Posts filed under 'Food'
Why am I including this on an Organic Lifestyle blog? Well, there’s some controversy about non-stick frypans and science has found that if you heat your non-stick pans to a very high temperature they can be dangerous. I’m finding more people are now turning to Cast Iron cookware. I know good chefs swear by cast iron and given how much I love food, I’m all for tastier, healthier ways to cook food.
And they are easy to clean too if you season them properly! A simple wipe out does the trick.
Yours in health,
Kerri
Why season your cast iron? Well, the point of using a cast iron pan or skillet is to have a cooking surface that heats evenly and doesn’t cause food to stick to it during the cooking process. Seasoning your cast iron cookware is going to make this possible.
Seasoning a cast iron pan is a scientific process. It’s a lot like blacksmithing: The combination of heat and metal, treated in certain ways, improves the quality of the final product. Cast iron pans are fairly simple and fairly standard items, so the process shouldn’t deviate too much from what I’m about to describe.
First of all, when you buy cast iron cookware, avoid anything but a solid piece of cast iron. You don’t want anything that screws on, nor do you want any wood fixtures or strange coatings. Just 100 percent cast iron! When you have selected your cookware, also make sure that you have food grade peanut or coconut oil, and a roll of paper towels. You may have read that lard or animal fat is appropriate for the task, but that’s incorrect. You want a hard layer of curing, not the soft layer that animal fat gives you! Remove all the labels on the pan, scrub it by hand (never use a dishwasher on your cast iron) to get any glues off, and allow it to air dry fully. Never season a wet pan!
Now lightly coat the entire inside of your pan. I cannot stress this enough: Only use a light coat of oil! Using too much oil is not only a waste, but will increase the amount of oil that needs to be burnt off, thus disrupting the seasoning process. Put out a piece of aluminum foil (a little larger than the main body of the pan) on a counter top that you can spare for a couple of days. Flip the pan over (face-down, with the bottom of the pan pointed at the ceiling) so that the oil and slowly run and dry over the course of the next 36 hours to 48 hours. At the end of that period, take the pan off the foil and examine it, but do not touch the cooking surface! If you see any spots that are still liquid, gently blot them. The pan should now be ready to season.
Set your oven to 500 degrees (Fahrenheit of course) and cut out another strip of aluminum foil, the same size as last time. Put that foil on the shelf of your oven, and place the pan face down (bottom of the pan once again pointed at the sky) on top of it. Some people say that you can do this process at lower temperatures… but that isn’t science. Science says that you want about 500 degrees in order to properly burn the oil to the pan. Leave the pan in the over for a full hour. If you’re doing multiple pieces at once, leave them in for an extra five minutes or so.
After you’ve started the pan baking, remember this important step: Turn on every vent and open every kitchen window that you can! This process can be smoky, to say the least! Proper ventilation is a must. Of course, be aware of fire hazards at all times, and be ready to deal with them!
When time is up, remove the cookware from the oven with your best oven gloves; it’s going to be very hot. Allow it to cool on the stove top, then examine the surface. Now, because you used good oils at high heats, you should see some darkening or blackening of the pan. If you aren’t satisfied, apply a very light coat of oil, and season it in the oven for another 60 minutes at 500 degrees. Because you allowed it to cool first, and you’re using such a light layer of oil, this should be no problem for the pan (no need to let the oil get tacky for a couple of days on the second run). Either way, when you’re satisfied, allow it to cool to room temperature. Never use water to cool your cast iron pan, as it will undo all the hard work you’ve just done!
On that note, some tips for caring for your seasoned cast iron:
* Clean cast iron while it’s hot. If you need to use water to clean it, use only hot water, and always clean by hand - no dishwashers!
* Much of the time, you’ve fried something oily in the pan, and you can simply use a paper towel to gently wipe the pan clean.
* If you have to scrub (shame on you for using too much heat or not enough oil!), use a bamboo or stiff fiber brush to avoid damaging the cured surface. No wire, no steel wool! You can use modern soaps, but no ‘traditional’ soaps with harsh chemicals in them. And remember: Hot water (use rubber gloves if it’s too hot for you) when you wash your cast iron!
* In time, after you use your cast iron enough, you’ll see it blacken. This coating is awesome, better than any commercial coating out there. You’ll need to use less and less oil, and caring for the pan will become easier and easier.
|
Johnny Waymire is an entrepreneurial enthusiast that has branched into the internet arena with web sites dedicated to helping consumers make wise decisions when purchasing kitchen appliances and flat panel TVs.
|
Technorati Tags: cooking, non stick, frypan, cast iron, pan, seasoning, healthy, organic, organic lifestyle, tips
Share This
November 27th, 2007
Try this organic breakfast recipe to make a tasty meal using warm tomato and melted cheese to spice it up.
Tomatoes being a fruit provide you with a lot of vitamin C and vitamin A. The vitamin A comes from the Beta carotene, which is actually an antioxidant.
Tomatoes also contain another antioxidant, lycopene, which is primarily found in tomatoes. The organic varieties retain the highest concentrations.
Lycopene neutralizes harmful free radicals that can damage cells and instigate cancer. Lycopene is also the most abundant carotenoid found in human blood and tissue. Free radicals are highly reactive oxidation byproducts created by environmental factors such as pollution.
But who cares! Tomatoes just taste so darn good, especially in this organic breakfast recipe. And when they are smothered by mayo and cheese, it’s a marriage made in heaven!
The ingredients Of Our Tasty Organic breakfast recipe:
2 thick slices organic or local sourdough bread (Italian ciabatta is also wonderful) About 2 tablespoons organic soy mayonnaise (enough to lavishly coat each slice of bread) 1 organic tomato Several slices light-colored organic or local cheese, or cheese alternative (raclette, swiss, mozzarella, provolone or gouda)
Turn on the broiler and grab a cookie sheet. Place slabs of bread on the cookie sheet. Slather mayo onto the slabs of bread. Slice the entire tomato into thin slices, and arrange them all on the bread. Cover the tomato slices with as many slices of cheese at it takes.
Place the concoction under the broiler and do not stray! You will need to check it frequently to prevent over-blackening of your organic breakfast.
Broil it to blistered, gurgling perfection. Remove the cookie sheet from under the broiler, pour a glass of organic tomato or vegetable juice, and transfer your slabs of creamy, tomatoey, cheesy perfection to a plate. Be careful beacuse they will be hot.
Serves one. Guard your food fiercely when others approach you for a bite.
We hope you like this organic breakfast recipe and are encouraged to try more organic food for its superior taste.
|
Virginia Louise runs a free organic food information site to spread the word about the benefits of eating organically.
Visit her site to pick up 6 more free tasty recipes to try. |
Technorati Tags: tasty, organic, breakfast, bruschetta, organic food, alternative
Share This
November 23rd, 2007
Our favorite part of turkey is the leftovers. We always cook too much on purpose because we love the recipes with the leftovers. We are sure everyone has there favorites; we just hope that we can add some new ideas to your turkey leftovers possibilites.
You start with a perfectly cooked turkey. We think fresh and organic is the best, simply roasted with olive oil, salt and pepper and stuffed with an onion to help with the gravy flavors. After the main meal, slice what you want for sandwiches; then take the remainder and cover it with water and simmer on low a good while: until the meat falls off the bone. Separate the meat and broth discarding the rest. Chill the meat and broth. After it chills, defat and you have the basis for all of the ideas below.
My husband’s absolute favorite turkey leftover is turkey pot pie. Other ideas are turkey noodle soup, turkey rice soup, turkey hash, turkey gumbo, turkey and dumplings, turkey divan, turkey pozole, turkey fricassee, turkey tetrazzini and turkey vegetable soup.
What is turkey hash, you ask? It is one of the comfort foods from my childhood, served by my mother and my grandma. You take lots of the shredded turkey, with an equal amount of broth. Thicken with a roux (several T butter, melted, add flour and whisk until browned and add to the meat and broth, off heat whisking to remove any lumps) or for a fat free version, put 1/4 cup flour in a jar, add 3/4 cup hot water. Put lid on jar and shake well until well combined. Add to meat and broth. Cook until thickened. Season with salt and pepper. My favorite way to serve is over toast. It’s like a soul warming turkey and gravy to die for. You can also serve it over noodles, mashed potatoes or rice.
Did you know about a common breakfast in China called Congee (or jook). It is a porridge of broth and rice, cooked until the rice pretty much falls apart. It is served with condiments (chopped scallions, meat, whatever) and dim sum. When in Hong Kong, we found this to be the most comforting breakfast we have ever eaten. We had the Chinese breakfast every morning even though we had a choice of American Style or Chinese. It just seems so right to me. So below, we are going to give you our version of congee, made with turkey and turkey stock. You can try it for lunch or as an appetizer for dinner; however, we would highly recommend you try it for breakfast on a cold winter day. We think you will love it.
To make congee, use raw rice, not leftover rice. You should use about 1 cup rice to 3 quarts liquid. It should be the consistency of a thin porridge. Bring liquid to a simmer. Add rice. Simmer 30 minutes, uncovered. Cover and simmer several hours. This will serve 6-8 and can be frozen and reheated.
We’ll add more turkey recipes next time, if we get enough requests. If not, we’ll start with something new! Enjoy!
|
Peggy Bloodworth left a job as a sales VP in a high tech company entertaining clients around the world for a personal chef and catering business where she is chef for swank party givers in Research Triangle Park, NC with her business partner, Diane Kiser. More party ideas, recipes, menus and pictures can be found on her website swank website. She maintains a large garden and vineyard. Menus are well researched, recipes are mostly original and the ingredients are fresh, organic and frequently from her garden.
|
Technorati Tags: turkey, leftover, favorite, recipe, idea, pie, soup, dumplings, hash, fricassee, congee, leftovers, organic
Share This
November 22nd, 2007
Next Posts
Previous Posts
