The 1-Ingredient Upgrade for Better Lasagna (It's Already In Your Pantry) - Yahoo Life

A little trick that gives your favorite lasagna recipe a major boost.

Simply Recipes / Adobe Stock

Have you ever taken a bite of something and thought, “Why does this taste so good?” Maybe what you taste is a bit of chocolate in chili, a splash of vinegar in soup, or maybe there is an extra anchovy in the Caesar dressing. Simple additions like these can instantly elevate a dish.

My homemade lasagna has a one-ingredient upgrade that does just this. It always leaves my happy guests guessing and after everyone has sufficiently struggled to figure it out, I reveal my secret: My lasagna is delicious because I add nutmeg.

I can’t recall when I started adding nutmeg to my lasagnas—it likely came from seeing someone else do it. I’m a trained chef and recipe developer which means I often experiment with my food. If I think it sounds good or worth a try, I’ll do it. Glad I did because I’ve been adding nutmeg to my lasagna ever since.

Read More: The Lasagna Recipe That's Been Clicked On 24 Million Times

Simply Recipes / Cambrea Bakes

When To Add Nutmeg to Lasagna and When Not To

Nutmeg shines in lasagna when it’s added to the ricotta mixture instead of the meat sauce. Since nutmeg is naturally sweet, it brings out the creaminess of the ricotta and improves it in a way that salt alone can’t. Adding just a little makes the ricotta taste comforting, thanks to its warm and nutty flavor.

If you’re feeling unsure about nutmeg, start small. If you're a fan, increase the amount the next time. I’ve added nutmeg with success to traditional meat lasagnas with ricotta or béchamel, seafood lasagnas, and all kinds of vegetable lasagnas—they're all better for it!

Can you add nutmeg even if your lasagna recipe doesn’t call for it? Can you wear flippers in the ocean if you want? Of course you can! Nutmeg is lovely with beef and game, but maybe isn’t the best for chicken. As for vegetables, skip nutmeg for lasagnas with spring or summer ingredients like asparagus or artichokes, but bring it on for fall and winter vegetables like butternut squash or kale lasagna!

Simply Recipes / Lori Rice

Fresh vs. Ground Nutmeg: Which Is Best

When it comes to freshly grated or pre-ground spices, I default to whatever I have on hand. There’s no need to complicate things. If I have a whole nutmeg, I'll use that. If I’m lacking in patience and time, I’ll opt for pre-ground. Either works, but know that freshly ground nutmeg is stronger in flavor than pre-ground, so you’ll need less.

For a traditional meat lasagna, I’ll typically add about 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg to the ricotta mixture. If I’m using freshly ground, I’ll go for half that amount, about 1/8 teaspoon.

What if you accidentally add too much nutmeg? Once the nutmeg is in there, it’s impossible to take out. I recommend you start with 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg and give it a taste—do this before you add the raw egg—to see what you think. If it’s too subtle, add another 1/8 teaspoon. That should be enough for a 9x13-inch pan of lasagna.

Simply Recipes / Annika Panikker

Read the original article on Simply Recipes.

Adblock test (Why?)

The 1-Ingredient Upgrade for Better Lasagna (It's Already In Your Pantry) - Yahoo Life
Read More

Mix up oats, brown sugar and sweet potato for the most perfect fall chocolate chip cookie - Salon

I recently made sweet potato-chocolate chip cookies, and now my confidence is higher than student debt in America. 

A few things before I drop this recipe, beginning with the fact that I know we’re in between spooky and Thanksgiving season and that everything is supposed to be about “pumpkin this” and “pumpkin that.” I get it. Please calm down. I am not here to rob pumpkins of their moment. Also, I am not one of those Black people who religiously reject pumpkin-infused items, like pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin ice cream or pumpkin tarts (well, maybe pumpkin tarts because that sounds ridiculous). 

But in all seriousness, I do love pumpkin. I once almost lost my Black card over defending pumpkin pie during the Thanksgiving holiday.

Despite the fact that Thanksgiving is literally a genocide-fest, many of us have learned to reclaim the holiday as the day of family, food, and our love for food, which means violence should not be on the menu. 

So, I rolled up to a holiday function with some pumpkin pies. It was a year after my good friend, an artist whom I call White Boy Sam, introduced me to the foreign pie. I was amazed at how well the relatively healthy pumpkin pie — which isn’t as sweet as some of the traditional pies served at my family’s Thanksgiving — paired with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. I tried to give this experience to my family, and these wild people did everything they could to not treat me like a child of God. 

They called me everything under the sun and, if I’m not mistaken, someone may have whipped a gun out. 

But after going through all that, I still have a love for pumpkin pie and pumpkins; I just don’t happen to use them in this recipe, instead opting for sweet potato. Though for the real pumpkin fans out there, no fear: You can swap pumpkin in for the sweet potatoes, or even get really creative and mix the two together. I’ve never tried that, but I imagine it works well. 

I am not a trained chef, which means everything I make is doable and accessible to everyone, maybe even children. Whenever I have the urge to bake, which is a weekly thing now, I scour the Internet for the simplest ingredients, and then I modify them, cut corners and even try to make them simpler before sharing them with you. The fewer ingredients, the better. For my delicious sweet potato-chocolate chip cookie recipe, I finally got it right with this mix. 

Sweet potato-chocolate chip cookies

Yields

4 cookies 

Prep Time

10 minutes

Cook Time

10-12 minutes

Ingredients

• ¼ cup almond butter 
• ½ cup boiled and mashed sweet potatoes  
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 cup organic chocolate chips 
• 1 cup organic oats
• 1 banana (mash it up)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. In a bowl, whip all of the sweet potatoes, chocolate chips, cinnamon, brown sugar, banana, oats and almond butter. 
3. Space out scoops of into a baking sheet, size to your liking. I normally make 4. 
4. Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes.
5. Remove from oven, let cool and send me a thank you note.

.

Adblock test (Why?)

Mix up oats, brown sugar and sweet potato for the most perfect fall chocolate chip cookie - Salon
Read More

The Secret Sweet Ingredient For A Sensational Green Bean Casserole - Daily Meal

Adding sugar to a green bean casserole isn't much different from adding it to any other savory food. Just as it can round out the acidity and kick your tomato sauce up a notch, brown sugar can just as effectively balance the flavors in a green bean casserole, creating an umami effect. The reason this happens is sugar doesn't just increase the levels of sweetness in a dish. It also interacts with and influences other taste components. Sugar can tone down any underlying sourness, bitterness, or saltiness, ultimately resulting in a balanced flavor profile.

Brown sugar also creates another layer flavor because it facilitates caramelization. This transformation takes place when the sucrose in the sugar turns into fructose and glucose, leading to a deeper and richer overall flavor. Just as you might add a pinch of sugar to onions to boost caramelization and unlock their full flavor potential, incorporating brown sugar into your green bean casserole can have a similar effect, ultimately giving it a more satisfying taste.

Adblock test (Why?)

The Secret Sweet Ingredient For A Sensational Green Bean Casserole - Daily Meal
Read More

FDA Proposes Banning Controversial Pop Ingredient - Newser

The Food and Drug Administration might follow California's lead with a ban on a controversial ingredient found in some citrus-flavored soft drinks. CBS News reports that the agency has proposed banning brominated vegetable oil, which has been used in drinks for around a century. The ingredient, which incudes bromine, a chemical used in flame retardants, has been considered possibly unsafe for more than 50 years but is still present in some drinks, including Keurig Dr. Pepper's Sun Drop soda. The company says it is "actively reformulating" the drink to remove BVO.

The ingredient, which stops citrus flavoring rising to the top of drinks, is already banned in the European Union and Japan. A ban passed in California last month will take effect in 2027. "We recognize that California recently took steps to ban the use of four food ingredients, including BVO, in that state," the FDA said in a news release. "The agency is continuously reviewing and reassessing the safety of a variety of chemicals in food to ensure the science and the law support their safe use in food, including all four ingredients that are part of the recent California law." The agency noted that many manufacturers have already reformulated their products and relatively few drinks still contain BVO.

The FDA said it is proposing the ban based on recent studies in rats that found the ingredient can cause thyroid damage, NPR reports. Consumer advocates including Consumer Reports praised the move. "Toxic additives like BVO that have been shown to pose toxic risks to the thyroid and other chronic health problems should not be allowed in our food," said director of food policy Brian Ronholm. (Read more brominated vegetable oil stories.)

Adblock test (Why?)

FDA Proposes Banning Controversial Pop Ingredient - Newser
Read More

FDA to Finally Outlaw Soda Ingredient Banned Around The World - ScienceAlert

An ingredient once commonly used in citrus-flavored sodas to keep the tangy taste mixed thoroughly through the beverage could finally be banned for good across the US.

The FDA has proposed to revoke the registration of a modified vegetable oil known as BVO in the wake of recent toxicology studies that make it difficult to support its ongoing use.

"The proposed action is an example of how the agency monitors emerging evidence and, as needed, conducts scientific research to investigate safety related questions, and takes regulatory action when the science does not support the continued safe use of additives in foods," says James Jones, FDA deputy commissioner for human foods.

BVO, or brominated vegetable oil, has been used as an emulsifying agent since the 1930s to ensure citrus flavoring agents don't float to the top of sodas. Sticking a dozen bromine atoms to a triglyceride creates a dense oil that floats evenly throughout water when mixed with less dense fats.

Yet that's not BVO's only trick. Animal studies have strongly implied the compound can slowly build up in our fat tissues. With bromine's potential ability to prevent iodine from doing its all-important work inside the thyroid, health authorities around the world have been suspicious of the emulsifier's risks for decades.

In fact, BVO is already banned in many countries, including India, Japan, and nations of the European Union, and was outlawed in the state of California just last October with legislation due to take effect in 2027.

Yet the FDA has been slow to convince. In the 1950s, the agency regarded the ingredient as generally recognized as safe (GRAS); an official classification afforded items that have either been appropriately tested or – for ingredients in common use prior to 1958 – don't appear to be harmful.

That changed the following decade when questions were raised over its possible toxicity, prompting the FDA to overturn its GRAS classification for BVO and temporarily limit its use to relatively small concentrations of no more than 15 parts per million exclusively in citrus-flavored drinks.

Data on the risks posed by even these small amounts of BVO over time hasn't been easy to collect, relying heavily on long-term studies that re-evaluate health effects in a significantly-sized sample of people. Yet the evidence has been slowly mounting.

A UK study in the 1970s found bromine was building up in human tissues, with animal studies linking high concentrations of BVO with heart and behavioral problems.

It's taken time, and a number of further studies, but on the back of more recent animal studies based on relative concentrations of BVO humans are likely to ingest, the FDA is finally convinced there is sufficient evidence to ban its use altogether.

Most major soda drink companies are fortunately ahead of the game. PepsiCo and Coca-Cola Co. have been phasing the ingredient out of their products over the past decade.

"Over the years many beverage makers reformulated their products to replace BVO with an alternative ingredient, and today, few beverages in the US contain BVO," says Jones.

The ban could be a sign of more things to come, with Jones announcing the agency is reviewing regulations that authorize the use of certain food additives, with a view to automatically prohibit the approval of any food coloring agents found to cause cancer in humans or animals, making for a more nimble bureaucratic process.

A final call on the FDA's reclassification of BVO still needs to go through a lengthy review process that is unlikely to be completed before early 2024.

With suitable alternatives to BVO already being used to make citrus drinks around the world taste tangy down to the very last drop, the ingredient isn't likely to be missed.

Adblock test (Why?)

FDA to Finally Outlaw Soda Ingredient Banned Around The World - ScienceAlert
Read More

FDA proposes banning soda ingredient - WBAY

GREEN BAY, Wis. (WBAY) - A warning if you’re a soda drinker. Federal officials are proposing a ban on an ingredient found in some sodas.

The Food and Drug Administration says brominated vegetable oil is no longer considered safe. The FDA proposal issued Thursday is to ban the food additive.

Studies show BVO is toxic to your thyroid gland. The thyroid helps your body regulate weight and metabolism, energy levels, skin and hair. BVO has been linked to health hazards including nervous system damage, skin irritation and fatigue, and it can accumulate in your body over time.

The FDA says BVO is mostly used in citrus-flavored beverages. It’s used to keep the flavoring from separating and floating to the top.

Just last month, California banned BVO, becoming the first state in the U.S. to do so.

The ingredient is already banned in Europe and Japan. Coca-Cola and PepsiCo started removing it from products a decade ago.

The FDA will take public comments on the proposed ban through January 17.

Copyright 2023 WBAY. All rights reserved.

Adblock test (Why?)

FDA proposes banning soda ingredient - WBAY
Read More

The Ingredient You Need To Add A Nice Kick To Bland Cabbage - Yahoo Life

Cabbage is an integral part of so many dishes -- from cabbage rolls and stir-fries to soups to salads. But it doesn't always have to play the supporting role in a dish, it can also be the star. Cabbage actually makes an excellent side dish or main course all on its own. That is, if you know how to season it right. And it doesn't take a whole spice mix to get there either. One key ingredient can make all the difference in the world: horseradish!

As a creamy sauce or straight-up, horseradish will take any humdrum cabbage and turn it up about a dozen notches. It's the perfect flavor addition whether you're sautéing or roasting the cruciferous veggie. Prefer to braise your cabbage? Horseradish will give those tender, melt-in-your-mouth leaves a spicy punch. Whether you're team green or team purple, you'll be glad you imbued your cabbage with its sharpness -- and you'll probably be wondering why you didn't think of using the pungent brassica earlier.

Read more: 12 Vegetables And Fruits That Used To Look Very Different

Tips For Pairing Horseradish With Cabbage

Creamy horseradish in a bowl with garnish - Bhofack2/Getty Images

An easy way to get started is to add the horseradish after you're done cooking the cabbage. This is especially true for roasted or sautéd veggies, as it will keep the spicy seasoning from drying out and sticking. When it comes to braised cabbage, on the other hand, you can add the horseradish directly to the braising liquid in your crock pot or Dutch oven along with everything else.

Store-bought horseradish sauces will work just fine whichever way you choose to prepare your cabbage. You can easily make your own decadent horseradish cream by combining either whipping cream or sour cream with regular prepared horseradish (also known as pickled horseradish). Or go all out and mix up the condiment from fresh, raw horseradish root if you want. Still, there's nothing wrong with keeping this dish simple. You could even grate some of the fresh stuff as a finishing touch over charred or roasted cabbage wedges.

Horseradish is rather strong and its spiciness can be overwhelming if you overdo it. So unless you want to seriously clear out your sinuses, don't use too much of the prepared version (which is made with vinegar) all at once. It's a good idea to add a little bit at a time and give it a taste before adding more.

Horseradish Elevates Cabbage And More

Roasted Brussel sprouts in a black bowl - Lauripatterson/Getty Images

While it won't take an entire spice cabinet to make delicious cabbage, there are a few more seasonings you'll want to consider. Beyond salt and pepper, a little bit of lemon or white wine won't hurt. And fennel seeds and garlic are both fantastic options that pair with cabbage as well as horseradish. Being a member of the mustard family, horseradish plays well with mustard -- a fact which is embraced by culinary personality Ree Drummond, who uses the combination to flavor her coleslaw.

Fat matters too, so be sure to use a good quality oil or natural butter. You might also try schmaltzing things up by cooking your cabbage in chicken fat in a nod to the New Yorker's Helen Rosner, whose Instagram post of roast chicken resting on a bed of cabbage went viral and inspired riffs across the internet, including from prominent food blog smitten kitchen. A good dose of piquant horseradish will help to cut through all that poultry richness.

Of course, horseradish doesn't just turn the flavor up on cabbage. It goes well with just about any cruciferous vegetable. Bring some of cabbage's relatives along for the spicy ride by tossing kale, Brussels sprouts, and maybe even a head of roasted broccoli or cauliflower in the stuff, too. Honestly, just about any veggie will get a nice kick from horseradish, but for bland cabbage, there may be no better upgrade.

Read the original article on Daily Meal.

Adblock test (Why?)

The Ingredient You Need To Add A Nice Kick To Bland Cabbage - Yahoo Life
Read More