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


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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

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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

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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.

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.)

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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.