Week
of August 29, 2004
Cooking
with a wok is not only a quick method of cooking, it is also a healthy way to
cook. When stir frying,
a wok has numerous advantages over a regular frying pan - it distributes heat
more evenly, requires less oil, and ensures that food tossed during stir-frying
lands back in the pan and not all over your stove top and kitchen.
1.
Have all the ingredients you need out and ready to use. Stir-frying in a wok is
quick, so you need to be ready to go.
2.
Make sure all the food is washed, dry and cut or chopped according to recipe instructions
before you start.
3.
For even heat distribution and cooking, cut all the ingredients the same size.
4.
If the recipe does not specify, cut all the ingredients into bite-sized pieces.
5.
Heat the wok on medium-high to high heat for at least a minute before adding oil.
(Skip this step if you have a nonstick pan - it can cause damage the teflon coating.)
6. Add the oil
(up to 2 to 3 tablespoons but no more) drizzling it so that it coats the sides
and the bottom of the wok. The oil will heat up faster this way.
7.
Before adding other ingredients, season the oil by cooking a few pieces of garlic
and ginger. This in turn will flavor the meat and the vegetables. You may want
to reduce the heat slightly at this point to keep them from burning.
8.
If the recipe calls for meat and vegetables, cook the meat first and then set
it aside. Add the meat back when the vegetables are almost cooked. This ensures
that the meat is not overcooked and tough.
9.
Meat is normally stir-fried on high heat to seal in the juices (of course individual
recipes may differ slightly).
10.
Add only a cup of meat at a time to the wok, laying the meat flat on the surface.
11. Remove the
meat from the wok when it changes color. Beef will begin to lose it red color
and chicken will begin to lose it pinkness. At this point the meat should only
be about 80 percent cooked. You will add the meat back to the wok at the end of
the recipe to reheat and finish cooking with the leafy vegetables or right before
the sauce is added.
12.
Stir-fry vegetables according to how long it will take for them to cook. Denser
vegetables such as broccoli and carrots will require more cooking time than green
leafy vegetables such as bok choy and cabbage and spinach.
13.
If the vegetables become too dry during cooking, you may want to add a few drops
of water while stir-frying.
14.
When stir-frying meat, wait a few seconds before tossing so that the outside has
a chance to brown; when stir-frying vegetables, begin moving them immediately.
15.
When adding sauces to vegetables and or meats, form a "well" or "valley"
in the middle by pushing the ingredients up the sides of the wok leaving an empty
space at the bottom. Add the sauce in the middle and stir to thicken before combining
with the other ingredients, then season to taste.
COOKS
NOTE: Heat varies from stove to stove. For wok cooking, start with a medium-high
heat and then adjust the temperature up or down as needed for your particular
stove top.
Week
of August 22, 2004
Are
you looking for a sweet treat with little or no fat - then look no further. Don't
forget the lowly little marshmallow. Remember how good they are toasted over a
campfire? Well guess what; they are virtually fat-free. For the jet puffed commercial
version, here is a breakdown on the nutritional facts. One serving listed below
is about four large (not the mini) marshmallows.
But,
if you have the time and the right equipment, why not indulge in a real treat?
Real
Homemade Marshmallows
Makes 18 servings
1
cup confectioners' sugar (used for dusting)
2 cups white sugar
1 tablespoon
light corn syrup
1 1/4 cups water, divided
4 tablespoons unflavored gelatin
2 egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Sprinkle a 9 x 9 inch square
dish generously with confectioners' sugar.
In
a small saucepan over medium-high heat, stir together white sugar, corn syrup
and 3/4 cup water. Heat to 250 to 265 degrees F (121 to 129 degrees C), or until
a small amount of syrup dropped into cold water forms a rigid ball.
While
syrup is heating, place remaining water in a metal bowl and sprinkle gelatin over
the surface. Place bowl over simmering water or in the microwave until gelatin
has dissolved completely. Keep in a warm place until syrup has come to temperature.
Remove syrup from heat and whisk gelatin mixture into hot syrup. Set aside.
In
a separate bowl, whip egg whites to soft peaks. Continue to beat, pouring syrup
mixture into egg whites in a thin stream, until the egg whites are very stiff.
Stir in vanilla. Spread evenly in prepared pan and let rest 8 hours or overnight
before cutting.
Dust
knife while cutting with confectioners' sugar as well as cut marshmallows.
COOKS
NOTE: You really need all the correct kitchen tools to make this recipe easy -
a medium to large nonstick saucepan, a candy thermometer, a nonstick silicone-coated
spoon or spatula and a good standing - electric mixer.
Nutrition
facts are based on only about 1/2 cup of the confectioners' sugar adhering to
the marshmallows. Per Marshmallow: 119 Calories; trace Fat (0.0% calories from
fat); trace Saturated Fat; 1g Protein; 30g Carbohydrate; 0g Dietary Fiber; 0mg
Cholesterol; 17mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Lean Meat; 2 Other Carbohydrates.
Week
of August 15, 2004
Tips
on Cooking with Yogurt
- To
get the healthy benefits from yogurt, look for yogurt that contain live bacteria
cultures. Contains active yogurt cultures means that the bacterial cultures are
still present in the yogurt because it has not been heat-treated. Read the label
to make sure that they have not been stabilized with starch or gelatin. U.S. Government
regulations require a minimum of two cultures, but some yogurts have as many as
five distinct cultures.
- Substitute
plain yogurt for sour cream on a baked potatoes, or use in stews or Stroganoff
type dishes.
- Yogurt
can be substituted for mayonnaise or sour cream in equal amounts for dressings,
dips and spreads.
- Yogurt
becomes sharper with age. Stored at a refrigerator temperature of 35°F to
45°F, yogurt will keep fresh for up to two weeks. The fresher the yogurt,
the better the flavor and consistency.
- When
cooking with yogurt, the sweeter flavor of plain low fat yogurt works better as
opposed to most nonfat yogurts which have a thin, slightly sour taste.
- To
thicken sauces, you can use yogurt in place of heavy cream. By adding some flour
to the yogurt before adding it to the sauce will prevent curdling. Use 1 tablespoon
of flour to 1 cup of yogurt.
- Use
yogurt helps to tenderize meats or marinades. Read more about how to use yogurt
to tenderize meats.
- Using
yogurt in reduced fat baked goods will improve texture and make the food moist.
- When substituting
buttermilk with yogurt, thin the yogurt with a little water or milk to the right
consistency.
- When
using yogurt for baking, add 1/2 teaspoon baking soda for each cup of yogurt used.
- To preserve
the bacteria, do not add yogurt to a boiling or extremely hot mixture. The best
way is to stir a few tablespoons of the hot food into the yogurt to gradually
warm the yogurt. Then stir the warmed yogurt back into the hot mixture.
- Mixing
yogurt in a blender can cause it to break down and liquefy. Gently fold in yogurt
when incorporating into most recipes.
- Avoid
using aluminum products when cooking with yogurt. The acid in the yogurt will
react negatively with the aluminum.
Week
of August 8, 2004
Preparing
cooked vegetables for crisp salads.
Blanching
then shocking in cold water or iced water is a great way to cook vegetables, then
cool them quickly for use in dishes like salads. Depending on how long you cook
the vegetable will give you a different degree of crisp tenderness desired in
most salads. You can use this method to cook almost any vegetable. For example,
try green beans or asparagus. Trim and wash beans or asparagus.
In
a pot, bring salted water to a boil and prepare an ice bath (a bowl full of ice
and water). If you are on a salt restricted diet, plain boiling water will work
as well.
Place
your vegetables just a few at a time into the boiling water. Do not to crowd in
the pot. Make the water is at a constant boil. Test the vegetables for doneness
after a minute or so; green beans and asparagus should be crisp, yet cooked. To
test larger vegetables like cauliflower or broccoli, insert a small sharp knife
into the thick part of the stem. If the knife slides in and out easily, the cauliflower
or broccoli is ready to be shocked.
When
you are sure that the vegetables are cooked, quickly remove them from the boiling
water and plunge them into the ice bath. Immersing the vegetables in ice water
(called shocking) will stop the cooking process quickly.
Keep
the vegetables in the ice water long enough for them to cool completely, then
drain and pat dry for use in your salad. If the vegetables from the ice bath before
they are cooled, they will continue to cook from the inside out. This will mean
give you a less than crisp vegetable for you salad.
Week
of August 1, 2004
Don't
Forget the Veggies on the Grill
I
know, when everyone's eyes are on those succulent chicken breasts or pork chops
sitting atop the grill, it is hard to thing of vegetables. But at your backyard
barbeque, they can steal the show or even become the entrée. Vegetables
absorb a deep, smoky sweetness when grilled, and almost any kind of vegetable
works great. You can serve them over pasta, rice or polenta. You can also make
them into fantastic sandwiches - try them on focaccia bread, in pita bread rounds
or as a wrap with fat free or reduced fat flour tortillas. Remember to use a light
not overpowerung flavored condiment.
If
you plan to put your grilled veggies in a sandwich, cut vegetables like zucchini
and eggplant lengthwise into thin slices onion, tomatoes and peppers into thick
rings. When grilling asparagus, the spears can be left whole and placed perpendicular
to the grill grates. You can also get a special grill pan with small holes that
the veggies can't slip through or thread everything onto a skewers.
Of
course you can just serve them as a side dish a well. Whatever way you decide
to use them, I think you will agree. They are fantastic.
So
as long as you are starting up the grill, bring on the veggies too!
Grill
Basket Veggies
Toss
into salads or serve with rice or pasta; garnish with basil just before serving.
Serves: 6
Cooking
oil spray for grilling
1 zucchini squash, cut lengthwise into quarters, then
thickly sliced
1 yellow or summer squash, thickly sliced
1 small eggplant,
cut into 1-inch chunks (peeled optional)
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch
chunks
1 medium onion, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 1/2 tablespoons virgin
olive oil
Spray cold grill basket and cooking tongs well with cooking
oil spray for Grilling Cooking Spray. Position grill 3 to 4 inches from heat or
grill according to suggestion by manufacturer.
Place
vegetables into large bowl; drizzle with olive oil. Toss to coat well. Place basket
on grill; add vegetables.
Cook
over medium high heat about 25 minutes stirring occasionally or until vegetables
are crisp tender and have grill marks. Salt and pepper to taste.
Per
Serving: 71 Calories; 4g Fat (42.8% calories from fat); 1g Saturated Fat; 2g Protein;
9g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 5mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 1/2
Vegetable; 1/2 Fat.
