Whipped cream without a mixer?

Question

Is it possible to make whipped cream without a power mixer? How? Can it be made with a stick blender?

Asked by SarahVV

Answer

Whipped cream was made for centuries before the mixer was invented. :)

You can do it with simply a balloon whisk. Things that may help though:

• Very cold cream (not freezing)
• Very cold bowl and whisk (put them in the freezer for 20 minutes prior to using)
• Copper bowl

The process is simply to start slow until you see bubbles form, then speed up until you see the whisk begin to leave trails in the cream, then go full speed ahead until just before it starts to look soft and billowy. At this point you can add your sugar and continue whipping until thickens and firms up to form soft peaks.

Advice: Buy a hand-mixer at least! :)

Update - Yes you can whip it with a stick blender. I would be careful to avoid over- whipping with this method though. It might be easy to over-do it, and you'll start to make butter.

Answered by hobodave

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How can I remove the skin from peanuts?

Question

I will be making Ban ban ji chicken for tonight's dinner, and have picked up some shelled peanuts. The peanuts are still in their skins, and I was wondering: what is the best way to remove the skins from peanuts?

Asked by buruzaemon

Answer

Take a clean kitchen towel (not a terry towel, a dish towel), place the peanuts on it, fold it up, then rub the peanuts vigorously through the towel. The friction should remove the skins. You can then pass the whole lot through a colander to winnow out the skins.

Answered by ElendilTheTall

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Why does flatbread have to be microwaved / cooked / toasted?

Question

I was eating at a sub making restaurant the other day and they asked if I would like my flatbread toasted... I responded with a "No thanks."

The Chef said, "Well technically the flatbread still HAS to be toasted, so would you like the meat toasted ?"

In confusion, I asked, "Why? I would prefer it un-toasted."

The Chef said, "We are required to toast all flatbread, as it releases some chemical... or something."

Can anyone clear up what he may be referring to? Does flatbread (non-homemade) HAVE to be toasted / cooked / microwaved ?

Edit:

Ingredients: Enriched flour (wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B1), riboflavin (vitamin B2), folic acid, malted barley flour), water, soybean oil, yeast, contains 2% or less of nonfat dry milk, salt, wheat gluten, sugar, dough conditioner (acacia gum, guar gum, ascorbic acid, L- cysteine, enzymes), calcium propionate, baking powder (sodium acid pyrophosphate, sodium bicarbonate, corn starch, monocalcium phosphate), and sodium stearoyl lactylate.

Asked by Foxtrot

Answer

If we're talking about the same sub making restaurant, their flatbread contains the following ingredients:

Enriched wheat flour (flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid, malted barley flour, ascorbic acid), water, soybean oil, yeast; contains 2% or less of: nonfat dry milk, wheat gluten, salt, dough conditioners (guar gum, Arabic gum, sodium stearoyl lactylate, enzymes), sugar, baking powder (sodium acid pyrophosphate, sodium bicarbonate, corn starch, monocalcium phosphate), calcium propionate.

I can see nothing in there that isn't in found in commercial soft white bread. It may well be a case of an overzealous legal department acting on the merest possibility of a hint of an idea that one ingredient may perhaps have the potential to maybe sometimes cause a problem if not cooked.

Answered by ElendilTheTall

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Proper ratio of Water to Rice

Question

When making rice, what is the proper ratio of water that I should use?

Asked by Donut

Answer

Depends on the rice, of course - here are the most common types:

• White rice: 2:1
• Brown rice: 1.5:1
• Jasmine rice: 1.1:1
• Wild rice: 4:1, but immediately wash with cold water and drain when done.

Answered by Aaronut

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Why isn't my vinaigrette emulsifying properly?

Question

I made a vinaigrette tonight. Normally, to make one, I put vinegar and oil in a mason jar and shake to mix. This usually seems to emulsify the mixture properly and it holds for a while. Tonight, I made one with 20% red wine vinegar, 20% champagne vinegar, 10% dry sherry, 50% Greek olive oil, and nothing else. I found that after shaking, it started to separate within about 30 seconds, being completely split again after about a minute. Why did this particular mixture not stay in a stable emulsified state?

Asked by yossarian

Answer

As Michael mentioned, a shaken vinaigrette is only going to stay together primarily while you're shaking it. If it's been staying together long consider yourself lucky all the other times...this time was what should be "normal".

The more particulate such as herbs, mustard, spices, etc. that you have in a vinaigrette the quicker it will emulsify and the longer it will stay emulsified. The particles of spice and herbs act as physical barriers that help to interrupt the droplets of oil so that they aren't able to coalesce and come together as they can when you have just oil and vinegar/acid.

When doing vinaigrettes by hand using a whisk, start with your acid and add the salt along with anything else, leaving the oil last. Adding salt to the acid component will help it to better dissolve so you get a truer reading on the flavor. When it's added last as it's usually written in most recipes: "season to taste with salt and pepper", the salt usually hasn't dissolved by the time you taste it and you're much more likely to add too much, resulting in a dressing that's a bit saltier than you might like.

The manner in which you drizzle the oil and manner in which you whisk it when doing by hand, are also important factors. When whisking vinagirettes by hand, drizzle the oil form a higher level so that as it hits the bowl you have a finer stream that's easier to emulsify. Also, use a back and forth "zig-zag" motion rather than a circular whisking motion. The "zig-zag" motion will allow the wires of the whisk to better break up the oil into droplets and emulsify them with the acid. Using a circular motion creates a vortex in the center of the acid where the oil tends to pool, resulting in an oily vinaigrette.

The great part of using an immersion blender (aka stick or wand blender) is that EVERYTHING can go in at once. Use a container that's deeper than it is wide (such as 2 cup liquid measure) so that there's plenty of depth for the liquid. Garlic, shallots and herbs can even go in whole. The immersion blender will blend up your garlic, etc. and emulsify the oil with the vinegar. An immersion blender or a standard blender provide you with a the most stable vinaigrette.

Answered by Darin Sehnert

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What to consider when learning to make sushi at home?

Question

I like eating sushi and think it would be a fun experiment to attempt making sushi at home. I've seen rolls put together in a restaurant a couple times - looks so simple! I've heard it is difficult though.

I'm wondering if there any special utensils that I would need to make sushi rolls aside from basics found in most kitchens? Is it the kind of thing that I should look for a kit? I'm also curious if there is anything recommended for beginning - certain ingredients to use (perhaps on the cheaper side to get started), etc. Maybe some gotchas to avoid. I've been looking for a guide, potentially with detailed pictures to get started with, but nothing has hit the spot yet.

Asked by Rebecca Chernoff

Answer

There are a few tools you should have that are out of the ordinary in a typical American kitchen:

• Sushi rolling mat - It's really the only way to make maki (rolls). Pro tip: when you use it, put it inside of a large zip-loc bag. This helps prevent the rice sticking to the mat.

• Wooden sushi bowl - This is essential in helping the rice turn out properly. The one I linked includes a free mat. I don't own this particular brand; I bought mine from an asian grocery store near me for like $30, it came with a paddle. If you don't want to commit to this large uni-tasker then I recommend using an equally large shallow-ish plastic bowl/dish. The sushi chef that taught me said plastic was OK, but to avoid glass or metal.

• Quality rice cooker - A quality rice cooker makes life amazingly easier. I own the one linked and it is amazing. I use it for cooking all of my rice. The quality of Zojirushi is simply unsurpassed and it quickly pays for itself.

The single most important thing is a very sharp knife. It makes cutting the maki SO much easier. I can't stress this enough. A chef's knife is just fine, but it should be well cared for and very sharp.

For beginners nigiri-zushi is by far the easiest to make. You simply shape a small amount of rice in the palm of your hand and slap a piece of fish or other seafood on top of it. Cutting the fish for nigiri is an artform and cannot be adequately conveyed here, but if you just hack out a thin piece of the right size it will taste fine. Tuna and salmon are relatively cheap cuts to use for this.

For maki I suggest starting with spicy tuna rolls and California rolls. All you need for a California roll is: avocado, cucumber, and imitation crab meat. For spicy tuna mix you need: tuna, kewpie mayo, and shichimi togaroshi (or nanami togaroshi).

You may also want some tobiko and/or masago roe for the outside of your rolls.

Answered by hobodave

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How far in advance can I stage pizza?

Question

We're having friends over and I'd like to make 3 or 4 pizzas. I'm considering stretching out the dough and put on the toppings ahead of time, say an hour ahead of when I pop them in the oven. How long can the pizzas sit on the counter in this pre-oven state?

Asked by Neil Fein

Answer

You can stage pan pizzas (chicago style, or pizza hut style) for up to four hours as long as you keep them covered. You can stage a stretched dough for up to an hour and a half between two pieces of wax paper. However, you need to take the time into consideration when proofing your dough so that you don't get blown dough as that will not be delicious. You should not sauce the crusts or top them as pre-saucing will change how your dough cooks in the oven.

If the dough forms a harder crust/ dries out, you should consider tossing it as it will not result in good pizza after cooking.

Answered by sarge_smith

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Making Subway-like salads at home w/ zero work

Question

I often buy salads at Subway because I'm lazy. However, I'm also cheap, and Subway's markup on salads is quite high.

I want to buy items at a supermarket and simply mix them together to make a salad without having to do anything else. Which of these can I get:

• Pre-chopped cold cuts (has to go beyond sliced, since full slices in a salad don't work well), including pepperoni and salami.

• Pre-chopped onions and pre-sliced tomatoes (and other similar chopped veggies).

I know I can get bags of lettuce, pickled jalapenos, shredded cheese, black olives, and dressing, so if I can get the above, I'm good to go.

Asked by barrycarter

Answer

Fast home made salads are possible with a few different but just as tasty ingredients. Some things to try that you can buy pre-prepared

• You can buy catering bags of ham and salami pre-chopped for pizza making purposes. Freeze in small portion bags suitable for a few days, and take one out of the freezer and put in fridge every few days as required
• Roasted pumpkin and sunflower seeds (substitute for cold cuts)
• Anchovies or sardines
• Sprouts
• Sun dried tomatoes, some suppliers have pre-chopped (they keep fine in fridge)
• You can buy pre-sliced onions, but usually only in 5Kg+ catering sized bags, They do freeze OK
• Many other veges are available pre-chopped and frozen for cooking purposes, many of these will be great in a salad

If you make the salad in the morning to take to work the frozen parts would keep it fresh for a while, so no need to defrost them. Sort of like an internal, edible ice pack :-)

Answered by TFD

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What can I do with frozen eggs?

Question

Although a previous question asks if raw eggs can be frozen, my eggs froze, in the shell, because the chicken coop into which they were delivered was very cold last week.

I thawed the eggs, and they seem fine, except that the yolks are solid / gelatinous. This means that scrambled eggs are out, at least as I know them.

What else can be done with these eggs; this will probably happen again?

Asked by David

Answer

The best I can offer you comes from Functionality of Proteins in Food:

The gelation of egg yolk can be partially reversed by heating after thawing. This treatment improves the functional properties of proteins. The stiffness of the gels obtained after frozen storage can be reduced by more than 50% and become pourable at 21° C by heating up to 45° C for 1 h.

Eggs don't actually start to set until you hit 63° C, so if I had previously-frozen eggs, I would heat them as the above paragraph suggests. Just be very careful not to use too much heat.

You won't get perfect eggs, but they'll be edible.

Answered by Aaronut

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How to prepare salsify (schwarzwurzeln) to minimise sap?

Question

This morning I tried cooking salsify (aka Schwarzwurzeln) for the first time.

It needs to be peeled before cooking, which I did rapidly and with a bowl of water nearby, as per advice on various internet sites. However, it still left an unpleasant, sticky, orange sap over my hands and the utensils. It lasts for a long time and is very difficult to remove.

What is the best way to prepare salsify to minimise the amount of sap??

Asked by KimbaF

Answer

Rinse the salsify first before using, that will help. Use a sharp peeler. Ive found that dull peelers create a lot more sap.

as soon as you have peeled it, drop the salsify into acidulated water ( water + lemon juice). The acids help prevent the color change that occurs.

Also wipe up the area with a damp cloth as you work. This will keep things clean and prevent your hands and everything you touch getting tacky.

Answered by Chef

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How is congee made?

Question

Does anyone know how to make the congee like those in Dim Sum/Yum Cha restaurants?

Asked by zachary

Answer

Congee itself is just thick rice porridge. It is usually made with a combination of short-grain and 'sticky' (glutinous) rice, but any kind of white rice will work.

Put 3/4 cup rice (1/2 cup regular, 1/4 cup sticky, if you have it) in a pot with 8 cups of water and a little salt. Bring to a boil and simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until it is a thick porridge. Stir now and then so it doesn't stick. Many electric rice cookers have a congee setting, which makes everything really easy - just put in a measure of rice, add water up to the congee mark, turn it on and wait.

There are many, many traditional toppings or additions to congee. Eileen Yin-Fei Lo said it well in her "From the Earth: Chinese Vegetarian Cooking": "Virtually any food can be added to one's breakfast congee in China. What you might add to it depends upon your preferences."

Answered by McKenzieG1

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What type of sauce is appropriate for a dry-aged prime steak?

Question

Yesterday I purchased some dry aged prime strip steaks from my beloved Wegmans. This will be the first time I will have the opportunity to eat (as far as I know) and cook prime beef. With that in mind how should I sauce my beautiful meat?

Typically I cook my steaks sous vide to 130 degrees and then salt and pepper with a cast iron sear. If I'm going to make a pan sauce I finish in my enamelled cast iron, deglaze with a dry red, some shallots, add some heavily reduced beef stock, and then finish with a pad of butter and demi glace.

This results in a very rich sauce which is delightful in its own right. I'm concerned that I might be make a sauce that covers up this glorious beef.

Does anyone have any recommendations for my first time?

Things I'm particularly concerned with are:

• What wine to use in the sauce - is high-end/vintage wine important, and what varieties might be best?
• Should I seek out something a little more upscale than reduced Swanson beef broth?
• Is this cut generally served sauced or unsauced?

Answer

This sounds yummy!

I'd recommend cooking sous vide (SV) as you suggest (130 F for 1-3 hrs). I tend not to season in the SV bag at all because salt & spices often turn out oddly; for example, raw herbs/onion/garlic are far stronger and taste "uncooked". Figuring out how to spice SV takes a fair amount of experimentation and is best done with dried & powdered herbs/spices instead of fresh ones.

VERY IMPORTANT:

• Before cooking SV trim excess fat from the steak
• After cooking take the meat from the SV bag and DRY it thoroughly before searing!
• If you're planning to use bag juices, first bring them to a full boil in another pot and skim off the scum (myoglobin "blood"), then use whatever is left as your meat juice.

To sear, pre-heat the cast iron sear to a very high temperature (~500) and use a high-temperature oil like peanut.

The sear should be at VERY high heat for only 30 seconds or so per side - if you leave it on much longer you'll lose the beautiful 130 degree edge-to-edge miracle that should be your reward.

Using butter for the sear is not a good idea as either the butter will be destroyed by the properly high heat OR the steak will be destroyed by keeping the cast iron's heat low enough for the butter. Rather, use compound butter as a topper for presentation.

As for using a torch, I've used a brulee torch a few times and the heat & coverage is insufficient to sear a steak well with my limited experience. You can sign your name on the steak with it, but getting a good, even edge-to-edge Maillard crust is very tough. Using a MAPP torch is quite a bit better; MAPP gas is flavorless, it's hotter than propane or butane, and MAPP torches tend to fan out broader flames, but I still don't think they create as dense or flavorful a crust as a pan-sear. Moreover ANY torch runs a likelihood of flat-out burning areas of the meat, and that's especially true for a first-timer!

Let's talk about salt before going any further. I've always salted meat before grilling. But SV is a completely different ballgame. Salting before SV doesn't add much flavor for you on short cooks and hurts badly on longer ones (cures the meat). There are online arguments about this, but I prefer salting only after SV and preferably after searing. Taste tests support this post-SV salting approach - check out http://www.cookingissues.com/2011/10/12/to-salt-or-not-to-salt-%E2%80%93that%E2%80%99s-the-searing-question/ for a great take on the subject.

If you keep the searing time appropriately short you won't have to rest the meat before serving. The meat is still incredibly juicy and doesn't need time to reabsorb fluids.

As for what to do with a sauce, I'd go for the butter instead and incorporate a steak-friendly sauce into a side dish.

A quality hunk of well-marbled dry-aged beef should sing with this preparation and I'd put it center-stage to sing solo, with the side dish's sauce grooving nearby ready to join in on the chorus.

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How do Chinese restaurants tenderize their meat?

Question

I eat at a lot of Chinese restaurants now and also while growing up. I often wondered how is it that the chicken, pork, and beef in dishes are always so tender. I can never replicate it when I cook. What do the Chinese chefs use to tenderize their meat?

Answer

One technique, but not the only, is velveting. Here the meat is marinated in an egg-white/cornstarch mixture for 20+ minutes, then cooked briefly (a minute) in oil or simmering water prior to using in stir fries.

I've never velveted in oil but water definitely gives the chicken that smoothness that Chinese Restaurants obtain and the shorter stir fry cooking time makes it much more tender.

Super thin slicing (you'll need to cut the meat semi-frozen to get such thin slices), plus cutting across the grain also lead to tenderness.

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How far in advance can sweet potatoes be peeled?

Question

How long (hours or days)can sweet potatoes be peeled before they are used? Do they go brown quickly like regular potatoes? Are there methods for holding them?

Answer

Speaking as someone who's had to prep ahead two garbage barrels of sweet potatoes for a giant gumbo event:

If you're just peeling them a few hours ahead, then just hold them whereever. Unlike russet potatoes, sweet potatoes (especially garnet yams) do not turn brown or lose texture on exposure to air.

If you're going to be holding them for a couple days, then drop them in cold water and refrigerate it. Or drop them in ice water and add more ice about twice a day (this is what we had to do, it took 2 days to prep all the ingredients). Wrapping them tightly in plastic wrap might also work, but I haven't tried it.

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What is the proper way to make a cup of mate?

Question

I've seen different videos on how to make a perfect cup of mate. After putting loose tea in the gourd, some people cover the gourd and shake it upside down, some people shake it on its side, some people don't shake it at all. This is all in an effort to move the smaller bits (after you've right the gourd back up) to the top, so that when you insert the bombilla (metal straw with tiny holes at the bottom), the smaller bits won't be sucked up.

What is the proper way?

Answer

The proper way:

1) Put the bombila into the gourd.

2) Put the mate in the gourd.

3) Invert, shake vigorously, revert.

4) Add a small amount of cold water (this isn't necessary--as I understand, this step helps to keep from burning the mate, which can also be accomplished by using water under 180*F), wait for a few minutes, until the mate absorbs the water.

5) Add hot water, drink.

6) Repeat step 5.

Don't move the bombila while drinking, as this will cause you to stir up little bits. Inverting and shaking isn't necessary if the mate is of high quality (low dust). You can make mate to low dust by putting it in a metal sieve and shaking. Save the dust and small leaves that fall out--they can be used to brew mate in a coffee pot.

It is also worth noting that you can brew mate in a coffee pot or a french press and achieve similar results, although the resulting beverage isn't quite the same as drinking from the bombila.

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Cooking an egg without oil or butter

Question

I like scrambled and fried eggs but the butter or oil probably add unnecessary calories. How can I fry an egg with no butter? I tried in a Teflon pan but it was a mess.

Answer

Well, frying means to cook in oil, so technically you can't. Fat also is delicious, so you'll lose something in the process besides just calories.

If you are using teflon, ceramic, or some other non-stick, don't bring the heat up too much. Scrambling your eggs with milk will make them more fluffy, and I bet less likely to stick. Use (sigh) PAM or another aerosolized cooking spray. Or just 'wipe' the pan with an oiled paper towel. It would impart minimal calories.

It's sad, but microwaving eggs will cook them without adding calories (or anything else). You can also make absolutely delicious eggs by soft-boiling them, which adds nothing at all.

My more general advice is to learn to love a little fat and to consume a variety of fresh, unprocessed foods which taste great. It's much healthier in the long run than just cutting away at a number. Better to go for some walks/runs/lifts then sacrifice flavor. And fat leads to fullness, which leads to less wasted calories on junk later in the day.

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Substuting Fresh Milk for Dry Milk

Question

What is a good ratio to use when substituting dry milk with fresh milk? When would it be inappropriate to use fresh milk instead of dry milk?

Answer

It depends on the type of dry milk—there are several processes for making it, and the density varies.

But a good place to start is to read the package of dry milk for the reconstituting instructions. For example, it if tells you 5 tbsp + 1 cup water to make 1 cup reconstituted milk, then you'd substitute 1 cup (possibly scalded) fresh milk for 5 tbsp dry milk. If you don't have a package of dry milk, ⅓ cup dry milk + 1 cup water is given by the USDA. Other places say ¼ cup. Wikipedia says 10% by weight, citing Wayne Gisslen's Professional Baking.

Keep in mind that you must reduce the amount of water in the recipe to compensate. Within epsilon, reduce the water by the amount of liquid milk you added.

For temperature-sensitive recipes, you may need to warm your milk somewhat, as the recipe probably was designed for room-temperature water, not refrigerator-temperature milk.

Note: According to a random site on teh Interwebs, scalding pasteurized milk apparently slightly improves bread. In pretty much everything else, scalding pasteurized milk has no effect.

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What impact does the order of assembly have when making cookies?

Question

What is the impact of assembling a cookie batter in a different manner than that described in the recipe? What's the best general order for combining the creamed fat & sugar, the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients?

For instance, the Toll House Chocolate Chip cookie recipe says to add the eggs to the creamed mixture, and then the dry ingredients (flour, salt, baking soda). I sometimes add the dry ingredients, and then the eggs. What problems might this cause with the finished cookies?

Answer

Generally with baking you mix all the wet ingredients, then all the dry, then incorporate the latter into the former. This prevents clumping and helps make sure everything is mixed uniformly.

In some recipes, adding the eggs (often un par un, or one by one) also contributes (via the yolk's supply of lecithin) to emulsifying e.g. butter and milk together.

The best way to find out, of course, is to experiment. Next time you're making these cookies, make a double batch. Do one according to the recipe, and the other your way. Honestly with cookies I doubt you'll see much difference; they're basically foolproof (I have, when in a hurry, made chocolate chip cookies by dumping everything in the mixer, whacking it about with the paddle attachment, and then folding in the actual chips. Worked fine, basically). When it comes to baking things that are more finicky--cakes etc--I would follow the recipe directions.

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Low cost, healthy meals created at a desk [closed]

Question

I am a Canadian who is currently on a coop placement working a typical desk job. I don't have time in my mornings to pack myself a lunch and since, despite my lecturing, the extent my roommates clean up after themselves by piling all dishes in the sink or on the counters and stove, I find it's impossible (and unsanitary) to make food in my house. I find it is considerably more efficient, and definitely safer, to create meals at my desk or in the kitchen of my work.

Goal:

To create low-cost, healthy, balanced meals at my desk or in my work kitchen.

Constraints:

1. I need the ingredients to be stored in my desk or in the one public fridge. My desk is quite spacious but is obviously at a constant room temperature (perhaps the largest drawer can be turned into a makeshift fridge?). The public fridge is of average size and comes with an attached freezer. People mostly use it for lunch so the entire door and the drawers are usually open.
2. I need to be healthy. I don't eat any GMOs (genetically modified organisms) so any canned or frozen meals are out. Any non-organic corn or soybean products are also out as these are GMOs 99.9% of the time. All junk and processed food is obviously out. Deli meat is out as it is filled with nitrates. Milk is out as it is filled with hormones, I drink Almond Milk. I limit my intake of white bread to less than once a week. Also, I don't microwave anything as it is does absolutely disgusting things to food. I don't want to sound pretentious or anything, this is just my diet!
3. I have access to knives, forks, spoons. I don't have access to a stove unfortunately. I do own a magic bullet though!
4. I'd like to keep the cost down to a minimum! Who wouldn't? I am a student though so I'm pretty low on cash.
5. I generally eat at 10:00am when I get to work, 12:00pm for lunch, and at 6:00pm for dinner just before I leave work. I also have a 10:00pm snack before I go to sleep at 12:00am.

Current Attempts to Solve the Problem:

Right now I'm maintaining a constant supply of organic pure peanut butter, whole wheat bread, and bananas in my drawer. I buy a week's supply of everything so that they will last in my drawer without spoiling.

Additional Thoughts:

-Due to the lack of milk products I eat I need to watch my calcium level. I have tried to combat this by keeping a stock of super-healthy yogurt in my home fridge and bringing one of those to work for breakfast. I also have Almond milk in my nightly bran cereal which has some amount of Calcium in it. -I was thinking that fish could be added to my diet in some way because I know that fish are healthy. The only way I would be able to have fish is if I either ate it raw somehow or if I brought it in canned. I'm always sketchy of canned food though, I would need some sort of guarantee that it's healthy.

Answer

1. Peanut butter & jelly, or other sweeteners besides jelly. You're already using bananas, but you could use other fruit, raisins, honey, etc.
2. There are plenty of non-GMO soy products. There are lots of soy products that are healthy. Baked tofu and marinated tempeh make good sandwiches and will add protein to salads.
3. Canned beans. There are many varieties and all can be eaten cold, since they're already cooked. You can find organic ones, but they cost more. Throw some beans and veggies together with some oil & vinegar or storebought dressing. You could mix some canned tomatoes and beans with spices (chili, cumin) and make chili.
4. You can get precooked rice in a bag now. It can be eaten cold in a salad, though it probably tastes better heated.
5. Seitan
6. Will you boil water in the microwave? If so, you can make broth with organic bouillon, steam vegetables, miso soup, etc.

This is a pretty good catalog full of vegetarian proteins and stuff like that: http://www.healthy-eating.com/

Lastly, reconsider home cooking and microwaving. No matter how dirty your kitchen is at home, you can get a pot and boil things. Keep your cooking equipment in your room. Wash it in the bathroom if you have to, the shower will work. Boiling will sterilize whatever you're cooking. Then you can make eggs, pasta, soups, etc.

There's no scientific evidence that reheating food in the microwave has any negative health affects. Just don't stand right in front of it for hours. You could make parboiled brown rice, whole wheat pasta, and make many meals taste better if you eliminate that constraint. You should do some more research on it, because it sounds like you have a gut aversion to it that is not based on real facts, and you could be doing your health a disservice by not using the microwave, if you're going to live with all those other constraints. If it's a phobia or something it's not a cooking issue.

Good luck.

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Is It Possible to Make Corn Tortillas At Home Without A Press?

Question

I don't own a tortilla press and until I have more cabinet space, one is not in my future. However I value making as much as I can from scratch and love using tortillas in my cooking. I have made whole wheat tortillas using a variation on this recipe, subbing oil and butter in for the shortening to try and get a bit more flavor out of the tortillas.

I'd like to move to homemade corn tortillas, but every recipe that I have seen instructs one to use a press. With flour I was able to roll my tortillas as thin as required, but will I have trouble when moving to masa trying to do it with a rolling pin, or will I be able to get thin corn tortillas without a press?

Answer

Yes, you can do it without a press. Place a ball of dough between two layers of plastic wrap. Use at least twice the area of wrap that you think the final tortilla will be. Squish the ball flat with a pan, book, or your hand. Now use a rolling pin to roll the dough between the sheets of plastic. Make sure the thickness is even, and don't get it too thin or it will break when you cook it. Bonus: you can store the uncooked tortillas in the plastic until using and they won't dry out.

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