Kitchen Tricks, Tips&Everyday Wisdoms
Pretty much every chef has kitchen tricks, and those who regularly turn out four star meals for a weight conscious clientele eventually develop an entire repertoire of tricks and tips that keep food tasting great. Sometimes, just sensible, yet creative thinking is all it takes to make your favorite dinner a whole lot healthier. For example, a former executive chef at a well known U.S. health spa, developed an approach that has satisfied the tastes of thousands of guests (including celebrities such as Barbra and Cher). He says that his intention is to marry flavor and nutrients while dramatically cutting the fat and calories.
Marilyn and I think that's a much better idea than trying to eat grapefruit and cottage cheese all week to lose a few pounds. So here are a few of our best kitchen tricks and tips you can use in your own kitchen. Spray It - I really like this one. Use a plastic spray bottle filled with a mixture of canola and regular olive oil. In fact, you can now purchase in one and two litre containers an olive oil and canola blend. Very convenient and economical. Buy new, clean bottles and mist (spray) your pans with the oil rather than pouring it in.
Speaking of Olive Oil - Check this out;
Olive Oil - what you didn't know
At our house we usually have a salt-reduced (of course) vegetable or chicken stock on hand to add to dishes to keep them moist. Think Creatively ~ Add body to sauces and soups without using cream by dissolving 1 tsp. of arrowroot or corn flour in a Tbsp. of water. Cook it in the sauce for 4-5 minutes. Another kitchen trick is to add 2-3 Tbls. of puréed cooked vegetables such as carrots, celery or onion to thicken soups. This trick works really well. Use Soy ~ Instead of cream cheese or sour cream. Here’s how, blend silken tofu, one of our "secret" ingredients, into dips, dressings, even frostings.
Do the Garlic ~ Fresh garlic turns soft and buttery when roasted. Cut the tops off garlic heads, spray lightly with your new oil sprayer and wrap the entire head in foil. Then bake at 180ºC for about 45 minutes or until tender. Squeeze out the soft cloves and spread on bread, whisk into soups or dips, or mash with potatoes — awesome taste and no butter necessary. The roasted garlic should last about a week in the refrigerator.
No Mayo for You ~ Instead of high fat mayonnaise, use puréed cottage cheese or silken tofu, with a mix of water, Dijon mustard, cider vinegar and pepper. Simple and a whole lot better for you.
Reduced Avocados ~ This is a good one - When a recipe calls for avocados (which contain good fat but lots of calories), replace some of the avocado with puréed asparagus blended with yogurt, in fact, see our recipe for
Asparagus Guacamole.
You could even try ground turkey, but know that turkey is very lean, so your meatballs might be on the dry side. Better Butter ~ Instead of butter in your baking, use flavorful ingredients that add moisture to the batter. Pumpkin or sweet potato flesh, applesauce, mashed banana, fresh orange juice or other puréed produce work really well. If you're wondering where you can get some of the products mentioned here, you might want to browse through the e-aisles at Natures Super Store. C'mon, it'll be fun! Just click the "Natures Super Store" link below;
A Buyer's Guide to Milk
Chocolate ~ Types, Storage & Cooking Tips
Cleaning Made Easy
Food Life ~ How Long Will it Last?
Food Poisoning ~ Prevent it at Home
Germs ~ How to Win the War
Safety ~ Are You At Risk?
Linens & Laundry ~ Cleaning Naturally
Olive Oil ~ Demystified
Power-Cooking in the Kitchen
Proper Food Storage
Top 8 Kitchen Tips
Wine ~ Your Food Pairing Guide
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