Category: Ingredients

Seafood Stock

Posted on by Lisa P

This is a great recipe for lobster stock but you can also use shrimp shells, clam shells, salmon skin, fish bones, heads etc.  I was surpised to see it takes three hours as I’ve traditionally done mine for only two.  I’m not sure how much difference it makes but if you have the extra hour, go for three!

Traditional Lobster Stock Recipe

How to Parboil Brown Rice

Posted on by Lisa P

This recipe on how to parboil brown rice is very useful for when you want to substitute brown rice for white rice in a one pot meal. Parboiled brown rice cooks in the same amount of time as regular long grain white rice.

Parboil Brown Rice Cooking Instructions

  1. Combine in a 2 quart saucepan – 1 cup brown rice and 2 cups water
  2. Stir lightly, bring to a rolling boil and reduce heat to simmer and cook for 15 minutes.
  3. Remove from heat and drain.  If using within 2 hours you can leave it on the counter, otherwise refrigerate or freeze for later use.

Use in place of “long grain white rice” in any one-pot recipe.

Is Canola Oil Really Healthy? Maybe not so much.

Posted on by Lisa P

Canola oil has been touted for years as a healthy alternative to vegetable and peanut oils. But wait, not so fast. Canola oil is extracted from rapeseeds that have been altered through breeding to remove a substance called erucic acid, which was found to be harmful to rats. Most of today’s canola oil is produced from genetically modified rapeseeds owned by the mega-chemical company Monsanto. It is also heavily processed using chemicals. Watch the 5-minute video below to see how canola oil is made.

Obviously everyone has to make their own minds up, but IMO grapeseed oil is a better choice if you’re looking for a neutral-flavored cooking oil. First, I steer clear of genetically modified foods, mainly as a boycott of Monsanto products but also because with so many non-GMO alternatives readily available, why would I not choose the real deal instead? Second, as a healthy choice I avoid processed foods and this is one of the most highly processed ingredients you can buy.

I’d love to hear what you think in the comments below.