Ask Jack with Jack McNulty
Welcome to our second installment of Ask Jack, featuring the prodigious culinary talents of professional holistic chef Jack McNulty answering food-related questions generated by you, our community. Check out the show notes below that dig deeper into the topics covered on this episode. Set your dials to this station when Ask Jack #3 premieres on July 21, 2021, just in time to get great cooking tips for summer fun (at least for our listeners in the Northern Hemisphere)! Don’t forget to submit your questions for Jack by emailing them to [email protected].
Now, on to this episode’s topics and questions:
First, a question from Annemieke in the Netherlands about peanuts, though what she’s asking about is no small matter for many of you:
From Kiril in Bulgaria, let’s get to the slippery topic of oils:
From Nick in Lincoln, Rhode Island, an important question about a really trending topic – plant-based meat alternatives:
Now on to canned foods, with a question from Duarte in Poland:
From Marie in the United Kingdom, a question about coconut milk replacements:
Still on the coconut theme, here’s a question from Ann, from the OMS Circle in Hertfordshire, UK:
This other question from Marie in the UK may activate some pleasure centers in our listener’s food brains:
Here’s a question from a listener in the UK on sour cream:
Now on to something we find very tasty here in the UK, but which isn’t always OMS-friendly: Yorkshire Pudding. Ann, from the OMS Circle in Hertfordshire, wanted to know:
Since we are on a sweets kick, Ann had another question that might be relevant to many of our listeners who love to bake:
And let’s end this episode on a crunchy note:
Even though you shouldn’t use peanut butter as a dominant food source in your diet, it is probably fine to eat some in small amounts every now and then. Minor consumption of peanut butter is unlikely to have any major negative effects as long as you are also avoiding harmful foods like sugary sodas, trans fats and other highly processed junk foods.
Grape seeds are waste products from pressing grapes for wine or juice. There is very little nutritional benefit in the oil and lots of downside. It is an oil that is considered to promote inflammation. Consider alternatives such as unprocessed rapeseed oil, extra virgin olive oil or no oil at all!
Impossible burgers are made from a large list of unhealthy ingredients. It is probably best to avoid these burgers completely. Look for 100% plant-based alternatives, or better yet, consider making your own.
BPA is the biggest concern when it comes to canned food products. BPA is a chemical used in making plastics which may accelerate formation of fat cells. 90% of BPA in humans comes from canned foods and processed foods. Choose foods that are packed in Tetra Paks, Jars or BPA-free cans… or make your food fresh!
Coconut essence can be added to non-dairy milk to help replicate the flavor and consistency of coconut milk (or cream). It is helpful to add a thickening ingredient to the mix to create the right texture. I recommend blending soy milk, chickpea flour, nut butter and some coconut water or essence. Read my complete thoughts here.
Coconut oil is used extensively in the vegan world. Quite a number of vegan baking recipes rely heavily on the use of coconut oil. In most cases, substituting a healthier oil like unprocessed rapeseed oil or extra virgin olive oil works fine. To create a richer texture for pastries, consider adding a tablespoon of nut butter.
Crispy textures on vegetables are created by caramelizing natural sugars/starches on the surface. Caramelization begins when sugars/starches reach a temperature of 120°C (250°F). This is also the point when all oils begin breaking down, although harmful elements are not produced until temperatures rise substantially more to 190°C (375°F) and held at this point for 10-20 minutes.
Coating vegetables with a light amount of oil is considered OMS-safe because the surface moisture evaporating from the vegetables will prevent the oils from rising above 120°C (250°F). The oil coating will also speed the cooking/caramelization process and prevent too much moisture loss from the vegetable.
Crispy textures can be accomplished without oil, although the vegetable will taste dry, a factor that can be overcome by coating the vegetable with a dip or vinaigrette after cooking. Adding a starch to the vegetable surface prior to cooking (corn starch, rice starch, tapioca starch) can help create a crispier surface without adding oils.
Get Jack’s Oil-Free Baked Potato Fries and Tangy Ketchup recipe
Here is how Jack makes a vegan soy sour cream:
250 grams (1/2-pound) semi-firm tofu (or firm silken tofu)
3 tablespoons soy yogurt
25 ml. (2 tablespoons) extra virgin olive oil (optional)
juice of one half lemon
2 tablespoons apple vinegar
1-2 teaspoons sea salt
Combine all the ingredients in the bowl of a high-speed blender. Process until creamy smooth. Taste the soy sour cream and make any adjustments to the seasoning or acidic content, then blend again. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
This classic recipe relies heavily on eggs and fat in the traditional preparation. The biggest problem in making a light and crispy version is the technique in the classic version, which is essentially a deep-fried preparation in a small tin like a muffin tin.
The key steps in making vegan (or OMS-friendly) cakes moist and light are to follow these guidelines:
The key to making a crisp cracker is to get the dough rolled out very thinly. Sandwich the dough in between two pieces of baking paper and use a rolling pin to get the dough very thin. Place on a baking tray and carefully remove the top sheet. Baking is usually at 200°C (400°F) for about 10-12 minutes.
Links:
Join us starting May 19 for the next episode of Living Well with MS for a very special and insightful interview with Dr. Sandra Neate, the Head of the Neuroepidemiology Unit (NEU) within the Melbourne School of Population and Global Health at the University of Melbourne in Australia. The NEU is at the forefront of research into lifestyle related risk factors in MS and health outcomes, and the experiences of people who adopt lifestyle modification. Have a listen to hear what’s on the NEU’s research horizon and how it may impact you!
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