I went to a cooking class the other night and while I wouldn't necessarily recommend it (so I'm not saying the name here), I did come away with some interesting tidbits and a couple of great recipes (which I probably can't share here due to copyright infringement or something)!
Tidbit 1: Kombu - a dried kelp that you should add to the cooking water for chickpeas (or any bean really) - it's really salty, but lower in sodium than actual salt - kind of like agave nectar being lower on the Glycemic Index than actual sugar even though it's just as sweet. It's what Eden Foods uses in their canned beans (and to reiterate Eden Foods is the only brand out there that has BPA-free cans! It's still cheaper to buy dried beans and cook them yourself - especially now that I have a guide on how to cook them in my slow cooker!!! More to follow on this!)
Tidbit 2: For you vegans out there - Chia Seeds - when mixed with water can be used as an egg substitute (an emulsifier) in most recipes. Who knew? 1 Tbs of Chia seeds plus 3 tbs of water = 1 egg
Tidbit 3: Nutritional Yeast can be used to make sauces 'cheesier' - so I bought some yesterday (not very expensive at all) and on the package it even says you can sprinkle it on popcorn for a cheesy tasting snack...which they did in Bermuda! (Mmmmm! I miss homemade Bermuda popcorn!!!)
Tidbit 4: Hemp seeds - no exciting news here except I had some in a recipe...don't know what their nutritional value is or anything - and I think we used it as a thickener-...they're freaking expensive though!
In other news...
I got a rice cooker! A friend was clearing house and she gave it to me - I have to admit, I have been eyeing them in the stores but couldn't justify spending money on something just to cook rice - BOY was I wrong!!!! You can cook everything in there and it also cooks rice (and lentils!) BEAUTIFULLY! I just love how you can set it and forget it (isn't that on an infomercial somewhere?) I even 'boil' eggs in there! It's magic!
And speaking of magic - my friend also gave me a Magic Bullet! (something else I've been eyeing but couldn't justify - and I was wrong about that one too!) I MAKE SMOOTHIES ALMOST EVERYDAY! I don't have to lug out my giant blender now (which died anyways so I need a new one) and I have my protein shakes anytime I want now!
I also got this book (impulse buy that I am SO HAPPY with!):
The Food Encyclopedia - IT HAS EVERYTHING! Even completely obscure stuff (I looked up za'atar for instance, which is a Middle Eastern spice) and it had it! Pawpaw, kalbi, and even kombu! Everything!
Today I am making a banana custard (in my slow cooker!!!!) and Tikka Masala (recipe from November's CE magazine!!!! So excited!!!!)
...and that's it!
What have you been up to????
