Newbie w/ Q's Re: Cooking oils & Sweetners
Namaste,
I'm new and so happy to be here. I've cooked nothing but recipes from this site since I found it. I really appreciate the comments after the recipe and everyone's variations. I strictly go by the recipe so having all those suggestions helps me alot!
I'm stocking my cabinets with basics. I want to know:
What cooking oils do I need?
I've read various things on various sites. Seems to come down to: Coconut oil, grapeseed oil, extra virgin olive oil, palm kernel oil. However, I don't want 3 or more different oils and then have to remember which to use in what cooking situation; although 2 would be fine. I did read on this site to use unsweetened apple sauce for baking and something about banana's (I'm already forgetting), was the banana an egg substitute? I make bread every other day...can I use apple sauce in my bread recipe as an oil substitute?
What sweetners do I need?
Sucanat, Turbinado, Molasses? I always have maple syrup on hand but it's rather expensive to use for everything. I always have brown rice syrup, too. Seems like I still need something else. The items I make every other day that would require a sweetner are: bread, pancakes, milk (soy, rice, or nut), grain cereals for breakfast.
Thank you in advance!
Hi,
I can only say what I use.
I use only Rice Bran oil. It doesnt change its structure when heated, so you dont consume any extra trans fats. It also has omega oils in it. Its a great staple.
For sweetners, I am like you. I stock Rice Malt or Rice bran syrup and Maple syrup but I also have a big tin of liquid malt for baking (I make my own bread almost everyday) I only use malt for bread and smoothies. I also use honey. Its great in tea and in certain cakes.
I also have agave syrup. You dont need to use much, it is really sweet. Really really low in GI also.
For breakfast cereals you could use honey, agave syrup, or juice. :S
I dont use oil substitutes.
I use about 1tablespoon of soy flour as an egg replacer.
Apple sauce is a good thing for baking....so I have heard. I havent really tried it myself. I think banana is a sweetner. I make a great icecream made with bananas, ricemilk, maple or ricebran syrup and vanilla. :) Yummo!
Now what else can I think of........:S
I hope this helps :)
I love extra virgin olive oil, it's rich and delicious and has all the right fats.
I am a big fan of using milled flax seed as an egg replacer in things like bread dough, pancakes, and pasta/dumpling dough. I am terrible at baking cookies for some reason, probably because I never use apple sauce as an egg substitute because I have so much flax! I also like the milled flax seed as an ingredient because of the wonderfully popular and healthy omega-3's.
Also, sesame oil is great for seasoning stir fries, I add it after the stir fry is done cooking. It adds a nice flavor and aroma to a dish, it's also great to drizzle on some roasted sweet potatoes.
I also love agave nectar as a sweetener, it is relatively inexpensive and a great alternative to sugar. Pure maple syrup is also wonderful when it is lightly poured into some oats for breakfast.
Although, I haven't yet tried it, but blackstrap molasses is supposed to be one of the "healthiest" sweeteners, as it has lots of minerals.
Best of luck with all of your cooking endeavors
oh, and green maiden, question about your daily bread making... do you have a bread machine? And, do you often use yeast, or do you/is it possible to make a decent bread without yeast? I have recently been testing my baking skills -- although they seem to be a little deficient -- I could really use some good tips from someone seasoned in the area. Thanks:)
If you are limiting yourself to two types of oils, I would suggest EVOO (to handle frying) and Organic Veggie or Canola Oil (for baking).
As for the sweetener, I have just about every sweetener you can think of but the only ones I use regularly are evaporated cane juice and brown sugar. I might use powdered sugar every once in a while if i'm fixing special cookies or peppermint patties but you can get by without them.
I also rely on olive oil and canola oil. I use olive oil for sauteeing or in most savory dishes, and I use canola oil in baking. I've heard it is one of the healthier oils and it is economical and easy to find. I also keep a small bottle of sesame oil, but I use it as more of a spice.
Thank you to all who replied!
green-maiden: I had never heard of Rice Bran Oil. After my google search, I'm going to buy some on my next trip to the store. It says it has a neautral flavor which will be great because I won't need an oil substitute in my baked goods and sometimes I get a little too much EVOO (which I don't enjoy the flavor of). I'm excited about the tip to use 1 Tablespoon of soy flour as an egg replacer. That's simple, easy to remember, and something I already have on hand. You said you use liquid malt for baking....what does this lend to your baked goods? I tried to google it but didn't really find any good info.
I have an almost full bottle of EVOO so I won't be without something familiar while trying something new.
I just bought some flax seeds. I like them but hadn't decided to purchase them. After reading nubbyknowhow's comment I remembered how much I like them and I have a great, easy pancake recipe that I use them in.
I think I'm going to try the agave nectar for now and possibly some molasses at a later date. Then, see if I still feel like I need a dry sugar.
So, looks like I'm going to have 2 oils and more sweetners than I probably really need!
Thank you again!