Cooking in and thin - meal tips

[Guest guest]

>

> Cooking in and thin - meal tips

> CHARLES STUART PLATKIN

> TIMES-DISPATCH

>

> Research has shown that you have a better chance of controlling your weight

> if you eat at home. But even eating at home can have a negative effect on

> your waistline. Here are a few tips for keeping your kitchen " light. "

>

> Next time you cook burgers, use lean ground beef or ground turkey. You can

> lower the calories by mixing the meat with chopped mushrooms, peppers,

> onions, water chestnuts or oil-free sun-dried tomatoes.

>

> You can replace almost any dairy product with a low-fat or nonfat version,

> saving a significant number of calories. For instance, Terry Conlan, author

> and executive chef at the Lake Austin Spa Resort in Texas, says his

> favorite

> product for cooking is fat-free, sweetened condensed milk. " It does

> everything that whole condensed milk will do for a lot less calories. We

> use

> it to make flan, cream pies, roasted tomato bisque, and much more. " He also

> recommends melting reduced-fat or no-fat cream cheese to use in ieu of

> heavy cream or half-and-half.

>

> Using a mallet to pound chicken (and other meats) tenderizes it and makes

> your food appear larger. I have the supermarket pound out boneless,

> skinless

> chicken breasts to paper-thin, which allows for very rapid cooking using

> almost no oil.

>

> The word on the street is that Splenda (sucralose) can be used to replace

> sugar in almost all cooking, including baking, because it doesn't lose

> sweetness with high heat. Using a juicer to create sauces is another way to

> cut calories. Uehlein, executive chef at Canyon Ranch Spa in Tucson,

> Ariz., finds that many vegetables and fruits can be juiced into sauces to

> replace the creamy, buttery sauces.

>

> Uehlein's favorite tip is to juice a golden ripe pineapple to use as a

> sweet

> and sour dip or to brush on steamed, grilled, baked or broiled foods during

> cooking. He especially likes it with lobster tails. If you don't own a

> juicer, food processors and mixers often have juicing attachments.

>

> One of my favorite cooking trick is to use cornstarch as an instant,

> fat-free thickener for sauces and gravies. " Just mix some cornstarch in

> cold

> water and add it to your stir fry. Saute vegetables with nonfat spray,

> seasoning and lemon juice; add cornstarch, and then toss with pasta instead

> of making a cream-based pasta sauce. Or add cornstarch to meat juices to

> create a thick gravy without the added fat, " offers Cary Neff, author and

> culinary consultant to Craig. Pureed vegetables are another way to

> thicken sauces and stews.

>

> A bland diet meal can be boring, but highly flavored condiments help

> satisfy

> the senses. " Use a variety of vinegars, such as raspberry, balsamic and red

> wine, " suggests R. Polk, director of nutrition education at the

> American Institute for Cancer Research. You also can use low-fat

> vinaigrette

> dressing for your cooking.

>

> Experiment with unusual condiments, such as liquid smoke (www.colgin.com).

> " Liquid smoke is a seasoning made from water and concentrated smoke that

> mimics the flavor of smked meats. It can be used to enhance almost

> anything, but especially split pea soup, braised greens and baked beans,

> and

> it has virtually no calories, " says Dr. Lawrence J. Cheskin, author and

> professor of medicine and human nutrition.

>

> Polk also suggests using fresh herbs. " There's nothing like cutting fresh

> herbs, such as thyme, cilantro or rosemary, and adding them to cooked

> grains, grilled chicken or fresh green beans " In addition, culinary experts

> recommend cooking with fat-free, low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth as a

> way to avoid using oil.

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

[alldiabeticinternational] Cooking in and thin - meal tips

>

> Cooking in and thin - meal tips

> CHARLES STUART PLATKIN

> TIMES-DISPATCH

>

> Research has shown that you have a better chance of controlling your

weight

> if you eat at home. But even eating at home can have a negative

effect on

> your waistline. Here are a few tips for keeping your kitchen " light. "

>

> Next time you cook burgers, use lean ground beef or ground turkey.

You can

> lower the calories by mixing the meat with chopped mushrooms,

peppers,

> onions, water chestnuts or oil-free sun-dried tomatoes.

>

> You can replace almost any dairy product with a low-fat or nonfat

version,

> saving a significant number of calories.

[, Bruce]

Unfortunately, the low- or non-fat version generally has more carbs than

the regular.

[, Bruce]

Using a juicer to create sauces is another way to

> cut calories. Uehlein, executive chef at Canyon Ranch Spa in

Tucson,

> Ariz., finds that many vegetables and fruits can be juiced into

sauces to

> replace the creamy, buttery sauces.

>

> Uehlein's favorite tip is to juice a golden ripe pineapple to use as

a

> sweet

> and sour dip or to brush on steamed, grilled, baked or broiled foods

during

> cooking. He especially likes it with lobster tails. If you don't own

a

> juicer, food processors and mixers often have juicing attachments.

>

[, Bruce]

What's the old song?

" Sugar in the morning

Sugar in the evening

Sugar at suppertime. "

Using juice as the basis for sauces may reduce the fat, but it ups the

sugar.

[, Bruce]

> Experiment with unusual condiments, such as liquid smoke

(www.colgin.com).

> " Liquid smoke is a seasoning made from water and concentrated smoke

that

> mimics the flavor of smked meats. It can be used to enhance almost

> anything, but especially split pea soup, braised greens and baked

beans,

> and

> it has virtually no calories, " says Dr. Lawrence J. Cheskin, author

and

> professor of medicine and human nutrition.

[, Bruce]

I am familiar with Liquid Smoke; it is almost as salty as soy sauce.

[, Bruce]