Sous-vide Cooking: Seals in Flavor Without Adding Fat

Want to try a new way of cooking meals that are tasty, healthy, and full of nutrients? Try the Sous-vide method, French for “under vacuum” cooking. Food is sealed inside an airtight plastic bag and placed into a water bath. Your meal is now being cooked at a low, even temperature versus an open flame. This helps retain all the health benefits of your food. In addition, your meat, chicken, or fish will come out juicy, moist, and full of flavor. Now you can bite into your carrots, and have them crunch in your mouth.

Have you noticed the green water after you boil your veggies? It’s where the vitamins and minerals from your veggies now live, instead of you biting into them. Fans of the raw food movement have been sharing this fact for a while. Cooking is a science. Heat changes the molecular structure of dishes. Some foods, unfortunately, loose their health benefits in the process.

This can also result in plates slathered in fats and oils in order to flavor them up, or hide their dryness after they’ve been near a flame for too long. 

Foods cooked “a la sous-vide” come out succulent in the case of meats or crunchy when you prepare veggies. This is because cell walls of the food do not burst. Cooking dishes at a low, even heat keeps foods close to their raw state. 

Besides keeping foods close to their natural state, Sous-vide method packs an intense flavor infusion. Instead of your foods sitting on top of a marinade, they are actually surrounded or immersed in seasoning the entire time they’re cooking. Also, because there is no air, spices and flavoring are more easily absorbed by foods. 

Ready to try some Sous-vide cooking at home. You could get a all-in-one machine like the Caso Sous Vide Center from Williams-Sonoma. It’s an enclosed-chamber system, with circulating water. You set the temperature, and forget it, like a crock pot. It also has a built-in vacuum bag sealer with bags. Retail price $499.95

Not looking for a machine to take up counter space or a hefty price tag? You could also try an immersion circulator like the Nomiku Sous Vide Immersion Circulator. It retails for $299.95, and looks like a hand held blender. Simply fill a pot with water, clip on the Nomiku to the side, and plug it in. Set the temp of the water bath by turning the knob and you’re done. Water quickly heats and circulates to temp. You can use the ‘displacement' method to vacuum seal your bags with this machine. Just put the food in a quart or gallon zip lock, seal up most of the zip, leaving just a bit at the end. Then, submerge the bag slowly in a pot of water. This will push all the air out. Just as the zip lock is getting to the water line, seal it and done.

If want to experiment without purchasing anything first, try this hack for Sous-Vide cooking from chef Christina Tosi, of New York’s Milk Bar. This is her recipe for “Bird in a Bag.” Put a butterflied chicken breast in a plastic freezer bag with your marinade. Seal the bag except for one corner. Insert a straw into the remaining hole and slowly suck out the air with your mouth. Be careful not to suck the sauce into your mouth! Seal the bag to get it as air-free as possible. Bring a pot of water nearly to a boil. Set a piece of tin foil in the pot like a hammock (with the ends crimped over the edge). Plop the bag into the pot of hot — but not boiling — water. The foil will suspend the bag above the bottom of the pot so the bag doesn't burn. If the chicken is thin, it will cook (poach, essentially), in five or 10 minutes. An intact chicken breast may take 20 minutes. You can test the chicken by looking and feeling to make sure it isn't pink inside. Final step? Sear the chicken in a pan briefly to brown it for better presentation.

Go ahead experiment.You’ve got nothing to lose, if anything you might find a new favorite method of cooking. The Sous-vide method started in the mid 70’s by top rated Michelin chefs, because they discovered food kept it’s flavor, moisture, and texture. Why not be your own 4 star celebrity chef at home.

Artificial colors and preservatives found in your 'fresh food' choices

Food oh glorious food. It nourishes our body and keeps us alive. Modern living has changed the way we eat. Take a drive during the work week, and you’ll see cars lined up around the corner waiting to order their combo meals. Take a walk down the grocery aisle, and you’re surrounded by colorful labels making claims ‘low cal, fat free, and healthy.’ Unfortunately, sometimes these manufacturers need to add chemicals, preservatives and additives to make those 99 cent tacos or the meat in the refrigerated section look look more colorful.

It’s not a pleasant thought, but it’s the truth. As you journey towards eating healthy, the motto is “if you can’t pronounce, don’t eat it.” When you’re picking up boxes in the grocery store, you can read the ingredient list, and make your healthy choice. When you’re ordering off a menu, you have no idea how your food got to your plate. Where did it come from? How was it manufactured? The fluffy bread you’re snacking on, maybe it has azodicarbonamide, a chemical used in yoga mats and Subway sandwiches. 

Yes, you read correctly. Ordering a sandwich from the “healthy” fast food chain included a side of rubber with your order. Last year’s scandal rocked American consumers. Subway addressed customers concerns, and said they would be taking the chemical out of it’s products. Azodicarbonamide isn’t the only chemical used by the sandwich maker. Recently, the franchise has decided to remove all artificial colors, flavors and preservatives from its American menus by 2017.

What are they taking out? The chain is cutting artificial flavors and caramel coloring from its new roast beef recipe that involves roasting beef "with increased levels of garlic and pepper." Vinegar will replace propionic acid, a preservative in its turkey. Banana peppers will be given their fluorescent sheen with turmeric, often used in Indian curries, instead of food dye Yellow No. 5.

Subway is joining a list of fast food restaurants and manufacturers taking note of consumers want for ingredients they can name in their food. To name a few, Diet Pepsi is taking out aspartame from their sodas. Not because it’s unsafe, but because consumers have been letting them know they want products without artificial sweeteners. 

Kraft Macaroni & Cheese is removing synthetic coloring and preservatives from it’s beloved kids’ dinner. You have to admit, there was something not right about the strange orange powder you mixed with your milk. Another popular coloring used is caramel by companies like Subway and Newcastle Brown Ale, who have decided to no longer use this additive. 

Knowing what is in our foods is not a passing trend. Consumers are becoming more vocal about having natural products, and spending their dollars on companies who are answering this need. Chipotle will not be serving any GMO ingredients in their fare. McDonald’s has also decided not to serve chicken treated with antibiotics. Shockingly these antibiotics are also being used as prescription drugs for humans. Tyson will also be removing human antibiotics from their chicken products, along with Costco.  You have to wonder how Costco can have so many rotisserie chickens in their stores for only $4.99.

The large candy manufacturers are also taking part in the preservative free revolution. Hershey’s will start using more natural sugar, than high fructose corn syrup in it’s products. Nestle is removing artificial flavors and colors from Butterfinger, Crunch, and other chocolate candies. Think of when you’re in the kitchen baking, most recipes call for vanilla extract. Nestle has been using something called vanillin. At least they’ve been using a cool name for this scientific ingredient.

Lastly, we have Panera Bread dropping roughly one-third of the ingredients used in its food by instituting bans on the likes of saccharin, aspartame, synthetic benzyl peroxide, and maltodextrin. This place always seemed like a good choice when you were looking for something, but like Subway and all these other manufacturers, chemicals are hidden everywhere.

Many of these manufacturers are changing their practices because consumers are speaking up. Food blogger, Food Babe, is credited for blowing the whistle on Subway’s ‘yoga mat bread’. She started the petition on her website which garnered international attention. You have to applaud her efforts. Companies listen to consumers when they speak with their dollars. 

Rose Hip Oil: The Fountain of Youth

In search of living an organic and preservative-free lifestyle, coconut oil became the magic product to buy. It seems there are over 1001 uses for this tropical plant, including  wrinkle fighter, nutrient dense protein, and excellent source of healthy fat. In terms of a beauty product, it might have to let the crown go for ‘best natural beauty moisturizer’ found in nature to rosehip seed oil. Kate Middleton is a fan of the dry oil. She used it during her pregnancy, as part of her daily skincare regiment . Like most of us, Middleton is concerned with where products come from, and how these treatment ingredients are absorbed into our bodies.

What makes this oil from the Chilean Andes so wonderful? So many reasons, first off it’s a natural, vegan, single ingredient beauty option. It’s relatively inexpensive when you compare it to a lifetime of spending hundreds, probably thousands of dollars on expensive moisturizers. Thanks to this extract oil, you can now have a wrinkle free complexion with it’s concentrated Vitamin A and C properties. You’ll see a rejuvenation of your skin, as your wrinkles and sun spots fade away.

“Rosehip seed oil contains a blend of bioactive ingredients that can potentially be beneficial to the skin, for example vitamin C, vitamin E, carotenoids, and essential fatty acids,” says Dr. Julia Tzu, a dermatologist who is also an assistant clinical professor of dermatology at New York University. “It may be potentially beneficial as an anti-aging product because of the antioxidant ingredients it contains. Its high vitamin C content suggests that it may also be useful for treating dark spots, since vitamin C decreases the pigment-producing ability of the skin.” 

The benefits of this natural oil make it a favorite among pregnant women and people suffering from skin conditions like eczema and rosea rash. When your hormone levels are changing or skin has bouts of flare up, rose hips can balance and calm your skin. Remember back to when you were a teenager, and the advice everyone would give you was to keep it simple and natural with your changing skin. The philosophy still holds true, even if we have all these scientifically formulated beauty products available. RHSO is nature’s simple and pure moisturizer.

Even if you aren’t suffering from problem skin, rosehip seed oil is the serum to use. The oil can penetrate deep into your skin due to the vitamin A properties. Its molecules are small enough to be deeply absorbed by the skin, and improve the skin’s moisture levels.  Having well hydrated skin means you’ll be reducing wrinkles and fine lines. With its anti-aging, antioxidants benefits penetrating deep into the layers of skin you’ll see a more refreshed and glowing you in no time. In addition to vitamin A, its vitamin C antioxidant properties stimulate collagen production. RHSO is like having your own dermatologist in a bottle morning, noon, and night.

Not only does roseship seed oil fight wrinkles, but it also helps even out your skin tone and erase any facial scarring you might have. It contains essential fatty acids, which  regenerate your skin cells and repair damaged skin tissue. Regenerating skin means the appearance of burns, scars, wrinkles and stretch marks will fade with continued RHSO use. This is an amazing product for everyone to have in their beauty arsenal or first aid kit. 

As the name implies, rosehip seed oil comes from fruit oil extracted from the hip of the rose. The hip is the fruit that is left after a rose has bloomed and the petals have fallen. It has been used by indigenous population of Chile for hundreds of years, and not just on their faces. Other uses of rosehip seed oil is nail care and hair care treatments.  

Are all RHSOs the same? No. Just like our fresh juices, you want to buy organic, cold pressed oils when possible. There are tons on the market right now, so read those ingredient lists and processing details throughly. If want to feel like a royal, at a fraction at the price, try Trilogy’s Certified Organic Rosehip Oil. It’s Duchess Kate’s favorite, and luckily, not on back order anymore. After her beauty secret got out, this product become hard to find.

If you want the same power of Trilogy’s RHSO, but not sure if want to put down $45 for an experiment, try Mountain Rose Herbs offering. It’s only $16 for a 4 oz. vial, and when you see the magic of this natural moisturizer, you can move up to the larger sizes. Not sure if we’ll order the gallon size, but if you’re a esthetician, this is probably good news.

Not completely sold on this oil as the fountain of youth. Supermodel Miranda Kerr swears by RHSO. She’s developed her own skincare line, KORA Organics. Several of her products contain rosehip seed oil as a main ingredient. Her Luxurious Rosehip Oil contains noni extract, organic rosehip oil, jasmine, sea buckthorn, rose and pomegranate oils for multi purpose use.

Inspired to try something new? We've turned a couple of our friends onto RHSO, and we’ll always get a text the next morning saying, “OMG, it looks like I woke up and spent the night at the spa!” When your friends send you those messages, you know you have a beauty winner product on your hands.