Poll: What's the Best Way to Add Flavor without Calories?
By: Stepfanie Romine,
SparkPeople Blogger
12/10/2009 4:47 PM
: 209 comments
: 20,928 Views
There is a certain evolution to healthy cooking. You cut back on oil, butter, cheese, bacon, and cream. You reduce the sugar, you lay off the salt, you use whole-wheat instead of white flour, you add in an extra serving of vegetables.
The reason why restaurants rely on fat, sugar and salt so heavily is because they're the trifecta of flavor in most kitchens.
In a healthy kitchen, they've been demoted from star attraction to guest star, but they leave quite a void. So how do you fill the role of Flavor in your meals?
When you open your spice drawer or your refrigerator door, what are your secret weapons?
How have you kept (or added) flavor without adding fat or calories?
You tell me yours and I'll tell you mine…
I have quite the arsenal of low-fat, low-calorie flavor enhancers.
Wine: I always keep a bottle on hand for soups, stews and sauces. Add a half-cup to the pan when after sauteing chicken and scrape up all the bits in the bottom of the pan to create a quick pan sauce. The wine adds a tangy flavor and a level of depth to my dishes. You can also add wine instead of water or broth when cooking rice, couscous or other grains.
Broth: Buy reduced-sodium broth or stock (or make your own), and use it instead of water. You'll add a layer of flavor for essentially no calories.
Sriracha:This amazingly versatile sauce is sweet, spicy, and tangy. A few drops or a drizzle add heat to any dish, from scrambled eggs to chili and tomato soup. If you don't like regular hot sauce, try this. It's available at most supermarkets, and the complex flavor is a nice change from the vinegar-heavy standard hot sauce.
Cumin: Cumin is possibly the most versatile spice in my kitchen. I add some to almost every dish, from lentil soup to hummus, roasted turkey to tofu cutlets. It adds a home-cooked flavor to any dish. I'm not sure why, but when I taste cumin, I think a food has been cooking all day.
Balsamic vinegar: Rich, sweet and syrupy, balsamic vinegar is great on salads, drizzled over root vegetables and even mixed in to tomato sauce. It's just that good. It's even great atop strawberries.
Those are a few of the low-calorie flavor enhancers in my kitchen. What are your favorite flavor enhancers?
The reason why restaurants rely on fat, sugar and salt so heavily is because they're the trifecta of flavor in most kitchens.
In a healthy kitchen, they've been demoted from star attraction to guest star, but they leave quite a void. So how do you fill the role of Flavor in your meals?
When you open your spice drawer or your refrigerator door, what are your secret weapons?
How have you kept (or added) flavor without adding fat or calories?
You tell me yours and I'll tell you mine…
I have quite the arsenal of low-fat, low-calorie flavor enhancers.
Wine: I always keep a bottle on hand for soups, stews and sauces. Add a half-cup to the pan when after sauteing chicken and scrape up all the bits in the bottom of the pan to create a quick pan sauce. The wine adds a tangy flavor and a level of depth to my dishes. You can also add wine instead of water or broth when cooking rice, couscous or other grains.
Broth: Buy reduced-sodium broth or stock (or make your own), and use it instead of water. You'll add a layer of flavor for essentially no calories.
Sriracha:This amazingly versatile sauce is sweet, spicy, and tangy. A few drops or a drizzle add heat to any dish, from scrambled eggs to chili and tomato soup. If you don't like regular hot sauce, try this. It's available at most supermarkets, and the complex flavor is a nice change from the vinegar-heavy standard hot sauce.
Cumin: Cumin is possibly the most versatile spice in my kitchen. I add some to almost every dish, from lentil soup to hummus, roasted turkey to tofu cutlets. It adds a home-cooked flavor to any dish. I'm not sure why, but when I taste cumin, I think a food has been cooking all day.
Balsamic vinegar: Rich, sweet and syrupy, balsamic vinegar is great on salads, drizzled over root vegetables and even mixed in to tomato sauce. It's just that good. It's even great atop strawberries.
Those are a few of the low-calorie flavor enhancers in my kitchen. What are your favorite flavor enhancers?
 You will earn 3 SparkPoints |
NEXT ENTRY > 6 Party Foods to Avoid This Holiday Season
.jpg)
Comments
- 9/12/2011 4:17:27 PM
One of my favorite foods is spicy chicken wings, which are 100% awful for you...so what I did the last time I went out was ordered a dozen wings, and THREE orders of celery with the sauces. I actually found that I ate the celery faster than I did the wings. Next time I'll order half a dozen wings and FOUR orders of celery! (And drink water instead of beer) - 1/11/2011 9:12:18 AM
Additionally we add a blend of spices - cinnamon, cardamom, clove, star anise and things like anardana, dry mango, dried fenugreek leaves & fennel seeds. The taste of the dish differs with the blend of these ingredients. - 10/10/2010 1:54:53 PM
Favorite spice here is Morton's Hot Salt, a tasty chipotle flavor, give a quick kick to egg substitutes, veggies, meats, etc. I buy bottles of it whenever I see it to make sure I have a stash of it. - 9/9/2010 9:38:02 PM
Unfortunately, my husband balks at any spices (yes, he's the guy who will eat his salads without dressings too.)
Then I'm a problem in another area. I mainly have to avoid the three ubiquitous things every cook (and definitely every TV chef thinks they have to have all the time) black pepper, onion and garlic. Onion, shoot, they use a whole onion in a single recipe. A single yellow onion can last me a month or more. I use some garlic powder, minimally, and a few things I use whole garlic cloves not sliced or crushed, and then fish them out half-way through cooking. All three things hit my stomach like flame throwers if more than that.
Ironically though, I've been exploring the world of chili peppers. I can actually get by with some minimal levels of jalapeno (chipotle favorite version). One of my favorite salad dressings? Victoria taco sauce. Love taco salads but you know while high in salt it takes very little to add some flavor to dull lettuce leaves in just a regular salad too.
There are also fat free versions of crumbled feta, some with other things like sundried tomato in it, and while not calorie or salt free, it takes very, very little in a salad to add a zing to it.
Another thing I discovered a while back is a product called True Lemon, it's a (sugar/artificial sweetener free) powder found either in spice or sugar sections of stores, but can be added to various things. Yes, if you can afford and keep real lemons around long enough I suppose that would be better, but as something you can keep in your purse/pocket this works very nicely. They make other fruits now but still prefer the lemon. In hot weather, one appetite suppressor is to treat a 16 ounce bottle of water with some and keep it cold. You get the urge do the refrigerator door arm pull exercise too often, pull out the bottle of mild lemon water (lemonade has sugar added, lemon water doesn't) then drink down some and it, one, fills you, two, hydrates you, and three the minimal taste of lemon tricks your system into thinking you really had something!
Last, but certainly not least, is get to know your vinegars. Get beyond balsamic, red wine or apple cider. There is a world of different kinds to try. Get on-line and find out you can make flavored vinegars by adding some things like herbs, lemons, chilis, etc. to have on hand. Oils can be done as well but both things you need instructions depending on what you use to keep longer than a few days.
Speaking of oil, when you put your minimal oil in cooking for sauté or before you sear something, put your spices like chili flakes, coriander, so on in at that point (just don't burn them). Let the flavors permeate as much as possible the oil you do use. Fats are not just necessary for proper nutrition to carry things to be use in our bodies but they are also necessary for carrying flavors. Make the most of what oil you are using. Most of those kinds of spices have oils in them that's why toasting them brings it out and why chefs think fresh ground pepper is better and also zest! How many of you watch those cooking shows where they harp on putting in citrus zest (thin parts of peelings)? Well, that's where the fruit's oils are.
Cook's tip: Even if you have citrus like zest or fresh herbs in your dish, as a final touch before serving squeeze fresh or sprinkle fresh on the dish. Once cooked those things lose their flavors in the food. Give your mouth the immediate treat of wake up with fresh. -p-
PS - if you are a oil & vinegar salad dresser add them in reverse order. Otherwise the oil keeps the vinegar from sticking to the leaves. - 8/20/2010 8:12:27 AM
I also use a garlic plus with roasted red peppers. Great in mashed potatoes.
I really like Italian seasoning for cooking skinless baked chicken.
I'm sure I could go on with other ideas.
- 5/7/2010 11:40:21 AM
ps - Dairy quenches hot peppers. If you want to try a new hot sauce, put 1-2 drops on a spoonful of food at a meal. If it's too hot, eat cottage cheese or yogurt. Skim milk also helps, but does not work as well for me. - 5/7/2010 9:18:44 AM
I really want to try sriracha, but I am such a big chicken about it for some reason. - 4/20/2010 7:22:06 PM
I find that even low-sodium broth is too high for me. Being lazy, I use a lot of garlic powder. I also use dried red pepper, b/c I read about it in You On a Diet by Oz & Roizen. They say that it also reduces appetite. I don't find that, but maybe others will.
They also say that when our taste buds are not that sensitive (we are low tasters) we tend to eat more b/c the food does not register. Therefore, it is important to spice it up a lot in order to have it register in our brains and reduce the amount we eat. The dried pepper is very concentrated and most people (like my son) can't tolerate much. So it should be used sparingly. Those like me (a low taster) can tolerate more.
This article is very important b/c of the taste factor. To find out if you are a low taster, put a packet of Sweet & Low into a cup of water. If it tastes bitter you are a normal taster. If it tastes fine (as it does to me) you are a low taster. You should spice up your foods as much as possible. Hope this was helpful. - 2/27/2010 12:07:20 PM
Please Log In To Leave A Comment: Log in now ›