Oil, Vegetable (with recipe)

            Vegetable oils occupy an important position in nutrition; it therefore pays to obtain the best quality available, even if it is somewhat expensive. How to recognize the “best” is a little tricky, but with a few basic facts under your belt you can surmount the problem with ease. First step: try to avoid commercial big-name brands. These oils are all extracted by use of petroleum-based solvents, and there is real danger of carcinogenic residues remaining in the oil. They are also exposed to excessively high heats and refining processes, which leave them odorless, tasteless, colorless – and unnaturally healthless. They are also permeated with preservatives. Stay away from them.

            What you should aim for is a pressed oil in crude or relatively unrefined state.  Pressed oil are obtained by use of hydraulic or expeller presses. The oil is forced by pressure out of the nut or seed or grain rather than being extracted chemically by use of solvents. Crude or unrefined oils are exposed to various degrees of filtration rather than to refinement by means of caustic chemicals.

            Cast a wary eye on labels. Question the term “cold-pressed”. All oil-giving substances (with the exception of olives and sesame seeds) must be exposed to a certain amount of heat before they will yield their oil. Question the term “unrefined”. A truly unrefined oil is dark in color, thick in substance, and pungent in taste – and does not appeal to all palates. Question the term “virgin” (as in olive oil). As an indication of quality it is absolutely meaningless, for there are no standards governing its usage.

            All properly processed vegetable oils provide excellent sources of unsaturated essential fatty acids, vitamin E, and lecithin. The type of oil you choose depends on your own taste or intention. Peanut oil is good for frying, and many Asian recipes blossom with it. Olive oil is unsurpassable for salads, and Italian dishes would lapse into lethargy without it. Corn, sunflower, and safflower oils are all highly unsaturated and good for general use. Then there are sesame, avocado, walnut…Experiment!

            Always refrigerate vegetable oil after opening so that it will not become rancid. It will keep longer if it is in a dark container, for the oil deteriorates more rapidly when exposed to light. Vegetable oils can (and should) be successfully substituted for hydrogenated fats such as margarine, shortening, and lard in many recipes. Here, for instance, in an easy-to-make piecrust prepared with pressed vegetable oil.

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PIE CRUST

¹/₃ cup ice water

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

1 teaspoon salt

¹/₃ cup cold butter

¹/₃ cup cold olive oil

1.      In a small bowl place an ice cube and about ¹/₃ cup water.

2.      Into a large bowl, sift flour and salt. Add cold butter, cut into small pieces. With fingers quickly mix with flour until butter and flour form pea-size lumps. Measure out ¹/₃ cup ice water and add ¹/₃ cup cold oil into same container. Pour all at once into dough and mix quickly with fingers, forming into a ball. Roll out immediately or refrigerate for later use.

3.      Makes enough pastry for one double-crust pie or two single crusts.

4.      Note: In order to have a flaky crust, the butter must not get too soft. Therefore work quickly; if at any point the butter seems to melt, refrigerate for a few minutes, then continue the recipe.

Nut (with recipe)

            Nuts are among the most nutritious of all foods. They contain relatively more protein than most other foods of plant origin and are therefore great value as a meat substitute. They are also high in unsaturated fatty acids, B vitamins, and a multitude of minerals – phosphorus, iron, and calcium, in particular. Because of this load of nutrients, nuts should be eaten sparingly and chewed well. For greatest nutritive value and easy digestibility, eat nuts in their most natural form. This means nuts freshly extracted from their shells; shells that have not been gassed (for easier cracking), bleached (for uniformity of appearance), or dyed (who needs purple pecans and red pistachios?).

            Once the shell is removed from a nut, it will quickly grow rancid unless refrigerated. Therefore almost all shelled nuts are treated in obnoxious manners to give them indefinite shelf life, and they should be avoided if possible. When you must buy shelled nuts, try to purchase them at a health food store that keeps them refrigerated. Also give a wide berth to roasted nuts. These are cooked at high temperatures that destroy much of the nutritive value; they are often saturated with hydrogenised oils used in the “roasting” process; and they are usually oversalted and sometimes even sugared. Roast your own nuts, it’s easy and the taste is incomparable.

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ROASTED NUTS

·        On top of the stove: In a heavy iron skillet, place 1-2 cups fresh-shelled nuts. Raw cashews, pine nuts, and pumpkin seeds are particularly delicious when fresh roasted. Adjust heat to medium high, and stir nuts until they begin to let off their delicious aroma (about 10 minutes) – be careful not to over-roast. Sprinkle with sea salt (stir in 1 teaspoon pressed vegetable oil, and then salt will cling evenly to the nuts) if desired, and serve warm.

·        In the oven: Place 1-2 cups fresh-shelled nuts on a baking sheet. Place in a 350-degree oven. Every 5 minutes stir the nuts. In about 15 minutes their heady aroma will let you know they are ready – be careful not to over-roast. Sprinkle with sea salt if desired and serve warm.