Hey y’all!
It’s time for Ask the Dinner Diva again! You have questions? I’ve got answers. If you want YOUR question answered, keep reading, I’ll tell you where to shoot your question!
It’s a little complicated, or perhaps I’m just making it so, hence my reason for writing. I’ve been a fan for years and rely on Saving Dinner the Low Carb Way. My problem is shopping for and keeping salad greens. I hate to shop so I plan it out with a proper list and go every couple of weeks. I am the only vegetable eater in my house of four (after 30 years I’ve given up and only make enough for myself) so the greens go bad before I can use them. If I try to go to the store every few days just to pick up vegetables I either end up buying stuff I don’t need, more veggies than I need, or do not go at all because I know the outcome. How would you suggest I handle this?
Thanks
TZ
Hi TZ,
Rotate your veggies is the way I do it. In other words, eat the most delicate stuff first (like the lettuces for example) and then eat the hardiest stuff last (like broccoli, cauliflower, etc.). I store my lettuce in handy Producer Saver (Rubbermaid makes these; they ROCK!) and that seems to make my lettuce last up to a week! I’ve also heard of tearing up your leaf lettuces and putting them in mason jars in the fridge (saw it on Pinterest, LOL!) but I haven’t tried that myself. I am very pleased with Rubbermaid’s Produce Saver. 🙂
Can you tell me why you won’t use canola oil? I heard that on one of your podcasts but it didn’t say why. And what oil should we use for baked goods?
Paulette.
Hi Paulette,
The reason I’m not a fan of canola oil is mostly because of the way it’s manufactured: canola oil is processed at high temperatures, using a mechanical process that involves toxic chemicals, like hexane. Canola oil is degummed, deodorized, bleached, and further refined at high temperatures. These high temperatures change the omega-3 content of the oil and significantly raise the oil’s concentrations of trans fatty acids and saturated fats.
Olive oil is cold expeller pressed (keeping the omega-3 fatty acids intact) and made from the fruit of the olive tree. It’s full of polyphenols and helps your body produce adiponectin, a hormone that helps your body regulate blood sugar levels. Olive oil is my favorite oil for using raw on salads etc. (use extra virgin organic if possible) and grapeseed oil (cold pressed, keep refrigerated after opening. You don’t need to do that with olive oil, but you do with grapeseed oil) for baking.
I am also a huge fan of coconut oil. It has a higher smoke point than either olive or grapeseed and is a very healthy choice.
I love mushrooms but my husband hates them. What can I use in recipes to replace them?
Thanks for your help
Janet
Hi Janet,
There really isn’t a substitute for our delicious friends, the mushrooms! Some people just plain don’t like them (I’ll take their portion!) But I do have a solution for you…keep them out of the food you’re cooking, sauté them up on the side and add them to YOUR portion. A little extra work, but certainly worth it in my opinion!
There you have it! We get a lot of questions and can’t guarantee that yours will be answered, but go ahead, send them in: dinner diva at saving dinner dot com (squish it all together and add symbols and you’re good to go!)
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