Week of May 25, 2003
Crock-pot or slow cooker recipes rely on a low heat cooking method to slowly cook foods without having to add extra oils or fats. Steam rises as the food cooks, and circulates within the pot to keep food moist.

• When you're cooking crock-pot recipes, try to refrain from lifting up the lid to take a peak. When you let the steam out, the temperature in the pot drops. If you do peek you must add 15 minutes of cooking time for every peek.
• Add spices and herbs toward the end of cooking time (if possible) Only add fresh herbs just before serving.
• Make sure the lid is on tight so that the heat and steam will not escape.
• You may want to brown meats before adding to the Crock-pot. It is not necessary but it does add color and remove some of the fat.
• You will end up with more liquid than you start because the liquid will not evaporate or boil away.
• Dairy products will separate with prolonged cooking so add them in the last hour of cooking time.
  

To find healthy Crock-pot recipes, you may want to try Healthy Crockery Cookery
by Mabel Hoffman.

Week of May 17, 2003
Omega-3 Essential Fatty Acids help improve skin and hair, reduce blood pressure, aid in the prevention or arthritis, lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels and reduce the risk of blood clot formation.

Omega-3's are essential fatty acids that our bodies cannot make by themselves. They must be obtained from the food that we eat.

Below are the recommended sources of Omega 3's by the American Heart Association.

The American Heart Association recommends "eating fish (particularly fatty fish) at least two times a week. Fish is a good source of protein without the high saturated fat found in fatty meat products. Fatty fish like mackerel, lake trout, herring, sardines, albacore tuna and salmon are also high in two kinds of omega-3 fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)."

"Also recommended is eating omega-3 fatty acids from plant sources. Tofu and other forms of soybeans, canola, walnut and flaxseed, and their oils contain alpha-linolenic acid (LNA). This is a less potent kind of omega-3 fatty acid."

Here is an easy way to poach salmon for use in salads, sandwiches, pasta dishes, appetizers and more.

4 cups water
3 lemon slices, cut in half
3 onion slices, cut in half
parsley sprigs
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
1 pound salmon fillets

Heat water, lemon slices, onion slices, parsley sprigs, 1/2 teaspoon salt and the pepper to boiling in 10- or 12-inch skillet. Boil 3 minutes; reduce heat to medium-low.
Add salmon, skin side down. Cover and cook 5 to 6 minutes or until salmon flakes easily with fork. Remove salmon from liquid in skillet. Cool completely. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours but no longer than 24 hours. Discard liquid in skillet.

Week of May 11, 2003
We have gotten so many emails from our readers who are confused about the different types of fat in their diets. In the cholesterol and fat section, we have used the American Heart Association's technical overview. We realize that this may be confusing. This is a simplified version, but hopefully one that is easier to understand.

Each type of fat has a different effect on the body. Sorry to say, most of these effects are not good for you. Most researchers say that only two types of fat are good for us, although they are beneficial only when eaten in moderation. So here is the simple breakdown:

Saturated Fats are solids when they at room temperature and turn to an oil when heated. Most saturated fats are animal in origin that come from meat, poultry, and dairy products. You want to limit your intake of saturated fat as much as possible. Saturated fats raise cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and some research shows that they seem to interfere with immune functioning. Two vegetable sources which you want to watch are coconut oil and palm kernel oil which are high in saturated fat even though they're plant oils.

Polyunsaturated Fats originate from plant sources and are liquid at room temperature. They are considered to be a "healthier" fat because they help lower total cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Vegetable oils such as safflower, sunflower, sesame, cottonseed, and corn oil are polyunsaturated fats.

Monounsaturated Fats include olive oil, canola, and peanut oil. Oils that are high in monounsaturated fats are the "healthiest" choice of oil, as they help decrease the LDL levels or "bad" cholesterol.

Hydrogenated Fats begin as liquid fats but are solidified when hydrogen atoms are added. A healthy or unsaturated fat is converted into an unhealthy or saturated fat. You may want to know why anyone would do such a thing! Hydrogenated oils give products longer shelf lives. The oil is less likely to break down over time and become rancid tasting. Most of the hydrogenated fats we eat come from partially hydrogenated vegetable oils which are found in packaged foods. Take a look at the labels on packaged products such as cookies, crackers, sauces, margarines, shortenings and peanut butter. So before you buy it and eat it, READ IT!

Before you do a slow burn against the food industry, take a walk down the produce isle. This is where you should have been shopping all along.

Week of May 4, 2003
The season is here for those wonderful sweet onions - Vidalia, Texas 1015Y, Walla Walla and more. They are so crispy and sweet. Grill them with your favorite meats and vegetables outdoors, use them in stir fries or just sliced raw on your turkey burger. They are so good!

Try this simple, reduced-fat version of the famous "Blooming Onion" with your favorite sweet onions. It can easily be made in the oven.

2 Sweet Onions
Non stick cooking oil spray
1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon oregano, or 1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Lightly spray a large baking or roasting panwith cooking oil spray. Peel the Sweet Onions, then cut the bottom so it is level, but leave the core intact. To make the flower design, begin as if you are going to cut the onion in half, from top to bottom, but stop cutting 1/2 inch from the core. Cut the onion this way 5 times to form ten sections or "petals." Carefully loosen the petals slightly by rapping the onion lightly on the work surface, and loosening them with your fingers. Remember that the flower will bloom more as it cooks.

Place the flour, salt, pepper, oregano, paprika and mustard in a small paper bag. Spray the onions with cooking spray to lightly coat each petal. Put one of the onions in the bag and gently shake to coat. Remove the onion and pat off the excess flour mixture. Place in a prepared pan and repeat with the other onion. Spray the coated onions lightly again with cooking spray to aid in browning.

Bake the onions in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, until tender. Serve the onion flowers hot, with low fat horseradish sauce below or barbecue sauce as a dip, or as an accompaniment with grilled poultry, fish or meat.

Horseradish Dip
Yields 4 to 6 servings
1/2 cup nonfat sour cream
2 teaspoons reduced-fat mayonnaise
2 teaspoons prepared horseradish
1/2 small garlic clove, finely minced

Combine the sour cream, mayonnaise, horseradish and garlic in a bowl and mix well. May be prepared up to one day ahead of time and stored, covered, in the refrigerator.