As we wind down from the holidays, and count the calories and pounds we have accumulated in less than a month, many of us look to the New Year as a fresh start. Who hasn't vowed to exercise more, eat better, and lose weight.
Then about a month later, many of us fall off the wagon. The good news is that there are many ways to make small changes in our favorite recipes that make a big difference in our waistlines. Of course, eating less of even a good thing doesn't hurt either!
Fresh herbs add a huge punch of flavor without calories, fat or carbs. Many grocery stores have expanded their offerings of these items, so experiment. Thyme and rosemary are great with salmon, chicken and pork. A simple marinade of garlic, olive oil and herbs on a flank steak is a beautiful thing.
Add citrus juices to the above (Orange and Rosemary are wonderful together on pork and chicken) for a healthy option to plain old grilled chicken. Tarragon is a lesser know fish that is great with eggs, potatoes, and lighter fishes. Arugula adds a nice peppery flavor when added to a dish just before serving.
Cilantro is a key ingredient in Mexican and many Thai and Indian dishes. Smoked paprika adds a delicious earthiness to dishes - think comfort food Spanish style. Chicken, potatoes and shrimp are great with this unique paprika. Toss cubed veggies with olive oil and smoked paprika and roast for a wonderful vegetarian dish.
Chilies come in all sizes shapes and heat levels - some smoky, some sweeter, some very hot. Chop a few up into a lighter version of chili - ground turkey, white beans and your mix of veggies, and experience a whole new level of flavor. Add spinach, fennel, swiss chard to add fiber, veggies and color to chili. Make it a stew by adding chopped sweet potatoes or even eggplant instead of the beans. Beans come in all flavors too - black are great in chili!
Grains are a wonderful source of fiber and iron - check out the many variations and get a few recipes from BobsRedMill.com. Why eat just pasta? Or try spaghetti squash for a healthy, lighter version of pasta.
Looking for a healthier way to eat? Do you tend to snack too much while cooking? A personal chef can do all the cooking for you and help make your comfort food favorites a bit healthier.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Happy Holidays
Not much to say but happy holidays to all! As I come off a cold, I look forward to tasting the Christmas goodies shared with family and friends.
What is your Holiday feast traditions? Ham? Beef? Seven Fishes? There are so many great holiday traditions in food, from eggnog, to cookie bakeoffs. Roasted Turkeys to Dad's special waffles....panatone, stollens, pfeffernuesse, english pudding with hardsauce and of course fruitcake.
What is your favorite Holiday dinner? Enjoy it regardless, and be safe if your Christmas is a white one....
What is your Holiday feast traditions? Ham? Beef? Seven Fishes? There are so many great holiday traditions in food, from eggnog, to cookie bakeoffs. Roasted Turkeys to Dad's special waffles....panatone, stollens, pfeffernuesse, english pudding with hardsauce and of course fruitcake.
What is your favorite Holiday dinner? Enjoy it regardless, and be safe if your Christmas is a white one....
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Visions of sugarplums
As we enter into the holiday season, our minds wander to those sweets and treats that inevitably come with the holidays. Chocolates, peppermint sticks, cookies in every shape size and color. In that famous poem, the children went to sleep with visions of sugarplums dancing in their heads.
What the heck is a sugarplum? According to Wikipedia - A sugar plum is a piece of candy that is made of sugar and shaped in a small round or oval shape. Usually the center is a seed or fruit, with many recipes using dried cherries, raisins, figs, nuts or even coconut. But ironically - no plums! Well, unless you count prunes, which started as a plum. The finely chopped fruits are rolled into balls, then rolled in sugar. I suppose this tastes better than fruitcake to many.
Fruitcake by the way is good for more than a regift or a doorstop. But where did the fruitcake begin? Fruitcakes have been around since Roman times; in fact, I think I’ve actually eaten some that have been around since Roman times. Your classic Roman fruitcake featured raisins, pine nuts, pomegranate seeds and barley mash. Today's versions vary from dark to light, spiked or not, and contain all different fruits. If you are not a fan of fruitcake - it makes a great stuffing for pork chops. OK - stop making the face.....trust me - they are yummy! Here's the recipe:
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Pork-Chops-with-Fruitcake-Stuffing-10923
Eggnog - that rich thick concoction of milk or cream, eggs and winter spices. Perhaps spiked with brandy, sherry or rum....but originally only cognac was used in England, where it originated. This creamy treat was a luxury, as many people in medieval times could not afford milk. Now we can find it in the dairy case, as early as Halloween, in many flavors, fat contents and brands.
Gingerbread cookies came later. At first gingerbread began as gingerbread cakes in the form of religious symbols and saints made by monks. After soldiers fought the crusades in the Middle East, travelers from the West brought back many exotic spices including ginger. The upper class people started making gingerbread using their own forms -made out of wood to depict royalty, castles and flowers. It wasn't until the early 1800's that the actual Gingerbread men cookies were made. Balls of dough were rolled together and shaped into figures by women, children and royalty. They were decorated and enjoyed by everyone. Cookie cutters were created several years later, making the uniform shapes of gingerbread boys, pulled from the tale of Hansel and Gretel.
I love gingerbread cookies - the smell, the taste and of course the messy way I decorate is all part of my Christmas tradition....what is you favorite holiday treat?
What the heck is a sugarplum? According to Wikipedia - A sugar plum is a piece of candy that is made of sugar and shaped in a small round or oval shape. Usually the center is a seed or fruit, with many recipes using dried cherries, raisins, figs, nuts or even coconut. But ironically - no plums! Well, unless you count prunes, which started as a plum. The finely chopped fruits are rolled into balls, then rolled in sugar. I suppose this tastes better than fruitcake to many.
Fruitcake by the way is good for more than a regift or a doorstop. But where did the fruitcake begin? Fruitcakes have been around since Roman times; in fact, I think I’ve actually eaten some that have been around since Roman times. Your classic Roman fruitcake featured raisins, pine nuts, pomegranate seeds and barley mash. Today's versions vary from dark to light, spiked or not, and contain all different fruits. If you are not a fan of fruitcake - it makes a great stuffing for pork chops. OK - stop making the face.....trust me - they are yummy! Here's the recipe:
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Pork-Chops-with-Fruitcake-Stuffing-10923
Eggnog - that rich thick concoction of milk or cream, eggs and winter spices. Perhaps spiked with brandy, sherry or rum....but originally only cognac was used in England, where it originated. This creamy treat was a luxury, as many people in medieval times could not afford milk. Now we can find it in the dairy case, as early as Halloween, in many flavors, fat contents and brands.
Gingerbread cookies came later. At first gingerbread began as gingerbread cakes in the form of religious symbols and saints made by monks. After soldiers fought the crusades in the Middle East, travelers from the West brought back many exotic spices including ginger. The upper class people started making gingerbread using their own forms -made out of wood to depict royalty, castles and flowers. It wasn't until the early 1800's that the actual Gingerbread men cookies were made. Balls of dough were rolled together and shaped into figures by women, children and royalty. They were decorated and enjoyed by everyone. Cookie cutters were created several years later, making the uniform shapes of gingerbread boys, pulled from the tale of Hansel and Gretel.
I love gingerbread cookies - the smell, the taste and of course the messy way I decorate is all part of my Christmas tradition....what is you favorite holiday treat?
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