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????
Hey girl....Good idea's and glad you are back to posting. Lentels....any suggestions on how to cook them and make them taste good? lol I mess them up every time. Usually can't get them to cook right. Also, what spices are good with them? I used bay leafs but they seemed bland. Boys won't eat them unless they taste good.
ReplyDeleteWell...I like lentils plain, but you can spice 'em up by making a 'dal' (Indian food - hear you might have some of that over there in the UK! hahahaha. I also cannot tell you how easy it is to cook them in the rice cooker, but if you don't have one of those, it's a trial and error thing. You can also smoosh them up and make a hummus like dip/spread (yummy veg sandwich idea!) and you can definitely toss them in your favorite soups and stews...way easier than beans and just as good for you! Try getting PUY LENTILS as they withstand cooking way better and don't get mushy like regular old lentils. I think I posted a recipe idea on here somewhere to make a rice & lentil dish- basically, just toss some olive oil (or coconut oil/butter and/or sesame oil) in a skillet, throw in some chopped up onions, celery, & garlic, spicce it up with a smidge of salt, celery seeds, then throw in some cooked rice and then some cooked lentils. This is a good idea for any leftover rice you might have kicking around....
ReplyDeleteCool....I'll have to try these this week then. I bought this lovely chicken at the Farmers Market Sat. Would they go well with that? I am a complete idiot when it comes to cooking any dried beans like this. I didn't soak them last time...should I have? OMG..no one warned me NOT to put the entire package in either. Did this with barely too. OMG the barley took over the pan. lol I'll get the PUY ones and try it with the dal. leo loves Indian food so maybe he'll eat them and not notice???? lol
ReplyDeleteGreat post, great book! I have a recipe (maybe I gave it to you?) for an Egyptian Red Lentil soup that is DELICIOUS and healthy...in case anyone else is interested. I DID know that about the chia seeds and they are SUPER good for you, yay! I have fully fallen off the CE bandwagon and feel 110% crappy. Ready to jump BACK ON. I felt so much better eating clean. Stress is my worst enemy in so many ways. Glad to see you posting again, my friend. And yes, rice cookers are magic lil' things. I keep my honkin' huge Blentec blender (commercial grade -= from my shop) on my counter and my Jack Lalanne juicer, too. Take a lot of space, but I end up using them allllll the time - Blentec is great for whipping up raw food dishes. Yum! Anyway, just ramblin' here. LOL.
ReplyDelete@Bert - no soaking for lentils! just rinse & cook (sort through them first for any debris) and don't cook the whole package at once!!! hahahahaha!
ReplyDelete@Susie - I fell off again too - slowly climbing my way back on again...just bought Tosca's new book "Just the rules" for inspiration! Plus I made the Tikka Masala from the Nov. CE mag - OMG! SOOOOOOOOOOOOO GOOD! (and pretty easy too!)
Let's keep on keeping on!!!!
p.s. I think you did give me the recipe...I'll have a peek and if I find it, Bert, I will send to you!
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