Category Archives: fats and oil

Colors And Fats

by Miraadditives, artificial colors, fats and oil, health, questions

Jen wrote in with a comment and a couple of questions:

“A friend shared a recipe with me for rainbow pancakes. It was pretty horrifying with tons of artificial colors. I am disappointed how my son's class is drawn to the colors when choosing food at the class parties.”

I agree, rainbow pancakes would be horrifying (as are rainbow sprinkles, cookies, anything made with artificial colors). We are biologically drawn to eat a colorful range of foods. Unfortunately manufacturers have figured this out and turned it to their advantage. It's not a bad thing to want colorful fruits and veg, what's bad is when that instinct is transformed by modern “science” to include processed foods.

Back in 2007 the BBC published a news article highlighting findings from the University of Southampton, a leading research–led university in Southampton, England, that shows a link between artificial colorants, temper tantrums, allergic reaction, and poor concentration in children. This study supports the findings of Dr. Ben Feingold, a prominent pediatrician and allergist who was Chief of Allergy at the Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in San Francisco. In 1968 Dr. Feingold published a paper “Recognition of Food Additives as a Cause of Symptoms of Allergy.” Throughout his career he would continue to publish articles and work in clinical practice encouraging families to remove additives from their diet. The Feingold Association was founded in 1976 and continues to support a diet that eliminates artificial ingredients, flavorings, colorants, and preservatives. Dr. Feingold claimed that 30-50% of his hyperactive patients showed an improvement in behaviors after colorants were removed from their diet.

It is possible to make food colorings from readily available plant sources such as beets for a red tint, spinach for a green tint, carrots for orange, or saffron for yellow, however homemade colors tend to be rather muted. If a purchased product is considered more desirable there are several sources of plant based food dyes such as Seelect, an organic tea company located on the web at http://www.seelecttea.com, Nature's Flavors, which offers organic food coloring, many of which are kosher, vegan and gluten-free, located at http://www.naturesflavors.com, or India Tree, which sells natural food coloring, natural color sugar and other products through commercial outlets.

“I also have two food questions. I've been hearing buzz words like “good fat” and “bad fat”. I actually heard people in the store talking about it while looking at the information on the back of a food package, which I was very pleased to observe but didn't have the courage to ask what's the difference?“

Good fats are fats that your body knows how to use and can efficiently work with. Bad fats are fats that are difficult for your body to process and clog your system. Good fats include things like olive oil, grapeseed oil, and coconut oil. Bad fats are things like margarine, crisco, hydrogenated and trans-fats.

“I think the answer might also relate to another question I have. What is better for you, olive oil or smart balance buttery spread. Olive oil has 14 grams of fat per TBS and the butter spread has only 5 grams per TBS. I would think that the olive oil is better for you since it's the least processed but, I just can't get that “5” out of my head. It's less than half of the fat from the olive oil. I'm thinking this is an example of good fat vs. bad fat but which is better? Does it change your choice if your trying to stay on a low fat diet?“

Olive oil is much better for you. Although it has more fat it is a good fat. Not only that you have to look at fat in context. A fair percentage of our brain is made of fat cells. Fatty acids (from good fats) help make DHA (docosahexanoic acid) which allows the brain to grow and create the cells you need to think. Also the myelin sheathing that surrounds our nervous system is made of fat, helping to keep them healthy so they can transmit nerve impulses.

We need fat to be healthy, without it our bodies cannot absorb and process fat soluble vitamins (A, K, E). Eating good fats also helps to promote saiety or fullness; too little fat and we can get dry scaly skin, dry hair, bruise more easily, take longer to heal wounds, and be less cold tolerant.

If you're interested there is a very good book called “Eat Fat to Lose Fat” by Sally Fallon and Mary Enig. It's a pretty straightforward book and easy to understand.

Thanks for the questions!
Be well.

Fairground Food

by Mirafats and oil, habits, health, sweeteners, unhealthy

Walking around the fairgrounds at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo all my senses are assaulted; the flashing lights, the booming pounding music, the loud chatter of the crowds, and the smells of fairground food. Fried food, smoked food, barbeque, spun sugar, all swell around me creating an almost hypnotic state.

As I look around at the food choices on offer I am amazed at what I see. Batter-dipped cheeseburgers, fried with a generous topping of powdered sugar. Blooming onions, chicken-fried bacon (you know you're in the South when you find chicken-fried anything), 2-lb jumbo smoked turkey legs, cheesecake dipped in chocolate. There was even one stand that was offering gator and pork-a-bob (not sure what that is but not sure I want to know either). The beverage choices were similarly calorie-laden, gallons of sweet tea, frozen drinks, and colas, not to mention all of the alcoholic options available.

It was a day of fun, enjoyment and enthusiasm at the Rodeo. Unfortunately it was readily apparent that for large numbers of people at the rodeo a steady diet of saturated fats, over-sugared, over-salted food is the norm. I think of fairground food as something that, while never the best choice, would be a occasional treat (and I did enjoy that cheesecake although I only ate half of it as the serving was overly generous and extremely rich). It is sad to realize that for many people, although they don't eat fairground food on a regular basis, this style of eating is their daily habit. Rich, fatty, salty, sugary foods that have dulled their palate. That appeal to the childlike habit of comfort foods. As a culture I believe we have come to a point where many of us have lost our taste for whole foods. For healthy, fresh foods that contain the nourishment our body demands.

I'm certainly not trying to be a killjoy and demand that no one ever enjoy these fairground treats. We live in the real world and an occasional indulgence is certainly not unreasonable. What is difficult is when we allow these occasional treats and this unhealthy eating habit to become the norm.

Start now; make it a point to eat whole foods, low processed, fresh and in season. Eat more fruits and vegetables in a rainbow of colors. Reduce the palate-numbing, non-nutritive indulgences to an occasional treat. It's time to educate yourself and your children about healthy choices, everyone will be better off for it. Remember, eat well to be well.

Chicken-fried bacon photo courtesy of Cara Fealy Choate | Wikimedia Commons

Changing A Recipe

by Mirabaking, fats and oil, grains, holidays, questions, recipes, substitutions, sweetenersingredients, recipe, swap

For many people learning to cook is a fun activity; often it's something you learn when you're growing up. In the beginning you learn by simply following the recipes. That's why baking is sometimes equated to science, it has to do with the exactness of the recipes. That science-type focus can make it difficult to understand what to do when it comes to changing a recipe though.

Why do you need to know how to change your recipes? Maybe you've run out of certain ingredients, or, need to make dietary changes to your recipe. Making these substitutions is not always easy and actually can be somewhat challenging. You need to understand the differences between ingredients, which can be subtle and often requires trial and error.

Below are some guidelines to help you get started when it comes to switching up your ingredients.

Baking soda or baking powder?

Before we get into the substitutions I feel it's important to clarify the difference between baking soda and baking powder. A lot of people think they're interchangeable. They can be but you need to be aware of how they each function in order to know if the substitution will work. Some recipes may call for both while other recipes may call for just one of them.

Baking soda, also known as sodium bicarbonate, requires acidity plus heat in order to create the rising action. However, this means that when you're using baking soda you need to be able to pop the recipe into the oven as soon as possible after mixing to take maximum advantage of the rising ability.

Baking powder, on the other hand, is essentially baking soda pre-mixed with an acidifying agent such as cream of tartar plus a drying agent, or starch, of some kind. Single-acting baking powder becomes active immediately after it is mixed with liquid. So the batter does need to be put into the oven as soon as possible.

Double-acting baking powder has a split reaction, partly when the liquid is added, and then a second reaction when the batter is exposed to heat in the oven. Because of this, recipes using double-acting baking powder can be held aside for a short while before you bake them.

Baking powder can be a good substitute for baking soda. If you only have baking soda and need baking powder you'll need to add 2 parts cream of tartar to 1 part baking soda; as an example, 1 teaspoon cream of tartar plus ½ teaspoon baking soda creates the correct ratio.

Substitutions

I've made some great doorstops/hockey pucks in my time by switching everything in a recipe and not understanding where or how I needed to make further changes. Keeping notes along the way is important. It can help you understand the evolution of your recipe and help prevent those inedible disasters.

I will share from personal experience that if you try to change everything at once you may find that you get an unpleasant result, so be careful when swapping. I usually change the flour first, then the fat, then the sugar.

Sugars

1 cup of sugar → substitute 1 cup of applesauce

You'll need to reduce the liquid in the recipe by ¼ cup – good for cookies, muffins, and quickbreads

2 Tablespoons sugar → ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Good for any baked goods, up to 4 tablespoons of sugar

1 cup sugar → 2 Tablespoons stevia powder or 1 teaspoon liquid stevia

The recipe may need further modification to make up for the loss of the volume of sugar

Flour/Starch

7/8 cup white flour → 1 cup whole wheat flour

You may need to let the batter sit for a few minutes to allow the extra fiber to absorb some of the liquid in the recipe

1 cup white flour → 1 cup mashed black beans

Wonderful in brownies

1 cup white flour → 1 cup nut flour + ½ teaspoon baking soda or baking powder

1 cup white flour → 1/3 cup coconut flour + 1 egg + a splash of water

Good for pancakes, cookies, and cake

1 cup white flour → 1 cup gluten-free flour blend

Depending on the recipe you may need to add tapioca starch or xanthan gum to make up for the loss of gluten

Fat and Dairy

1/2 cup oil or butter → ½ cup applesauce

Good for muffins or quick breads

1 cup butter → ¾ cup prunes + ¼ cup boiling water blended together

Good for brownies and other chocolate-flavored baked goods

1 Tablespoon butter → 3 Tablespoons ground flax seeds + 1 Tablespoons water

Let the mixture sit for 8-10 minutes to thicken before adding to the batter

1 cup oil or butter → 1 cup mashed banana

Good in brownies, muffins, or cookies

1 cup buttermilk or kefir → 1 cup whole milk + 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Let the mixture sit for at least 5 minutes to sour

1 cup milk → ½ cup evaporated milk + ½ cup water blended together

If you need a slightly thicker consistency you can use a little more evaporated milk and a little less water

Eggs

The video below is a great resource for how to make substitutions for eggs.

Cake Questions

by Mirabaking, fats and oil, questions, sweetenerscarob

My friend Claire recently learned about using carob as a substitute for chocolate and decided that she wanted to try it. She felt that it was best to start with a recipe that already used carob and try to change the sugar/fat ratios so she picked this recipe.

Here are her notes, “Instead of using 2/3 cup I substituted with 1/2 cup brown sugar plus 4 tbsp's milk. It turned out looking & tasting just like a chocolate cake; just not as sweet as the ones you normally get from the store, because I didn't use as much sweetener. I shared it with a friend and she liked it and thought it was a chocolate cake. The texture of the cake is dense and more like that of a banana bread. I think if I use 100% all purpose flour or cake flour it will make a difference. I baked for 30 minutes and it turned out a little dry, so I would probably bake less than 30 minutes next time. Also adding icing might help with the dryness but I didn't use it.”

My reply: “This certainly looks great and your picture looks wonderful!! I would make one small change. Instead of brown sugar (which these days is nothing more than white sugar stained with molasses) I would try demerara sugar which is a lower process than white sugar and has a fairly good moisture content mimicking the effect of brown sugar.

In case you are wondering why manufacturers pull the molasses out of sugar to make white sugar and then add it back to make brown, it's so that they can get a consistent color palette in the product. Silly but that's why they do it.

As to the moisture…the cake probably came out a little drier because you used less sweetener. You can try to modify that by either adding a little more fat (oil or butter) or by adding something like sour cream (just a little) to help which would also give a subtle richness to the cake or applesauce which would help add moisture. The applesauce typically doesn't add anything to the flavor profile, just moisture.

Since I personally encourage people to eat more whole grains I would leave the whole wheat the way it is is the recipe, switching back to 100% enriched flour is nutritionally less desirable and will also significantly change the properties of the cake.”

As a general note, when you are modifying recipes it's sometimes difficult to remember all the different pieces that make up the whole. Changing one ingredient can have a major effect on the overall result. When working with baked goods the most important things to think about are if your change will impact the loft (whole grains are more dense requiring possibly more moisture or more leavening), the moisture, or the flavor. But most importantly, like Claire, have fun and experiment with your food.

Photo: Courtesy of Claire Wang

What About The DASH Diet

by Mirafats and oil, habits, health, questions

A recent question came in from Eden asking what I thought about the DASH diet. DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. Here is my reply:

I think the concept of the diet is certainly a good one; low sodium (most of us eat too much already) and lots of lean protein, fresh veggies and fruit, and including whole grains in the diet. This is the basis of a good dietary approach for all of us. As a whole, however, I do not believe that DASH goes far enough.

One of the issues I have with it is the part about low fat. Not that I don't think we need to consider lowering our fat intake (many of us could do with a lot less) but rather that we need to think about the types of fats and the ratio of fat that we ingest. I do not consider margarine or other fake fats to be a good choice. Using healthy fats, as I wrote about here, in moderation is a much better choice than using trans-fats.

Another concern is that the diet does not specifically mention how increased fiber content can lower both blood pressure and cholesterol. A study published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition showed that “bean consumers had lower systolic blood pressure in comparison to non-consumers.” Beans and other high fiber foods need to be a part of everyone's diet and are a beneficial part of reducing blood pressure.

Also there is the concern that although the DASH diet does promote exercise it does not exactly look at the stress levels or other holistic concerns. Teaching people how to breathe or to engage in active relaxation techniques has been proven to help lower blood pressure. Meditation, Qi Gong, Yoga, and other mindful exercise practices also have techniques to help lower blood pressure.

Lastly, DASH does not mention or strongly promote those foods that are specifically helpful for lowering blood pressure such as garlic, onions, hibiscus, and foods that are high in magnesium or potassium. Nor does it caution against those foods that promote higher blood pressure which I wrote about here.

So overall I think that the DASH diet is a good place to start when it comes to lowering blood pressure but I think there are some other changes that can be added to the diet to improve it.

Be well.

Grapeseed Oil

by Mirafats and oil, questions

Karen just asked, “What is grapeseed oil? I've seen it in numerous recipes and the cheap, or shall I say frugal, side of me won't let me purchase it until I know I'll use it”

Well, I'm so glad you asked. Grapeseed oil is pressed from the seeds of lots of different varieties of grapes. It is used for used for salad dressings, marinades, cooking, frying, baking, as a massage oil or sunburn lotion, and has a number of other applications. It has a fairly high smoke point which makes it an excellent choice for frying but many people like it most for sauteeing or as a salad oil because of it's delicate, somewhat neutral, flavor.

It is a high linoleic acid oil (73%), meaning it contains a lot of omega-6 essential fatty acids. Most of us actually consume too many omega-6's in our diet but used in moderation grapeseed oil is fine. It does have some other health benefits; a study published by the University of California, Davis in 2006 found that it reduced blood pressure in people with metabolic syndrome. In the study patients were given a placebo, 150 mg or 300 mg of grapeseed oil. Those taking the grapeseed oil had a beneficial result and those on the larger dose also experienced a drop in LDL cholesterol. Further studies are underway at the University to see if there is a benefit in patients with hypertension.

Although grapeseed oil is more expensive that most oils, unless you are planning to deep fry with it a little goes a long way. As with other oils, please purchase cold pressed as this is the best, least damaging process by which to extract the oils, and purchase organic, if you can, to ensure no pesticide contamination.
source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grape_seed_oil
and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linoleic_acid
and http://www.upi.com/Business_News/2006/03/27/Study-Grapeseed-oil-lowers-blood-pressure/UPI-21071143520705/

National Pecan Day

by Mirafats and oil, nuts

Today is National Pecan Day. Pecans are one of my favorite nuts. Although they are very hard to crack they are certainly worth the effort. Pecans have sweet, tender nutmeats that are very tasty.

Brief History

Pecans (Carya illinoinensis) are a species of hickory tree that is native to the south-central region of the United States of America. The name Pecan comes from an Algonquin word that means a nut requiring a stone to crack. Although they are native to North America they have been imported and are now grown commercially in Australia, Brazil, China, Israel, Mexico, Peru and South Africa. A pecan tree can bear fruit for up to 300 years.

Nutritional Profile

There has been a lot of interest in pecans and their healthy profile; they add fiber to your diet as well as providing vitamins B and C, iron, calcium, potassium, magnesium, and phosphorous. Pecans are also a good source of monosaturated fats (the same kind of beneficial fat that is found in olive oil).

According to studies from Loma Linda University and Texas A&M University, “a heart-healthy diet…is more effective in lowering cholesterol when pecans are added – even though the pecans added more total fat to the diet. And study participants did not gain weight on the pecan diet.”

“This confirms that it is the type of fat in the diet (i.e. the monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat in pecans) that is more important to heart health than total fat intake. These studies showed that the addition of pecans to a heart healthy diet decreased the levels of “bad” LDL cholesterol…and helped maintain desirable levels of “good” HDL cholesterol.”

The National Cholesterol Education program states, “For every 1% reduction in LDL cholesterol, there is a 1.5% reduction in incidence of coronary heart disease. Thus, the pecan diets in the Loma Linda and Texas A&M studies would correspond with a 25% decreased risk of heart disease.”

Of course, the best way to eat them is to start with raw nuts. Pecans are very versatile and can be added to a wide variety of baked goods, they go well in salads, can be used in pilaf-type recipes, or can be spiced and flavored to be eaten as a snack.

Proper Storage

However you use them, just remember to store them properly. Pecans need to be kept in dry, clean, airtight containers. Out of the shell they will last at room temperature up to two months or refrigerated up to one year and frozen up to two years. Because they are a low-moisture nut pecans can be refrozen several times without losing quality.

Pecan Recipe

Pecans are usually thought of as a nut that is used to make sweet foods such as pecan pie, pecan sandies cookies, or pecan brittle. They’re also a frequent topping for sweet potatoes or other holiday favorites.

Although this recipe does have a little sweetness to it, the rosemary gives it a wonderful aromatic boost. These make a great snack and won’t last long.

Savory Rosemary Pecans

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 35

Servings 4 cups

Ingredients

1 Tbsp fresh rosemary leaves, finely chopped
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground cardamom
¼ tsp ground cayenne
½ tsp fine sea salt
¼ tsp black pepper
¼ cup unsalted butter
3 Tbsp maple syrup
4 cups pecan halves
1 rounded Tbsp turbinado or demerara (large grain) sugar

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 350°F
Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or use a baking mat, such as Silpat
In a small bowl mix together rosemary, cinnamon, cardamom, cayenne, salt, and black pepper
Melt butter in a small skillet over medium heat.
When butter is melted add maple syrup and stir well to combine
Heat for another 1-2 minutes then remove from heat
Add pecans to a large bowl
Pour butter mixture on top of pecans and then add the spice mixture, stirring well to coat the pecans
Pour pecans onto the prepared baking sheet, arranging in a single layer and spacing well
Bake for 15 minutes, stir pecans and then bake another 15 minutes
Remove pecans from oven and let cool 5-7 minutes
Sprinkle with turbinado or demerara and stir to coat
Store in an airtight container, will last for 2 weeks
Enjoy!

High Oleic Canola Oil

by Mirafats and oil, gmo, questions

I recently received an email from Wayne who wanted to know about high oleic canola oil, which is marketed as trans fat free. He had eaten some foods that had it as one of the ingredients and did not like it at all. He was wondering if I had any information about it.

Trans fat free oils are those which are either naturally without trans fat or that have not been hydrogenated to increase the saturation factor. Margerine is a prime example of fat that has been transformed to make it have a longer shelf life. Oleic acid provides some stability to the oils and so scientists are breeding high oleic acid strains of things like corn and canola. With the exception of high oleic sunflower oil I have not been able to find clear evidence that these other oils are not genetically modified rather than the result of a direct breeding program. My recommendation is to choose organic oils, which means there will be no GMO and no pesticides.

Be well.

Oil

by Mirafats and oil, questions

I was recently asked if it was true that we shouldn't cook with oil at all. The simple answer is I believe it is okay to cook with oil in moderate amounts. The more complicated answer is you need to use the right kind of oil(s).

Saturated fats, trans fats, monosaturated fats, polyunsaturated fats, organic, conventional, GMO, there are a lot of factors to consider. There are so many choices at the grocery store that it can be a little overwhelming. Then throw in the misunderstandings of how fat works on our bodies and we wind up with a lot of people eating and cooking with margerine and higher and higher levels of heart disease in this country.

I suggest that you avoid vegetable shortening and margerine. I think it's important to avoid GMO foods whenever possible and unfortunately I have come to believe that most corn products in this country are contaminated which means if you are using corn oil it should be organic. I believe cold-pressed or expeller-pressed oils are the best. (Cold pressing produces a high quality oil unlike a heated process which destroys nutrition, flavor and color. Expeller pressing produces less oil but the seeds are not chemically treated before pressing and there is no heat applied during the process.)

There is an excellent book by Mary Enig, Ph.D., Know Your Fats : The Complete Primer for Understanding the Nutrition of Fats, Oils and Cholesterol that is the encyclopedia of understanding fats. If this is a subject that you are interested in I encourage you to get this book.

A quick excerpt:

natural fats and oils that should not be be used for frying or be heated include flaxseed oil unprocessed, cold-pressed canola oil, and unprocessed, cold-pressed soybean oil
Natural fats and oils that are safe for most deep fat frying include coconut oil, palm oil, lard, tallow, high oleic safflower oil, high oleic sunflower seed oil and regular sunflower seed oil with added sesame oil and rice bran oil
Natural fats and oils that are safe for one-time (my emphasis) frying include corn oil, olive oil and peanut oil

Dr. Enig herself prefers to use a composed oil for sauteing and frying that is one-third coconut oil, one third sesame oil and one third olive oil. Once the coconut oil is melted and blended in the mixture remains liquid at room temperature. And yes, contrary to what you may have heard, coconut oil is good for you.

Just remember when you use fat in your diet make sure it's a good fat, and use it in moderation.

photo courtesy of commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Alex_Ex