Cooking Tips and Tricks

October 9, 2019January 11, 2022

CoachBJ’s Quick Tips: How to use and where to get AQUAFABA

Simply put Aquafaba is bean brine. As a whole foods, plant-based food coach and cook, using aquafaba has been a great option for replacing ingredients such as eggs, oil and butter found in the standard American diet. My choice is to use organic low-sodium brine from canned chick peas (garbanzo beans) to maintain consistency in ingredients as a control while developing my recipes. Additionally the clearer color brine will not taint the outcome. On the other hand, I hear that other bean brine can be used from canned or cooked beans but I’m sticking to chick peas for now.

Aquafaba has been used by cooks in the last few years to enhance baked vegan goods but can be used by any baker who wants to cook healthier foods…who doesn’t wants to eat beauty health desserts. It is a useful ingredient for leavening and binding. Particularly wonderful for making cakes with beautiful crumb and a higher lift. Of course I use it in concert with many other leavening and binding ingredients. I started using aquafaba years ago and use it in my own recipes.

You can store aquafaba in the refrigerator for about one week and it also freezes well. Since we always have canned chick peas around, we always have aquafaba around – it’s a 2 for 1. Just save off the aquafaba from the canned chick peas. It’s so easy to find healthy foods to cook with the chick peas such as hummus, roasted for crunchy snacking, include in salads, use in soups and so many other ethnic dishes. We love chick peas and use the brine for aquafaba!

ENJOY THE TIPS!

March 10, 2019January 11, 2022

CoachBJ’s Quick Tips: Lining Materials for baking and roasting

For Whole Food, Plant-Based non-stick cooking without having to use oil or spray, I use two types of materials which will be shown in the Quick-Tips video below. I use these materials – a Silpat and/or parchment paper – to line baking sheets, pie pans and cake pans. They provide easy clean up, even cooking, no added calories and healthy eating options. (An additional option for non-stick bakeware is made from silicone material but that’s for another blog and video.)

I have used two Silpats for about 13 years, they have held up well under a lot of test cooking for my eCookbooks. They were purchased on the internet but if you have a kitchen store nearby they likely will stock Silpats. They are reusable, thus easy on your pocketbook and the environment. For baking foods such as cookies or burgers, just place a Silpat on a baking sheet. For roasting, I frequently line a baking sheet with a Silpat then add a few sheets of parchment paper to absorb the juices.

Roasting cauliflower — ROASTING CAULIFLOWER on a Silpat and parchment paper lined baking sheet.

SARAH’S GARDENING CHOCOLATE COOKIES on a Silpat used to line a baking sheet for Plant-Based baking

**ENJOY THE TIP! Use parchment paper and Silpats for no-oil plant-based cooking.**

September 26, 2017June 10, 2021

Roasting Chick Peas

We LOVE to snack on roasted low sodium CHICK PEAS (garbanzo beans)! Nice and crunchy like nuts without all the calories. Our toaster oven makes roasting so easy, quick and energy efficient too.

[A spin off is that we always have aqua faba (brine from chick peas) on hand to use as a leavening agent in baked goods…it keeps well in the refrigerator for about a week or freeze extra.]

The process for roasting Chick Peas is simple:

Just pre-heat your toaster oven 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 5 minutes or roast in your regular oven.
Take a can of low sodium chick peas and save off the aqua faba (brine) to use as an ingredient in baked goods.
Do not rinse the chick peas, place them in a single layer on the roasting tray lined with parchment paper.
Sprinkle on your favorite seasoning, we like garlic and cayenne pepper.
Roast for 20-25 minutes, turning mid-way. That’s it!

A downside is that they are so good that we gobble up the roasted Chick Peas in a hurry and have to made more! ENJOY!!

September 7, 2017June 10, 2021

Potatoes in a Crock Pot

POTATOES, POTATOES, POTATOES! We’re always searching for methods to prepare vegetables that is quick and easy…potatoes cooked in a Crock Pot fits this bill perfectly. At frequently cook a batch of various potatoes – our favorites and the most nutritious are yellows, sweets and reds. You can mix and match, just be aware, each one takes a different amounts of time to cook.

You can make these in the evenings or on weekends, let the slow cooker do the job. This technique is very simple, just scrub potatoes and put them into the pot (no need to pierce or add water). Fill, cover and slow cook on low for between 4-6 hours. That’s all there is to it.

Now you have a batch to use for a potato bar or snacks. Store the extras in a bowl in the refrigerator…yum, just waiting for anyone who wants a healthy snack to grab it on their way out or as an evening snack. In particular, we love our potatoes plated on leafy greens and topped with specialty mustards. An additional benefit of using a Crock Pot, especially in the summer, is to save the environment, it’s an energy saver and keeps the kitchen from getting hot.

See we told you eating whole food, plant-based can be simple!

August 19, 2017November 11, 2021

How-to Make Cantaloupe Banana Ice Cream

A nice cool refreshing dessert made from frozen fruit, including bananas and fruits of your choice, is easy to make with another toy that we own – Yonanas. But don’t fear, if you don’t own one, you can do the same by using a strong blender.

No dairy or added sugar but all the wonderful nutrients makes this a super healthy treat. Plant-based ice cream can be made anytime of the year but it is especially pleasurable during the summer.

Ice Cream Made with Bananas and Blueberries

Cherry Banana Ice Cream — Ice Cream Made with Bananas and Cherries

The other day I noticed that our cantaloupe was getting ripe faster than we could eat it. We’re aware of food waste and try our best to eat what we purchase or grow. So what to do with those fast ripening fruits, well easy, just freeze them, especially bananas and, in this case, half of that cantaloupe. I’m curious about how yummy this ice cream will taste. First time try but I think it will be perfect with cantaloupe’s natural sweetness!

You can see from my food photography that I’ve made ice cream from bananas and blueberries and cherries. Try strawberries, peaches, mangoes, raspberries…how about watermelon. Remember to throw over-ripe or excess bananas and fruit in the freezer – make an ice cream treat later! Top with nuts and add chocolate chips too. Delicious. Waste NOT!

August 8, 2017June 10, 2021

Air Fryer Explored

We love to experiment in the kitchen and Tom loves new kitchen toys (oops did I say toys or tools). So I’ll share some of our first exploring with our AIR FRYER. See how easy it is to make healthy plant-based fries, of course, without using oil.

(1) FRENCH FRIES EXPLORED: Tom ordered an Air Fryer online. I was unsure about his new toy but I was a willing participant, as long as he’s doing the cooking. Of course the first exploration was the making of crispy French fries. Wow, they just blew us away – Crisp and Easy! Out of the box, they turned out terrific. Here’s the process; Tom just cuts up two potatoes as he normally would, places them into the basket, slides basket into the fryer, turn on 390 degrees F for 20 minutes, turns fries half way, and voila! NO OIL FRIES, who would’ve thought. We LOVE, LOVE the fries. Clean up is so easy, just wash out the basket, no oil, no fuss. Tom makes fries about twice a week, sweet potato fried too. Since Tom loves toys and he takes care of them…don’t tell him but perhaps that’s why I’m so impressed with the FRYER, I don’t have to cook!