Basic Techniques Series Intro & Lesson 1: Cooking Whole Grains

----POST PENDING----

Video for this future blog post:



This video is the first of the Basic Techniques Series of videos that I will post intermittently with other cooking demonstrations. In this lesson, I use brown rice to illustrate the techniques and time-saving tips for cooking and storing whole grains – including how to make sure you have “instant” batches ready for quick meals or other culinary uses. The “Grain Cooking Chart” mentioned in the video, along with detailed directions and further information about the topics covered in this video will be posted to the blog soon!

Basic Techniques Series Lesson 2: Vinaigrettes (Part 1 of 2)

(Vinaigrettes Part 1 of 2) Making Hearty, Deli-style Salads - Potluck fare or a quick meal on-the-go


----POST PENDING----

Video for this future blog post:



This is Part 1 of 2 of the Basic Technique Series Lesson 2: Vinaigrettes. This cooking demonstration shows how to make one of the simplest sauces found in most American kitchens - the Vinaigrette (aka. oil and vinegar-based salad dressing and marinades). Homemade vinaigrettes take only moments to prepare and have MANY advantages over their store-bought counterparts. They are better tasting, less expensive, generally use better quality ingredients, and come in flavors limited only by your imagination. See the "Vinaigrettes Part 2" video to see a demonstration of how to use the vinaigrette made in "Part 1" to create "Southwestern Vegetable & Brown Rice Salad with Lime Garlic Vinaigrette." The recipes, detailed written instructions and additional information will be posted to the blog soon!

(Vinaigrettes Part 2 of 2) Making Hearty, Deli-style Salads - Potluck fare or a quick meal on-the-go

----POST PENDING----

Video for this future blog post:



This is Part 2 of 2 of the Basic Technique Series Lesson 2: Vinaigrettes. This cooking demonstration shows how to use the vinaigrette made in Part 1 (or any salad dressing that you purchase at the store) to make a hearty, deli-style salad - which is simply a salad made of a dressing on any combination of whole grains, beans, vegetables, fruits, seeds/nuts. This technique will give you endless options for making a quick weeknight dinner, meal-on-the-go or a dish to take to a potluck. Many time-saving tips are given throughout. The example recipe used here is "Southwestern Vegetable & Brown Rice Salad with Lime Garlic Vinaigrette." The recipe, detailed written instructions and additional information will be posted soon.

Basic Techniques Series Lesson 3: Cooking Beans

----POST PENDING----

Video for this future blog post:



This cooking demonstration shows how to cook dried beans with very little hands-on time and store them for quick use later. Tips are also given on how to improve the taste and reduce the sodium of canned beans.

Oil & Fat Smoke Point Chart

*See Comments in "Flaxseed Muffins" post for answer to the "Does cooking damage the omega-3's in flax?" -- This chart was posted as part of the response to that question, but is generally useful for any cooking with fats/oils.

Smoke Point: the temperature at which fats and oils begin to break down. Flavor and nutritional degradation occur at these temperatures.

Flash Point (not shown in chart): the temperature at which fats and oils catch fire. Small or large flames appear on the surface of the fat/oil.

Fat	Smoke Point
Almond oil	420°F	216°C
Avocado oil	520°F	271°C
Butter	350°F	177°C
Canola oil, Expeller Pressed	464°F	240°C
Canola oil, High Oleic	475°F	246°C
Canola oil, Refined	470°F	240°C
Coconut oil, Unrefined	350°F	177°C
Coconut oil, Refined	450°F	232°C
Corn oil, Unrefined	320°F	160°C
Corn oil, Refined	450°F	232°C
Cottonseed oil	420°F	216°C
Flax seed oil, Unrefined	225°F	107°C
Ghee (aka. Clarified Butter)	485°F	252°C
Grapeseed oil	420°F	216°C
Hazelnut oil	430°F	221°C
Hemp oil	330°F	165°C
Lard	370°F	182°C
Macadamia oil	413°F	210°C
Olive oil, Extra Virgin	375°F	191°C
Olive oil, Virgin	420°F	216°C
Olive oil, Pomace (aka. Light)	460°F	238°C
Olive oil, Extra Light	468°F	242°C
Olive oil, Low Acidity Extra Virgin	405°F	207°C
Palm oil, Fractionated	455°F	235°C
Peanut oil, Unrefined	320°F	160°C
Peanut oil, Refined	450°F	232°C
Rice bran oil	490°F	254°C
Safflower oil, Unrefined	225°F	107°C
Safflower oil, Semirefined	320°F	160°C
Safflower oil, Refined	510°F	266°C
Sesame oil, Unrefined	350°F	177°C
Sesame oil, Semirefined	450°F	232°C
Soybean oil, Unrefined	320°F	160°C
Soybean oil, Semirefined	350°F	177°C
Soybean oil, Refined	450°F	232°C
Sunflower oil, Unrefined	225°F	107°C
Sunflower oil, Semirefined	450°F	232°C
Sunflower oil (High Oleic), Unrefined	320°F	160°C
Sunflower oil, Refined	450°F	232°C
Tea seed oil	485°F	252°C
Vegetable shortening	360°F	182°C
Walnut oil, Unrefined	320°F	160°C
Walnut oil, Semirefined	400°F	204°C

Flax Muffin Recipe

Flax Muffins

This recipe is a great way to get more flax – and therefore omega-3’s – into your diet. Store extras in the freezer for a quick breakfast on-the-go.

Ingredients

2/3 cup raisins (soaked in ¼ cup boiling water)

1-1/2 cup whole-wheat pastry flour

1/2 cup flaxseed meal or nut meal (buy pre-ground or see directions, below)

1/2 cup quick oats

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp ground cinnamon

Dash of cloves (and/or nutmeg), optional

2 eggs (or egg substitute, see below)

1 cup buttermilk (or 1 Tablespoon vinegar mixed with enough

soy or other milk to make 1 cup)

4 tbsp honey

1-1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

Pour boiling water over raisins in a small dish, cover and set aside. Line muffin tins with muffin cups and spray cups with non-stick spray. Whisk together all dry ingredients in a medium bowl. In as separate bowl, whisk together all wet ingredient. Drain raisin liquid into wet ingredients. Stir drained raisins into dry ingredients to coat well with flour. Stir wet ingredients into the dry ingredients all at once, making sure to just mix until just barely moistened (over-mixing makes muffins tough); it is ok to have lumps. Fill muffin tins about 2/3 full. Bake at 400F for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Place pan on cooling rack for a couple of minutes. Remove muffins from pan and place directly on cooling rack when the muffins are cool enough to touch with your fingers. Serve with jam and or nut butter.

Checking for Doneness with a Toothpick

To Store: cool muffins completely and then place into a gallon ziplock bag or airtight container. Good for 3-4 days at room temperature or 1-3 months frozen. To thaw, leave at room temperature, or microwave for 30 seconds, or toast in a toaster oven.

Makes approximately 13-14 muffins.

Nutrition Summary -- Per muffing (vegan variation): 131 calories, 3 g total fat, 4 g protein, 24 g carbohydrates, 4 g of fiber, 9 g sugar, 93mg sodium. Estimated Glycemic Load=12 (medium). (Note: using eggs will add about 30mg each cholesterol and sodium as well as a small amount of saturated fat to each muffin.)

____________________________________________________________

Vegan Variation -- Use one of the options below to replace eggs. Use soymilk + vinegar instead of buttermilk. Use Agave, corn syrup or other liquid sweetener besides honey.

Egg Replacer for 2 eggs --

Option 1 -- Increase flaxseed meal by 2 Tablespoons and add ½ teaspoon baking powder to the dry ingredients. Drain raisin liquid into a measuring cup and add water to the ½ cup mark; mix with other liquid ingredients.

Option 2 -- In a liquid measuring cup, measure 2 tablespoons powdered Egg Replacer. Add raisin liquid. Add water to the ½ cup mark. Mix with other liquid ingredients.

Making Flax or Nut Meal --

Flax meal: Grind flax seeds in a coffee grinder until seeds until seeds turn to a gritty powder. To prevent giving them a coffee taste (or vise versa), either use a grinder dedicated to spices or clean the grinder before and after use by grinding a tablespoon of dried rice and discarding.

Nut meal (or nut butter): Nuts can be ground with just about any grinding implement, the main thing to remember is that you want a coarsely ground flour. If you grind too long, you end up with Nut Butter. Some options for grinding include placing in a ziplock bag and pounding with a rolling pin (or other heavy object), food processor, coffee grinder, mortar & pestle, etc.