Better than Bouillon

I don’t know how long Better than Bouillon has been on the market, but I discovered it about a year ago. Since then, it has been one of my most highly coveted ingredients and a secret addition to alot of recipes I cook. It began with a can. A can of chicken broth, to be exact, and how unsatisfactory the flavors are. A can of chicken broth is nothing more than some water with a bouillon cube dissolved in it, packaged in tin, and sold to a massive audience of people who would potentially enjoy Better than Bouillon. That’s just my opinion, anyway. 

Better than Bouillon is a concentrated food paste and comes in a variety of flavors. Concentrated food paste sounds kinda unappetizing, but that is how the manufacturers describe the product. I like to think of it as chicken stock or beef base in a jar. In my grocery store, it is sold near the chicken, and comes packaged in a little glass jar. I have only tried the chicken and beef flavors, and I use them in every recipe that calls for stock. 1 teaspoon of Better than Bouillon in 8 ounces of water equals a can of broth/stock. I add it to soups, marinades, and to the water when making rice. It can be salty, so add it and taste before you salt. 

I challenge to you to replace your current beef or chicken stock, cubes, or granules with Better than Boullion! Better than Boullion, FTW! (I have not been hired, pressured, or paid to say this! I just love B.T.B.!)

Sweet Potato

Do I have anything sweet to say about sweet potatoes? Yes, I do! My 2 favorite things to do with sweet potatoes are make sweet potato fries, and homemade Super Baby Food (see my blogs for more info!) Sweet potatoes are one of those foods highly touted for being a Super Food in itself, and they make alot of headlines as being a Whole food. So, that should make it gross! What kind of normal person eats healthy food without sacrifice? Maybe YOU! 

Not to be confused with Yams, sweet potatoes are very high in vitamin A and vitamin C, and an adequate source of many other vitamins and minerals.  Eating sweet potatoes provides you with Vitamin A to help you to adjust your eyes to light changes, as well as keeping your skin healthier. Vitamin C to helps boost your immune system, heals wounds, and builds healthy teeth and gums. Vitamin B6 helps you convert protein into energy while also improving brain function. Copper helps you maintain your cardiovascular and nervous systems.

Vitamin E to helps you maintain your circulatory system, improves your ability to heal, and may help women decrease premenstrual syndrome. Wow! Wonder if it does bathrooms, and pedicures...

My favorite recipe for my Vitamin A, C, E, B6, and Copper is sweet potato fries! Not the fried kind, the baked version that preserves all of the essential vitamins! I even bought a special “fry pan,” that has holes in the bottom to make the potatoes crispier, without deep frying in oil. I cut the potato into fries (leave the skins on for extra nutrition and texture), put them in a large ziploc bag and coat with extra virgin olive oil then add a pretty decent amount of salt, garlic powder, and freshly ground pepper and shake it all up. The plastic bag thing works well for marinating too, easy to prepare, easy to clean up. After the plastic bag tango is done, spread the potatoes on a sheet tray in a single layer and pop them in a 450 degree oven for about 20 minutes, turning once. If I remember, I’ll sprinkle on some Paprika. A little trick to getting the fries slightly crispier also is to preheat the sheet pan before you add the potatoes. They make a sizzling sound when you put them on the pan afterward, almost like searing meat. Despite the special pan and the preheating trick, these fries tend to still be the mushy type. They’d be perfect to sit down and watch a good chick flick with... :)

Cocoa Powder

        When you think of cocoa powder, what’s the first food that comes to mind? Brownies, hot chocolate, pudding? Have you ever considered using cocoa powder in chili? It’s one of my chili secret ingredients! Well, it was before I decided to share it with you Paramedic Cooks! Cocoa Powder is way more diversified than it gets credit for. It is also an ingredient whose depth of flavor is encouraged and amplified by an eclectic medley of other ingredients. In my kitchen, I employ a “3C” trio philosophy. Cocoa, Cayenne, and Çalt. Ok, that is not how Salt is spelled, but a “2C 1S” philosophy wasn’t working...

Cocoa powder is made from Cacao beans. The beans are processed to produce Chocolate Liquor. The liquor is then pressed to create cocoa butter and cocoa solids, which are pressed again then ground into cocoa powder. The butter goes on to to be used in baked, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical products. There are two main types of cocoa powder, natural and dutch. Natural speaks for itself, it is the unaltered powder from the cocoa solids press. It has a strong, mildly acidic flavor, and is very dark in color. Dutch is alkalized to remove the natural acidity, which mellows the intense flavor and dulls the color. 

My 3C philosophy works in almost any recipe that calls for cocoa powder. In hot chocolate the cayenne pepper gives it a rich, spicy kick and the salt deepens the chocolatey flavor. In chili, because it simmers for so long the cocoa adds an unidentifiable depth of flavor. It doesn’t taste chocolatey, or bitter.  It is divine. 3C can be applied to brownies also, but leave out the cayenne if they’re specialty type brownies, like cheesecake or peanut butter. When using it in recipes, make a slurry or paste by mixing the cocoa with one of the liquid ingredients, then incorporate the paste into the dish. Cocoa power mixed with shortening can be used in place of baking chocolate. The ratio is 3 tablespoons of cocoa powder with 1 tablespoon shortening equals 1 ounce of Bakers chocolate. Remember the 3C’s next time you use cocoa powder! 

Olive Oil

Why doesn’t Olive Oil have wrinkles even though it’s over 6,000 years old? Why is Olive Oil so skinny if it contains so much fat? Why is Olive Oil considered an extra virgin if it has so many partners? Lastly, why should you rub Olive Oil on your baby’s butt?

Olive Oil has origins dating back to 5000 BC. The whopping majority comes from the Mediterranean Region, where olive tree cultivation has been happening for about 6 centuries.  Spain is the top producer of Olive Oil, and Greece devotes 60% of it’s cultivated land to olive growing. Olives are harvested from a tree, and oil is produced by pressing olives into a paste then grinding or crushing them to release the oils which are trapped inside. Olive Oil avoids wrinkles by providing skin moisture that is akin to the most expensive manufactured creams. It can be directly applied to skin in a thin layer as a day/night moisturizer, and as a makeup remover. To avoid a greasy feeling, mix it with a few drops of fresh lemon (as a bonus, lemon’s vitamin C will rejuvenate skin) in the palm of your hand and apply evenly to wet skin. Store it in a spray bottle to cut down on the messiness factor. 

Olive Oil is considered a good source of fat, and is a much healthier choice than other more processed oils. If fat makes you fat, and is bad for you, than why choose a good source of it? Because your body needs dietary fat for basic functions, like cellular energy, vitamin absorption, and nutrient transport. Olive Oil is a monounsaturated fat, which is known for it’s cholesterol lowering benefits and decreasing your risk of heart disease. Use olive oil instead of other fats , not in addition to them. Here’s the breakdown on cholesterol: there are two types, LDL (low-density lipoproteins and HDL (high-density lipoproteins). The liver processes all cholesterol and excess LDL not used by the body gets deposited in your arteries and builds up, manifesting itself as a condition called atherosclerosis. HDL transports excess cholesterol, that is the cholesterol the body doesn't need for basic function, from the bloodstream, including LDL. HDL transports the excess back to the liver, where it is processed for disposal. Therefore, the higher the HDL, the lower the LDL! Easy...wow! They are like the Superhero and Villain of cholesterol! 

There are many kinds of Olive Oil, and many good pairings that compliment the Oil. Perhaps one of the easiest, and best, is a dip concocted of olive oil, fresh garlic, dried herbs, grated cheese, and a splash of balsamic vinegar with a loaf of fresh bread to slather it on...even better than breads’ immortal companion, butter! With all of those partners, olive oil can’t turn around without someone questioning its virginity! The virginity of olive oil refers to its processing. Extra virgin is made from the first pressing of high quality under ripe olives pressed soon after harvesting. Virgin olive oil can be considered low-grade extra virgin olive oil and is made from riper olives. Refined olive oil is obtained by using charcoal and other chemicals to produce an edible product from poor quality olives. Finally, regular olive oil is a blend of virgin and refined oils. What grade you choose should be based on what cooking method is being executed. 

A baby’s bottom certainly doesn’t need any more recognition for its softness, and we’re certainly not going to cook it, or dip bread in it! So why is a baby’s butt in the same publication as facts about olive oil? For the treatment and prevention of diaper rash, of course! Apply a thin layer to help with the irritation and as a preventative measure. 

A few Olive Oil Facts:

• It is made only from green olives.
• using olive oil in place of saturated fats as the main fat in your diet may actually help reduce cholesterol levels.
• It is a fruit, thus it’s oil is considered a fruit juice.
• Hippocrates called olive oil "the great therapeutic."
• In Ancient Greece, women applied olive oil to their skin and hair after bathing as protection from the elements and to maintain a pleasant fragrance.
• olive trees can live up to 600 years or more.
• olive oil is the most easily absorbed edible fat.
• you can bake with olive oil. Just substitute the same amount for the fat called for in the recipe. The result is moist, even textured cake with a tender crumb.
• you can fry with olive oil. When used in frying, olive oil coats food instead of being absorbed. It also contains high amounts of antioxidants and can be reused 4-5 times before being discarded. Other fats and oils can only be used twice.