Crush oils Norfolk

Many types of oil are used for cooking food in England. The one to avoid (usually only used in chip shops for deep-fat frying) is palm oil, as its use is harming the habitats of orangutans and other endangered creatures, and it’s also flown thousands of miles, simply because it’s cheap. It’s also high in saturated fat. If you cook your own wholesome food, you don’t need it. Read below for how to cook and bake without oil.

The best oil to use for cooking most of the time is rapeseed oil, due to the best smoke point (olive oil is the next best choice, but really is best for salad dressings, rather than being heated). The good news is that rapeseed grows in England, so supporting local farmers that produce it is a double whammy.

Crush is a company that produces rapeseed oils infused in several flavours (garlic, garlic ginger lemongrass and feisty chilli!) Rapeseed oil is more locally grown than olive oil (and also has a better cook temperature – olive oil is best really for cold dressings health-wise).

Before cooking, read up on food safety for people and pets.

Mr Organic Cold-Pressed Rapeseed Oil is sourced from Italy. You can recycle all parts of this bottle (top, glass and labels).

And Scotland’s ORganic is the first certified organic rapeseed oil. These are superior to cheap sunflower oil or coconut butter (not local, and flammable).

You could also cook in vegan butter without palm oil.

You don’t need goose fat to make good roast spuds. Try this goose-friendly recipe for vegan roast potatoes (The Veg Space) this uses rapeseed oil.

easy vegan carrot cake

Rapeseed oil is a neutral-flavour oil, so good for baking. Try this vegan carrot cake (The Veg Space).

Don’t Pour Cooking Oil Down Sinks

cooking oil recycling container

If you only use a little oil, you can wrap in kitchen paper and bin (do the same if scraping grease from pans and tins). For larger amounts, use an oil recycling bin, to take it to the council depot for recycling. Never pour cooking oil down drains, it blocks them and causes fatbergs!

Suitable for all types of cooking oil (and residual oils in tinned food), the removable filter prevents solids from passing into the container. The wide opening allows for easy filling, and the pouring spout has a drip-catch system for quick easy emptying.

Don’t give leftover fatty foods to garden birds or wildfowl (it smears on feathers, affecting waterproofing & insulation).

How to Cook and Bake (without oil)

air-fryer sweet potato fries

Not cooking with oil does not mean that you don’t eat natural fats. You just eat natural olives over olive oil, or nuts over nut oils etc. Some people choose to go oil-free, others look to reduce oils, for health and less calories.

Air-fryers (buy new for safety) lets you create ‘fried foods’ with little or no oil. You can use them to make homemade chips and also cook ‘frozen meals’ in them. They cost less energy too, and help to reduce chip fat fires (throw yours out, they are the biggest cause of house fires).

Sweet potato fries (Broke Bank Vegan) are nice served with ketchup. Better than KFC and Burger King fries (both cooked in animal fat). McDonald’s aren’t (but they are in some countries abroad).

Consumer experts recommend Tower Compact Fryer for small kitchens. This costs around £40 and is ideal for 1 to 2 people, and includes a grill plate. It has a mechanical timer and safety cut-out.

Consider a silicone air fryer basket (also in rectangular shape). This has 2 sheets (measure air basket before ordering). The slotted holes and air-flow means this offers an easy way to keep your air-fryer clean.

The dishwasher-safe liners capture oil and large food bits, and the drain channel keeps oils from soaking food, while bevelled edges allow for more space for ingredients.

Silicone is made from a blend of sand and fossil fuels, but it’s food-safe, lasts years, is easy to recycle and can be sent off for recycling at end of use. Silicone can also withstand temperatures up to 250° C, so you can cook with peace of mind. Designed to fit most air fryers, this liner can also be used for steamers, ovens, Instant Pots, roasting and microwaves.

Washable Silicone Baskets for Air-Fryers

Silicone is a food-grade item made from a blend of sand and fossil fuels. Unlike plastic, this won’t disintegrate into microplastics, and is easy to recycle.

This reusable silicone air fryer basket (also in rectangular shape) offers 2 sheets (measure air basket before ordering) for fast cooking, due to slotted holes and carefully designed air flow structure.

Air-fryers offer a low-energy, fast-cook and low-oil alternative to chip fat fryers (the biggest cause of fires in kitchens) but are a bit fiddly to clean.

Avoid contact with flames, heating elements and sharp objects – use with wooden utensils. Read more on food safety for people and pets.

These dishwasher-safe liners will capture oil and large food bits, then just wash by hand or in the dishwasher. The drain channel keeps oils from soaking food, while the bevelled edges allow for more space for ingredients. Designed to fit most air fryers, this liner can also be used for steamers, ovens, Instant Pots, roasting and microwaves.

Air Fryer Liners

These use food-grade approved silicone with slotted holes for even heat distribution, using an easy-to-clean material to make clean-up easier. The liner captures oil and large food bits (wrap small amounts of oil in paper towels and bin) so you won’t have to scrub your air-fryer clean.

The liners also enable fast even cooking using the carefully designed airflow structure, and a drain channel keeps oil from soaking food. While bevelled edges leave more space for ingredients. The liners can also withstand high temperatures.

Designed to fit most standard air-fryers, it’s also good for steamers, ovens, instant pots, roasters and microwaves.

The Best Vegan Recipes (with no oil)

the vegan 8

The Vegan 8 is a wonderful book. All recipes are free from gluten and oil (you still eat fat, just in natural form – olives over olive oil). The author wrote it after healing her husband’s painful gout, when doctors couldn’t. These recipes really do work and there are beautiful photos throughout. A corker!

It’s fine to have oil-free recipes (Brandi still eats fats, just in natural form). So olives over olive oil, and nuts over nut oil etc).

Recipes include:

roasted gold potatoes

  1. Roasted Gold Potatoes with Rosemary Sauce
  2. Bakery-style Blueberry Muffins
  3. Cream ‘Cheese’ Spinach Artichoke Dip
  4. Cajun Veggie & Potato Chowder
  5. Skillet Baked Mac n ‘Cheese’
  6. BBQ Bean Ball Sub
  7. No-Bake Chocolate Espresso Fudge Cake

bbq bean ball sub

Hungarian goulash

Brandi Doming is creator of the fabulous blog The Vegan 8, where most of the recipes have 8 ingredients or less (her blog now offers other recipes, but the recipes in the book above are all 8 or below). A former model, she went vegan to help her husband’s painful gout. And she also is super-fit and offers workouts on her site too!

plant-based delicious

Plant-Based Delicious is a book of flavourful recipes that are free from animal produce, gluten and oil. So are super-healthy, yet taste wonderful. The author is a chef and nutritionist, so combines her knowledge of both areas. Then learn to make:

  1. Tofu Black Bean Burgers
  2. Spicy Sheet Pan Cauliflower Tacos
  3. Rice Poutine with Miso Gravy (not for pregnancy, unpasteurised)
  4. Tofu Benedict with Corn Hollandaise & Spinach
  5. Mushroom Lasagne with Kale & White Bean Ricotta
  6. Moroccan Potpies with Almond Pastry
  7. Maple ‘bacon’ Cauliflower Steaks with Lentils
  8. Mint Chocolate Ice Cream Cheesecake
  9. Double Chocolate Chip Chickpea Cookies
  10. The Chocolate Cupcake

the chocolate cupcake

Neal Barnard MD calls this book ‘a secret culinary weapon’, and it’s loved by acclaimed chef Sarah Britton as ‘food you want to dive headfirst into’. Ashley Madden is a certified holistic nutritionist, who lives in Tapai with her family.

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