What's The Difference

[Jeepers]

What's the difference between:

Micro Greens and sprouts

Baked veggies and roasted ones

A Dutch oven and a heavy lidded pot

Fried onions and sauteed onions

 

Because I see cookbooks dedicated to a single subject be!ow, I wonder:

Why is Dutch oven cooking any different from regular cooking

Why are cast iron recipes any different from regular skillet recipes. 

Clean eating? I'm assuming that's organic.

 

Just to get you to buy more products?  

I haven't kept up with the times. 

[Mother]

Good evening, Jeepers.  I haven't posted in a while but I have been reading.  Your questions sort of called me out of lurkdom. 

I can probably answer them all but I'll answer my favorite one. 

 

Micro greens are basically small greens that are grown densely on small amounts of soil or special grow pads.  The greens are cut to use when small and tender.  They produce lots of baby greens that are really tasty and healthy.  They are usually cut once when they reach the right size.  There are also shoots that are grown from various seeds and are usually a bit bigger.  They, too, can be grown in a small amount of soil or on grow pads.  Sunnies, sunflower seed shoots, are cut just before their second, true set of leaves form and are a nutty sweet greens.  Pea shoots are grown in a similar way but those can be cut several times and keep growing.  Wheat and other grass is another form of shoots.  Often the grasses are used in juicing.  Plus cats love some of those to nibble on.  

 

Then there are sprouts which are seeds grown in a sprouter tray or jar.  They are soaked in water for various length of times, fifteen minutes to overnight, to begin with.  Then they are drained, rinsed, and drained again two or three times a day and left just damp enough to grow. There are dozens and dozens of sprouting seeds and mixes. A taste to please almost anyone.  I almost always have at least one jar setting upside down in the dish drainer with sprouts growin in them.  It's a no soil, little work, way to enjoy fresh foods. They don't need light unless you want a couple hours in the sun to green them up a little.  They are great as salad, or on a sandwich, in stir fries, and etc. and they are extremely nutritious.  I love sprouts.

 

Every prepper should learn about micro greens, shoots, grasses, and sprouts. Stealth gardening at its easiest. Does that answer your first question? 

 

Can you tell I'm a fan? 

 

 

 

[Mt_Rider]

I'll try a few guesses:

 

Baked....dry; like a baked potato. 

Roasted .....mostly in combination with other veggies, definitely tossed with oil [and spices] before roasting in oven on a tray/cookie sheet.

 

Fried onions and sauteed onions --  More oil with fried and a crispier end product.  Sauteed is lower heat and possibly cover for moisture.  End product is done when translucent and soft.  That would be my take...?

 

5 hours ago, Jeepers said:

Why is Dutch oven cooking any different from regular cooking

 

Cuz I'm using my Grma's "bean pot" Dutch oven.     That makes it special! 

 

I love cast iron and don't have any other fry pans.  Once you get the hang of not rushing the heating up of such cookware [cuz once hot...it keeps on getting hotter..use lower heat.]  I think it's great.  It may just be a fad now but I've used it for decades.  For flavor?    Dunno.  If you're doing it right, there is even heat that lasts a long time.  You can/should use less heat so that can save on elect/gas/wood. 

 

Why are cast iron recipes any different from regular skillet recipes.  .......  Are they?  I do anything in case iron that can be done in SS or whatever pans.   

 

MtRider  .....    Seems ridiculous to use such heavy cookware with weak hands but.... I have certain techniques to lift and shift and clean them so I don't notice.

[Jeepers]

Thank you ladies! Great answers. I've been wondering about these different terms for awhile. 

[Annarchy]

Cast iron requires more work to keep it seasoned.  If I leave a liquid in it after cooking, it will rust and need to be re-seasoned.  

 

 I have a couple stainless steel pans, and a stack of cast iron.  If properly seasoned, the cast iron pans are better than a non-stick pan.  Comparable to the ceramic & copper ones that are trending now days.  However, cast iron sometimes has a flavor, from seasoning.  I use the stainless steel pan for browning rice, quick & easy, gets hot fast, cools off quicker, when removed from the heat.
 

Like Mt_Rider mentioned, cast iron takes longer to heat up, but, it stays hot longer, especially in the case of a Dutch oven.  Most recipes I’ve seen, seem to need a consistent temp, and longer cooking times.  
 

Here’s a lot of info on cookware

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cookware_and_bakeware

 

[Jeepers]

Great read Annarchy. Thanks for the lknk!

[Littlesister]

I love my cast iron pots.  Have a bunch of different ones.  I use them often. As I also have weak hands, I have learned to adopt in order to use them.  I have a great deal of stainless steel pots and pans that I also use for canning. Can't say if cooking foods are different using cast iron verses other pans. But I do how the food taste in the cast iron verses the other pans.