battling the bland

SparkPoints: (32,274)
Fitness Minutes: (26,516)
Posts: 2,070
8/7/11 11:23 P

Lemon pepper tastes great on chicken or fish.
Get a steak seasoning for beef.
There are lots of great pre-made seasonings out there so you don't have to make your own. When in doubt, I usually just use salt and pepper and the meat turns out well. Any chef will tell you that salt and pepper are practically essential when cooking meat.

SparkPoints: (904)
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Posts: 10
8/4/11 7:32 A

Get online and look at sites with healthy recipes, get some friends together for brainstorming you can help them as much as they help you, also have a play around in the kitchen trial and error is a good way to learn.
Also it never hurts to get some jared herbs and spices every time you can afford it when you go to the store and build up a collection over time

SparkPoints: (2,068)
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Posts: 17
7/31/11 3:30 P

Get a zester, $3 at walmart and a lime or lemon and add some zest to your meals. Black pepper and balsamic vinegar are great for adding flavor AND low in calories :) Also even you can experiment with different teas to flavor things. I took a culinary class and am amazed at all the things I had no idea I could do with food. There is a world of flavor out there and it's all HEALTHY! :)

SparkPoints: (15,052)
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Posts: 707
7/31/11 2:33 P

Believe it or not Montreal Steak Spice is perfect for some fish ex rainbow trout on the grill,add lemon juice at the end & enjoy!

Posts: 224
7/29/11 9:14 P

I like to mix things up so I don't get too bored. Try some blackened seasoning on your fish...it's really good. I also like to use jamaican jerk on my chicken or turkey.

SparkPoints: (69,111)
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Posts: 9,607
7/28/11 10:55 A

One thing I like to do is pour some fat free italian dressing over fish or chicken and bake in the oven. The dressing gives the meat flavor without adding fat/calories....and it so simple to do ( i keep things very simple!)

SparkPoints: (809)
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Posts: 10
7/26/11 11:07 P

I love adding herbs for flavour, it always adds a little pizzazz without adding any fat. Spices are good for the same reason. Try some to see what you both like. I love garlic, oregano, thyme.... so on and so forth. Stock is also great at adding liquid without the fat.With the fish... try this recipe... i love it

6 fillets haddock
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
4 plum tomatoes, thinly sliced
1 red pepper, thinly sliced
1 yellow pepper, thinly sliced
1 small onion, thinly sliced
5 tablespoons capers
good handful chopped fresh parsley
6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Prep:10 mins Cook:20 mins
1. Preheat oven to 395f (200c).
2. Centre each piece of fish on an individual piece of aluminium foil (large enough to seal the fish and veg when folded). Sprinkle each piece of fish with salt and pepper. Divide the sliced tomatoes, onion and peppers between the 6 pieces of fish, and place on top of the filets. Sprinkle evenly with the capers and parsley. Then drizzle each fillet with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice.
3. Fold and seal the foil into a parcel and place on a baking tray. Leave 5cm (2 in) between each parcel to provide heat circulation.
4. Bake in a preheated oven for 20 minutes.
5. Let rest for 5 minutes and unwrap. One parcel per person.
Note:
You can also use baking parchment for the parcels instead of aluminium foil.

I hope you like it :)

SparkPoints: (126)
Fitness Minutes: (147)
Posts: 1
7/26/11 5:00 P

I'm cooking for myself and my husband. We both are trying to eat less fatty without being bored and I admit to being hesitant with the seasonings. He complains when I freelance in the kitchen without following recipes since 70% of the time the meals end up mushy and tasteless. What can I do about this when working with the end of the week groceries? Also, I am less adventurous when cooking with seafood, the meat we should be eating more of. How should I approach preparing fish and other meals that don't just taste good just because there's tons of butter or salt complimenting them?