All About Oil:

The three things I consider when choosing oil are health benefits, heat-tolerance, and flavor.

Health:

Eliminate intake of trans fats (hydrogenated or partially-hydrogenated), which are sometimes found in shortening or stick margarine. These are the least healthy fats and are not, in most cases naturally occurring. They are the byproduct of chemical manipulation of vegetable oils. Think “Stop”.

Minimize intake of saturated fat (generally solid at room temperature). Saturated fats are usually from an animal source (like lard or butter) though some plant oils (like palm or coconut) include saturated fats. I try to limit my intake of animal protein and only use butter or coconut oil in recipes that absolutely require saturated oil (like pie crust during the holidays) and then I eat these things in moderation. Think, “Caution”.

Limit fat intake to mostly unsaturated fats, and total fat intake to no more than 30% of daily calories. We actually do need some healthy unsaturated fat in order to maintain healthy cholesterol levels and decrease our risk of heart disease and other health problems. Unsaturated fats are generally liquid at room temperature and are divided into two categories: monounsaturated and polyunsaturated (based on the number of hydrogen-reducing double bonds in the fatty acid chain). Monounsaturated fats can be found in nuts, vegetable oils, canola oil, olive oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil, and avocadoes. Polyunsaturated fats can be found in corn oil, safflower oil, canola oil, walnuts, flax seed, and fish. Think, “Moderation”.

Include up to 10% of calorie intake from essential fatty acids (EFAs). EFAs can be found in the polyunsaturated fats and their name refers to the fact that they are vital for health and biological processes (not just to be burned for energy), and that the human body cannot synthesize these fats. Humans need two kinds of EFAs: Omega 6 and Omega 3. Research suggests an ideal 1:1 ration between Omega 3 and 6. The Cleveland Clinic recommends focusing on getting enough Omega 3 fatty acids. Omega 6 fatty acids are more prevalent in American diets so to achieve balance most people need to add Omega 3. Good sources of Omega 3 are: canola, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, flax seeds, eggs and fish (trout, herring, salmon, and krill). Think, “Go”.

Cooking with Oils:

Most oils are labeled with their smoke point. It’s important to follow the temperature requirements of oils because damaged oils lose health benefits and can actually become harmful. According to the Cleveland Clinic, heating oils above their smoke point “produces toxic fumes and harmful free radicals”. Refined oils can tolerate higher heat than their unrefined counterparts. However the refining process can also lower nutritional benefits so if possible choose less refined oils for dips and dressings or low heat cooking. There is a lot of variation in the refining process between different brands and qualities of the same oil so check the label for heat tolerance and storage recommendation. That being said, the following are some general guidelines.

No Heat Oils: require refrigeration and are best consumed cold or at room temperature in smoothies, dips, cold marinades or salad dressings. Includes flax seed and wheat germ oils.

Low Heat Oils: are best used in light sautéing, in sauces, and in low-heat baking. Includes pumpkinseed, walnut, coconut, sesame and hemp oils (the last two should be kept refrigerated).

Medium Heat Oils: are best suited for baking, oven cooking or stir-frying. Includes grape seed, macadamia nut, peanut and extra-virgin olive oils.

High Heat Oils: can tolerate searing, browning, and frying. Includes almond, avocado, hazelnut, palm, rice, sunflower and safflower oils.

Flavor:

Everyone’s tastes are different. Taste and see which oil flavors you enjoy most. Many are mild enough to go with any food. Others have a strong flavor that can overwhelm a dish if you’re not careful. An example of the latter is flax seed oil, which is very healthful, but has a somewhat fishy flavor. I haven’t tried this yet myself by my Mum uses it in homemade Caesar salad dressing (where it pairs nicely with the anchovies). 

If you would like to learn more about the health benefits, uses and risks of various fats and oils, the following links provide some excellent information:

http://health.clevelandclinic.org/2012/05/heart-healthy-cooking-oils-101/

http://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/everyone/basics/fat/unsaturatedfat.html

Meat Loaf and Meat Balls ~ Two Meals at Once:

To open, my apologies for being absent, I hope to be more consistent in the coming weeks and months. I'm busy with school of course but I want to make this blog a priority. Please keep checking back!

This is a healthier version of an old family favorite. The meat mixture from this recipe will make enough for a loaf pan sized meatloaf (for tonight) and about 20 meatballs (for the freezer) that can be cooked in broth later and added to hot tomato sauce for a quick pasta dinner later.

Materials:

breakfast knife

large steel mixing bowl

steel potato masher

large steel spoon

measuring cups and spoons

food-safe disposable gloves

baking pan (cooking time based on loaf pan. larger pan will take longer) 

baking sheet

meat thermometer

Zip-Loc bag (gallon size)

Ingredients (add to large mixing bowl):

1 egg (slightly beaten)

2 T. salsa (to stir in now) and reserve 1 c. salsa for later

(I like Pace brand salsa. There’s no sugar added and the medium has plenty of kick)

½ large yellow onion (grated)

1 garlic clove (minced)

1 t. sea salt

1 t. Chachere’s seasoning blend

¼ t. fresh ground pepper

1 t. dried parsley (plus other savory herbs if desired.)

2 ½ lbs. ground meat (combination of ground turkey and extra lean ground beef)

½ c. Quick Oats

Method:-Pre-heat oven to 350 F.

-Mix all ingredients, except for reserved 1 c. of salsa, in large (steel) mixing bowl using steel potato masher until well incorporated.

-Use large metal spoon to transfer meat mixture to baking dish and press down firmly (whole recipe will fill square pan or ½ recipe will fill loaf pan with some mixture left over to make meatballs).

-Top entire meatloaf generously with reserved salsa

-Bake for one hour at 350 F.

-Once the meatloaf is in the oven put on dispoasable food-safe gloves and form the remaining meat mixture into meatballs. I usually aim for smaller than egg-sized. Too large will not be as tasty as they will not soak up the flavor from the sauce.

-Place the meat balls on a baking sheet and place the sheet in the freezer

-discard gloves, wash hands and clean dishes and surfaces thoroughly

-After one hour check that meat thermometer shows a minimum temperature of 165 F. in the center of the meatloaf (avoid touching the bottom of the pan with the probe when testing temperature). Leave meatloaf in the oven until a safe interior temperature is achieved.(checking every 5-10 minutes).

-Serve with a green salad.

-After dinner remove frozen meatballs from freezer, place them in a Zip-Loc bag and return them to the freezer until needed.

-Frozen meat balls can be cooked by placing in boiling broth until interior temp of 165 F. is achieved, then placed into pot of hot tomato sauce to simmer for 15-30 minutes and served over pasta.

Shopping List:

food-safe disposable gloves,

Zip-Loc bag (gallon size)

eggs

Pace brand salsa (medium)

yellow onion

garlic bulb

sea salt

Tony Chachere’s seasoning blend

pepper

dried parsley

other savory herbs (if desired.)

2 ½ lbs. ground meat (combination of ground turkey and extra lean ground beef)

Quick Oats

A Note on Meat Safety: Whenever I work with raw meat I start by opening my dishwasher (or freeing up my sink) and readying my trash can (lined with a bag) so that all utensils and wrappers can go directly from use to washing or discarding without touching counters, etc. I use a breakfast knife to open the package and drop the meat right into my large steel mixing bowl (for this recipe -or onto the grill, or pan for others). That way I don’t have raw meat touching other surfaces unnecessarily. I use a steel potato masher to mix the ingredients in the bowl (instead of my hands), and food-safe disposable gloves at the end to form the meatballs from the extra meat mixture. Once the meatloaf is in the oven, and the meatballs are in the freezer, I bag and remove the trash, wash my hands thoroughly, turn on the dishwasher using the hottest water possible, and clean everything else (surfaces etc.) with hot soapy water just to be sure a droplet of raw meat juice didn’t contaminate something. Then I put the wash-cloths into the washer with hot water too. The FDA recommended minimum interior temperatures for safely cooked meats are as follows:

Ground Meat: Ground Beef, Veal, Lamb, and Pork 160F & Ground Poultry 165 F.

Since our recipe is a Beef/Turkey combination we follow the higher temperature (165 F.)

Meat Cuts: Beef, Veal, Lamb, Pork 145 F. and Poultry 165 F.

Fish: 145 F.

More information about safely cooking with meat can be found at:

http://www.fda.gov/Food/ResourcesForYou/HealthEducators/ucm082294.htm