits and vegetables
undergo fermentation to prolong their
shelf-life. It also gives them a unique
taste. Examples of these are kimchi,
sauerkraut and tempeh.
Historically, fermentation of fruits and
vegetables has been practised for
thousands of years. People back then used fermentation as a method to
preserve vegetables and fruits.
Many countries ferment fruits and vegetables for preservation. But in some
cultures, fermenting fruits and vegetables is also medicinal. For example, plants
are fermented in Eastern cultures to increase their medicinal properties.
Further Reading
Click on the links below to see vegetarian recipes that use fermented vegetables
and fruit.
Sweet potato and kimchi fritters with fried eggs
Green salad with pickled grapes recipe
Click on the links below to see vegan recipes that use fermented vegetables and
fruit.
Pickled vegetable salad
Watercress salad with pickled radish and green apple

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Listed below are ingredients used in vegetarian dishes.

▪ Nuts
These are single-seeded fruits with high oil
content, usually inside a hard shell. Nuts are
high in protein, but some people are allergic
to them. Examples are pecan nuts, hazelnuts
and cashews.
The historical origin of nuts goes back to it’s earliest known use thousands of
years ago. Archaeologists discovered the remains of the oldest walnut in Iraq.
Many cultures have been consuming nuts for thousands of years. For example,
the Romans and Greeks were known to have consumed a lot of walnuts. The
early Romans also considered walnuts as food for the Gods.
Further Reading
Click on the link below to see a vegetarian recipe that uses nuts.
Roasted pumpkin with pine nuts
▪ Seeds
These refer to plants at their embryonic
stage. Seeds are rich in fats, minerals and
vitamins. Examples of seeds are sesame,
sunflower and pumpkin seeds.
Since ancient times, seeds have been used as
ground food or whole food. For example, many studies show that people have
been eating sunflower seeds for a long time.
Culturally, people have cultivated seeds to serve as a food source. For example,
sunflower seeds were cultivated by Native Americans a long time ago. These
Native Americans lived in Arizona and New Mexico.
Further Reading
Click on the links below to see vegetarian recipes that use seeds.
Mixed nut and seed tart recipe

▪ Arborio rice
This refers to a species of rice with high starch
content. Arborio rice is shorter in size than other
types of rice sold in markets today.
The name Arborio came from the town of
Arborio in Piedmont, Italy. It is where this type
of rice was first cultivated.
Arborio rice is an Italian rice that is typically used in risotto. But today, this rice
has spread to other countries and is used in other dishes. For example, this rice
is now also used in making rice cakes.
Further Reading
Click on the link below to see a vegetarian recipe that uses arborio rice.
Oven-baked mushroom, kale and herb risotto
▪ Grains
These are edible seeds from a group of
plants called cereals. Most people use
grains as a staple food. Examples of these
are wheat, rice, oats and barley.
The history of grain consumption began
thousands of years ago. Before
cultivation became popular, people used
to gather grains that grew near riverbanks. But out of necessity, people soon
realised the need to cultivate these grains.
Culturally, people in Western Asia were the first to cultivate and consume
grains as a staple food thousands of years ago. Grains are now staples in most
Asian countries. But in other countries, grains have also become part of daily
meals.
Further Reading
Click on the link below to see a vegetarian recipe that uses grains.
Easy vegetarian paella

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▪ Pulses
These are the dried edible seeds of a legume
plant that are usually used as dry grains. Protein
and fibre can be best sourced from pulses.
Examples of these are dry peas, dried beans and
lentils.
Pulses have a long history of being grown for consumption. From the stone age
until the present, pulses have become popular household grains. But aside from
food, pulses are also used as fuel and fibre in many industries.
Some studies show that pulses have been grown in Egypt and Switzerland as
early as the Stone Age. Pulses such as peas have begun gaining cultural
significance with their rise in popularity in Britain as early as the 11th century.
Further Reading
Click on the links below to see vegetarian recipes that use pulses.
Paneer with curried chickpea braise recipe
▪ Legumes
These refer to the edible seeds of the legume
plant. Legumes also include pulses. However,
most legumes are used fresh and not dried. They
are rich in protein, vitamins and fibre. Examples
are soybeans, fresh peas and fresh beans.
The history of legumes can trace back thousands
of years ago. Many ancient civilisations have used legumes as part of their daily
meals. Often these were combined with other cereals.
Egyptians, Greeks and Eastern civilisations were the earliest cultures to use
legumes. But over time, many types of legumes were soon discovered. For
example, for 5,000 years, Mexico and Peru have been cultivating lima beans.
Today, these beans and others are now common in America. Australia today
cultivates legumes like navy beans, soybeans and black-eyed beans.
Further Reading
Click on the link below to see a vegetarian recipe that uses legumes.
Soy and vegetable pita burgers

▪ Dairy products
These are products made from milk that
come from mammals. Dairy products are
excellent calcium sources and are used in
many dishes. Examples of these are milk and
cheese.
For thousands of years, people have been
drinking milk. Similarly, cheese and butter also have long histories. Before,
people got milk from wild mammals. But people soon learned to domesticate
cows and goats for their milk. A good example is the early settlers in the Middle
East and European countries.
Many civilisations have long used dairy products for various purposes. For
example, Arabs and Syrians have long-hung jars to make butter. And
cheesemaking has been widespread in Europe since the ancient Greek
civilisation.
Further Reading
Click on the links below to see vegetarian recipes that use dairy products.
Roasted pumpkin with pine nuts
▪ Eggs
Eggs are the reproductive bodies enclosed in
shells that are laid by birds. Eggs are good
protein sources and can be eaten alone or
mixed into dishes. Examples are chicken,
duck and quail eggs.
Humans have a long history of eating eggs, dating back to millions of years.
However, in those times, the egg was eaten raw and came from wild birds.
The cultural origins of the use of eggs in cooking dates back to the
domestication of birds, which started with the ancient Chinese and Egyptians.
The birds were originally raised for their eggs but in small numbers. Today,
thousands of chickens are now being commercially raised for their eggs.
Further Reading
Click on the link below to see a vegetarian recipe that uses eggs.
Vegetarian haloumi quiche

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Listed below are ingredients used in vegan dishes.

▪ Dairy substitutes
These products are used to replace the regular dairy products made by animals.
They replicate the taste and use of ingredients derived from animal milk. Some
o Coconut products
These are products derived from the coconut tree. Coconut products
can be used for a lot of purposes in cooking. Examples of these are
coconut oil, coconut milk and coconut water.
Historically, coconuts have been used for a long time as a food source.
They were often dried or eaten fresh for their high-fat content. But
today, coconut is also used for oils, medicine and beverages.
Southeast Asian countries were said to be the first to cultivate coconuts
in Asia. This led to the integration of many coconut-based recipes into
their respective cultures. An example of which is the Thai desert ruam
mit, which has tapioca and fruits over a generous bed of coconut milk.
Today, coconut cultivation has become widespread. For example,
many Western countries now cultivate coconuts. From these coconuts
come many different products.
Further Reading
Click on the links below to see vegan recipes that use coconut products in place
of dairy products.
Healthy vegan tacos
Steamed banana cake

o Plant-based milk
These kinds of plant-based milk are made by grinding nuts, beans,
grains and other plants. These are great alternatives to regular dairy
milk. They are usually made from fruits or vegetables and are lactose-
free. Examples are of plant-based milk include almond milk, oat milk,
soy milk and rice milk.
Records show that plant-based milk has been around since the 1300s.
These are according to Chinese texts. However, plant-based milk did
not become globally popular until the 1900s. It is when milk factories
started coming out.
Soya milk became popular in China in the 1300s because of the
cultivation of soya beans. In the 19th century, soya spread to Europe
and the USA. Now, other kinds of plant-based milk aside from soy milk
are on the market.
Further Reading
Click on the link below to see a vegan recipe that uses plant-based milk,
specifically soy milk.
Vanilla rice pudding with poached rhubarb

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o Cashew cheese
This is a type of cheese spread derived from softened cashews. The
softened cashews are blended with water. Cashew cheese is often used
as sauce or dips.
Vegan cheese has been around since the 1500s. It started with tofu-
based cheeses from China and Japan. But then people discovered the
nuts could be used as cheese too. One of the most popular is those
using cashews.
Vegan cheese started in China and Japan (Okinawa). But the cheese
back then was made from tofu. They were a bit dry and rubbery, so
people used nuts. Today, cheese made from nuts has become a popular
alternative to dairy cheese. It is a popular alternative to regular cheese
in countries like Australia.
Further Reading
Click on the link below to see a vegan recipe that uses cashew cheese.
Dairy-free mac 'n' cheese

o Butter alternatives
These are plant-based replacements for butter made from animal fat.
They can be used the same way as butter. Examples include:
Cacao butter Coconut butter
Butter alternatives first came up in 1869 in France. It was a cheaper

alternative to the regular butter used by French soldiers. It was made
from beef fat and was called oleomargarine. But in 1871, a Dutch
company made plant-based margarine as an alternative to animal
butter.
Butter alternatives started as a solution for food shortages caused by
the war in the 1860s. Today, plant-based butter is popular as a vegan
alternative to the usual animal-based one.
Further Reading
Click on the links below to see vegan recipes that use butter alternatives.
Vegan mushroom stroganoff
Vegan butter chicken with lachha paratha (layered bread)
o Soy-based cheese
This cheese is made from pureed soybeans. The milk from the pureed
soybeans is processed to make this cheese.
The earliest accounts of soy-based cheeses were from China and Japan
during the 1500s.
The first soy-based cheese was a bit
dry and rubbery. But today, it has long
been refined to become smoother and
less rubbery. Today, soy-based cheese
is a well-known alternative to regular
dairy cheese.
Further Reading
Click on the link below to see a vegan recipe that uses soy-based cheese.
Vegan spinach and fetta pie

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▪ Meat substitutes
These are products used to replace the regular animal meat in non-vegan
dishes.
o Portion control cuts
These are meat alternatives that are pre-cut into specific portion sizes.
These portion control cuts often use plant-based proteins. Examples of
these include the following:
Whole cuts Portioned seitan Tempeh
Plant-based meats became popular in the 1970s. But the first records
of plant-based meats can be traced to 2nd-century China. The original
alternative was tofu. But today, other options like seitan and tempeh
are now popular.
Tofu has long been used in China as a food source. But the other
alternatives like seitan and tempeh came a bit later. For example, 6th-
century Chinese Buddhist monks were said to have discovered seitan.
Tempeh originated in Indonesia.
Further Reading
Click on the link below to see a vegan recipe that uses portion control cuts,
specifically tempeh.
Stir-fried tofu, tempeh and snake beans

o Mince
These are alternatives to minced animal meat. Like whole cuts, minced
meat substitutes can come from plant-based proteins. Examples of
these are soya chunks and textured vegetable protein (TVP).
Mushrooms and beans can also be ingredients for minced meat.
People used to chunk tofu whenever they needed minced meat. In the
1960s, TVP came to be. This TVP used soya and was made by a company
called Archer Daniels Midland. Historically, meat alternatives like soya
chunks can be traced to ancient China. Some Asian countries also have
traces of using meat alternatives. In the 1960s, this boomed due to the
emergence of TVP and soy protein concentrate.
Further Reading
Click on the link below to see a vegan recipe that uses minced meat substitute,
particularly tofu.
Scrambled tofu with turmeric, tomato and spinach

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▪ Tofu
This is a product from cooking and curdling soymilk. Tofu has a smooth texture.
Sometimes, it can also be firm. It generally has a bland taste on its own.
Tofu originated in China and Japan. Ancient Chinese and Japanese people used
tofu as part of their daily meals.
Despite its origin in China and Japan, tofu is an essential ingredient in many
Asian dishes. In Western culture, tofu has also started to become popular. It
was when people started becoming more conscious of what they eat.
The types of tofu used in vegan dishes include the following:
Firm tofu Silken tofu Emulsion
o Firm tofu
This is a compact type of tofu since it has little to no water after

processing the dried soybeans. It can be baked, boiled, added to stir-
fries or fried.
Further Reading
Click on the links below to see vegan dishes that use firm tofu.
Asian greens and tofu salad
Roasted tofu and miso sweet potato with vegan gravy

o Silken tofu
This is tofu but with the milk uncurdled. It makes the tofu watery
resulting in silken tofu. It is a common component for desserts, salads,
smoothies, sauces and dips.
Further Reading
Click on the links below to see vegan recipes that use silken tofu.
Bean thread noodles with tofu and eggplant
Vegan spinach filo scroll recipe
o Emulsion
This is the coagulated protein and oil from soybeans. Soy milk is mixed
with coagulants like gypsum, edible oils and fats to get the emulsion.
Further Reading
Click on the links below to see vegan recipes that use a tofu emulsion, particularly
referred to as ‘vegan mayonnaise.’
Fully loaded vegan potato salad

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▪ Egg substitutes
These are plant-based products used to replace eggs in vegan dishes. They lack
the proteins in eggs that can cause allergic reactions. But they replicate the
texture of eggs and act as a binding agent for dishes.
People started using egg substitutes for two reasons. The first reason is to avoid
allergies caused by eggs. The second is so people can eat food usually made
with eggs.
Egg substitutes have been around for many years. Two of the most popular are
flax eggs and chia eggs. These two are popular in baking. But today, there are
now pre-packed plant-based egg substitutes.
o Flax eggs
These come from ground flax seeds added with water. The ground
flaxseeds absorb the water, making it look egg white.
Further Reading
Click on the link below to see a vegan recipe that uses a flax egg.
Vegan cinnamon rolls
o Chia
These come from the edible seeds of the Chia plant. Chia seeds are
soaked in water for a few minutes or until they become gelatinous. This
results in a chia egg.
Further Reading
Click on the links below to see vegetarian recipes that use.
Vegan 'Wagon Wheels'

Take note also that ingredients often have culinary terms and trade names. The culinary
term refers to the general name of a product or ingredient. Trade name refers to a
variant of a product or ingredient.
Below are examples of culinary terms and trade names. These terms and names are for
vegetarian and vegan ingredients. The ingredients have been divided into convenience
products and fresh products.
Convenience products are those ingredients that are pre-packed and sold in markets.
People often use convenience products to make cooking easier. They need little to no
preparation at all. Fresh products are freshly harvested and have not been processed.
Culinary term Trade names
Convenience products
Tofu, seitan, tempeh, mushrooms, beans, textured

vegetable protein (TVP)
Meat substitutes These types of meat substitutes can also have varied
trade names. For example, tofu can be firm tofu,
medium tofu or tofu skins.
Dairy substitute
Milk Almond milk, oat milk, soy milk, rice milk
Butter Cocoa butter, coconut butter
Cheese Cashew cheese, soy-based cheese
Egg substitutes Flax egg, chia egg, commercial egg replacer
Fresh products
Fruits
The culinary term for fruits is Trade names of fruits often refer to their varieties.
often their generic name. For For example, the trade names of apples include
example, the culinary term Jonathan, Fuji and Royal Gala. For bananas, names
for apple is still ‘apple.’ can be Cavendish, Red or Plantain.
Banana is still called
‘banana.’

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Fresh products
Vegetables
The culinary term for Trade names of vegetables also refer to their
vegetables is also their varieties. For example, the trade names of lettuce
generic name. For example, include Iceberg, Butterhead or Romaine. For
the culinary term for potatoes, names can be Russet, Yellow or White
lettuce is still ‘lettuce.’ A potatoes.
potato is still called a
‘potato.’
4. Check the equipment needed.

Identify the equipment you need to prepare and cook the dish, including the types and
sizes. For example, in making vegan pasta, you will most likely need the following
equipment:
Frying pan Blender Cutting board Large pot Tongs
You will learn more about the essential equipment used in cooking vegetarian and
vegan dishes in Subchapter 2.1.
5. Check the procedures and cooking methods.
Identify the steps you need to follow to cook the dish. Along with these steps, you will
be able to identify cookery methods you must use. Cookery methods refer to ways you
can cook a dish. For example, to make vegan pasta, some of the steps you must do
include the following:
i. Boil the pasta.
ii. Sauté the onions, garlic and broccoli florets.
iii. Turn off the heat and steam the broccoli florets until tender.
From the steps above, you can identify that the methods involved are the following:
Boiling
Shallow frying (sauteing is done through shallow frying)
Steaming
You will learn more about these cookery methods in Subchapter 4.1.

6. Check the cooking times and temperatures.
Identify the cooking times and temperatures you must follow in the recipe. In the
recipe, the cooking times are often divided into two:
▪ Preparation time
This refers to the time it will take you to prepare the ingredients. For example,
it takes around 10 minutes to prepare all the ingredients. It includes making the
sauce for vegan pasta.
▪ Cook time
This refers to the actual time it will take you to cook the dish. Cook time is often
spread throughout each step in the cooking process. For example, the total
cook time for vegan pasta you make is 20 minutes. In those 20 minutes, you
may spend:
o 8 minutes to boil the pasta
o 5 minutes to sauté the onion and garlic
o 5 minutes to cook the broccoli florets
o 2 minutes to let everything settle under low heat
Then you need to identify the specific temperatures you need to follow. When cooking
a dish, you may have to pay attention to several ranges of temperatures. That is why
having a thermometer in hand will be very helpful.
For example, when cooking the pasta, water must be in a rolling boil with a temperature
of 80 C to 90 C.
After confirming the food production requirements, you must also confirm the following:
Special customer Specific dietary

Quantity Deadlines
request requirement
You can confirm the quantity of each dish by asking your supervisor or basing it on order. You
can check any note attached to the order for any request or dietary requirements.
For the deadline, you can confirm this with your organisational standards. Most businesses
often have a set time for how long customers can wait for their order. You can consult your
supervisor or senior chef if you have other tasks in the kitchen. These tasks can also affect the
deadline you need to meet for the dish.
Once you confirm the requirements, you can proceed with the next step. It is to calculate the
ingredients in the next subchapter.

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1.2 Calculate the Amount of Ingredients Needed
Each vegetarian and vegan dish you prepare will use various ingredients. After confirming the food
production requirements, you need to calculate these ingredients.
How to Calculate the Ingredients Needed for Each Dish

As mentioned above, you must calculate the ingredients you need. It will ensure that you:
Use enough amount of ingredients
Prepare the correct amount of the dish
In calculating your ingredients, consider the number of portions you must make. It will affect how your
calculation will go. Aside from the quantity, you must also consider your calculation method. A
standard way you can use to calculate your ingredients is scaling.
Scaling a recipe involves adjusting the standard recipe you have to fit your needs. As mentioned in the
first subchapter, you have food production requirements to follow. You must adjust your recipe if it
does not reflect your food production requirements. The most common way of scaling or modifying a
recipe is through the Conversion Factor Method.

Below are the steps of the conversion factor method.
Multiply the
Identify how many Identify how many Divide the required
conversion factor
portions the recipe portions you need yield and recipe
by the amount of
makes. to make. yield.
the ingredient.
1. Identify how many portions the recipe makes.

The portions in the recipe represent your recipe yield. For example, you have to make vegan
pasta. The recipe yields four portions.
2. Identify how many portions you need to make.
The portions you must make represent your required yield. For example, you only need to
make two portions of vegan pasta.
3. Divide the required yield and recipe yield.
Once you have your required yield and recipe yield, divide the two to get the conversion
factor. You will multiply the conversion factor to each ingredient to scale down to what you
need.
Required yield
Conversion factor =
Recipe yield
For example, you need to make two portions of vegan pasta. The recipe makes four portions.
Divide the two yields.
2
Conversion factor =
4
Conversion factor = 0.5
Now, you get 0.5 as the conversion factor.
4. Multiply the conversion factor by the amount of the ingredient.
Multiply the conversion factor by the amount of the ingredient in the recipe.
Amount of ingredient = amount in the recipe x conversion factor

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For example, one of the ingredients of vegan pasta is broccoli florets. The recipe specifies 450
grams of broccoli florets for four portions. Multiply that amount by 0.5.
Amount of broccoli florets = 450 g x 0.5
Amount of broccoli florets = 225 g
So, instead of using 450 g of broccoli florets, you only need to use 225 g. You then do the same
for the rest of the ingredients.
Based on Basic Kitchen and Food Service Management, used under CC BY 4.0. © BCcampus Open Publishing
Aside from the number of portions, you may also have to consider the following:
Special customer request or dietary

Deadlines
requirement
Sometimes, there may be a change in the ingredients as requested by the customer. For example, the
vegan pasta you will make contains nuts. The customer requests you not to add nuts as they are
allergic to them. You can remove the nuts altogether in the recipe or replace them with something
else. You must also inform the customer when replacing any ingredient with a different one. An
example would be replacing the nuts with sesame seeds.
If the customer agrees, then you can proceed with the replacement. The recipe specifies the use of
35 grams of crushed pine nuts. But to cater to the customer’s request, you replace this with sesame
seeds.
Remember that the 35 grams of crushed pine nuts are for four portions of vegan pasta. You must
calculate the number of sesame seeds you will use to replace the nuts.
Amount of sesame seeds = 35 g x 0.5
Amount of sesame seeds = 17.5 g
To replace the crushed pine nuts, you need 17.5 grams of sesame seeds.
Deadlines can also affect the ingredients you use. Because of time constraints, you may choose
ingredients that shorten the cooking time. For example, the vegan pasta you must make uses tomato
sauce. In the recipe, you must blend 250 grams of crushed tomatoes. So, for two portions, you will
need 125 grams.
However, you must serve the pasta in 20 minutes. You can use ready-made tomato sauce instead of
making one from scratch.
After calculating, you can proceed with identifying and selecting your ingredients.

Below is a case study about calculating needed ingredients:
Case Study: Calculate the Ingredients
Michell is a chef in The Continent Hotel’s Heion restaurant. One day, a company rented the place
to celebrate its founding anniversary. One of the dishes Michell needs to make is a vegan
appetiser. She decided to make vegan jalapeño poppers. Michell ensures to look at their
restaurant’s recipe to avoid problems in the future. As she checked the recipe, she discovered
that it could only yield six servings.
However, she needs to prepare that dish for 120 people. The ingredients are as follows:
▪ ½ cup cream cheese
▪ ½ cup shredded Cheddar cheese
▪ 12 jalapeños
To make the recipe yield 120 servings, Michell must multiply all her ingredients by 20. The six
servings multiplied by 20 will result in 120.
Michell finalises her ingredients as follows:
▪ 10 cups cream cheese
▪ 10 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
▪ 240 jalapeños

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By calculating the ingredients for each dish, you will be able to achieve the following:
Prepare the correct

Keep costs down Reduce wastage Save time
amount of food
▪ Keep costs down

Remember that most businesses buy the ingredients they use in their dishes. Your workplace
or organisation may do the same. If you pick the ingredient without calculating, you may use
more than necessary. It can cause your organisation to restock even when not on the
schedule. This unexpected purchase will increase your organisation’s expenses. However, by
calculating the ingredients for each dish, you can prevent unnecessary purchases.
▪ Reduce wastage
Aside from keeping costs down, you can also help reduce wastage. Without the correct
calculations, you may take out too much of each ingredient. The excess may become waste,
especially if you cannot return them to storage. But with proper calculations of the
ingredients, you can prevent wastage. You will also increase the profitability of the food.
▪ Save time
Calculating the needed ingredients beforehand also helps you save time. Imagine this: you go
to the store room and get a bunch of ingredients without knowing how much there are. You
get into your station and start sorting the ingredients, only to find out you need more. You
then make another trip into the store room to get more. Sometimes, you may even get too
many ingredients, leading to wastage.
However, if you calculate the ingredient, you only need to take the exact amount you need.
There are no more extra trips required, so you save time.
▪ Prepare the correct amount of food
Most standard recipes serve a specific number of serving portions. You must calculate the
ingredients you will need based on these portions.
For example, the standard recipe of a grilled vegan burger you plan to use is for eight serving
portions. However, you only need to prepare four serving portions. If you use the amount of
the ingredients in the standard recipe, you will end up with excess ingredients. Hence, you
must calculate the ingredients to prepare the correct amount of food.

1.3 Identify and Select Ingredients From Stores Based on Criteria
You cannot make a dish without the ingredients. Ingredients refer to the edible substances that you
combine to make dishes. In creating vegetarian and vegan dishes, using good ingredients is very
important. That is because the quality of the ingredients you will use will affect the taste of the dishes
you prepare. So, you must only choose ingredients of the best quality.
How to Identify and Select Ingredients from Storage

To identify and select the right ingredients, you must consider the following:
Recipe
Quality
Freshness
Stock rotation requirements

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Below are some steps you can follow.

1. Check the recipe.
To identify the ingredients you will need, you must check the recipe. The term recipe refers
to the standard recipe discussed in Subchapter 1.1.
Remember that the recipe you follow will outline the ingredients you need. You look at the
part of the standard recipe labelled ‘Ingredients’. This list must also have the exact amount
that you must prepare. For example, the list of ingredients mentioned two big eggs. Then you
need to prepare two big eggs – not medium or small ones.
You must also check your calculations, especially if you prepare more or fewer food portions
than the recipe. You can check the previous subchapter for steps on how to calculate
ingredients.
Once you identify the ingredients you need, it is time to select them from your storage.
2. Check the quality of each ingredient.
Once you know which ingredients you need, next is to select them. The first thing you need
to check is the quality of the ingredient. Quality is the characteristic that makes an ingredient
stand out to the customer. It is the characteristics that can affect the customer’s satisfaction.
For example, you may judge some fruit as having bad quality if it has rotten spots and bruises.
In contrast, you may see a meal that looks appetising as one with high quality.
The following are the different factors that define food quality:
Texture
▪It involves the feel of food when touched or eaten. It is any chewiness,
firmness or softness of food or a dish.
Flavour
▪It includes what the tongue can taste and the aromas the nose can smell.
There are many terms to describe the taste, but the most common are
sweet, sour, bitter and salty.
Appearance
▪This is the characteristic that our eyes can see. It includes the shape, size,
colour and gloss of food.
3. Check the freshness of each ingredient.

Freshness refers to the state of being recently produced or harvested. Good examples are
fruits and vegetables harvested recently. You must use fresh ingredients in your dishes as
much as possible.

You can often tell how fresh food is through its appearance. Most vegetables tend to have
different shades of green when they are fresh. They also do not look wilted. For example, the
fruits are still crisp for leafy vegetables and not folding or wilting.
Below are guidelines you can follow to help you identify and select ingredients based on
quality and freshness:
Ingredients Guidelines
▪ The fruit or vegetable must feel firm with no

unpleasant odour.
▪ It should not have any presence of the following:
Fruits and vegetables
o Mould
o Rotten parts
o Severe discolouration
▪ The meat must be firm. Press the meat with your

finger, and it should spring back.
Meat substitutes ▪ It must not have any foul odour or chemical smell like
bleach or ammonia.
▪ It must not have moulds or signs of rotting.
▪ The plant-based milk must not have any sour smell.

Dairy substitutes ▪ The plant-based cheese or butter must not have any
discolouration or moulds.
▪ Firm tofu must feel firm but not hard.

▪ Silken tofu must be watery and not dry.
▪ Tofu should not have any presence of the following:
Tofu
o Mould
o Severe discolouration
o Rotten smell

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Ingredients Guidelines
▪ Make sure that eggs do not have cracks. Raw eggs have
the risk of containing salmonella, which can cause
diarrhea if ingested. Cracks in the eggshell leave room
for bacteria like salmonella to contaminate the egg
inside.
▪ Make sure the egg is clean. A dirty egg may contain
contaminants that can make it harmful to eat.
▪ Do not wash the egg. Washing the egg makes the shell
porous, making it easier for bacteria to enter.
▪ Make sure the egg substitute does not have a foul or
fishy smell. A bad smell may mean spoilage or
contamination.
Eggs and egg substitutes
▪ The egg substitute is not dry or hard. Hardening and
drying may mean contamination.
▪ Take note that egg substitutes have few nutrients and
minerals compared to real eggs.
▪ Beware of products that may contain eggs as
ingredients, such as:
o Homemade mayonnaise
o Homemade ice cream
o Tiramisu
o Custards
o Uncooked cake mix or dough
Multimedia
Here is a video by Natural Remedies and
Wellness showing how to choose fresh
vegetables.
How To Choose Fresh Vegetables

4. Check the stock rotation requirements.
When ingredients are purchased or delivered, they are stored in the organisation’s storage
facilities. These can be the cool rooms, freezers, or the dry pantry. Some of these ingredients
are put into storage on different dates. So, it is important to consider their stock rotation.
Stock rotation is organising the food items you have in your storage. It is a way of checking
which supplies go first. An excellent example is moving older stocks to the front part of the
shelves.
Two of the most common stock rotation methods are as follows:
First In, First Out (FIFO) First Expired, First Out (FEFO)
▪ First In, First Out (FIFO)

The FIFO method specifies that you must use ingredients purchased first. For example,
you bought a can of baked beans on Monday. You should use it first compared to
those bought and stored on Thursday and Friday.
▪ First Expired, First Out (FEFO)
The FEFO method specifies that you must first use products that expire at an earlier
date. For example, one ingredient in storage will expire in August 2022. The
ingredients will expire from around December 2022 to March 2023. You must use the
ingredient that will expire in August 2022 first.
Stock rotation labels are effective tools for managing your stock rotation requirements. They
are labels on the product that important state details about that food item. Most rotation
labels tell you the following:
List of ingredients and Manufacturing date of the

Name of the food or drink
allergens (if applicable) product (if applicable)
Use-by date or best-before Initials or name of the

Date prepared or opened
date of the product person who made the label

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Examples of stock rotation labels include the following:

▪ Use first
You can use this label to state which ingredients in storage you must use first. Often,
these ingredients have earlier expiry dates than the other ingredients.
▪ Day or date labels
You can use day or date labels to state when you bought an ingredient. You can also
use these labels to indicate when you opened a pack or sack of ingredients.
Date codes show you the important dates related to the product. They can tell you how long
the product has been in your stock room. They also help you identify which items you must
use first or last.
Some of the most used date codes are the following:
Best-before date
•It indicates when a product will have its best flavour and quality.
Use-by date
•It tells you how long you can store the product before using it.
Sell-by date
•It tells you how long you can display a product for inventory purposes.
Freeze-by date
•It shows you when you must freeze a product to maintain quality.
Manufacturing date
•It indicates when a product was manufactured.

Date codes also follow specific formats when used. For example, when using the Best-before
date, the following must be included:
▪ The words ‘Best Before’.
▪ The best-before date
▪ The reference to where the date is located on the label if the best before date is not
located next to the words ‘Best Before’.
For the Use-by date, the following must be included:
▪ The words ‘Use By’.
▪ The use-by date
▪ The reference to where the date is located on the label if the use-by date is not located
next to the words ‘Use By’.
Note that not all these dates are date codes. Most products only show the manufacturing date
and use-by date. Ensure that your inventory has a uniform date code and stock rotation label.
It means that there must be consistency in the information you will use. You cannot write the
manufacturing date on one and the use-by date on the others. Doing so can confuse you and
cause you to lose track of the critical dates.
Remember to check the labels and date codes when identifying and selecting a product.
Ensure that it is within its use-by period. If your organisation practices FEFO, ensure to take
supplies that expire the earliest.
Since date codes can be confusing to read, here are some ways you can interpret them
Some date codes read exactly as they are written. For example, 12/5/2022 is read as 12
May 2022.
Date codes can also contain numbers and letters. A way to interpret this is to see each
letter as a month. For example, A0422 is 4 January 2022.
Plain numerals are also used for date codes. For example, 101922 is 19 October 2022.
5. Select the right ingredients.

After checking, select the fresh ingredients. These ingredients must have good quality and
have not expired. If there are ingredients that have been contaminated or spoilt in your
storage, dispose of them. The following subchapter will show how you can check for signs of
spoilage and contamination.

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Sometimes, you may find yourself buying additional ingredients. This usually happens if there
are ingredients that run out before the scheduled date. If this happens, then you must follow
the guidelines above on how to select quality ingredients. For example, you need to purchase
a new batch of onions that ran out. You must check the stock rotation requirements of the
onions. If you notice that some have started to spoil, then do not buy them.
Below is a sample case study on how to choose ingredients from markets.
Case Study: Choose the Best Ingredients

After calculating the ingredients, Michell realises some of
the ingredients are not in stock. She now has to buy them.
She goes to three different markets to look for the best
ingredients for her dish. She found the following:
▪ Cream cheese
o All had no discolouration.
o Only Market A has a faint sour smell.
o Market A had it on the shelf for a month.
o Market B had it on the shelf for three weeks.
o Market C had it for a week.
▪ Cheddar cheese
o All had no discolouration.
o Market B and Market C had visible green spots.
o Market A and Market C had it on the shelf for two weeks.
o Market B had it for a week.
▪ Jalapeños
o All markets had it on the shelf for a week.
o Market A had soft spots and a visible presence of mould.
o Market B had a firm, crunchy and bright exterior.
o Market C had discolouration and the presence of mould.
She uses her knowledge to identify quality ingredients. In the end, she chooses the
following:
▪ Cream cheese from Market C
▪ Cheddar cheese from Market A
▪ Jalapeños from Market B

1.4 Check Perishable Supplies for Signs of Spoilage or Contamination
Your ingredients are critical to the success of your dish. The freshness and quality can make or break
your dish. More importantly, it must be faithful to the recipe and stock rotation requirements. Using
poor-quality ingredients can affect the taste of your dish. Worse, using expired or harmful ingredients
can render your dish unsafe for eating.
Among your ingredients, the first to go bad are usually the perishables. Perishable supplies are supplies
that are likely to decay or spoil quickly. You cannot buy ingredients like these in bulk because you
cannot keep them stored for a long time.
You want to ensure that your perishable supplies are not spoilt or contaminated. It is to ensure that
your food is safe and suitable to eat. If you do not check your perishable supplies, the following may
happen:
You might accidentally use it on a dish.
Your customers may become sick.
If you do not dispose of rotten produce, the others may rot faster.
The spoilt or contaminated foods in storage can attract pests or animals.

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Examples of perishable supplies are the following:
Dairy products
Egg and egg
Fruits Vegetables and dairy Meat substitutes
substitutes
substitutes
In contrast, non-perishable foods are foods that do not go bad easily. Some people buy these in bulk
because they can be stored for long periods. Although you can do this, it is still best practice to avoid
it. It is still better to only purchase what you need within a certain period. Buying in bulk may have a
negative effect on your organisation’s budget.
You must also remember that non-perishable foods must be stored properly. Otherwise, pests and
animals may contaminate them. Here are some common non-perishable supplies used in stocks,
sauces and soups:
Preserved food
Dried herbs and
like canned Salt Flour Pepper
spices
fruits
1.4.1 Checking for Signs of Spoilage

The term spoilage means the deterioration of food and other perishable goods. In other words,
it occurs when foods go bad. Here are some conditions that can cause food spoilage:
Incorrect storage Unsafe food handling Nature
You must store different food types in different conditions. It is because environmental factors
can alter the composition of food. These factors include heat, light and humidity. You must
store raw foods at temperatures below five degrees Celsius. Otherwise, they can spoil and
develop a foul odour. Humidity can also cause spoilage because some food can develop fungi.
Improper food handling can also cause food to spoil. Some fruits are delicate and may become
tender and beaten if carelessly handled. However, even though you exercise optimal care, all
ingredients will still spoil. Without a preservative, it is in food’s nature to go bad after some
time.

Thus, you must ensure that none of your ingredients is spoilt. Otherwise, the taste of the food
will be affected. Even worse, your customers may become sick and file complaints against you.
To help you check your perishable supplies, here are some common signs of spoilage you must
watch out for:
Unpleasant taste
Mushy or slimy texture
Foul odour
Bulging lids or cans
Growth of yeast or mould
Rotting or dark brown spots for produce
Change in colour
When checking for signs of spoilage, you must engage your senses carefully. Here is how you
can check each ingredient:
▪ Use your sense of sight. Check if the ingredients have any brown or dark spots or if the
colour has changed. For example, fresh fruits are in their original colour. Dark spots may
indicate spoilage.
▪ You can smell any foul odours when your ingredients go bad. Most fruits tend to smell
sweet when they are fresh and ripe.
▪ Some ingredients change in texture when they get spoilt. For example, mangoes feel
firm but soft to the touch. If they are tender or too soft, they may already be spoilt.
Using these methods, examine your ingredients, especially your perishable supplies. You may
also use the quality guidelines in the previous subchapter to guide you. If you find any signs of
spoilage on your ingredients, you must dispose of them properly.

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1.4.2 Checking for Signs of Contamination

A contaminant is anything that can compromise food safety or suitability.
Meanwhile, contamination is the presence of a contaminant in a food item. Contamination can
be any of the following.
Microbiological contamination
Chemical contamination
Physical contamination
▪ Microbiological contamination. It happens when harmful microorganisms contaminate

food. These microorganisms include bacteria, viruses and fungi. These microorganisms
cause the food to spoil and make it dangerous to eat.
▪ Chemical contamination. It happens when chemical compounds get into the food.
These chemical compounds make the food toxic and can lead to ingested poisoning.
▪ Physical contamination. It happens when a foreign object gets mixed into the food.
These objects can cause choking hazards. These objects can also cause contamination.
It is especially possible if the thing carries microbes or chemical compounds.
It is essential to check for signs of contamination. It is because contaminated food can:
Spoil more easily than non-contaminated foods/beverages
Cause harm to people when ingested

Some contaminated foods get spoilt. It means they may also display signs of spoilage. You can
check for the following signs on your perishable supplies:
Changes in colour, appearance and texture may be a sign of

contamination.
The food may have a foul odour.
A slimy film may cover the food.
Mould may also be present.
Contaminated food may also display crystals and hardened flakes.
When contaminants mix with food, they may cause hard grains to form. It is a sign that the food
has been contaminated, like the case with sugar syrup and honey.
However, note that the signs of spoilage may not always apply to contamination. In this case,
most food businesses use time and temperature to gauge their safety. Food Standards Australia
New Zealand (2016) explains this method in this way:
Food stored between 5 °C and 60 °C for less than two hours is safe.
Food stored between 5 °C and 60 °C for two to four hours must be used and cannot be
stored again.
Food stored between 5 °C and 60 °C for four hours or more is not safe for use. You must
throw it away.
One thing to note is that time is cumulative for these conditions. Add every time the food is at
5 °C to 60 °C. It includes the time spent during processing, transporting and serving.

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Notes

Key Points: Chapter 1
• To practice mise en place means setting up and laying out all the needed items within arm's
reach.
• Food production requirements are the conditions you must follow when preparing your
dishes.
• In calculating the ingredients, you must base it on the following requirements:

o Quantity of portions to make
o Special customer requests or dietary requirements
o Deadlines
• When identifying and selecting the ingredients, you must consider the following:
o Recipe
o Quality
o Freshness
o Stock rotation requirements
• Perishable supplies are supplies that are likely to decay or spoil quickly.
• Contamination differs from spoilage in that contamination may not have visible
signs. A food product might look, smell and taste normal despite contamination.
Learning Checkpoint
Now that you have finished this chapter, let’s do some learning exercises.
Get your Learning Activity Booklet provided with this Learner Resource. Complete
the learning activities for this chapter.
For guidance and additional instructions on these activities, talk to your
trainer/assessor.

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Chapter 2: Select, Prepare and Use Needed Equipment
Equipment refers to items that serve a particular purpose. In this case, the equipment you will use is
those needed when you cook vegetarian and vegan dishes. You must use the right equipment to:
▪ Make life easier
▪ Ensure your safety
Cooking with the right equipment will make your life easier. For example, you need a soup pot when
making soup. If you use a saucepan, you will find it difficult not to spill anything. It can also help you
save time. You lose precious cooking time if you use the wrong pan and then change to the correct
one. That is a nightmare if you have a looming deadline.
Safety is another reason you must use the correct equipment when cooking. You can prevent
accidents from happening, such as burns from spillage. You can also ensure the safety of your food.
For example, using a bain-marie to heat your food can compromise safety. You must use appropriate
heating equipment that can reach high temperatures quickly. Otherwise, bacteria may contaminate
your food.

2.1 Select Appropriate Equipment to Use
Using equipment in cooking makes life easier. Without the proper equipment, you may be unable to
make delicious and safe dishes. Hence, choosing the right equipment to use is essential.
In this subchapter, you will learn about some equipment used in kitchens. You will also learn how to
select which equipment is appropriate to use. Only when you have figured these out will you be able
to cook a meal successfully.
2.1.1 Common Equipment Used in Vegetarian and Vegan Kitchens

There are many kinds of equipment used in a commercial kitchen. However, these pieces of
equipment can be divided into the following:
Fixtures and large equipment
Small equipment

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Fixtures and Large Kitchen Equipment

Fixtures are fixed or do not need to be moved around the kitchen. Fixtures, furniture and
functional equipment, are counted as large equipment.
Examples of these include the following:
Kitchen Equipment Description
Workbenches
Kitchen workbenches refer to tables used as your

primary work surface. A commercial-grade workbench
should ensure an area of about 1.5 metres per person.
You will do most of your food preparation here. So,
make sure to clean or sanitise the site regularly.
Oven with trays

Ovens are used for various cooking techniques, such as
baking or roasting. Commercial ovens are different from
the ones you might use at home. They can get very hot
and are large enough to cook several batches or trays at
once. They are also more durable and safer to use for
extended periods.
Designated area for dry goods and Your establishment should have a separate area for dry
perishables food items and perishables. These items do not need
refrigerated storage units like cooking oil, flour, salt and
sugar. Packaged food items that only need to be
refrigerated after they are opened are stored here too.
The area typically has shelves to maximise space and
ensure food is kept off the floor.

Sink Commercial sinks are often made of stainless steel, like

other food-safe equipment. They should have at least
two compartments. It is to maximise tasks and ensure
safe food preparation practices. For example, one
compartment can be used for cleaning. The other can
be used as a food preparation sink.
They have deep compartments that accommodate
large pots. Some sinks are fitted with heaters to help
with sanitation. Hose connections can also help deep
clean equipment.
Commercial refrigeration facilities

These equipment items refer to refrigeration rooms or appliances used by food businesses.
Cool room or fridge
A cool room or fridge is a refrigerated storeroom with

shelves and controlled temperature.
Freezer
A freezer is a refrigerated cabinet used to preserve food

at very low temperatures.

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Gas, electric or induction stovetop

Stovetops heat and cook food in pots and pans. They
heat pots and pans from below. These stoves use gas
(flame), electricity or induction heat. Ideally, a
commercial establishment would have two burners per
person to ensure efficiency.
Deep fryer
Deep fryers are ideal for frying dishes that need a lot of
oil. Dishes soak in oil while they fry in deep fryers.
Hot plate or griddle
Hot plates and griddles have white and wide surfaces

for frying dishes. They work like stovetops. The main
difference is that the food items are cooked on the
surface of the hotplate or griddle and not on pans.
Blender or food processor

It is an appliance consisting of a container with a metal
blade at the bottom. It is used to mix, liquefy or puree
soft ingredients together. It is often used to mix fruits
or vegetables with other liquids. It can create
smoothies, sauces or dressings.

Planetary mixer
Planetary mixers are often used to mix the ingredients

to make dough.
Pasta machine
Pasta machines are used to make pasta and noodles

manually. This machine flattens the dough and can be
adjusted to cut the dough into strips.
Salamander or griller
Commercial grills are often used to grill dishes by batch.

They are usually large and wide and can accommodate
eight people when used.

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Storage Facilities
This serves as a storeroom for food supplies.
Shelving
Shelves must be elevated and stable. They do not need

to be covered if you use sealed containers for your
supplies.
Trays
Storage trays must always be clean and sanitised after

use. There are trays with handles on both sides as well
as non-handled ones.
Small Kitchen Equipment

These refer to small electric appliances, tools and utensils. You can easily move small equipment
around the kitchen. Since these are likely to be used by more than one person, they should be
cleaned after each use to prevent cross-contamination.
Examples of small kitchen equipment include the following:
Baking sheets and trays
Baking sheets and trays hold the dough for baking bread
and pastries.

Hand-held beaters
These hand-held beaters are often used to beat or whip

single ingredients like eggs and cream.
Containers for hot and cold food

Containers are needed to store prepared ingredients
like sliced vegetables or pre-prepared dishes. They must
be able to withstand wide ranges of temperature. They
can be stored in a refrigerator or hold freshly cooked
food.
Cutting boards
These durable boards provide a clean and safe surface
on which to slice or chop ingredients. You must use
cutting boards that do not slip. These cutting boards
must also be able to resist chipping from knifework. You
can use wooden, plastic or rubber cutting boards.
Grater
These are often used to grate cheese, fruits and

vegetables into tiny pieces.

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Juicer
Juicers are used to extract juices from fruits. These are

often used on citrus plants like oranges and lemons.
Knife sharpening equipment

Knives must be kept sharp in the kitchen. A dull knife will result in poorly sliced ingredients.
It will also delay preparation or make food look less appealing. You can use this by placing
your knife down at a 22.5° angle from the sharpening tool.
Sharpening steels
These are long steel rods for sharpening knives.
Sharpening stones
These are stones made of different materials, usually

oilstone.
Knives
Knives are crucial items for food preparation. They are used to cut, slice, chop or do other
precise actions on food items.
Chef’s knife
It is a wide knife with a clean edge that tapers to a point,
used for chopping, mincing and slicing food items.

Utility knife
It is smaller and slimmer than a chef’s knife. It is used to
slice small food and vegetables. Its smaller size makes it
more suitable for precise slices.
Measuring jugs
These are used to measure volume in larger amounts

compared to measuring spoons. These are often used
for liquids in stocks and soups.
Measuring spoons
These are used to measure volume in small amounts.

These are useful for herbs, salt, sugar, etc.
Portion control scoops
These measure the servings and ensure they are the

correct portion size.
Mouli
It is used to grate food manually by pushing food over a

disc to turn it into fine pieces. It is often used to make
purees.

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Pots and pans

These are used in the cooking process and placed over a heat source. They are made of heavy
metals to retain and transfer heat to the food they contain.
Stainless steel pots
These are deep containers, usually used to make stocks

and soups.
Non-stick frying pans

These are often shallow with long handles. Non-stick
pans have special coatings that:
▪ Allows food to cook with minimal oil
▪ Prevent food from sticking to the pan
Cast iron pans
These are often used to saute, sear and pan-fry dishes.

These can be placed in an oven to braise, bake or roast
dishes.
Skimmers and spiders

Skimmers and spiders are spoon-like tools with long handles. Their bases have slots or holes
for liquids like oil to drain away.
Skimmers
Skimmers remove foam, froth or bubbles on top of

cooking liquid. You can also use them to scoop and
separate solid ingredients from the liquid.

Spiders
Spider skimmers have a finer mesh on the spoon. They

are usually made of bamboo or stainless steel, making it
less likely for food to stick.
Spoons and ladles
Spoons and ladles are used to serve stocks and soups.

Ladles with long handles are great for deep containers.
Spoons can be used for serving small amounts of sauce.
Scales
Kitchen scales are used to measure exact amounts of
food items. They help you follow a standardised recipe
since measuring by weight is more precise. Kitchen
scales can be analogue or digital. Commercial scales
must be able to handle heavier weights.
Service-ware
These are small pieces of equipment used for serving the dishes.
Crockery
These are tableware or dishware that food is served in.

Dishes must be plated on these by the cooks and chefs
so that they are ready for serving.
Cutlery and serving utensils

These are the utensils to be used by the customer while
dining or eating the dish. Cutlery includes spoons, forks
and knives. The servers typically place them in the dining
area.

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Stainless steel bowls

These bowls are great for mixing since most products do
not stick to them. So, if you stir anything, you stir easily.
They can also be cleaned and sanitised well. In fact, they
are easier to clean than plastic bowls since they retain
less grease on them.
Steamer
These are used to steam dishes. The steamer is placed

on top of boiling water. The steam from the boiling
water cooks the dish.
Sieve
It is a type of equipment that separates liquid from solid

materials. You can also use it to sprinkle the powder on
top of a dish evenly.
Pastry brush
It is used to brush milk, egg and other liquids on top of

the dough and other ingredients.
Peeler
It helps remove the skin from a fruit or vegetable. There

are hand-held types that you use manually. There are
also automatic types that you turn with a handle.

Corer
A corer is a tool you insert into the middle of a fruit or
vegetable. The inedible centre or core is also removed
when you pull them out.
Slicer
A slicer is used instead of a knife when you want to cut
large amounts of fruit or vegetable in a short time. They
also make uniform cuts, which helps maximise the use
of one food item. One kind of slicer is a mandolin. You
use it by sliding a piece of fruit across a blade to make
even slices.
Scraper
It is used to remove seeds or scrape ingredients from

mixing bowls.
Spatula
You can use it for mixing, scraping or frying.
Strainers and chinois
These are used to separate the solid particles from the

liquid particles. You can use these to make broths or
soups clearer.

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Tongs
These are used for picking up food items or ingredients.

You can use them during cooking or placing food on plates
before serving.
Whisk
It is used to blend or mix ingredients smoothly.
Thermometer
These have metal rods that are inserted into the dish while
cooking. It ensures that the temperature is right.
Further Reading
Check the link below for more information on equipment you can use in your
kitchen.
Kitchen Reference

2.1.2 Selecting the Appropriate Equipment
When cooking vegetarian and vegan dishes, you must use the right equipment. To do that, you
need to know which type and size you will need. Of course, the type and size will vary depending
on your goal. This goal traces back to the food production requirements you must follow.
Remember that your food production requirements will affect your choice of equipment.
Among the food production requirements, the following are the ones that will most likely have
the biggest influence:
Deadlines Portion control Quantities to be produced
Special dietary
Cooking method Special customer requests
requirements
▪ Deadlines
If you must prepare dishes in a hurry, you can use bigger pots and pans to cook fewer
batches of food. Some types of equipment made for convenience can help you work
quickly. For example, you can use a blender or food processor instead of chopping
manually.
▪ Portion control
Your portion size will determine the size of your serving equipment. Similarly, if you are
using deep pots, you might want a long ladle instead of a short one.
▪ Quantities to be produced
The yield of your recipe will also affect your choice. A bigger yield needs bigger
equipment. There are also types of equipment made specifically for big batches of food.
▪ Cooking method
The cooking method will also affect your choice of equipment. For example, if the dish
needs shallow frying to cook, using a deep fryer is inappropriate.

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▪ Special customer requests

Special customer requests may require you to have two of the same equipment. For
example, you must prepare allergen-free dishes with cleaned and sanitised equipment.
If you do not have enough equipment, you must have enough time to wash and sanitise
them before cooking.
▪ Special dietary requirements
The restrictions on ingredients may also affect your choice of equipment. For example,
some pans may not work if you cannot use butter or oil.
Once you have considered the factors above, you can choose the equipment. Your choice must be an
informed one. Do not use something just because they are available. For example, even if you already
have a clean and sanitised saucepan, you cannot use it for cooking soup.
Below is a case study showing how to choose the right equipment.
Case Study: Select the Right Equipment

Michell was able to buy the best ingredients. She now needs
to choose the right equipment for her dish. Selecting the
equipment beforehand will save her time. It will also keep
her from unexpected problems later.
Michell checks her recipe for the 120 servings she needs to
make. After thoroughly checking, she sees that she must:
▪ Slice jalapeños
▪ Mix cream cheese and Cheddar cheese
▪ Arrange the jalapeños for cooking
▪ Bake the jalapeños
Michell decides to use the following equipment:
▪ Measuring cups
▪ Oven for baking
▪ Knife for cutting the jalapeños
▪ Hand or stand mixer (In her case, she needs to use a stand mixer to do a bigger batch.)
▪ Mixing bowl to put her mixture in, and spatula to scrape the necessary mixture
▪ Spoon for scooping mixture and putting it in the jalapeños
▪ Tongs to line up jalapeños on baking sheets
▪ Baking sheet to line up jalapeños for baking

2.2 Safely Assemble and Clean Equipment
Using the correct equipment is essential when cooking vegetarian and vegan dishes. However, it does
not end there. As a cook, you must know how to assemble and clean the equipment. This practice is
essential for the pieces of equipment that have moving parts. You must know how to disassemble the
parts so that you can clean them. Then reassemble them to be used. In all these actions, you must
always keep safety in mind. Be cautious to ensure that you do not injure yourself or other people.
That is why in this subchapter, you will learn more about the following aspects:
▪ How to assemble your equipment safely
▪ How to ensure the cleanliness of your equipment

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2.2.1 Assemble Equipment Safely and Ensure Cleanliness

In the previous subchapter, you learned about some of the large and small equipment you need
to use. Now, you will learn how to assemble and clean equipment.
Assembling Equipment Safely

Typically, you do not have to assemble smaller equipment since most do not have movable
parts. What you must assemble is the larger equipment with moving parts.
You must know how to assemble equipment correctly. It includes being careful as you assemble.
Being mindful and cautious will help you:
Prolong the life of the equipment
Avoid making mistakes
Assemble the equipment correctly
Protect food from being contaminated by loose parts
Prevent accidents or injuries
If you do not practice caution as you assemble the equipment, you may end up:
Breaking the equipment
Receiving a reprimand
Causing broken or loose parts of equipment to contaminate dishes
Getting into an accident or having injuries
For example, you are assembling a blender. A blender has blades, and if you are not careful,
you may end up injuring yourself.
As you can see, the consequences can be severe. But it is easy to avoid them if you follow the
safety practices established by your organisation.

These practices may vary from organisation to organisation. But you can follow some of the
following:
▪ Keep your work area clean and free from unnecessary objects.
It ensures that your workspace does not have clutter when you assemble the
equipment. Clutter can easily cause you to miss any small part of the equipment.
▪ Read and apply the manufacturer's instructions that come with the equipment.
Every piece of equipment comes with a manufacturer's instruction. It contains
information on how to assemble the equipment safely. So, you must refer to the steps
listed in the instructions as you build. It will ensure that you build the equipment:
safely properly correctly.
▪ Allot enough space for assembling the equipment.

When assembling equipment, make sure you have enough space. Having enough space
to move around correctly will help you avoid accidents. For example, do not assemble
the equipment on a table with other things. You may accidentally knock down or hit
something.
▪ Ensure that the equipment you will assemble is turned off and unplugged.
You must also ensure that any equipment is not on or plugged in. Imagine assembling
a blender, and it is plugged. You may accidentally press the power button. And if you
are putting the blades at that time, it will be a disaster. So, always make sure the
equipment is off and unplugged before you start assembling.
Now, you are done assembling your equipment. After assembly, you must clean the equipment.
Remember that when your equipment is dirty, it may cause contamination of food items. For
example, you used a dusty blender. Of course, you wiped it off, and it looks clean. But you may
not know if there are harmful microorganisms left behind. So, you must clean and sanitise your
equipment.
Ensuring Cleanliness of Equipment

Cleanliness is the state of something being free from dirt, germs or bacteria. Cleanliness involves
two things: cleaning and sanitising. Cleaning any equipment means that you remove dirt, grease
and other food debris from it. Once the equipment is clean, you can proceed to sanitise it.
Sanitising equipment means that you destroy any disease-causing microorganism left on the
equipment. Your equipment may look clean but may still carry these bacteria. So, it would be
best if you sanitised it.

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Here are some ways you can sanitise your equipment:

▪ Chemicals
These are the sanitising agents available in the market, like bleach. Some have to be
diluted before use, while some can be used pure.
▪ Heat
It includes using hot water or steam. When using hot water, you must soak your
equipment for at least 30 seconds in at least 77 C water.
▪ Combination of chemicals and heat
You can sanitise your kitchen equipment with chemicals and soak them in hot water.
Sanitising equipment like dishwashers also uses steam during the sanitising process.
Here are some steps you can follow in cleaning and sanitising your equipment.
•Scrape or wipe off food or other visible matter left on the

Pre-clean
surface. You can also rinse it with water.
•Wash with hot water and soap. You can also soak if needed.
Wash
This step will remove any grease or food residue.
•Rinse any soap off the surface. Check for any lingering residue
Rinse and remove it. This step should be easier in this stage because
the soap and water loosened it.
•Use appropriate sanitiser to kill any remaining pathogens.

Sanitise Check the manufacturer’s instructions. See if there are any
recommended ways of sanitising.
•Wash off sanitiser residue if needed. The manufacturer’s

Final Rinse
instructions should have this information.
Dry •You can use single-use towels or drip dry.
Once you finish cleaning and sanitising your equipment, your task does not end there. You must
also know how to ensure that your equipment is clean before every use. Sometimes, when the
equipment is not used, some dust particles can get to it. Even if you do not visibly see the dirt,
it does not mean it is not there. So, before you use your equipment, give it a quick rinse. Make
sure to rub it thoroughly as needed. Then use a clean cloth to wipe it dry.

2.3 Use Equipment Safely and Hygienically
Apart from knowing how to assemble and clean equipment, using them properly is also vital. It means
that you must be able to use the equipment you need:
According to the
Safely Hygienically
manufacturer’s instructions.
As a cook, you must know how to use the different types of equipment safely. A careful and mindful
approach will benefit you in this stage. You must also use these types of equipment hygienically. This
is especially important to keep the food safe from bacteria from you or your equipment. Lastly, you
must know how to use the manufacturer’s instructions. It holds valuable information that can help
you use the equipment:
▪ Correctly
▪ Safely

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2.3.1 Safe and Hygienic Use of Kitchen Equipment

Before using any type of equipment, ensure that you know how to use it safely and hygienically.
Most food businesses have established safe operational practices. They teach these practices
to trainees and new employees.
Safe operational practices help minimise risks. By applying these safe operational practices, you
can ensure the following:
Prevent damage to your kitchen equipment
▪For example, you make sure that you do not grind ingredients that are too
frozen in your blender. It will help prevent the blades from becoming dull due
to grinding hard items.
Protect food from being contaminated by loose parts
▪For example, being careful and cautious when using a hand mixer. It will help
you see if any screws fall into the batter.
Prevent accidents or injuries
▪For example, when using a blender, ensure that you do not place your hand
near the blades. It is to prevent the blades from cutting you.
Follow your organisation's food safety measures
▪For example, your organisation implements certain food safety practices.

Make sure that you follow these practices when using your equipment.

To ensure that you use equipment safely and hygienically, follow the practices below.
Do not use a piece of equipment you are not familiar with.
•If you are unfamiliar with the equipment, ask for assistance in using it. It will help
prevent injury or accidents from mishandling the equipment.
Use protective equipment and attire.
•You can use protective gloves and clothes to protect you from accidental splashes. You
can wear shoes to protect your feet when you drop something accidentally.
Follow the manufacturer's instructions.
•Read the manufacturer's instructions before using any equipment. Make sure that you
follow each instruction carefully.
Do not wear rings, watches or a tie when operating any equipment.
•Metal jewellery may hinder electronic equipment from working correctly. Ties may also
get caught into the blades or rotating parts of equipment.
Check that all switches of the equipment are turned off before plugging it into the outlet.
•Make sure the equipment is turned off before you plug it in. It will prevent sudden
electric shocks or explosions.
Conduct maintenance checks.
•Check equipment regularly to ensure they are in good working condition. Any broken,
chipped or worn-out equipment must be replaced or disposed of.
Do not use on cooked food any equipment used on raw food.
•Raw food may have microorganisms that can contaminate your cooked dishes.

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A piece of equipment has its functions and features. You must know how to use your
equipment's essential functions and features. Below are some operational practices you can
apply:
▪ Knives
Knives are used to cut the ingredients you will use to prepare dishes. Make sure that
you pay attention to the following safety practices when using knives:
Ensure that your knives are sharp.
o Dull knives are more dangerous because they do not do their job well.
Use the appropriate knife for your task.
o For example, do not use a bread knife to cut vegetables.
Never hold your knife on the blade.
o Always hold the handle to avoid accidentally cutting yourself.
When you hand a knife to someone, turn the handle towards them.
o The blade should be facing you but pointing downward.
Do not place knives where they are difficult to spot.
o You and your colleagues may cut yourselves accidentally.
Do not place knives in high places.
o People can accidentally knock knives off shelves, leading to accidents.
Regularly clean your knives to remove any residue.
o Regular sharpen them as well to prevent the blades from getting dull.

▪ Stove
Stoves are used to heat pots and pans to cook dishes. Make sure that you follow these
practices when using stoves:
Turn the handles of pots and pans away from you while in use.
o It can help you avoid accidentally hitting and spilling their hot
contents.
Use pots and pans that are large enough for your recipe’s yield.
o It will ensure that the dish will not overflow.
Regularly clean the stove.
o Grease build-up can catch on fire.
Watch your soups and stocks.
o Watching over them will ensure that they do not overflow when they
boil.
▪ Ovens and grillers

Ovens and grillers are used for cooking dishes in various ways. Grills are for grilling
dishes. You can use the oven for baking, broiling, braising and roasting dishes. When
using ovens, grills and similar equipment, you can follow the practices below.
Wear proper protective equipment for your hands.
o You must do this when using ovens, grills and similar equipment.
Make sure to maintain a proper distance from the hot surface.
o Keeping proper distance will help you avoid burning accidents.
Pay attention not to turn up the heat too much.
o Turning up the heat will make the pot hotter quickly. It may cause your dishes
to burn.
Regularly clean the surfaces.
o Regular cleaning will help you remove any residue and build-up of grease.

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▪ Electric appliances
Electric appliances include food processors, blenders and other equipment you must
plug in. You can use these for various purposes. When using electric appliances, make
sure to pay attention to the following practices:
Read and follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
o Some equipment, like microwaves, cannot be used with metal or foil

containers.
Ensure that they are unplugged.
o Your equipment must be unplugged after use and before you clean
them.
Keep your fingers away from the moving parts.
o Never put your hand inside, even when it seems to have stopped.
Handle the blades carefully when you clean them.
o Make sure that you hold and handle blades carefully to avoid cutting
yourself.
▪ Glassware and cutleries

You can use glassware and cutleries for serving dishes. When using such equipment,
make sure to practice the following:
Be careful when handling glassware and cutleries.
o Glasses can break easily. So be careful when you lift and hold them.
Do not put them near edges or unstable surfaces.
o In a busy kitchen, anyone can easily knock them off.
Clean up glass shards immediately.
o Do not pick up the glass shards. You can use a pan and broom.
Wrap broken glass in cloth or paper before disposal.
o Do not put broken glassware directly into garbage bags.

Here is a case study on how to use equipment safely and hygienically.
Case Study: Safe and Hygienic Use of Equipment
After selecting the equipment, Michell now has to use them. To ensure safety and hygiene,
Michell must do the following:
▪ Measuring cups - She needs to wash, dry and sanitise these first.
▪ Knife - She needs to wash, dry and sanitise before using. She must avoid using other
knives, especially knives used for meat. This is to prevent contamination.
▪ Hand mixer - She must ensure that the mixer is frequently maintained clean. She also
needs to check the safety guards of the mixer to prevent accidents.
▪ Mixing bowl - She needs to wash, dry and sanitise before using.
▪ Spatula - She needs to wash, dry and sanitise before using.
▪ Spoon - She needs to wash, dry and sanitise before using.
▪ Tongs - She needs to wash, dry and sanitise before using.
▪ Baking sheets - She needs to wash, dry and sanitise before using. Ensure that she uses
mittens to handle these in and out of the oven.
▪ Oven - She needs to use mittens when using the oven. She also needs to ensure the
oven is frequently maintained clean and safely plugged in to avoid problems.

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Be sure to follow the practices mentioned when

you use your equipment. These practices will help
ensure that you and your colleagues are safe when
you use any equipment. Check the manufacturer's
instructions if you do not know how to operate the
equipment safely.
You can find the manufacturer’s instructions in the
box where the equipment was originally packed in.
Your organisation should have a copy of the
manufacturer’s instructions for older equipment.
Manufacturer instructions help by providing the following information:
▪ Functions of the equipment
▪ Parts and features of the equipment
▪ How to assemble and disassemble the parts
▪ How to use the equipment safely
▪ How to maintain hygiene and clean the equipment
▪ Protective equipment you may need, e.g. gloves, apron or goggles
▪ Any special temperature required for the equipment
▪ Whether the equipment can work in dry or wet conditions
▪ How to take care of the equipment
▪ What to do in case there is an accident or malfunctioning
Aside from these practices, you must also know how you can unsafely use any equipment.
Unsafe use of equipment refers to using kitchen equipment in a way that puts you and other
people in danger. Knowing these ways will help you become aware of any habit that you have
that is dangerous. Some examples of these are:
▪ Stirring with your hand when the food processor is stuck
▪ Placing a pot with the handle facing outwards towards you or the aisle
▪ Using a blunt knife because it is the only one available
▪ Throwing broken glassware directly into the trash bin
Remember that awareness is very important in ensuring safety in the kitchen. Most businesses
often conduct safety awareness training and seminars for their employees. You must check with
your supervisor if your organisation has these training and seminars. They may help refresh
your memory and improve your safety practices.

Aside from the equipment you use, you must also maintain proper hygiene. Hygiene refers to
practices you must do to keep yourself clean and healthy.
When maintaining proper hygiene, include the surfaces you may use to prepare food. Below
are some general hygiene practices that you may follow.
▪ Wash your hands before and after you handle food, especially raw food.
▪ Ensure that any surface touching the food is also clean and sanitised.
▪ Use the sink properly. Do not wash raw meat since it will only spread bacteria in your
sink. You can also sanitise the sink with a chemical sanitiser or hot water.
▪ Do not use any equipment if you are sick or suspect that you may have a foodborne
illness. Instead, tell your supervisor. They may give you something else to do that does
not involve directly handling food.
Multimedia
Here is a video by Food Control Plan with tips
on how to maintain personal hygiene in food
facilities.
Personal Hygiene

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Notes

• The equipment you will use to prepare dishes includes the following:
o Fixtures
o Large equipment
o Small equipment
• When selecting equipment to use, you must consider the following:

o Deadlines
o Portion control
o Quantities to be produced
o Cooking method
o Special customer requests
o Special dietary requirements
• You must know how to assemble equipment correctly to prevent injury. It will also help
prevent unwanted damage to the equipment.
• Sanitisation is essential to make sure your equipment will not contaminate foods.
• Safe operational practices help minimise risks. You must follow these practices when you
use your equipment.
• If you do not know how to operate a piece of equipment, check the manufacturer’s
instructions.
• Aside from the equipment you use, you must also maintain proper hygiene.
Learning Checkpoint
trainer/assessor.

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Chapter 3: Portion and Prepare Ingredients
You already know how to select and identify the ingredients you need to use for your dishes. You must
learn how to portion and prepare these ingredients this time correctly.
When you portion ingredients, you divide a larger quantity into specific sizes. It includes knowing the
yield of your recipe and portion size. The first chapter briefly described what yield and portion size is.
However, this chapter will delve into more specific details on how you can do it.
Like portioning, preparing also requires you to know your dish's yield and portion size. The portion
sizes can help you decide how you will prepare ingredients. For example, you may opt for finer and
smaller cuts if your serving size is small.
You will also learn practices to use your ingredients with little waste. The lesser waste there is during
the preparation of ingredients, the better. It will help you save on costs and maximise the profits of
your dishes.

3.1 Sort and Assemble Ingredients Based on Food Sequence
Food production is all about creating food. It is about creating dishes from raw ingredients. Because
of this, you must know how to divide your ingredients properly. But before that, you first learn how
to sort these ingredients. Sorting ingredients means that you must prepare what ingredients you need.
Once you finish sorting your ingredients, you will proceed to assembly. Assembling ingredients
involves arranging your ingredients based on how you will use them. You can refer to the food
production sequence when doing this. The standard recipe can also serve as a guide, showing what
you need to do. The procedures you must follow in the recipe also outline the ingredients used in each
step.

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3.1.1 Sort the Ingredients

Food production sequence refers to how things are done in a recipe. When you arrange your
ingredients, you must follow the food production sequence. You organise them based on which
ones will be used first.
Sequencing your ingredients allows you to use your time and energy more efficiently. It can also
make finding the ingredients easier while cooking. After all, it is difficult to chop the herbs you
need while melting coconut butter in the pan. A disorderly arrangement of ingredients can lead
to a poorly prepared dish.
The first step in sequencing your ingredients is sorting which ones you need. Below is an
example of a recipe.
Vegan Squash Pasta (excerpt)
Ingredients: Procedures:
500 g chopped squash 1. Preheat the oven to 235 C.
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 2. Coat the squash in olive oil. Roast for 30 minutes.
60 g chopped shallots 3. Combine the roasted squash, shallots, cashews,
garlic, balsamic vinegar, sage, thyme and water.
3 garlic cloves
Season with salt and pepper.
150 ml water
4. Blend until creamy.
60 g cup raw cashews
5. Cook the pasta in boiling water. Follow the
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar directions in the package.
10 fresh sage leaves 6. Drain the pasta. Then put it back into the pot. Add
1 tbsp fresh thyme the sauce to the pot and combine it with the pasta.
340 g rotini pasta 7. Serve immediately or cool and store.
Salt and black pepper
To check how you need to sort your ingredients, check the recipe. The ingredients section lists
the ingredients the recipe will need. You must make sure that you sort the ingredients in this
list.
It involves checking each ingredient to see which is still safe and suitable for use. In this process,
you must be extra careful when checking perishable food. Dispose of any ingredient that shows
signs of spoilage or contamination. You can revisit Subchapter 1.4 for more information on how
to check supplies.
You must also check the dates of the ingredients. These can be the expiration dates, use-by
dates, or best-before dates. Dispose of any ingredient that has expired. If the use-by or best-
before dates are near, then prioritise those ingredients.

3.1.2 Assemble the Ingredients
Once you finish sorting, the next step is assembly. The procedures section of the recipe outlines
the steps you must follow. These steps make up the sequence you will follow to assemble the
ingredients. Essentially, you must find the following information:
▪ When to use the ingredient
The first ingredients you will prepare are those in the first steps. You can also group
ingredients that you will use together. For example, check the recipe on the previous
page. In step 2, you must coat the squash in olive oil and then roast it. It means that the
first ingredient you need to use is olive oil. It must be the first on your sequence of
ingredients.
▪ How to use the ingredient
Sometimes, you must mix ingredients before adding them to the whole dish. For
example, in step 3, you must blend the sauce ingredients first. The ingredients in step
3 should be the next ones in your assembly sequence.
Referring to the recipe on the previous page, assemble your ingredients into the sequence
below. Take note that if you can assemble some ingredients, you may do so. But follow the
sequence once you arrange them in your workstation.
Olive oil Squash Shallots Cashews
Garlic Balsamic vinegar Sage Thyme
Water Salt and pepper Pasta
Always look at the procedures to find the food production sequence. This sequence will be your
guide as you assemble the ingredients. Sequencing may seem like extra work, but it will save
you time and effort in the long run.

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3.2 Weigh, Measure and Portion Ingredients
Recall that the standard dish recipe shows the yield the recipe can make. Yield refers to how many
portions of the dish the recipe will make. Knowing the yield can help you control the portions of your
dish. Portion control assures you that you make the right amount according to your needs. It aids in
the consistency of your food’s quality and quantity. It also helps you avoid wasting resources.
Recall that in Subchapter 1.2, you learned how to calculate the ingredient amounts. In this subchapter,
you will focus on weighing, measuring and portioning the ingredients. These are essential parts of
portion control.
When you weigh the ingredients, use a scale to get the weight of the ingredients. When measuring
the ingredients, you usually get their volume. You can use the measuring jugs and spoons. Portioning
is helpful if you prepare a lot of a certain ingredient, e.g. 1 kilo of chopped onions. You can divide an
ingredient into the exact amount needed in multiple recipes.

Weighing, measuring and portioning are essential because they:
Ensure that you only use the required amount of ingredients
Prevent wastage of ingredients
Reduce costs and losses due to excess ingredients
Determine portions for each dish
Keep the taste and flavours of each dish consistent as per standard recipes
3.2.1 Weighing Ingredients

There are three ways to measure your ingredients:
By volume
By weight
By count

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By Volume
Volume applies to items that are difficult to weigh. These are usually liquids and some dry
ingredients like flour. The units of measurement for volume include litre, millilitre, tablespoon,
teaspoon and cup. To get the volume of your ingredients, follow the steps below.
Wash your hands.
Ensure that you are using clean and sanitised measuring jugs and spoons.
Prepare clean and sanitised containers where you will put the measured ingredients.
Sift the ingredients that need to be sifted before measuring.
For liquids, place the measuring jug on a stable and flat surface.
Get down on eye-level and check the number the ingredient reached.
For a dry ingredient, scoop it using the right measuring spoon, e.g. 1 cup measuring spoon.
Lightly pat it down and level the excess off with any tool that has a straight edge.
Place your measured ingredient in the prepared container and set it aside.

By Weight
Weighing the ingredient is more accurate but also more time-consuming. Weighing is often
more applicable to solid ingredients. The weight of ingredients is usually in grams, milligrams
and kilograms. To weigh ingredients, you can follow the steps below.
Wash your hands.
Ensure that the surface of the scale or any container that will touch the food is clean and
sanitised.
Prepare clean and sanitised containers where you will put the measured ingredients.
Place your scale on a flat and stable surface.
Ensure that your scale is set to the same measurement as you are using.
Tare your scale to zero. If weighing with a container, tare the scale while the container is on
it.
Weigh your ingredients and set them aside.
If using multiple containers, do not forget to tare again before weighing.

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By Count
It is common to count ingredients but only for those that are countable. This includes eggs,
tomatoes, onions and other solid ingredients. To count ingredients, you can follow the steps
below.
Ensure that your hands are clean before counting the

ingredients.
Prepare a clean and sanitised container to put your

ingredients. This will keep them from rolling or falling.
Read the instructions. Some recipes use large, medium and

small for sizes. Typically, one large egg is four tablespoons.
Count the ingredients carefully and place them in your

prepared container.
3.2.2 Measuring Ingredients

When you measure ingredients, take note that metric units are commonly used. However, there
may be variations. These variations will depend on the country. For example, one tablespoon
in Canada and the USA is equal to 15 millilitres. In Australia, you will need 20 mL for one
tablespoon.
Generally, the recipes you will use in your organisation use Australian metric units. However,
there may be times when you have to refer to other recipes. Often the recipes you can find
online are from other countries. These usually have different values for the metric units. To
make it easier to recognise the differences, you must keep these symbols in mind:
Type of measurement Unit Symbol
gram g
Mass or Weight
kilogram kg
millilitre mL
Volume
litre L
Temperature Celsius °C

3.2.3 Portion Ingredients
After measuring and weighing the ingredients, divide them into portions. These portions will
depend on the recipe you are following.
For example, you must prepare one vegan pasta and one vegetarian burger. Both recipes use
chopped onions. You need to divide the onions you weighed according to the recipes. The vegan
pasta needs 100 g of chopped onions. The onion portion you set aside for the vegan pasta dish
must be 100 g.
On the other hand, the vegetarian burger needs 150 g of chopped onion. So, you must set aside
150 g of chopped onion for the vegetarian burger.
When you portion the ingredients, you must use the right equipment. For portions that you
need to weigh, you can use weighing scales. For portions that you need to measure the volume,
you can use measuring jugs or spoons. You may also opt to use ladles so long as you maintain
the right quantity per scoop.
Once you are done portioning the ingredients, store them in separate containers. Make sure to
separate the following:
▪ Raw ingredients
▪ Fresh produce
▪ Processed foods
Chill the ingredients that must be chilled before cooking begins.

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3.3 Prepare and Store Vegetarian and Vegan Ingredients Away from Animal Products
You must keep your vegetarian and vegan ingredients away from animal products. Recall that
vegetarian dishes do not include products with animal tissues. Vegan dishes do not include any animal
tissues as well. However, vegan dishes also do not include all animal products. For example, vegan
dishes do not include the use of any animal-related products. Examples are:
▪ Animal fats and oils
▪ Any meat that comes from animals, e.g. fish, pork or beef
▪ Animal-based dairy products
You must keep this in mind when you prepare and store these ingredients. You must make sure to use
separate equipment and utensils. It will lower the risk of contamination among your ingredients. It is
especially critical to do this if you have meat products stored in the same location.
3.3.1 Prepare Vegetarian and Vegan Ingredients

The ingredients you will use in your dishes may have different preparation requirements. For
example, you must wash some ingredients you will use first. But some do not need any washing
or preparation at all.
But one thing in common is that you must wash your hands first. Before you handle the
ingredients, wash your hands first. If you need to use the knife, make sure it is sharp. If there is
a need to wear protective equipment like gloves, then wear them.

The following are some of the common vegetarian and vegan ingredients you will use. Take
note that some of these ingredients are only for vegan or vegetarian dishes.
Ingredients Preparation
Usually, you can use dried fruits and vegetables straight out of their
packages. But make sure to check the packaging for any damage.
Dried vegetables and
Damaged packages may lead to contamination of the goods inside.
fruits
If you are unsure, check the packaging instructions on preparing the
goods.
Wash fresh fruits and vegetables first before you use them. Some
vegetables, like potatoes, often need scrubbing to get the dirt off.
After cleaning, you must peel some fruits and vegetables. For
example, carrots, onions and mangoes need peeling before you can
Fresh vegetables and use them.
fruits
Depending on the dish, you may have to slice, chop or dice fruits
and vegetables. You may also use them for juicing. When cutting
them, make sure to use the knife safely. You must also pay attention
to safety when using the juicer or blender.
Thaw frozen fruits and vegetables overnight in the refrigerator. You

can also use the oven if needed urgently. Once they are at room
Frozen vegetables and
temperature, you can cut them into smaller pieces. But if you need
fruits
the fruits and vegetables to stay frozen when you use them, there
is no need to thaw them.
You can use fermented vegetables and fruits straight from their
Fermented vegetables
containers. But make sure to check if the container has no damage.
and fruits
Damaged containers may lead to contamination of the goods inside.
You can use most nuts and seeds straight out of their packages.
Make sure to check the packaging for any damage. Damaged
Nuts and seeds
packages may lead to contamination of the goods inside. If you are
unsure, check the packaging instructions if washing is necessary.
You can usually use arborio rice without washing, especially for
Arborio rice risotto. But you must still ensure that the rice comes in a clean
package with no damage.

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You can use most grains and pulses straight out of their packages.
Make sure to check the packaging for any damage. Damaged
Grains and pulses
packages may lead to contamination of the goods inside. If you are
unsure, check the packaging instructions if washing is necessary.
Wash your legumes before use. Drain the water. Then rinse the
Legumes beans if you use canned beans. But check with your recipe, as some
recipes may require you to keep the beans in their liquid.
Vegetarian dishes only
You can use dairy products straight out of their containers. Usually,
you do not need further preparation. But you may have to bring
milk to room temperature before using it in recipes. As for cheese,
Dairy products
preparation usually depends on how you will use it. But usually, you
can use cheese straight away. You may also have to slice it if the
dish requires it.
Do not wash the egg before using it. Washing can loosen the shell’s
pores, making it easy for bacteria to enter. Make sure also that the
egg does not have any cracks. Bacteria can enter through these
Eggs cracks and make the egg harmful to eat.
If you plan to crack eggs ahead of time, use a clean container and
close it tightly. Then put it in the refrigerator.
Vegan dishes only
Like dairy products, dairy substitutes also do not need further

Dairy substitutes preparation. Most dairy substitutes are like actual dairy products.
The only difference is that these substitutes are plant-based.
You can use butter alternatives straight out of their containers.

Butter alternatives Usually, you do not need further preparation. But do check that the
item came in a clean package with no damage.
Vegan dishes only
You may need some meat substitutes like seitan before using. Some
do not need washing, like tempeh. Be sure to check their packages
Meat substitutes
to know if washing is necessary. The packages will also indicate if
the items have been pre-cooked or not.
If you are using firm tofu, you need to rinse it. Then you pat it dry.
Tofu
For silken tofu and emulsion, washing is usually not necessary.
Egg substitutes like chia and flax eggs do not need washing. You
Egg substitutes
need them to stay sticky to get the consistency of an egg.
Preparing Ingredients Away From Animal Products

When preparing your ingredients, prepare them away from animal products. This will include
ensuring that the following things below will not touch animal products.
▪ Space
Make sure that the space you will be working in does not have any animal products
nearby.
For example, make sure that you have distinct workstations. It means that your
workstation for cutting the ingredients is separate from the one for meat. Do not cut
your vegan and vegetarian ingredients on the same surface as meat. It will ensure that
you avoid accidental contamination.
▪ Equipment
Do not use equipment that you use on animal products like meat on the ingredients.
However, sometimes, it may be inevitable to do so. In this case, you must make sure
that the equipment is clean and well-sanitised.
For example, you must wash and cut vegetables for a vegan dish. Do not use the knife
you used to cut chicken meat. Clean and sanitise the knife first before you use it on the
vegetables. It will not only help prevent contamination, but you will also stick to the
essence of veganism.

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▪ Containers
Another thing you must remember is to use separate containers. After preparing your
ingredients, you will have to put them into containers. Only use containers that are
intended for vegan and vegetarian ingredients.
For example, after chopping the vegetables, put them in a bowl you do not use for meat.
Doing so will ensure that vegetables will not get contaminated.
3.3.2 Store Vegetarian and Vegan Ingredients Away From Animal Products
After preparing the vegetarian and vegan ingredients, you must store them properly. It means
that you must store ingredients to avoid contact with animal products. To ensure that you store
the ingredients properly, follow the guidelines below.
▪ Storing ingredients out of the refrigerator
You can keep some of the ingredients out of the refrigerator for some time. These are
usually the ingredients that do not need chilling or freezing. For example, you can keep
your fruits and vegetables on the counter while unripe. But once they are ripe, storing
them in the refrigerator can keep them fresh longer. Below are some guidelines you
can follow.
Keep ingredients away from direct sunlight that can increase humidity.
•Humidity can cause moulds and bacteria to grow. It can make the ingredients
harmful to eat.
Make sure that the area is dry.
•Damp areas have high moisture content which can make ingredients soggy or
rot faster.
Make sure containers are airtight to keep air and contaminants out.
•Containers must be closed tightly. It will ensure that animal wastes and other
contaminants do not enter.
Use containers intended for vegan or vegetarian ingredients only.
•Only use containers that are for vegan or vegetarian ingredients. It will keep the
risks of contamination low.
Store the ingredients in a separate area as animal-based products.
•Animal products must be separate from your ingredients. If you store them in
one shelf, keep the animal products in one part. The vegetarian and vegan
ingredients should be in another part.
▪ Storing ingredients in the refrigerator
Storing ingredients in the refrigerator can help keep them fresh longer. It also needs
some guidelines. Below are some of the guidelines you can follow.
Ingredients Storing in the Refrigerator
▪ Avoid storing milk in the refrigerator door. The

refrigerator door is the warmest part. Constant
opening and closing of the door can cause milk to spoil
faster.
▪ Leave products in their original containers. The original
containers of dairy products can keep the products
fresh longer. It is especially true for unopened dairy
products.
Dairy products and
substitutes ▪ Keep excess products in separate containers. Put
excess dairy products in separate containers. It will
prevent them from contaminating the remaining
content in the original container.
▪ Put older ingredients at the front of the refrigerator. If
you prepared ingredients beforehand, keep them at
the front of the refrigerator. The same goes for older
ingredients. The newer ingredients should be at the
back.
▪ Keep firm tofu hydrated. Add water to the container

when storing firm tofu. If you use the tofu later, there
is no need to add water.
▪ Keep tofu in its original packaging. Unless you use tofu,
keeping it in its original packaging is better.
Tofu ▪ Keep the container airtight if you place tofu in it. It will
protect the tofu from bacteria and contaminants.
▪ You can freeze tofu if you do not need it immediately.
If you have opened the package, transfer the tofu to a
resealable bag. Make sure to remove any water before
freezing.

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▪ Store fruits and vegetables separately.

▪ Store similar fruits together, e.g. apples with apples.
▪ Store similar vegetables together, e.g. carrots with
carrots.
▪ Keep fresh fruits and vegetables in their original
packaging and stored in the crisper of the fridge. This
packaging often includes tiny openings. These
openings help keep fruit and vegetables fresh longer.
▪ Some fruits must first ripen at room temperature away
from direct sunlight before they can be kept in the
fridge.
▪ Keep frozen fruits and vegetables in their packaging. If
Fruits and the packaging has been opened, use resealable plastic
vegetables bags.
▪ When storing cut fruits and vegetables, you can use
resealable plastic bags.
▪ Store fermented fruit and vegetables in airtight
containers to keep the smell in. Some of them have
strong odours that can spread inside the refrigerator.
▪ Leafy greens must be rinsed and then wrapped in a
paper towel or tea towel. They must then be placed in
a container or sealed plastic bag, and then
refrigerated.
▪ Unripe tomatoes must be stored at room
temperature, away from direct sunlight. Once they
ripen, they must be placed in the fridge.
▪ Do not put eggs in the refrigerator door. The

refrigerator door is the warmest part. Constant
opening and closing of the door can cause eggs to spoil
faster.
▪ Leave eggs in their original carton or containers. The
Eggs original containers can keep eggs fresh longer.
▪ Place eggs in the refrigerator as soon as possible.
▪ Older eggs should be at the front of the refrigerator. It
is so you will use them first.
▪ Place cracked eggs in airtight containers.
▪ Put egg substitutes like chia and flax seeds in airtight

containers. Usually, mason jars are good storage
options.
▪ If the seeds are already wet, then put them in airtight
Egg substitutes
containers. It is to keep bacteria and other
(chia and flax eggs)
contaminants from entering the container.
▪ You can also put the soaked chia and flax seeds into
the freezer. When you thaw the seeds later, you will
get a gel-like consistency.
▪ Leave meat substitutes in their original containers. The

original containers can keep them fresh longer.
▪ If you plan to use separate containers, make sure they
Meat substitutes
are airtight.
▪ Put the meat substitutes in the freezer. It has a
constant cold temperature.

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▪ Keep the following in airtight containers to keep

moisture out:
o Grains
o Arborio rice
Grains, rice, o Pulses
pulses, nuts, seeds
and legumes o Nuts
o Seeds
o Legumes
▪ If you store canned beans, make sure to rinse the
beans first. Then put it in an airtight container.
If you have animal products in your refrigerator, separate them from the ingredients.
You can choose a section in your refrigerator and your freezer for the ingredients. It is
to ensure that your animal products will not mix with the vegan and vegetarian
ingredients.
For example, you have regular butter in your refrigerator. Place it somewhere else in
the refrigerator. It is so it does not mix with your vegan butter alternatives. Another
example is if you have regular meat in your freezer. You can divide your freezer into
sections to make a clear separation between regular meat and meat substitutes.
3.4 Clean and Cut Ingredients to Meet Culinary Standards
The culinary sector follows a set of standards to ensure dishes have good quality. You call these
standards culinary standards. As a cook, you are expected to perform tasks and produce food that
reaches these standards. It is essential because it ensures that customers receive high-quality food.
High-quality food is what makes food businesses go. If you do not meet the culinary standards, you
may end up with poor-quality food. Your organisation may lose customers or gain a bad reputation.
In this subchapter, the culinary standards will focus on the following:
▪ Cleaning ingredients
▪ Cutting ingredients
3.4.1 Cleaning Ingredients According to Culinary Standards

As per Food Standards Australia New Zealand (2016), ‘clean’ means that the item is free of dirt
and foul odour. By cleaning your ingredients, you remove any dirt and bad smell on them. If you
cannot remove the dirt and bad smell, it may lead to spoilage or contamination.

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Using dirty or contaminated ingredients will make your food unsafe for eating. If you serve this
food, the following things may happen:
▪ The customers may become sick.
▪ You may receive complaints from your customers.
▪ You may receive fines or penalties.
As you can see, not cleaning your ingredients can have terrible consequences. But mindless
cleaning is not enough. You must also ensure that you use the correct methods to clean them
properly. This is because unwashed ingredients are just as harmful as poorly washed ones.
The following table will guide you on how you can clean ingredients properly:
Ingredients How to Clean
Most dried vegetables and fruits come as ready-to-eat. So, they do

Dried vegetables and not need washing. Water can make them soggy. But if you are
fruits unsure, check the packaging instructions to see if washing is
necessary.
1. Clean and sanitise your hands, sink and any surface that
may have contact with your food.
2. If there is any damage or bruising, cut away these parts
before preparing or eating them.
3. Rinse with plain running water before peeling or cutting.
4. Rub the produce gently while holding it under running
Fresh vegetables and water.
fruits
5. Use a clean brush to scrub firm produce like potatoes and
melons.
6. Dry with a clean cloth or paper towel.
7. Remove the outermost leaves on top if you are washing
lettuce or cabbage.
8. Clean and sanitise the sink and other used utensils.
1. Clean and sanitise your hands, sink, and any surface that
2. Rinse the frozen fruits and vegetables with plain running
Frozen vegetables and water.
fruits
3. Rub them gently while holding them under running water.
There is no need to wash fermented vegetables and fruits. You can

use them straight out of their containers.
But you must make sure of the following:
Fermented vegetables ▪ The container has no damage. Damaged containers may
and fruits lead to contamination of the goods inside.
▪ Your hands and any other surface that may have contact
with the items are clean. This will prevent contaminants
from getting into the vegetables and fruits.
Nuts and seeds
2. Rinse the nuts and seeds with plain running water.
You can usually use arborio rice without washing, especially for
risotto. If you are not sure, check the packaging instructions.
You must also make sure of the following:
Arborio rice ▪ The container has no damage. Damaged containers may

lead to contamination of the goods inside.
from getting into the rice.

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You can use most grains and pulses straight out of their packages.
▪ The container has no damage. Damaged containers may
Grains and pulses lead to contamination of the goods inside.
from getting into the grains and pulses.
1. Clean and sanitise your hands, sink, and any surface that
Legumes 2. Rinse the legumes with plain running water.

Vegetarian dishes only
You can use dairy products straight out of their containers.

▪ The container has no damage. Damaged containers may
Dairy products lead to contamination of the goods inside.
from getting into the products.
As mentioned before, do not wash eggs before using them. But

make sure that the egg does not have any cracks. Also, ensure that
the egg has no dirt or animal waste residue.
Eggs
When you crack the eggs, make sure that your hands are clean. It
applies to any other surface that may also have contact with the
eggs. This will prevent contaminants from getting into the eggs.
Vegan dishes only
Usually, dairy substitutes and butter alternatives do not need

cleaning. You can use most of these products as they are. But you
must make sure of the following:
Dairy substitutes and ▪ The container has no damage. Damaged containers may
butter alternatives lead to contamination of the goods inside.
from getting into the products.
Vegan dishes only
Some meat substitutes do not need rinsing before use. In this case,
check the packaging instructions on how to clean the product.
Meat substitutes 2. Rinse with plain running water before cutting.

3. Rub the substitute gently while holding it under running
water.
For firm tofu, do the following:

Tofu 2. Rinse tofu with plain running water.

For silken tofu and emulsion, washing is usually not necessary.
As mentioned before, egg substitutes like chia and flax eggs do not
Egg substitutes need washing. You need them to stay sticky to get the consistency
of an egg.

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Multimedia
Here is a video by CG Singapore on how you
can properly handle and wash vegetables
Proper Handling and Washing of Vegetables
3.4.2 Basic Culinary Cuts According to Culinary Standards

The shape and size of an ingredient can make or break a dish. So, you must follow the culinary
standards for cutting ingredients.
The culinary standard for cutting includes the size of each piece. It also calls for consistency in
the size and shape of the cut ingredients. This is because those two factors can affect the dish.
The size and shape of each ingredient may shorten or lengthen the cooking duration. Moreover,
the taste of the dish can also change.
When ingredients are uniform in size and shape, they will cook at the same rate. In contrast, if
your ingredients are cut into chunks and fine pieces, the fine pieces will cook faster. This may
give your dish an uneven texture. Worse, your dish may taste burnt in some parts while raw in
others.
Interestingly, the cut of ingredients can also affect the taste. For example, a dish with minced
garlic tastes differently from a dish with whole garlic. Knowing this, you must ensure to cut your
ingredients uniformly.
Before you begin cutting your ingredients, here are some things you must remember:
▪ Wash and sanitise your hands before handling any ingredients.
▪ Ensure that all the tools you will use are clean and sanitised.
▪ Do not use the same equipment (e.g. knives and cutting boards) when cutting cooked
and raw food.
Among the vegetarian and vegan ingredients, the ones below are the ones you commonly cut.
You can follow the steps below on how to cut these ingredients.
Ingredient Basic cutting method
1. Cut the meat substitute while it is partially frozen.

2. Place your cutting board on a stable and flat surface.
3. Position your knife with its blade at a 45-degree angle.
Meat substitutes
Ensure that it is facing away from you.
4. Put pressure on your knife as you cut downward.
5. Apply a push and pull motion to cut.
1. Start by placing your produce on the cutting board in a

stable position. Depending on your ingredient, it can be
parallel to the cutting board or standing up.
2. Cut the produce in half, then bring both halves together.
Vegetables or fruits Cut those in half too.
3. Lay down the halves and cut them into smaller pieces.
4. You can also remove any seeds before cutting them into
smaller pieces.
1. Before cutting tofu, make sure it is dry.

2. With a sharp knife, cut the tofu according to the size you
need.
Firm tofu
4. Put pressure on your knife as you cut downward. Do not
put too much pressure because tofu can crumble easily.

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Ingredient Basic cutting method
1. Before cutting the boiled egg, make sure your knife is dry.
2. With a sharp knife, cut the egg according to the slices you
need.
Egg (hard-boiled)
4. Boiled eggs are soft, so you do not need to exert much
pressure.
1. Before cutting the butter substitute, make sure your knife

is dry.
2. Make sure that the butter is still partially frozen. This will
keep it hard when you cut.
3. With a sharp knife, cut the butter according to the size you
Butter substitutes
need.
5. Butter substitutes are soft, so you do not need to exert
much pressure.
There are also many types of culinary cuts that you can do. Culinary cuts are precision cuts that
are characterised by their uniform sizes.
The table below shows these culinary cuts and the standards you must follow.
Image Culinary Cut Culinary Standard
▪ 2–3 mm for
Brunoise (fine dice)
regular
The food is first julienned and
▪ 1.5 mm for
then diced.
fine
Chiffonade (shred)
Green leafy vegetables are About 1 mm wide
finely shredded.
Concasse
This is a process of peeling, -
deseeding and cutting
tomatoes.
Jardinière
▪ 1.5 cm length
Food is cut into thick batons.
The output is smaller than a ▪ 4 mm in width
julienne cut.
▪ 3–4 cm in
Julienne
length
Food is cut into thin
▪ 2 mm by
matchstick shapes.
width

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Image Culinary Cut Culinary Standard
Parmentier
This cut produces cubes bigger 13 mm dice
than Macédoine.
Macédoine
Food is cut into cubes much 5–8 mm dice
bigger than the brunoise cut.
Mirepoix
This makes different rough cuts 2 cm by 2 cm
of vegetables.
Paysanne
The cuts are thinly sliced 10–15 mm diameter
squares, rounds, triangles or
rough-sided rounds.
Carre
The cubes are bigger than those 20 mm dice
of Parmentier.
Rondelle
This is cutting fruits and -
vegetables into a round shape.
Mincing
This is a fine-cutting technique -
that produces smaller than dice
or chopped.
3.5 Minimise Waste to Maximise Food Profitability
Food businesses generate tonnes of waste each day, depending on how big the business is. Most of
this waste comes from food that was thrown away. This type of waste is called food waste. They are
food intended to be eaten but are thrown away and wasted.
Customer leftovers, rejected ingredients and spoilt food are all food waste. Sometimes, food is
disposed of for good reasons, such as spoilage or contamination. But many foods are wasted for no
good reason. Fruits that are ‘ugly’ but still edible are rejected by some food businesses. Mistakes in
food production, such as poor portion control, can also lead to food wastage.
All of this waste gets thrown into landfills or burnt. This contributes to about three per cent of
greenhouse gas emissions. This gas causes the greenhouse effect.
Hence, it is important to minimise any waste in your organisation. It will greatly benefit the
environment.
But that is not all. By minimising waste, you can maximise the profitability of the dishes you prepare.
The term profitability refers to the degree of profit that a business gains from a venture. In this unit,
your organisation benefits from vegetarian and vegan dishes. You can think of profitability in terms of
the question, ‘How much did they gain?’ It covers how much your organisation gains from every
portion dish you make.

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So, how does minimising waste affect profitability? The table below shows common problems that
food businesses face. It also shows the different ways you can lessen waste to maximise food
profitability.
Common Problem Ways to Minimise Waste
Overproduction happens when you make more

You can minimise waste and stop
portions than what you need. This leads to a loss of
unnecessary losses by controlling your
profit because ingredients that can be used in other
portions better.
ways are wasted.
Improper storage spoils ingredients faster. It causes Store your food supplies in the appropriate
loss because the ingredients are wasted. environmental conditions.
Disorderly way of taking stocks: If you take supplies

Practice the ‘first in, first out’ rule. Always
without checking the expiry dates, you may not be
take the ones that will expire soonest.
able to use supplies near expiry.
Not monitoring your supplies can cause you to Keep a food log and update your inventory.
order too much of a particular ingredient. You may This way, you will see if you need a particular
not be able to use them all before they expire or product or not. You will also see if you have
spoil. ingredients near their expiry dates.
As mentioned above, minimising waste can help maximise profitability. It will ensure that your
organisation's profits from each serving of the dish do not lessen.
Remember that before buying the ingredients, your business already has a budget. Wasted
ingredients will result in additional purchases of more ingredients. As you purchase more ingredients,
the total cost of preparing the dishes gets higher. As the cost of preparation gets higher, the profit
decreases. Of course, your organisation can increase the price of each vegan and vegetarian dish. They
can do this to regain the required profit. However, if the price of the dishes increases, there is a
tendency for customers to stop buying. In the end, your organisation still loses profitability. So, you
must always ensure you minimise wastage while preparing the dishes.
For example, the price of vegan pasta is $30 per plate. The budget for the ingredients of that pasta is
$15. Assuming that there are no other costs, your organisation should earn $15 off per plate. However,
you wasted some of the ingredients, which will require you to purchase more. Say that the value of
the lost ingredients is $8. The total cost of the ingredients of the pasta is not $23. Compared to the
price of $30, your organisation loses $7 of its profit.
Notes

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• Sorting ingredients means that you must prepare what ingredients you need. Assembling
ingredients involves arranging your ingredients based on how you will use them.
• There are three ways to measure your ingredients:
o By volume
o By weight
o By count
• Before you handle any of the ingredients, you must wash your hands first.
• When preparing your ingredients, prepare them away from animal products. For example,
Do not use the knife you used to cut chicken meat to cut vegetables.
• There are guidelines you must follow when you plan to store your ingredients:
o In the refrigerator
o Outside the refrigerator
• Clean your ingredients to remove dirt and bad smell on them. If you cannot remove the
dirt and bad smell, it may lead to spoilage or contamination.
• Minimising waste can help:
o The environment
o Maximise the profitability of dishes
Learning Checkpoint
trainer/assessor.
Chapter 4: Cook Vegetarian and Vegan Dishes
After the previous chapters, you must know by now how to select your ingredients. This includes your
equipment too. You should also already know how to prepare your equipment and ingredients. In this
chapter, you will finally start the cooking process.
At the end of the chapter, you will also learn how some recipes differ from classic recipes. This allows
you to be more creative and have more variety when preparing dishes. You will also be able to adjust
your dishes according to your level of responsibility.

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4.1 Select and Use Cookery Methods Based on Recipes
Cookery methods are the ways how you can prepare your dish. These cookery methods include the
following:
Deep and
Boiling Braising Poaching Steaming
shallow frying
Grilling Blanching Roasting Stewing
You must be familiar with the cookery methods you will use to prepare the following:
▪ Vegan dishes
▪ Vegetarian dishes
You will learn their functions and differences. You will also learn to choose the best cookery method
for your recipe as we go through this subchapter.
Listed below are the different cookery methods for vegetarian and vegan dishes. You will also see
some examples of these dishes and their origin. You will see some examples of the contemporary
variations of the dishes as well. Contemporary variations refer to the dishes derived from the classic
ones and adjusted by adding or replacing ingredients.
▪ Boiling
Boiling is done by heating liquid in a saucepan
and submerging food in it. This is a common
cookery method for vegetables and rice or
pasta.
An example of a vegetarian dish that uses this
cookery method is boiled potatoes e.g. mashed
potatoes.
The history of mashed potatoes traces back to when potatoes were first domesticated by the
Incas of Peru. Spanish Conquistadors spread their use in Europe. Before, potatoes where
either dried or roasted. But in the early 1770s, Antoine Parmentier held a competition to find
new ways to use potatoes. One of the recipes was mashed potatoes.
The Incas used potatoes for many things, such as for food and treating injuries and even
measuring time. As potatoes spread to Europe, the tuber became a crop for wartime and
famine. Today, potato dishes such as mashed potatoes have become a staple in many
countries. Contemporary mashed potato dishes include mash potato puffs.
Below is a vegetarian recipe for mashed potatoes, which uses boiling as its main cookery method.
Standard Recipe Card for Mashed Potato
Recipe no. 1 Portion Size 200 grams
Timeframe 1 hour Yield 4 servings
Equipment/Utensils Large saucepan and lid, slotted spoon, colander, knife, potato masher,
small saucepan
Ingredients Quantity Unit
Medium sized potatoes 700 g
Salt 4 g
Butter, at room temperature 100 g
Milk 100 ml

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Method/Procedure
1. Wash the potatoes to remove dirt. Place potatoes in a large saucepan. Fill saucepan with
cold water, covering the potatoes, and add salt. Cover saucepan and bring to a boil over
high heat.
2. Remove lid and reduce heat to medium-high. Continue to boil for 30 minutes. With a slotted
spoon, transfer the potatoes to a colander. Let the potatoes cool and drain the water from
the saucepan.
3. Once cooled, peel the potato skins using a small knife. Place peeled potatoes in the dry
saucepan. Heat potatoes over low heat for 1-2 minutes to remove moisture.
4. Use a potato masher to mash the potatoes. Add butter, and mix until smooth.
5. Pour milk in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook for 4 minutes while stirring until
milk is hot.
6. Gradually add the hot milk to the potatoes in the large saucepan. Mash until fully combined
and smooth.
Further Reading
Click on the link below to see a vegan recipe that uses boiling to make the
Vietnamese soup dish, pho.
Vegan pho recipe
▪ Braising
Braising is done by searing the meat substitute or
vegetable on a pan. Then slowly cook the ingredient in
a seasoned liquid until tender. The dish is often topped
with a thickened liquid or sauce. This is a common
cookery method for vegetables and meat substitutes.
A popular dish that uses braising is braised tofu. This
can be prepared both vegan and vegetarian.
Historically, tofu has long been used as food in ancient China and Japan. Braised tofu can also
be traced to ancient Chinese cuisine. It was a popular meat substitute used by Buddhist
monks. Its cultural origin traces back to the practices of Buddhist monks in ancient China and
Japan who used tofu to replace meat in their dishes. Today, people who are into veganism or
vegetarian diets are eating tofu as well. A common contemporary variation of braised tofu is
spicy braised tofu with vegetables
Below is a recipe for vegan mapo tofu. This is a spicy braised tofu from Sichuan, China.
Standard Recipe Card for Vegan Mapo Tofu
Recipe no. 2 Portion Size 170 g
Timeframe 25 minutes Yield 1 kg
Equipment/Utensils Bowl, wok spatula, spoon
Vegetable broth 120 ml
Maple syrup 80 ml
Soy sauce 60 ml
Cornflour 50 g
Peanut oil 20 ml
Shiitake mushrooms, sliced 100 g
Black beans, chopped 50 g

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Standard Recipe Card for Vegan Mapo Tofu
Green onions, chopped 30 g
Garlic, minced 40 g
Ginger, minced 20 g
Sichuan peppercorn 20 g
Chili bean paste 30 g
Silken tofu, cubed 100 g
Chili oil 20 ml
Sesame oil 20 ml
Peanuts, chopped 25 g
Method/Procedure
1. Combine vegetable broth, maple syrup, soy sauce and cornflour in a bowl.
2. Place peanut oil in a wok and heat over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, black beans,
green onions, garlic, ginger, and peppercorn. Sauté for approximately 1 minute.
3. Add chili bean paste and the broth mixture to the wok. Cook while stirring for 3-5 minutes,
or until thick. Add tofu cubes and continue cooking for 1 minute.
4. Transfer cooked tofu and sauce to a plate.
Serving Instructions
Drizzle with chili oil and sesame oil. Top with chopped peanuts.
Further Reading
Click on the link below to view a vegetarian recipe that uses braising.
Braised baby spring vegetables
▪ Poaching
Poaching is done by gently cooking foods, e.g. fruits and eggs. This is done by simmering the
food item in a small amount of liquid, usually water. An example of a poached vegetarian dish
is a poached egg.
Poaching has been a long-time method in cooking. While it is commonly used for eggs, ancient
people have also poached custards and dumplings. A very well-known dish with poached eggs
is Eggs Benedict. The dish was invented by an American broker. Culturally, poached eggs
started as an innovative egg dish. It later became a dish well-liked by people because it uses
water for cooking. With water, there is less fat. At present, poached eggs have many
contemporary versions, including Turkish eggs.

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Below is a standard recipe for poached eggs, used in various vegetarian dishes.
Standard Recipe Card for Poached Eggs
Recipe no. 3 Portion Size 1 egg
Timeframe 20 minutes Yield 2 portions
Equipment/Utensils Saucepan, bowl, wooden spoon, slotted spoon.
White vinegar 10 ml
Eggs, medium 2 pcs
Method/Procedure
1. Fill a large saucepan with 8 centimetres worth of water. Add 2 tsp of white vinegar and
bring to a boil over medium heat. Once boiling, reduce heat to low.
2. Crack 1 egg into a shallow bowl. With a wooden spoon, stir boiling water and slowly tip the
egg into the saucepan. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
3. With a slotted spoon, remove the egg from the saucepan and set it aside to cool.
4. Skim foam from boiling water, and repeat the process with the other egg.
Further Reading
Click on the link below to view a vegan recipe that uses poaching to prepare a
fruity, blueberry dessert.
Cinnamon-poached blueberries
▪ Frying
Frying refers to using a pan with fat or oil to cook the food. There are two different frying
methods used in preparing vegetarian and vegan dishes, which are deep frying and shallow
frying.
o Deep frying
Deep-frying involves fully submerging food in oil.

An example of a dish that can be cooked through deep frying is a deep-fried vegetable
mix. This can be either vegan or vegetarian, depending on how the dish is prepared.
Historically, The Egyptians were said to be the first people to deep-fry foods. The
Greeks were also known to have deep-fried their food.
Deep-frying was mostly popular in European and Western countries before. It was not
until around the 16th century that deep-frying kicked off in Asia, especially in Japan.
Today, deep-fried sliced vegetables and veggie mix are very common dishes. At
present, a contemporary variation of deep-fried vegetables are cheesy veggie mix
balls.

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Below is a standard recipe for the vegan version of a deep fried vegetable mix.
Standard Recipe Card for Vegan Deep Fried Vegetable Mix
Recipe no. 4 Portion Size 1 ball (40 grams)
Timeframe 25 minutes Yield 12 balls
Equipment/Utensils Bowl, colander,
Cabbage, finely chopped 200 g
Carrots, finely chopped 150 g
Celery, finely chopped 50 g
Salt, to taste N/A N/A
Sugar 10 g
Plain flour 90 g
Water 60 ml
Oil 20 ml
Method/Procedure
1. In a bowl, combine chopped cabbage, carrots and celery. Add salt to taste and sugar.
Transfer to a colander. Set aside for 10 minutes to allow vegetables to release water.
2. In the used bowl, combine plain flour and water to form a sticky dough-like consistency.
Add the vegetables and mix until well combined. Form the mixture into golf ball-sized balls.
3. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Fry the vegetable balls until cooked thoroughly.
Scoop out each ball with a spider and transfer to a mesh basket to allow excess oil to drip.
Further Reading
Click on the link below to see a vegetarian recipe for a Japanese deep-fried
vegetable dish, also known as vegetable tempura.
Tempura vegetables
o Shallow frying
Shallow frying only needs a little bit of oil or butter substitute. The ingredients are
flipped to ensure both sides are properly cooked. An example of a vegetarian and
vegan dish that is prepared through shallow frying is stir-fried vegetables.
Much research points to the origin of frying in Ancient Egypt. However, stir-fried
vegetables as a dish can be traced back to Ancient China, where it was considered
expensive due to the amount of oil needed.
Stir-frying vegetables in Western nations were brought by Chinese immigrants. It
became popular due to the ease of cooking it.
Below is a vegetarian recipe for stir-fried mixed vegetables.
Standard Recipe Card for Stir-Fried Mixed Vegetables
Recipe no. 5 Portion Size 250 grams
Equipment/Utensils Wok or large frying pan, spatula, bowl
Vegetable oil 10 ml
Garlic cloves, crushed 20 g

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Standard Recipe Card for Stir-Fried Mixed Vegetables
Brown onion, sliced 150 g
Red chili, sliced 25 g
Cauliflower, cut into small florets 100 g
Scallion, cut to 6cm lengths 20 g
Carrot, peeled and sliced into rounds 100 g
Cornflour 10 g
Water 60 ml
Chicken stock 100 ml
Wombok, thickly sliced 100 g
Method/Procedure
1. Using a wok or large frying pan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic, onion and chili.
Stir-fry for 2 minutes or until the onion is soft and semi-translucent.
2. Increase heat to high, and add cauliflower, scallion and carrot. Stir fry for 3 minutes or until
the carrot is slightly tender.
3. In a bowl, combine cornflour and water. Add cornflour mixture and chicken stock to wok or
pan. Stir-fry until sauce boils and thickens. Add wombok and continue cooking until slightly
wilted.
Further Reading
Click on the link below to see a vegan recipe that uses shallow frying to cook bok
choy.
Stir-Fried Bok Choy With Ginger and Garlic
▪ Steaming
Steaming is a healthy cookery method
where cooks suspend food above a boiling
liquid. Meat substitutes, vegan dim sum and
vegetable buns use steaming.
Steaming food can date back to thousands
of years when people used steam pits. In
Asia, the history of steamed buns dates back
to the Three Kingdoms period of China.
Steamed buns are highly popular in China. The filling ranges from meat to beans and
vegetables. Today, there are many versions of steamed buns, including varieties of vegetable
buns. Vegetable teriyaki steamed buns are also a contemporary variation of steamed
vegetable bums.
Below is a vegetarian recipe for vegetable steamed buns, using vermicelli noodles and chives.
Standard Recipe Card for Vegetarian Steamed Buns
Recipe no. 6 Portion Size 1 bun
Timeframe 2 hours 30 minutes Yield 12 buns
Equipment/Utensils 2 large bowls, spatula, plastic wrap, frying pan, colander, knife, cutting
board, steamer
For the dough
Plain flour 300 g
Active instant yeast 10 g
Salt 5 g
Water 150 ml
For the filling
Chives 150 g
Sesame oil 40 ml

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Standard Recipe Card for Vegetarian Steamed Buns
For the filling
Vermicelli noodles, soaked until softened 30 g
Vegetable oil 40 ml
Eggs, medium 2 pcs
Salt 5 g
Five spice powder 5 g
Method/Procedure
For the dough
1. In a large bowl, add plain flour, yeast, salt and water. Combine ingredients with a spatula.
When incorporated, knead into a smooth dough. Cover bowl and let rest for 1 hour.
For the filling
1. In another large bowl, combine chives and sesame oil.
2. Transfer soaked vermicelli into a colander to drain. When drained, transfer to cutting board
and cut into shorter pieces. Add to the chive mixture along with salt and five spice powder.
3. Add vegetable oil to a pan and heat over medium heat. Crack eggs into a hot pan and cook
into an omelette. Once done, set aside to cool. Cut into small chunks and add to the chive
and vermicelli mixture. Mix until well combined.
For the bun
1. Transfer dough to a dusted countertop. Knead until the texture is smooth and elastic. Divide
into 12 portions and roll each into a ball.
2. Take one dough ball and flatten it into a round disk. Scoop 1 tablespoon of filling into the
centre of your disk. Gradually pinch the edges of the disk towards one another, forming a
dough sack with pleat-like folds. Continue until the filling is fully concealed within the
dough. Repeat for each portion of dough.
3. Place the buns in a steamer. Steam for 3 minutes, and let sit for 15 minutes. After sitting,
steam for another 10 minutes over boiling water and let cool slightly before serving.
Further Reading
Click on the link below to see a vegan steamed bun recipe that uses carrots as
the main ingredient.
Carrot Steamed Buns
▪ Grilling
This is done by putting a grill plate over a direct heat source. You cook your meat substitutes
and vegetables on the grill plate. You can also cook fruits, like pineapple or banana, on a grill.
Vegetable kebabs are a popular vegan and vegetarian dish that requires grilling to cook.
Kebabs originated from the Middle Eastern nations. Today, kebabs are widespread in many
countries.
The original kebabs are mostly skewers of meat. Some are meat mixed with cut vegetables.
But because of health concerns, many people replace meat with substitutes like tofu.
Contemporary variations include grilled tofu and vegetable kebabs.
Below is a vegan recipe for a grilled tofu steak.
Standard Recipe Card for Grilled Tofu Steak
Recipe no. 7 Portion Size 2 slices
Timeframe 1 hour 30 minutes Yield 12 slices
Equipment/Utensils Bowl, knife, chopping board, baking dish, grill

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Standard Recipe Card for Grilled Tofu Steak
Vinegar 80 ml
Soy sauce 80 ml
Olive oil 80 ml
Garlic powder 15 g
Salt 10 g
Black pepper, ground 10 g
Cayenne pepper 10 g
Thyme, dried 10 g
Firm tofu, pressed 300 g
Olive oil, to grease the grate of the grill 20 ml
Method/Procedure
1. In a bowl, combine vinegar, soy sauce, 80 ml of olive oil, garlic powder, salt, black pepper,
cayenne pepper and thyme.
2. Slice the block of tofu into 6 thick slices. Place each slice on a baking dish. Pour the mixture
created in Step 1 over the tofu to coat it. Chill for at least 30 minutes, occasionally turning
over the tofu assure it is well coated.
3. Preheat the grill over high heat. Once heated, lower heat and grease grate with olive oil.
4. Place tofu blocks on the grill and cook for 5 minutes or until the bottom is browned. Flip
and repeat on the other side. Set aside and let cool slightly before serving.
Further Reading
Click on the link below to see a vegetarian recipe that makes use of tofu and
vegetables such as zucchini, capiscum and mushrooms in a kebab.
Teriyaki Tofu Kebabs
▪ Blanching
Blanching is done by briefly soaking
ingredients in boiling water. You can blanch
vegetables, fruits, nuts and legumes.
Historically, the origins of blanching trace
back to France. It was invented by Nicolas
Appert as a means to preserve army food.
From a means to preserve food, blanching is
now used in preparing many dishes. Many people today prefer to eat blanched vegetables
over fried vegetables due to health reasons. A common vegetarian and vegan dish that uses
blanching is blanched vegetables. A more contemporary vegetarian and vegan dish involves
blanched beans and toasted nuts.
Below is a vegan recipe for a semolina cake, which uses blanching in order to prepare its signature
almond topping.
Standard Recipe Card for Semolina Cake
Recipe no. 8 Portion Size 2 slices
Timeframe 15 minutes Yield 12 slices
Equipment/Utensils Large bowl, baking pan, heat resistant bowl, small pan, colander,
towel or cloth, saucepan
For the cake batter
Soy milk 350 ml
Sugar 70 g
Semolina 500 g
Baking soda 15 g
Almond 60 g
Water 200 ml

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Standard Recipe Card for Semolina Cake
For the syrup
Sugar 300 g
Water 500 ml
Lemon juice 15 ml
Method/Procedure
1. In a large bowl, combine soy milk, sugar, semolina and baking soda. Mix until well
combined, and spread onto a greased baking pan. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 2
hours.
2. Place almonds in a separate heat-resistant bowl. In a small pan, heat 200 ml of water until
boiling. Pour boiling water into the bowl of almonds. Allow to soak for exactly 1 minute.
Drain water from the bowl using a colander and transfer blanched almonds onto a cloth or
towel. Pat dry and peel skins. Set aside.
3. Combine sugar, water and lemon juice in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat
and leave to simmer for 5 minutes. Once done, set aside to cool.
4. When the batter completed in Step 1 is cooled, score the batter with your desired design.
Place a blanched almond on each slice.
5. Bake batter at 175 °C for 30 minutes or until golden. Once baked, go over score lines and
deeply cut into the batter to create separate slices.
6. Pour syrup completed in Step 3 over the batter. Let rest for 1.5 hours.
Further Reading
Click on the link below to see a vegetarian dish that uses blanching to prepare
asparagus.
Asparagus with chilli pangrattato
▪ Roasting
Roasting is an effective way to prepare meat
substitutes, fruits and vegetables. This can be in an
oven. Dry heat in the oven surrounds the food and
cooks it. Roasting ensures moisture.
Historically, roasting is probably one of the oldest
cookery methods. It can date back to as early as
prehistoric times. The early humans used sticks to cook meat over fire. Today, you can roast
dishes in an oven, including vegetables. This is an example of a vegetarian and vegan dish that
uses roasting to cook.
Before roasting vegetables became widely popular, people usually fried or boiled them. But
when people got bored of boiled veggies, roasting became the new trend. At present, there
are many contemporary dishes made through roasting, such as roasted vegetables and
mushroom and peanut sauce.
Below is a recipe that uses roasting to prepare potatoes and herbs.
Standard Recipe Card for Roast Potatoes
Recipe no. 9 Portion Size approx. 300 grams
Timeframe 1 hour 40 minutes Yield 8 portions
Equipment/Utensils Large pan, colander
Potatoes peeled and quartered 2.5 kg
Thyme 50 g
Rosemary 50 g
Parsley 50 g
Salt 20 g
Sunflower oil 100 ml

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Standard Recipe Card for Roast Potatoes
Method/Procedure
1. Place potatoes, thyme, rosemary and parsley into a large pan. Fill the pan with water and
add salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Let simmer for 10 minutes until potatoes
are cooked. Drain potatoes with a colander and leave to drain and cool.
2. Heat oven to 180 °C. Grease a roasting tin with sunflower oil and let it sit in the oven for 5
minutes. When hot, remove from oven and transfer potatoes and herbs to tray. Flip
potatoes and herbs in sunflower oil to coat. Place tray in the oven and let potatoes and
herbs roast for 40 minutes at 180 °C.
3. Remove tray from oven and flip potatoes and herbs in oil to coat. Return to the oven and
cook for an additional 20 minutes at 180 °C.
4. Remove tray from oven a second time, and flip potatoes and herbs in oil to coat. Return to
the oven and cook for 20 minutes at 220 °C until potatoes are golden and crisp.
Further Reading
Click on the link below to see a vegetarian dish that uses roasted vegetables such
as zucchini, onion and capiscum to make a hearty risotto.
Roasted Mediterranean vegetable and barley risotto
▪ Stewing
Stewing is done by slowly simmering the
ingredients in boiling liquid. You season the
liquid and serve the dish when cooked. You
can stew tofu, vegetables, meat substitutes
and egg. You can also combine an assortment
of vegetables to create a vegetable stew.
The history of stewing food can be traced to
many ancient civilisations. For example, some studies show that stews were a common food
for Vikings. Japan also has a long history of stewing food. Culturally, meat was the original star
of stews before. The vegetables were only used to add flavour to the meat. But due to health
reasons, many people today stew vegetables only. Sometimes they add meat substitutes like
tofu.
Now, contemporary recipes for stews make use of tofu as the protein of the dish. An example
of this is a recipe for stewed vegetables with tofu and tomato sauce.
Below is a vegan recipe for vegetable stew which uses firm tofu as its protein.
Standard Recipe Card for Vegetable Stew with Tofu
Recipe no. 10 Portion Size approx. 300 grams
Equipment/Utensils Knife, chopping board, bowl, small pot,
Firm tofu 400 g
Carrot 200 g
Tomato (fresh), whole 200 g
Olive oil 60 ml
Onion, diced 150 g
Garlic, diced 10 g

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Standard Recipe Card for Vegetable Stew with Tofu
Tomato (canned), chopped 400 ml
Vegetable broth 250 ml
Salt 20 g
Pepper 20 g
Method/Procedure
1. Cut block of tofu into cubes. Peel and dice carrots. Transfer both to a bowl and set aside.
2. Fill a small pot with water and bring to a boil. Blanch the tomatoes by submerging in boiling
water for 30 seconds. Once ready, rinse under cold water and remove skin and stem. Dice
tomato pulp and add to bowl with tofu and carrots.
3. Grease a large saucepan with olive oil. Sauté diced onion and garlic until soft. Add tofu,
tomatoes, carrots, vegetable broth salt and pepper to the saucepan. Bring to a boil and
cook for 20 minute over low heat.
Further Reading
Click on the link below to see a vegetarian dish that makes use of stewing to cook
fresh pumpkin, celery beans and more.
Pumpkin & lentil stew (vegetarian)
To select the right cookery method, you need to check the recipe of the dish. Remember that the
recipe details all the steps you must do to cook the dish. These steps also contain the cookery methods
you must use.
Below is a case study on how to select the right cookery method.
Case Study: Select the Right Cookery Method
Michell is finally cooking! This time, she needs to identify the right cookery methods for her recipe.
She looks at the recipe for her vegan jalapeño poppers. She checks the procedures and finds out
that she must:
1. Preheat the oven first.
2. Mix cream cheese and Cheddar cheese in a bowl.
3. Fill jalapeños with the cheese mixture.
4. Arrange them on the baking sheet.
5. Bake in the oven until crispy or about 15 minutes.
According to the procedures, Michell needs to do some baking!

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4.2 Select and Add Accompaniments to Dishes
Accompaniments are food items that complement the main dish. They are additions or side dishes to
the main dish. They act as a side to the main dish and add flavour, texture and appeal. Take note that
accompaniment is always edible. If an accompaniment is not edible, then it is an example of a garnish.
Some examples of accompaniments include bread, salads, sauces and fries. When you finish cooking
your dishes, you must select the right accompaniments. After selection, you then add those
accompaniments to the dish. Remember that your dishes are vegetarian and vegan. So, your
accompaniments must also be vegetarian and vegan.
4.2.1 Selecting Accompaniments

Usually, the accompaniments you can add to dishes will depend on the following:
▪ Recipe for the dish
▪ Organisational policies and procedures
For example, the dish is grilled tofu and vegetable kebab. An accompaniment you can add to
the dish is the sauce. You will know more about sauces in Subchapter 5.2.
Aside from the sauce, an accompaniment can also be another simpler dish that compliments
the main dish. This dish is called a side dish.
Take note that accompaniments for vegetarian dishes can include dairy and eggs. However,
there must be no meat, poultry, fish or seafood. For example, one accompaniment you can
serve with roasted vegetables is mashed sweet potatoes. Mashed sweet potatoes are sweet
and creamy. They have a light orange appearance with a smooth texture. They can also be
paired with seasonal side dishes like salads.
Other examples of side dishes for vegetarian dishes include:
▪ Mushroom gravy
▪ Creamy corn salad
For vegan dishes, dairy, eggs and meat must be replaced with substitutes. These substitutes
must not come from animals. For example, cauliflower rice is a good accompaniment for
savoury vegan dishes. Cauliflower rice does not have the neutral flavour of real rice but has a
mild flavour. Raw cauliflower rice is crunchy and can add texture to salads. Cooked cauliflower
rice is soft and mushy and can be paired with any vegan dish that works well with rice.
Other side dishes you can consider for your vegan dishes are:
▪ Vegan caramelised carrots
▪ Parsnip mash
Your dish may also come with drinks. Drinks are also accompaniments. If your organisation has
specific drinks to go with dishes, then you must add those drinks.
Dressings
Another accompaniment you can add is a dressing. A dressing is a combination of vinegar and
oil with herbs and flavourings. You usually use dressings on salads.
Below are the common dressings you can add to your dishes.
Dressing Description
Vinaigrette dressing ▪ A vinaigrette has many purposes, including

being used as a salad dressing, a sauce or a
marinade.
▪ It is made up of 3 parts oil to 1 part vinegar.
▪ Common kinds of vinegar used are Balsamic,
rice, white and wine vinegar.
▪ Common oils used are olive, hazelnut,
sesame and walnut oil.

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Dressing Description
▪ Mayonnaise is an example of a cold sauce,

Mayonnaise-based dressing but not completely.
▪ Its main ingredients include oil, vinegar,
mustard, egg yolks and seasoning.
▪ Adding flavours, herbs and garnishes to the
dressing can form a derived sauce.
▪ Examples of these are tartar and ranch
dressing.
Emulsified vinaigrette dressing ▪ It is made with two ingredients that cannot

be combined (e.g. vinegar and oil).
▪ It is usually combined with a protein, e.g. egg
yolk.
▪ Egg substitutes can replace egg yolk for
vegan dishes.
▪ The best example is mayonnaise.
Sauces and dressings can be for both appetisers and

salads, depending on the recipe. However, note that not
all dishes may need sauces or dressings. Some salads are
already good on their own because they taste and look
appealing already.
Now, to select the right accompaniments, follow the
steps below.
1. Review the recipe you are using for the dish.
2. Identify the accompaniments required from the recipe, e.g. sauce or dressing.
3. Review your organisational policies or standards.
4. Identify any additional accompaniment you must add. These are usually extras provided
by the organisation, e.g. drinks.
Once you have your accompaniments sorted, you can add them to your dishes. The next section
will cover this.
4.2.2 Adding Accompaniments
Once you select the right accompaniment, you can now add it to your dish. Take note that some
accompaniments may require cooking. If so, follow any recipe that your organisation uses for
that accompaniment.
Below are the steps you can follow to add accompaniments to your dish.
Recall the Gather the ingredients Follow hygiene

accompaniments you you need to make the requirements to wash
selected. accompaniments. and dry ingredients.
Roughly portion the Cook any

Cut and prepare
amount of accompaniment that
ingredients to prepare
accompaniments can be stored for use
the accompaniments.
required. later.
Plate any hot

Garnish the
accompaniments on Serve along with the
accompaniment if
appropriate service- dish.
required.
ware.
If you have excess accompaniments, store them properly. You can store your accompaniments
by:
▪ Storing at room temperature
Cover and store them in a cool place to retain moisture.
▪ Chilling them
Cover and store them in the refrigerator or freezer as required.
▪ Keeping them warm
Accompaniments that are warm or hot are prepared with the main dish.
They can also be chilled and heated along with the main dish.

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4.3 Adjust Food Quality Within Scope of Own Responsibility
Your dishes must be able to satisfy your customers. It means that the food you serve must be of high
quality. It must also be safe for consumption. To ensure that you serve high-quality and safe food, you
may have to adjust your dishes. Thus, in this subchapter, you will learn how to maintain the quality of
your dishes. In cases where the cooking process may go wrong, you will know how to resolve it.
However, your adjustments are only within the scope of your responsibility. You cannot simply adjust
anything as you want. This subchapter will also help you explore those limits.
By the end of this subchapter, you will be able to adjust your dishes. You will also know how to find
the limits of your responsibility. By knowing your limits, you can plan your adjustments more. It will
also give you a good idea of what problems you can and cannot solve.
Before you can adjust any cooked food, you must know your scope of responsibility. Scope of
responsibility describes a person’s duties and responsibilities. This may be easy if you are still in
training because you can ask. Here are some other ways you can find your scope of responsibility:
Recall your training and the responsibilities discussed.
• If you have any training notes, you can review them.
You can also ask any human resource staff.
• The HR staff might have access to your job description.
You can ask your supervisor.
• Your supervisor might have an copy of your roles and responsbilities.
You can also ask your colleagues.
• You can also ask your team members and other colleagues. But you still need to
confirm their answers with your supervisor.
After knowing your scope of responsibility, you can finally adjust your dish. However, some cooks may
not be allowed to do this, depending on their designation. In this case, here are some things you can
do:
▪ Take note of the problem with the dish.
o If it is a food safety issue, ensure that other people do not accidentally serve it.
▪ Approach the person responsible and tell them your observations and suggestions.
▪ If you do not know who is responsible for adjusting the dish, approach your direct supervisor.

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Now that you have established what you can and cannot do, it is time to talk about the food itself. A
good quality dish makes it acceptable for customers. Food quality refers to how good and appetising
the dish is to your customer. Below are the different factors that define food quality
▪ Appearance
This is the characteristic that our eyes can see. It includes the following:
Shape
o The shape of the food must be uniform.

o For example, your dish is a vegan sandwich. The sandwiches must be served
as triangles. Then make sure that you slice the sandwich diagonally. This will
result into two triangle-shaped sandwiches
Size
o Make sure that the sizes of the ingredients in the dish are equal.
o For example, the size of the bread. Make sure that each bread slice on the
vegan sandwich are of the same size.
Colour
o Your dishes must have the appropriate colour.

o For example, you are to serve a vegan vegetable salad. Salads are not
usually cooked. It means that each ingredient in the salad must have their
original colour. The fruits and vegetables you add must still be vibrant.
▪ Taste
This refers to what you perceive in your tongue when you eat the dish. There are many terms
to describe the taste, but the most common are the following:
o Sweet
o Sour
o Bitter
o Salty
Make sure that each dish you make has the appropriate taste. It will rely on the recipe. If you
follow the recipe properly, then the dish will taste right. But if ever the taste is not what you
expected, you can adjust it. You can adjust the seasoning. If the dish is too bland, you may add
salt.
Ensure that your adjustment is appropriate as well. For example, if a dish is intended to be
salty, you cannot add sugar to make it sweet.
▪ Texture
This involves the feel of food when touched or eaten. It is the chewiness, firmness or softness
of any food or dish. Check to ensure that the dish is not too soft or too firm. If it is too chewy,
then it may be undercooked. So, you may need to cook it for a few more minutes.
Some people also consider the nutritional quality and safety of the food they buy. Nutritional quality
pertains to the nutrition you can get from a certain food. Most people check this information through
the nutritional content on the food packaging. Food safety is how safe people perceive your food.
They may judge this through how clean your facilities look. They may also scrutinise how presentable
and clean the food handlers look.
For this subchapter, your priorities are the things you have control of. These are the appearance,
flavour and texture of the food. Your dish's nutritional content and safety are out of your hands at this
point. If you want to improve these factors, then you must use the best possible ingredients. You also
have to exercise good hygiene and cleanliness when handling the food.
So, remember that you must consider your responsibilities when adjusting the dishes. For example,
you have one vegan pasta dish that does not meet the taste required. You must first check if you are
allowed to adjust the taste of the dish. If you do not have permission to do so, then do not make any
adjustments. However, if you can adjust, then do so.

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To adjust the taste of the vegan pasta, you can do the following:
1. Inquire about what is the problem with the taste.
Asking this will help you decide on how you will adjust the taste. For example, the issue is that
the dish is too salty. Then you will know that the adjustment you must make is to reduce the
saltiness.
2. Review the recipe.
Check the recipe of the dish and see if the steps were correctly followed. Any issue with
following the recipe can contribute to the subpar taste. You must check if the person who
prepared the dish or if you may have added the wrong amount of ingredients.
3. Adjust the dish accordingly.
Based on the recipe and feedback, you can start your adjustment. For example, if the vegan
pasta is too salty, then you can adjust the taste of the pasta. You can add lemon juice to
balance the saltiness with the sour taste of the juice. You can also decide to add honey or
sugar to the sauce.
Once you make your adjustments, you can test the taste of the pasta sauce again. Make sure
that you maintain the cleanliness of the dish. It means that when doing the test, only take a
small amount. Transfer it to another container for you to taste. Do not put your spoon or
testing tool directly on the dish.
Multimedia
Here is a video by TheLifestyleFile. The video
gives tips on how to fix a dish that is too salty.
What to do if you add too much salt in your
food |Angelie Sood
Notes

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• There are different cookery methods you use to cook vegetarian and vegan dishes.
Examples of these cookery methods are:
o Braising
o Steaming
o Grilling
• Accompaniments are food items that complement the main dish. They act as a side to the
main dish and add flavour, texture, etc.
• The accompaniments you can add to dishes will depend on the following:
o Recipe for the dish
o Organisational policies and procedures
• If you have excess accompaniments, store them properly. You can store your
accompaniments by:
o Storing at room temperature
o Chilling them
o Keeping them warm
• Your dishes must be able to satisfy your customers. It means that the food you serve must
be of high quality. But your adjustments are only within the scope of your responsibility.
• If you adjust your dish, you can adjust the following:
o Appearance
o Taste
o Texture
Learning Checkpoint
trainer/assessor.
Chapter 5: Present and Store Vegetarian and Vegan Dishes
In this chapter, you will focus on the presentation of your dishes. Remember that your customer must
enjoy not only what they taste but also what they see. So, the presentation of your dish must also be
attractive.
It starts with using the right service-wares. This chapter will teach you how to present prepared food
in the correct service-wares. You will also know what dips, sauces or garnishes to add to your dishes.
Then you will learn how to evaluate a dish visually and adjust it as necessary.
You will also learn how to store dishes in the appropriate places. And finally, you will learn how to
clean your workplace after preparation.

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5.1 Present Dishes Appropriately and Attractively
Plating in food preparation is the art of food presentation. It includes arranging and decorating food
on a plate. Modifying is also possible, especially for special customer requests. When plating your
dishes, you can choose either free-form or landscape plating. There may be other plating forms out
there. But here, focus on the two.
The table below shows the description and steps to do these.
Plating Method Description How To Do It
▪ This method puts

Free-form plating
food in an abstract
and intriguing place Since this food plating
on a plate. promotes odd ways to plate
▪ It looks carelessly the food, there is no specific
done at first glance way to put your food on the
but looks creative plate.
after a careful
glance.
Plating method Description How to do it
▪ In this plating
Landscape plating
method, you will
put all elements in a
This plating method puts flat manner.
food flat or ‘landscaped’ on ▪ This method also
a plate. puts ingredients
beautifully on a
plate-like landscape
or garden.
Aside from plating, correct service-ware is also a must to present the dish. Service ware refers to the
cutlery, plates and glassware used for service. You must present your food on the appropriate service
ware. Attention to this helps create consistency and high quality. For example, your establishment
may serve their antipasto on a wooden chopping board.
Below are the different service wares that you may use.
▪ Cutlery
These are handheld equipment used for eating or serving food.
Service-Ware Description
Dinner spoon
▪ Has a longer round cup
▪ Often used for main course food
items
▪ Paired with a dinner fork or a
dessert knife
Dinner fork
▪ Paired with a dinner spoon

▪ Has four tines

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Soup spoon
Has a bigger cup compared to a dinner

spoon
Butter knife
▪ Has a different shape compared

to other knives
▪ Rectangular with a sharp edge at
the bottom part
Salad spoon or fork
Always paired together for mixing and

serving salad
▪ Glassware
These are footed with stem or non-footed and used for serving drinks.
Cooler
Used in serving welcome drinks and

appetisers
Pilsner
Used in serving cold coffee, iced teas,

juices, or beer
▪ Plates
This is where you put your dish. These may be made with ceramic or plastic.
Appetiser plate
▪ Similar to a bread-and-butter
plate, but bigger
▪ Ranging from 17 cm and bigger

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Bread and butter plate
▪ Similar to appetiser plater, but

smaller
▪ Measures around 15 cm
Salad plate
▪ Used to serve salads

▪ Measures from 20 cm to 22 cm
Soup plate
▪ Has the most different shape

▪ Almost like a bowl with a depth
of up to 2.54 cm
Cereal bowl
▪ Used for serving soups,

vegetables or pasta
▪ Used to keep warm food warm
inside the bowl
Below are some guidelines to evaluate for choosing the right service-ware:
▪ Check if your service ware is in good condition. Do not use those with chips and breaks.
▪ Check the dish to serve. This will have a big influence on your final service-ware to use.
▪ Check if it will be in a set or different individual plates.
▪ Consider if you will use a designed plate or a plain one.
▪ Ensure it will fit perfectly on the table and not crowd the other plates.
▪ Consider the number of people you will be serving. It is better to have uniformity in your
service ware.
You should also consider the right portioning. The best way to determine might be based on your
recipe's number of servings. Consider the weight of each portion. Ensure they have all the necessary
components from the dish. If your recipe stated 11 servings, you need to plate 11 servings.
Portioning and using the right service ware are all essential to make the dish look good. However,
aside from these, you must also consider the following:
Balance Colour Contrast
Balance, colour and contrast are essential in ensuring dishes are attractive. Without these three, your
dish will look messy and unappealing. You will learn more about these three in Subchapter 5.3.

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5.2 Add Dips, Sauces and Garnishes to Dishes
Dips, sauces and garnishes are important components of a dish. Your vegetarian and vegan dishes
must have these three as necessary. They not only enhance the taste of the dish but also boost the
appearance.
Imagine eating a dry or bland dish. How about a dish that looks far from appetising? Your customer
will surely not like that. You can avoid this by serving your plate with a bit of sauce, dip or garnish. You
usually add these before serving at the end of the food preparation.
In this subchapter, you will learn about these dips, sauces and garnishes. You will also learn how to
add these to your dishes.
5.2.1 Dips for Vegetarian and Vegan Dishes
Dips are thick liquids or sauces where you dunk your food before eating them. They can vary
from sweet, sour, savoury or spicy. Dips can make food more exciting since they add flavour to
the dish. You can usually make dips using different ingredients. Check the recipes of your dishes.
They may include instructions on how to make these dips.
The dips for your vegetarian dishes can include dairy and eggs. There must be no meat, poultry,
fish or seafood. However, for vegan dishes, you must replace dairy, eggs and meat with
substitutes.
The table below shows different dips that you can have for your dishes.
Dip Description Ingredients
▪ Traditional Middle
Labneh Eastern dip
▪ Has a mild and creamy
texture ▪ Yogurt
▪ Created when yogurt ▪ Salt

whey separates, leaving a
thick and firm cheese-like
texture
Hummus ▪ The earliest hummus

▪ Tahini
originated in Egypt.
▪ Chickpeas
▪ Used as a dip for
vegetables or pita bread ▪ Lemon
▪ Versatile dip that can be ▪ Garlic
improved by adding herbs
▪ Cumin
and spices
▪ Yogurt
Tzatziki ▪ Cucumber
▪ Greek dip commonly ▪ Garlic
served with pita, chips or
vegetables ▪ Olive oil
▪ Usually served cold ▪ Dill
▪ Considered a summer dip ▪ Mint

▪ Parsley
▪ Vinegar

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Dip Description Ingredients
▪ Olive oil
French onion dip ▪ Onion
▪ Also known as California ▪ Salt

dip ▪ Sour cream
▪ Usually served with ▪ Mayonnaise
potato chips
▪ Garlic
powder
▪ Pepper
▪ Avocado
Avocado chutney or dip
▪ Coconut
▪ A traditional Indian dip
▪ Mustard
▪ Usually paired with idli or seeds
dosa
▪ Hot peppers
▪ Naturally spicy and tangy
▪ Curry leaves
▪ Salt
5.2.2 Sauces
A sauce usually has a thick consistency. You can serve it with the main dish to add moistness
and flavour. However, for vegetarian dishes, your sauce must have no meat, poultry or fish. But
you can use eggs and dairy. If your dish is vegan, all of these must be replaced with substitutes.
These substitutes must not be animal-based products.
You can use three mother sauces on your vegetarian and vegan dishes. From these mother
sauces, you can create sauce varieties.
Below is a table of the characteristics of these mother sauces.
Sauces Description
▪ Also known as white sauce

Bechamel sauce
▪ Commonly contains cheese (milk) and
roux
▪ Common ingredients are whole milk, salt
and butter
▪ Used as a base for cheddar cheese, cream,
or Mornay sauce
▪ Used for a dish such as Alfredo
▪ The most famous sauce among all sauces

▪ Emulsified sauce made from butter,
lemon juice and egg yolk
▪ Common ingredients are:
Hollandaise sauce o Egg yolk
o Unsalted plant-based butter
o Lemon juice
o Eater
o Pepper and salt
▪ Used as base for maltaise, mousseline and
bearnaise sauces
▪ Used for dishes such as eggs benedict and
poached dishes
▪ To make this vegan, you can replace egg
yolk with egg substitutes.

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Sauces Description
▪ A tomato-based sauce that

Red sauce does not need emulsification
▪ Common ingredients are
tomatoes, salt, onion, garlic,
pepper and sugar
▪ Used as a base for puttanesca,
creole or Spanish sauce
▪ Used for dishes such as pasta or
pizza
Other examples of sauces you can serve with your main dish include:
▪ Tomato sauce
Unlike red sauce, tomato sauce only uses fresh tomatoes and tomato paste. It has a
subtly spicy and rich tomato flavour. Tomato sauce can be used in pasta and noodle-
based dishes.
▪ Potato cheese sauce
Potato cheese sauce usually contains potatoes and plant-based milk. Nutritional yeast
and some plant-based vinegar are added as well. You can use it as a sauce for vegetable
dishes or vegan chips.
▪ Ponzu sauce
Ponzu sauce is a Japanese sauce. It usually includes soy sauce, rice vinegar, citrus juice
and mirin. You can add kelp too. You can add it to vegetable dishes.
▪ Vegan Alfredo sauce
Vegan Alfredo sauce is a white sauce that is rich and creamy. Vegan Alfredo sauce
replaces the cheese, cream and butter with vegan alternatives, such as cashews. You
can use this sauce on pasta dishes.
▪ Vegan sour cream sauce
Vegan sour cream often uses cashew, citrus juice, water and plant-based vinegar. You
can also add Dijon mustard if you want a more complex taste. You can use this sauce
on vegan tacos, nachos or even pizza.
5.2.2 Garnishes for Vegetarian and Vegan Dishes
Garnish is an ingredient that serves as a decorative element. It adds beauty to the final visual
of a dish. It makes food tastier and pleasing to the eye. Garnishes vary from leaves to flowers.
It can also be in the form of chopped vegetables.
The table below shows common garnishes that you can have for dishes.
Garnish Description
Basil
▪ A sweet fragrant flavour that works
with tomatoes and sweet peppers
▪ Best added to salads before serving,
so fragrance stays
▪ It should be torn (not chopped)
Chervil or parsley
▪ A small, delicate, feathery-leaved
plant with a mild liquorice flavour
▪ Works with cream dressings with
eggs
▪ Best added to the salad just before
serving, so the fragrance stays
Chives
▪ Came from the onion family

▪ Goes well with all products and has
a delicate flavour

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Garnish Description
Fennel
▪ A kind of seed
▪ Works with grated carrots,
cauliflower, cucumber, green beans
and potato salad
Mint
Normally spearmint and the round-leaved

apple mint
Thyme
A kind of herb used to give a delicious aroma

to a dish
Dips, sauces and garnishes play a significant role in a dish. You would not want a bland and
unappetising dish to serve to the guests. You would not also want guests not to feel hungry
because the dish you created was not good for them. The addition of dips, sauces and garnishes
also needs careful preparation. It should always be part of your food preparation plan.
Be sure that when you add garnishes to your dishes, you do the following:
Clean and sanitise your hands before touching the garnishes.
Make sure the cutting board and knife are clean if you need to cut herbs.
Do not directly touch the dish.
You can use tongs to put garnishes that must be placed on the dish.
5.3 Visually Evaluate Dish and Adjust as Needed
Before you serve your dish, you must also do a visual check. That is because the visual appeal of your
dish is what the customers will experience first. When the customer says, ‘This looks good!’ when you
serve the dish, then the visual appeal is good. Visual appeal refers to the balance of colours as it strikes
the eyes. Visual appeal in the food aspect refers to how it looks when served to customers. You must
aim for good visual appeal when you do your food presentation. Food presentation refers to how you
arrange the dish on the plate, so it is visually appealing.
To ensure that your dish has a good visual appeal, you must focus on three characteristics:
Balance
Colour
Contrast

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Look at your finished dish and check for the characteristics below. Make the necessary adjustments in
your food presentation based on the characteristics.
Characteristics Description of Each How to Adjust Presentation of Food

Characteristic
▪ All ingredients must be present when

▪ This is having the
you look at your plate.
right amount of
dish on a plate. ▪ Make sure the main ingredient stands
out.
▪ It also pertains to a
plate having the ▪ Your dish must also have uniform
Balance
right amount of cuts.
food. It means that ▪ Use wide plates to spread your
the plate must not ingredients out wide.
be overflowing
▪ Use moulds or shapes for more
with ingredients.
creative plating.
▪ Consider the colours of your plates

that will affect your guest's appetite.
▪ It pertains to
choosing the ▪ Blue colours are usually avoided since
correct colours that there is no naturally blue food. It
Colour
will complement does not look that appetising.
your dish on the
▪ You can also use other items to frame
plate.
your dishes. For example, you can use
lettuce to frame your salad.
▪ Do not put the ingredients of the

same colour on one side.
▪ It pertains to your
dish avoiding ▪ If your dish is light-coloured, consider
Contrast
monochromatic using a dark-coloured plate.
hues on a plate.
▪ Use chopped, shredded or torn
garnish for a pop of colour.
After your visual check, you can serve the dishes. Make sure that the plate is clean before you serve.
A messy plate will not look attractive. When you clean the plate, use a clean and dry cloth. Make sure
to clean and sanitise your hands as well. Do not touch the dish on the plate when you clean. Utmost,
your hand should only be at the edges of the plate when cleaning.
5.4 Store Prepared Dishes in Appropriate Environmental Conditions
You must store any food that is not being used properly. Practising this is critical to your food’s
longevity and safety. Of course, you must only store food in the right environmental conditions.
Improperly storing it is just as bad as not storing it at all.
This subchapter will show you what environmental conditions are good for food. This knowledge will
help you select the appropriate conditions for dishes. Aside from this, you will also learn about safe
practices when storing prepared food.
Food safety practices cover the proper handling and preparation of food. You encountered these
safety practices in the previous chapters. In this subchapter, you will focus on the safety practices of
storing food. One concept that is essential in these practices is shelf-life. In storing food, you should
be aware of food’s shelf life. Food shelf life is the period that allows you to store a certain food. It may
indicate the best-before date, expiration date or best-by date.
Recall that in Subchapter 1.3, you learned about date codes and stock rotation. These dates will ensure
that you do not store expired or spoilt food. These dates will help ensure that you only serve the best
quality of dish all the time.

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5.4.1 Appropriate Environmental Conditions to Optimise Shelf-Life

Environmental conditions are factors that impact the freshness and quality of the food. In other
words, it can influence how long your food stays fresh and usable. Here are some environmental
conditions that you need to take note of:
Environmental
Guidelines
Condition
▪ You should store your food in an oxygen-free place or

container.
Atmosphere ▪ Bacterial growth needs oxygen to grow and thrive. Lesser
oxygen makes a slower growth of bacteria.
▪ This relates to containers you use to store.
▪ Too much moisture can spoil your food much faster.

▪ Even dried goods should be at a 10% moisture level to retain
Humidity
their quality.
▪ Moulds grow in more humid places.
▪ Light can decrease your food’s quality.

▪ Some food can change chemical composition when exposed to
Light
light. Some also produce dangerous toxins.
▪ It is best to store food in dark areas.
▪ Food-safe plastics or high-quality paper packaging is the best

choice.
▪ It is not good to store food in paper packaging since air can
Packaging
enter it.
▪ Ensure food is fully sealed. Holes or tears make spoilage more
possible.
▪ Place vegan and vegetarian ingredients in a separate area from

animal-based products.
Location
▪ If stored in a refrigerator, separate the vegan and vegetarian
ingredients from the meat products.
Environmental
Guidelines
Condition
▪ Storing food in an air-tight and sealed container is best to keep

food fresh.
▪ Do not use broken or worn-out containers because they may
contaminate your food. They also cannot protect your
prepared food properly.
Use of Containers
▪ Do not use containers you use on animal products. Use
containers intended for vegan or vegetarian ingredients only.
▪ Ensure that you are using food-safe containers. Some
containers can leach harmful chemicals into your prepared
foods.
▪ Too much ventilation affects the growth of microorganisms in

your food.
▪ If the food needs to the frozen, then put it in the refrigerator.
Ventilation
▪ If your room is airconditioned, it must have a constant
temperature. Some units turn on and off in a cycle. Changes in
the temperature may cause your food to spoil faster.
▪ Avoid storing your food in a warm place. Expect a shorter

lifespan of your food.
▪ Do not put your food where the temperature keeps on
changing. Have an area with a consistent temperature.
▪ Do not store food in temperatures between 5°C and 60°C. This
range is where bacteria and mould can grow. Thus, it is called
the danger zone.
▪ Good storage temperature starts at 15°C. Anything higher than
Temperature
that is not appropriate for food storage.
▪ Here are some examples of ingredients and their required
storage temperatures:
o Eggs – 15°C or below
o Leafy greens and temperate fruits – 0°C and 2°C
o Tropical and subtropical fruits – 5°C and 13°C
o Tofu – 2°C and 4°C

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Take note that some ingredients cannot retain their quality when stored. If you know that you
will be storing your prepared food, you may opt to leave them out. You can add them during
reheating. Examples of these are:
▪ Potatoes can absorb the liquid and turn mushy.
▪ Dairy separates from the liquid when it is frozen.
▪ Pasta and rice may also absorb the liquid and become too soft.
With the guidelines above, you can store your prepared foods correctly. Doing this can benefit
you in the following ways:
Ensure food safety
Optimise shelf-life
▪ Ensure food safety

Appropriate environmental conditions can keep your food safe and suitable to eat. If
you do not store your dishes properly, they can grow harmful bacteria. Your customers
may come down with foodborne illnesses and file complaints against you.
▪ Optimise shelf-life
Your food can last longer if you store it in appropriate environmental conditions. For
example, freezing your sauces can preserve them for three months. But if you do not
store them properly, they can spoil in a few hours.
5.5 Clean Work Area and Dispose of, or Store By-products
The cleanliness of your work area is crucial to your food’s safety. This is because bacteria can come
from food handling surfaces to your food. For example, a sink used to clean raw fish can contaminate
your ingredients. Cleanliness also includes disposing of or storing reusable by-products. These by-
products can attract pests and animals. So, you cannot leave them out in the open for long periods.
In this subchapter, you will learn how to clean your work area to maintain cleanliness. You will also
learn how to properly dispose of and store by-products. These are essential skills for those in the food
industry. You must be able to follow organisational procedures that concern cleanliness and disposal.
By the end of this subchapter, you must be able to clean your work area properly. You must also
dispose of or store surplus by-products while considering the following:
▪ Organisational procedures
▪ Environmental considerations
▪ Cost reduction initiatives

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Learner Resource
5.5.1 Cleaning Your Workarea According to Organisational Procedures

A work area is where people work together to perform a process. Chefs, cooks and other kitchen
staff work hand in hand to perform preparations in the kitchen. The organisation has its
procedures for cleaning. These processes help reduce wastage and unclean work areas.
Below are some of the common procedures your organisation may follow.
Area Organisational Procedure Key Points
▪ Wipe spills as soon as possible.

▪ Cleaning materials used on the floor must not be used on
Floor
other surfaces.
▪ Sweep floor before and after busy periods.
▪ Always organise components on your prep table.

▪ Avoid overcrowding. It might lead to confusion during
preparation.
Preparation tables ▪ Keep knives visible.

▪ Always use clean and unused towels.
▪ Clean and sanitise after every use.
▪ Wipe and sanitise after every use.

Small appliances
▪ Clean parts according to their manufacturing instructions.
▪ Do not store knives on shelves or in a place where you cannot

Drawers and see them easily.
shelves ▪ Follow the suggested number of stacks to avoid unstable
stored items.

▪ Keep doors and seals clean.
▪ Clean and degrease fan area every week.
Cooling appliances
▪ Keep air exchange passage free from any blockage.
▪ Monitor and log temperature.
▪ Empty and clean the whole refrigerator every week.
Area Organisational Procedure Key Points
▪ The dishwasher should maintain pleasant hygiene all the time.

▪ Always do proper handwashing.
▪ Clean the sink before and after use.
Ware-washing ▪ Check your dishwashing agents: chemical or non-chemical
▪ Wash all dishware and rinse thoroughly.
▪ Dry service-ware first before storing them on shelves.
▪ Refill if out of cleaning agents.
▪ The dishwasher should be regularly cleaned and sanitised.

▪ Clean the sink before and after use.
Cleaning service-
wares ▪ Ensure that you are using the right cleaning and sanitising
agents. The right agent will not harm your service ware.
▪ Refill cleaning agents regularly.
Large heating ▪ Wipe spills as soon as possible.

appliances (oven,
range, broiler, etc.) ▪ Follow the cleaning and maintenance schedule.

▪ Keep doors and seals clean.
▪ Keep floors and shelves clean as well.
Cooling appliances ▪ Clean and degrease fan area every week.
▪ Keep air exchange passage free from any blockage.
▪ Monitor and log temperature.
▪ Empty and clean the whole refrigerator every week.

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Learner Resource
5.5.2 Environmental Considerations and Cost Reduction Initiatives

When cleaning, you must consider the environment as well. If you do not clean with the
environment in mind, you may damage it further. Here are some ways that you clean while
keeping the environment in mind:
Check the cleaning •Some chemicals used in cleaning and sanitising are harmful
and sanitising for the environment.
agents you are
using. •They can pollute the bodies of water around you.
•Do not reuse single-use plastics and do use them

Lessen the use of irresponsibly.
single-use plastics. •You can also prioritise buying bulk and refills of cleaners. This
practice can also lessen your plastic waste.
Apply effective •Rotating stock can reduce wastage.

stock rotation •Follow your organisation’s stock rotation procedures
processes properly.
Saving offcuts and •Use offcuts and trimmings.

trimmings •You can use them in sauces and stocks.
Cleaning, of course, comes with cleaning costs. It is impossible to clean and sanitise without
equipment and materials. However, you can still contribute so that your organisation can spend
less. Here are some cost reduction initiatives that you can apply as you clean:
Use a enough •If you use too little, it might not be effective. You may even
amount of cleaning have to repeat the entire process.
and sanitising
agents •If you use too much, it may be a waste of supply.
Use the correct

•Improper cleaning and sanitising may damage your work
cleaning and
area, which is more costly.
sanitising methods
Turn the appliances •When not in use, turn off appliances.

off in between
services •This can assist with reducing electricity costs.
List all ingredients •Some ingredients are still available in the pantry.
needed •Listing will help avoid multiple purchasing
•It is better to use lesser at first and adjust them during the
Use only the exact process.
quantity of
ingredients. •This is better than overusing ingredients that will be put to
waste after.
Only use tools and

•This is to reduce the amount of time for cleaning and even
equipment that you
the use of cleaning agents.
need

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Learner Resource
5.5.3 Dispose of or Store Surplus and Reusable By-Products

This section tackles the disposal and storage of surplus and reusable by-products. However,
before you can dispose of and store them, you must understand what they are.
Recall that surplus by-products are the results of:
▪ Overproduction of food
▪ Not properly following the proper portioning of ingredients
For example, an overproduction of soup can be considered a surplus.
Reusable by-products are items you can use again or more than once. This includes wastes that
can still be used for a certain purpose. Re-usable by-products can be:
Wastes resulting from your dishes
Wares and materials you can clean and use
Some examples of reusable waste include the following:

▪ Peels
Some peels are rich in fibre. They can be dried, ground into powder, and used in cooking
again.
▪ Pomace
This is the by-product of the juice extraction process. These are also rich in fibre and
can be dried and used.
▪ Banana waste
Banana peels can be a good source of starch and can be used as a thickening agent.
▪ Citrus waste
Citrus by-products, such as peels, contain cellulose and can be used as thickening
agents.
Some examples of ware and materials you can reuse are:
▪ Table napkin
▪ Silicone bowls
▪ Reusable bowl covers
▪ Glass and stainless steel containers
▪ Glass jars
When disposing of by-products, you can either store them or throw them. Below are guidelines
you can follow in storing and disposing of products. These guidelines consider the following:
Environmental
Organisational procedures Cost reduction iniatives
considerations
Storing products
Organisational Procedures Environmental Cost Reduction Initiatives

Considerations
▪ Have enough space ▪ You should separate ▪ Store by-products

to store products or edible and inedible like vegetable scraps
even waste. products. and peels if you can
still use them for
▪ Ensure that your ▪ If a by-product
your stocks. This will
storage space is free cannot be stored or
keep you from
from pests. used in cooking
buying more
anymore, you can
▪ Ensure that vegetables to make
reuse it. For
materials for stocks and save
example, your
disposal have a money. If not, you
organisation can sell
specific place. It can simply reuse
them as food for
must be far from the them as compost.
farm animals.
edible products you
have. ▪ Lessen the use of
single-use plastics
for storage.

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Learner Resource
Disposing products
Organisational Procedures Environmental Cost Reduction Initiatives

Considerations
▪ Keep away waste ▪ Reuse items that

materials from ▪ Place your trash bins you can still use. For
products you use for properly so that they example, use
food preparation. will not create vegetable peels as
contamination. compost.
▪ Ensure there are
enough trash bins ▪ Put your trash bins ▪ Separate the non-
around the kitchen. where you will not biodegradable items
This ensures easier attract animals. This that you can use for
collection of waste may lead to more another purpose.
during food problems. For example, plastic
preparation. bottles can be
▪ Ensure that your
▪ Empty your kitchen bins have covers. reused or sold to
bins every day. recycling facilities.
Multimedia
Watch the video below for helpful tips
on sorting restaurant waste materials.
Restaurant Waste Sorting
Notes

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Learner Resource

• Plating includes arranging and decorating food on a plate. It can be free-form or landscape.
• Service ware refers to the cutlery, plates and glassware used for service.
• Dips and sauces are liquids where you dunk your food before eating them. Meanwhile, a
garnish is an ingredient that serves as a decorative element.
• Visual appeal refers to the balance of colours as it strikes the eyes. For food, visual appeal
refers to how it looks when served to customers.
• You must consider balance, colour and contrast when evaluating a dish visually.
• Food safety practices refer to the proper handling, preparing and storing of food.
• You must consider the items below when cleaning your work area. You must also consider
them when storing and disposing of by-products:
o Organisational procedures
o Environmental considerations
o Cost reduction initiatives
• You must also consider the three above when storing and disposing of by-products.
Learning Checkpoint
trainer/assessor.
Summary
“The world rewards

those who take
responsibility for
their own success.”
Curt Gerrish
Vegetarian and vegan dishes are interesting dishes to make. These dishes are closely similar, but there
are differences as well. For one, vegan dishes do not use eggs and dairy products. Vegetarian dishes
use these items. But regardless, the way you select and identify the ingredients are the same. It applies
to the equipment too. The accompaniments of these dishes are also similar. These include sauces,
dips and dressings. Their presentation and garnishing are also alike. It will only differ on how visually
appealing the dish must be.
But once the dishes are served, you then clean your work area. You must also store and dispose of any
by-products. These products can be surplus or reusable. Do not forget your organisational procedure
as you clean, store, and dispose of it. You must also consider the environment and ways to reduce
costs.

185
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These are some references that we feel may be of assistance to you in completing the Assessment for
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• Ray, K. (n.d.). Green coconut soup. Taste.com.au. Retrieved December 1, 2022, from
https://www.taste.com.au/recipes/green-coconut-soup/kemkfhst
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cc81-42e6-b5ee-9702fbaeaeb5
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22, 2022, from https://www.taste.com.au/recipes/ultimate-vegetarian-ramen-bowl-
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Version Control & Document History

Date Summary of modifications Version

26 September 2022 Version 1.0 released for publishing. 1.0

Version 1.1 released with the following

SITHCCC031 - Prepare vegetarian and vegan dishes

2 SALISBURY COLLEGE AUSTRALIA | RTO ID: 45062 I CRICOS ID: 03565E

CHAPTER 2: SELECT, PREPARE AND USE NEEDED EQUIPMENT ......................................... 56

CHAPTER 3: PORTION AND PREPARE INGREDIENTS ......................................................... 88

SITHCCC031 - Prepare vegetarian and vegan dishes

CHAPTER 4: COOK VEGETARIAN AND VEGAN DISHES .................................................... 121

SUMMARY ................................................................................................................... 185

SITHCCC031 - Prepare vegetarian and vegan dishes

4 SALISBURY COLLEGE AUSTRALIA | RTO ID: 45062 I CRICOS ID: 03565E

SITHCCC031 - Prepare vegetarian and vegan dishes

Delivery and Assessment of Qualifications

Qualification Training Pathways

SITHCCC031 - Prepare vegetarian and vegan dishes

6 SALISBURY COLLEGE AUSTRALIA | RTO ID: 45062 I CRICOS ID: 03565E

Note: To access videos, hold the Ctrl key then click on

SITHCCC031 - Prepare vegetarian and vegan dishes

About This Unit of Competency

SITHCCC031 - Prepare vegetarian and vegan dishes

SITHCCC031 - Prepare vegetarian and vegan dishes

8 SALISBURY COLLEGE AUSTRALIA | RTO ID: 45062 I CRICOS ID: 03565E

SITHCCC031 - Prepare vegetarian and vegan dishes

Chapter 1: Choose Ingredients for Vegetarian and Vegan

SITHCCC031 - Prepare vegetarian and vegan dishes

10 SALISBURY COLLEGE AUSTRALIA | RTO ID: 45062 I CRICOS ID: 03565E

SITHCCC031 - Prepare vegetarian and vegan dishes

1.1.1 Confirm the Food Preparation Requirements

Ingredients: These refer to the components that are combined

Temperatures refer to the specific heat requirements you will

Cooking times refer to the specific times involved in preparing

SITHCCC031 - Prepare vegetarian and vegan dishes

12 SALISBURY COLLEGE AUSTRALIA | RTO ID: 45062 I CRICOS ID: 03565E

Portion size refers to the amount of the dish in a single portion.

Cookery methods refer to how each dish or the components of

Procedures refer to the steps you must follow to prepare and

SITHCCC031 - Prepare vegetarian and vegan dishes

Urgency of an order Commercial time constraints

• Preparing the dish

You make the dish properly.

You do not waste ingredients.

You serve sufficient amount of the dish.

You serve the dish on time.

SITHCCC031 - Prepare vegetarian and vegan dishes

14 SALISBURY COLLEGE AUSTRALIA | RTO ID: 45062 I CRICOS ID: 03565E

Check the yield and

1. Review the recipe.

SITHCCC031 - Prepare vegetarian and vegan dishes

SITHCCC031 - Prepare vegetarian and vegan dishes

16 SALISBURY COLLEGE AUSTRALIA | RTO ID: 45062 I CRICOS ID: 03565E

SITHCCC031 - Prepare vegetarian and vegan dishes

▪ Frozen vegetables and fruits

SITHCCC031 - Prepare vegetarian and vegan dishes

18 SALISBURY COLLEGE AUSTRALIA | RTO ID: 45062 I CRICOS ID: 03565E

SITHCCC031 - Prepare vegetarian and vegan dishes

Listed below are ingredients used in vegetarian dishes.