Heart Healthy Cooking Tips

August 28th, 2010 No Comments

Taking care of the old ticker requires exercise and a decent diet. There’s simply no substitute for either. We’ll leave the aerobic concerns to more informed minds and stick to the stuff that goes in the gut, namely the heart healthy foods everyone needs to stay fit, and the heart healthy cooking techniques that keep them that way. There’s no substitute for either of those either.

Low saturated fat, low cholesterol dishes are what we’re after here, and hold the butter and other added fats. The unhappy fact is that certain ingredients and preparation methods can add unwanted saturated fat and cholesterol to your food.

One can bake without fear, broil to the heart’s content and microwave all day (just don’t stand too close). Poaching is cool and steaming is even better. Seafood, chicken and vegetables are all good candidates for grilling. Lightly stir-frying or sautéing foods in cooking spray, small mounts of vegetable oil or reduced sodium broth are other healthy options. When roasting even skinless meats it’s wise to place meats on a rack so fat can drip away.

There are lots of ways to cut out unwanted saturated fat and cholesterol in your diet that don’t take the fun and flavor out of meal time. Butter is not your friend, what with its 8 grams of saturated fat and 11 grams of fat per tablespoon. Salsa is your good buddy though, with 0 grams of saturated fat and 0 cholesterol found in 1/4 of a cup. Creamy salad dressings are notoriously loaded with the bad stuff, while a reduced fat Italian sports only 2 grams of fat and tastes just as good.

There are many fine and tasty herbs, spices and condiments that can add zest to some of the more bland heart health dishes. Herbs include oregano, basil, cilantro, thyme, parsley, sage, rosemary. Cinnamon, nutmeg, pepper and paprika are all acceptable spices. Along with the reduced fat or nonfat salad dressing and salsa there are old standbys like mustard, catsup, horseradish, reduced fat or nonfat mayonnaise, reduced fat or nonfat sour cream, reduced fat or nonfat yogurt and reduced sodium soy sauce. That’s to say nothing of Parmesan cheese, fruit preserves and simple red pepper flakes, none of which will harm you heart.

And there you have it. With a little planning, a bit of knowledge and a smidge of extra effort anyone, can eat right for their heart without giving up a healthy enjoyment of food.

Pizza-cooking Tips

August 26th, 2010 No Comments

The pie is a ubiquitous symbol of both Italian cooking and Americana. Oven-baked, thin-crust or deep-dish, round or square, it is a common favorite throughout the United States, with a wide number of regional variations.

The most traditional pie is the pizza Napolitano, or Neapolitan pizza. Made of strong flour, the dough is often kneaded by hand and then rolled flat and thin without a rolling pin. The pizza is cooked in an extremely hot wood-fired stone oven for only sixty to ninety seconds, and is removed when it is soft and fragrant. Common varieties of Neapolitan pizza include marinara, made with tomato, olive oil, oregano, and garlic, and marguerite, made with tomato, olive oil, fresh basil leaves, and mozzarella cheese.

New York was home to the first pizza parlor in the United States, opened in Little Italy in 1905 by Gennaro Lombardi. It is not surprising, then, that New York-style pizza dominates in the Northeastern part of the country. It is thin-crusted, and made with a thin layer of sauce and grated cheese. The dough is hand-tossed, making the pie large and thin. As a result, it is served cut into slices, traditionally eight, which are often eaten folded in half. It can be served with any number of toppings, including pepperoni, the most popular topping in the United States, or as a “white pizza”, which includes no tomato sauce and is made with a variety of cheeses, such as mozzarella and ricotta.

Chicago is also home to a major variety of pizza. The Chicago-style pizza is deep dish, meaning it is made in a pan with the crust formed up the sides, or even with two crusts and sauce between, so-called “stuffed” pizzas. The ingredients are “reversed” in a Chicago pizza, with cheese going in first, and then sauce on top. This particular form of pizza was invented in 1943 at Uno’s Pizzeria in the River North neighborhood of Chicago.

The Midwest also plays host to the St. Louis style pizza. This thin-crust delicacy is made using local provel cheese instead of mozzarella, and is very crispy. Heavily seasoned with oregano and other spices, with a slightly sweet sauce, it is difficult to fold because of the crust and is often cut into squares, instead of served in slices.

A Hawaiian pizza is an American invention that has nothing to do with Hawaii save that one of the main ingredients is pineapple. The pineapple is put atop the pizza, along with Canadian bacon, giving a rather sweet taste very different from pizzas closer to the Italian original. Hawaiian pizza is very common in the Western United States.

In fact, a number of esoteric pizzas are common on the West coast, and “gourmet” pizza is often referred to as “California-style” pizza. This is an example of fusion cuisine, and many of the pizzas go far beyond the common tomato sauce and cheese. Thai pizza, for example, can include bean sprouts and peanut sauce, while breakfast pizza, as the name implies, may be topped with bacon and scrambled eggs. As a “gourmet” food, California pizzas are often individual sized, serving two people at most, and are not cut in slices like other common types of pizza pie.

A Few Hot-weather Cooking Tips for Vegetarians

August 24th, 2010 No Comments

The basic protein for most vegetarians comes from combinations of beans, whole grains and cheese. And we know that cooking a few cups of dried beans does not need to be difficult. This writer likes to begin by washing those beans in a colander, putting them into a deep pot with plenty of water to cover and bringing them to a boil. She turns the heat off as soon as the water begins to bubble and stirs a heaping spoonful of baking soda into them. Then she lets the beans soak for four or five hours, rinses them out in a colander, and washes the pot. Again she puts them into the pot with water to cover and lets them cook for about an hour. Garlic, sage, rosemary, curry spices, any seasonings you want may be added while they are cooking, except salt. When beans do not get tender, it is generally because the salt was added too soon.

Easy as this method is, some days are simply too hot for cooking beans. Tempeh is a good staple for warm weather, and can be found in most grocery stores in the fresh vegetables aisle. Cut it into cubes and put it into a steamer pot with water on the bottom, and let it steam for twenty minutes, or until it doubles in bulk. Cooking it this way gets rid of much of the bitter flavor, and the soybeans in the tempeh are more easily digested. Once you have steamed the tempeh, you can season it with spices and herbs to taste, and gently saute it in olive oil till your cubes are just golden brown. These cubes can then be tossed into greens salads, served on soups as croutons, or added to brown rice and vegetable dishes. The possibilities are endless.

Nuts are another good warm weather protein. This writer likes to use nut butters, including almond butter, cashew butter, tahini and peanut butter among others. She began experimenting with nut butters when she came across some recipes for peanut soup. The Congo Cookbook, http://www.congocookbook.com/soup_and_stew_recipes/peanut_soup.html – suggests simmering onions, green peppers, garlic, carrots or yams. Cayenne pepper and tomatoes in a good stock or chicken broth, and once the vegetables are tender adding a cup of prepared peanut butter to the soup, to make it creamy. Other nut butters can be used this way, or simply mixed in with sautéed vegetables to add flavor.

Happy summertime eating!

Perfect Body Shape with Diet

August 23rd, 2010 No Comments

People always look for the best for their body. They dream about good body shape, slim and athletic. They hate to be fat. But, the fact seems saying the different thing. The slim body is just in their dream. They don’t do real action to make the dream come true. They keep eating whatever they want. They can’t control their big appetite. And the result, fat is their body. Are you one of them?

Change that bad habit now. You have to change your life soon. Start now, because overweight can take you close to many diseases or even death. Save your life with diet program. Control your meal and stop to eat whatever you want. You have to force yourself. Stay with your commitment to make your body perfect. If you can pass the diet program well, you will get dramatic weight loss. You have to motivate yourself. It is all about you, about your health, about your future and about your life. If you have ideal weight, you can do your activities well. No more story about hard to breathe. You can run and run.

Get the tips in Weightlossfatloss.disastercover com. Do your best in the diet program you take. And in the end, the perfect body shape is no longer a dream.

Easy Diet Cooking Tips

August 22nd, 2010 No Comments

Raw food is the very best diet for anyone. Hearty main-dish salads help you feel full and satisfied. Lighter salads serve as a side dish or appetizer. Dig into one tonight, and you’re well on your way to starting your own salad habit.

A diet can never be complete without fruits. The most appealing factor of fruits is that they are taken raw and are one hundred percent natural. If fruit is canned in 100 percent fruit juice, drain the juice to avoid added calories.

Cooking greens are a Southern tradition – and superstitiously thought to bring good luck for the upcoming year when eaten on New Year’s Day. They include any type of cabbage where the green leaves do not form a compact head.

Beef contains conjugated linoleic acid (CLA)—particularly if it’s grass-fed—and preliminary research shows that CLA may play a potential role in weight loss and bone health, as well as lower heart disease and cancer risk. Steak recipes and other beef recipes can be tonight’s ticket to eating well! Freezing your food will help with portion control too—you can’t have an extra helping if it’s frozen solid! Sweet potatoes are highly alkalizing foods and are good for the winter months.

Though you can buy baked chips, they still are high in fat and sodium, and tend to be brittle. Making them at home is easy, lets you control the fat and salt, and produces sturdier chips. Mix together 1 tablespoon (15 ml) low-sodium soy sauce, 2 teaspoons (10 ml) fresh lemon juice, 1 teaspoon (5 ml) five-spice powder, 1/4 teaspoon (1.25 ml) ground coriander, and 1/4 teaspoon (1.25 ml) garlic powder. Toss to coat evenly.

Consider lighter fare like a sorbet or a yogurt dish topped with fresh berries and strawberry syrup or fruit with a heavy cream on the side. Try a cappuccino for sweetness or richness, but make it with skim milk.

Increase portions when you serve vegetables and fruits. Use low-fat seasoning with herbs, spices, and lemon juice — think smart, eat well and move more

To lose weight effectively, you need to set realistic goals and create a personal action plan. Your planning should focus on you and your commitment to yourself.

Take note of which foods that you and your family already enjoy. Then try to find more recipes that incorporate those tastes and textures.

Use the Internet as a tool to search for low sodium foods and make your grocery list. Write down the food product, the name of the manufacturer, and the sodium content of each item.

Sodium causes your body to retain, or hold, more water. This increases the work of your heart as it pumps blood through your body.

With a little persistence on your part you’ll come through with flying colors and a slimmer body.

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